I see this talk about the buried Plymouth from 1957 has a lot of you thinking about what your situation was at that time. I thought it might be fun to hear from members about their memories of that time, and where they are today. The younger members may not be able to offer a story, but perhaps they can gain some insight. I'll start, but I'll try to keep it brief.
__________________________________________

That was a quite different time. Our society, the world situation, and the way cars are built, have been turned upside down several times. Today has very little to do with how things were then!

'57 was a fabulous year for cars! The '57 Chevy is an icon! The '57 T-bird is still the best year-model to me. It even had a blower! ...and the '57 Chrysler had the 392 2X4 engine that evolved into the ultimate drag race power plant! There are plenty more highlights, but there is something magic to car people about the number, 1957!
__________________________________________

In 1957 I was a 9 year old, living in Illinois. My Mom had just remarried, to a guy who ended up being my dad and roll model. We had the coolest car! It was a 1955 Chrysler New Yorker, and it always took us on vacation at 100 MPH! Dad worked a lot with his hands, and eventually helped me to start custom painting my own bicycles.

I was building military models then, but was still a year away from meeting my friend Phil Harris, who would "sell me" on model cars, and hot rod magazines. He eventually got his mom to take two impressionable young kids to the U.S. Nationals! That "sealed the deal", and I became obscessed with hot rods and customs.

Today I live in Tucson, Arizona, and have spent most of the last 50 years neck-deep in rods and customs. My initial urge to drag race was eventually replaced by my greater love of creating those wild paint jobs that help give each car a special personality. Years ago I decided to work for others, which keeps me involved in an endless string of projects.....AND I CAN DO IT EVERY DAY! :-) It's been a bumpy road sometimes, but I have no regrets about my choice to follow this passion. 1957 seems like a lifetime ago!