Ode to the 57 Chevy (updated with new pictures)

The book I am reading (actually listening to on my MP3 player) was talking about a 57 Chevy, which just got me thinking about my dad's 57 Chevy. I was trying to remember when he bought it and I can't remember the exact year, but I had to be around 11 or 12. Or maybe even 9 or 10 years old. He pulled up in to driveway under in front of the garage with it and Lisa and I were like "What is that?" First of all we are girls and we know nothing about cars. Our idea of a nice car was a shiny sports car. This thing was huge and old fashion. Cars now are not that big. Even to sit in the backseat, there is tons of room.
So he takes us for a ride and people start to look up wave and Lisa and I look at each other and smile. This is kind of fun. Dad's 57 Chevy gets all polished up including the seats. If anyone has ever sat in the back of a car like this with freshly shined up seats, you will know what happens when Dad goes around a corner not so slowly. Yes, Lisa and I slide from one side to the other. Hilarious!!! (I swear he used extra wax, or something)

Here I am next to my dad's car in the driveway. Wow, look our driveway was gravel and our house is green. Oh, and there is my dad's grey and red truck in the background. Of course, me in a dress....which I am sure I did not like at all.

This car grew on us and we became to love it. We used to take it on family vacations and the attention that this car drew was amazing. People would be pointing or waving as you drive down the street. If you drove past another owner of a classic car, they would always wave or beep since you obviously should be friends even if you don't know each other. You both like classic cars, don't you? You always just felt like you were out for a "Sunday drive". I remember being on the thruway one time and seeing someone pointing their camcorder right at us. What are people thinking sometimes?? Too funny. I would never get out the camcorder and do that, but I do take pictures of some random things......maybe I shouldn't really point fingers on this one.

One of the favorite things to do was to get gas at a full service fuel station. There was always a young kid working and he would come up to window, and my dad would say "fill it up". Then we would just watch and wait. The poor kid would walk around and around and around the car looking for where to put the gas in. Some would try to lift the license plate. Others would just stare at the back. Finally, most of them (to all of our satisfaction) would have to come back up to the window and ask where it was. I've even seen my dad have to get out of the car and show them. Sounds kind of mean now, but it was fun. Reminds of some blooper show.
The door for the fuel was on the tailfin - you can see it about half way down on the chrome part.

My dad also has fuzzy dice that hang on the mirror.



Here are some facts that I got from Wikipedia....I know you want to believe that I just know all this car info, but I did get some help.
I believe my dad's was the Bel Air model. The 1957 Chevrolet was available in three official trim levels: the base-model "one-fifty" series, the mid-range"two-ten" series, and the upscale Bel Air series. The 1957 Chevrolet was a carry-over from 1955, when Chevrolet introduced its now-famous small-block V-8 — the first V-8 available in a Chevrolet since 1918. Originally, General Motors executives wanted an entirely new car for 1957, but production delays necessitated the carry-over of the 1955 design for one more year. The now famous '57 Chevy tailfins were designed to duplicate the wide look in the rear. Bel Air models were given gold trim: the grille, front fender chevrons, hood, and trunk script. General Motors Design chief Harley Earl is generally credited for the automobile tailfin. Harley credited the look of World War II fighter aircraft for his inspiration, particularly the twin-tailed P-38 Lightning.

There were many options on the car. Power steering and power brakes were available, as well as a signal-seeking radio and power antenna. Power windows and power seats were also available. A rear speaker could be purchased which required a separate volume knob to be installed in the dash, beside the radio — this rear speaker was touted as providing "surround" sound. An "autotronic eye" was offered - it was a device that bolted onto the dashboard and sensed the light from oncoming traffic, dimming the headlights automatically.

Another dash-mounted item was the traffic-light viewer, a ribbed plastic visor that was installed just above the speedometer. Because the roof extends so far into the windshield, it is hard to see overhead traffic lights from the driver's seat. The traffic light viewer captured the reflection of overhead traffic lights so that the driver didn't have to lean forward to see past the edge of the windshield. (Isn't that weird?)

Here are some other things that happened in 1957:

I'm not sure of the exact date, but my Grandma (dad's mom) passed away this year. She died of cancer when my dad was just 9 and I never got to meet her. I have a picture of her. I can't even imagine not having my mom now and I'm 31. Wonder what she would think of the world today or what she would think of all of us?? I'm pretty sure I would be her favorite grandchild :)
Right Lisa??



Other Events from 1957

• January 13(my birthday): Wham-O introduces the first Frisbee
• January 20: Dwight D. Eisenhower inaugurated for second term as President of the US
• March 1: Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is produced.
• March 13: The United States FBI arrests Jimmy Hoffa and charges him with bribery
• March 26: 22-year-old Elvis Presley buys Graceland on 3734 Bellevue Boulevard for $100,000. He and his family move from the house on 1034 Audubon Drive.
• June 27: Hurricane Audrey demolishes Cameron, Louisiana - killing 400 people
• July 6: John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the very first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles
• August 5: American Bandstand a local dance show produced byWFIL-TV in Philadelphia joins the ABC Television Network.
• September 4: American Civil Rights Movement: Little Rock Crisis - Orville Faubus, governor of Arkansas, calls out the US National Guard to prevent African-American students from enrolling in Central High School in Little Rock.
• October 4: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth.
• October 21: The U.S. military sustains its first combat fatality in Vietnam, Army Capt. Hank Cramer of the 1st Special Forces Group.
• November 3: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter space - a dog named Laika.
• 
• November 25: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower has a stroke.
• December6: First U.S. attempt to launch a satellite fails, the rocket blowing up on the launch pad.
• December 19: Meredith Willson's classic musical The Music Man , starring Robert Preston, debuts on Broadway.