Five Decades?

by 73 ss wgn Sat Mar 16, 2024 5:49 am

I was shocked to do the math and realize that the 1973 Chevelle I’m working on is 50 years old. I just can’t believe it, even though I've owned the car for 38 of those years.

In 1973 when this car was born, a fifty-year-old car would have been a 1923 Chevrolet Superior. With exposed fenders, running boards, a hood that folded up from the sides, and seats straight out of a buggy design shop, this vehicle shared no design attributes with a 1973 car. The stock wheels had wooden spokes and the manual transmission didn't have syncros. Its 26 hp engine meant it’s 0-60 time would have been “never.” It was as out-of-date as a steam engine.

I like to think that my 1973 Chevelle is nowhere near that anachronistic on her 50th birthday. I mean, she shares her basic design elements with current cars, can keep up on the interstate, and has air conditioning, power brakes and steering. But that’s probably just because I grew up with cars like this. I'm sure that today’s teenager can’t imagine being without navigation, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, and power windows.

Oh, well. Hand me the map, push in the 8-track, roll down the windows, and she and I are still ready for a road trip.

by 76Chevelle2Tone Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:31 pm

Well Belle's big 50 birthday is August 2025 so yes all of the G3s will be 50 + in the near future. I would also point out that many standard features today were options at that time. So a buyer in 1976 could get PW, Power Locks, etc. Also my 76 has the same emissions equipment as modern cars with catalytic converter and EGR. I still get regular safety inspection plates for Belle. No antique plates . Belle would not like them; though she is a working girl she is a bit conceited and doesn't want any age jokes.

Since my car is used as a sort of daily driver and transports friends and family I have a pretty good feel for reactions of younger riders. They are surprised at how comfortable the seating is and how smooth she drives with much less vibration from over revving engines and AC noisy fans trying to make R1234 seem cold.

PS Nice station wagon. The color is close to mine although of course my roof is a different color. I think the wagons only had one color.

by Keith Seymore Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:49 pm

Hadn't thought of it in that way, but my '74 (delivered in September of '73) will be 51 this year.

Poor thing will have been raced most of that, with this year being 46 years racing the same car.

My GTO will be 60 this September - dad was the original owner.

K

by 73 ss wgn Sun Mar 17, 2024 6:59 am

When registering the car I was asked "Do you want antique plates?" I said "The car was born in 1973. I was born in 1962. If the car is labeled an antique, what would that make me?" She gave me regular plates.

You could buy the SS wagons in multiple colors with different striping color options depending on the base color.

by 73ss Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:48 am

My Father bought a 1923 Model T sometime in the later 50's early 60's. This is before I was around. It has been an old antique car all of my life. It's hard to believe that it is now 101 years old. He still has it although we haven't ran it in the past 20 years.

by 77camino Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:13 am

I did put antique plates on mine a few years ago, just because I don’t have to pay for plates every year. The first year you have to buy the plate and then there is just a small fee every year after that. It’s kind of scary when 7 renewals show up in the mail every year.

by 76Chevelle2Tone Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:58 am

73 ss wgn wrote:When registering the car I was asked "Do you want antique plates?" I said "The car was born in 1973. I was born in 1962. If the car is labeled an antique, what would that make me?" She gave me regular plates.

You could buy the SS wagons in multiple colors with different striping color options depending on the base color.

OK good to know. So it was something specific to SS wagons. Has anyone seen one multicolored? They must be very rare.

by 76Chevelle2Tone Sun Mar 17, 2024 12:01 pm

77camino wrote:I did put antique plates on mine a few years ago, just because I don’t have to pay for plates every year. The first year you have to buy the plate and then there is just a small fee every year after that. It’s kind of scary when 7 renewals show up in the mail every year.

Is there a driving or other restriction on yours? Different states have different requirements to use the antiques. I think Nevada has one of the most severe. Apart from Belle's veto of them, it is tough to put antiques on a daily driver.

by 73ss Sun Mar 17, 2024 5:04 pm

Here in Ohio, Vehicle has to be 25 years old. Car is to be used for parades car shows etc. They did crack down on it because people were abusing it. You would see them on a beater cavalier for example.

I have a 1973 Ohio plate registered to my car. Before Ohio switched to stickers, you would get a new plate every year with the year stamped on it. I found the plate at a swap meet or something and took it to the BMV and they registered it to my car, A one time fee, No re-newel. If the police do run my plate, It shows it is registered to my car. Kinda cool.

by 76Chevelle2Tone Sun Mar 17, 2024 5:21 pm

I think increasing restrictions on the antique plates is happening everywhere. The flipside is that the regular tags often come with extensions of the emissions testing. In Nevada I believe they have gone back to 1968 or so if you have regular tags, such that you have to pass some emissions test. That's why I left the EGR valve in my car and several years ago refurbished the air cleaner system on my 76 with working sensor valves and heat stove. I guess it's now an advantage that my car has a catalytic converter. Of course I have a big heavy sedan so racing is not an option.

by 77camino Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:53 pm

Kansas does not have emissions testing or mechanical inspections. Our antique tags are vehicles over 35 years old and mostly in original condition. I don’t remember if there was a driving limit or not. Mine normally only comes out for a nice weekend drive or a car show anyway. In Kansas after 1975 we no longer got new plates every year. I do have a very nice 1975 plate with a 1977 sticker that I could register with the state, but since we don’t have front plates I just put it on the front

by zucchi Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:11 am

73 ss wgn wrote:I was born in 1962. If the car is labeled an antique, what would that make me?"

You could pick between dinosaur or fossil. Five Decades? 1f606

by Iggy Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:23 am

73 ss wgn wrote:I said "The car was born in 1973. I was born in 1962. If the car is labeled an antique, what would that make me?"

A youngster!

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