Ruby Tuesday Too - Fire Apparatus

Ruby Tuesday Too prompts us to find items in an arresting shade of red. So how about a restored early 1950s Chevrolet fire truck. With its ruby hue, this is eye-catching for sure, although its previous home base of Moosehead Lake, Maine made me a bit skeptical (moose residing in Maine? ), but a cursory search reveals there actually is a Moosehead Lake in western Maine, in fact a very large lake (40 miles/64 km Long) and a popular vacation area...at any rate, this cherry red truck is a fine sample of our favorite color...

Shadow Shot Sunday - New used car

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 arrives in a week where the family has a new addition...not what you might think though.It is really Allegra's new used car, a '99 Chevrolet Malibu sitting in the long autumnal shadows falling upon the Ansonia Uplands.



This shadowy beige conveyance replaces her 1996 Plymouth Neon that graced SSS2 and other posts. The absolutely nicest first generation Neon anywhere, it was totaled by an errant driver's left turn. Happily nobody was hurt and the other driver was at fault. The only casualty, alas, the shiny ruby Neon...

Nevertheless, the Malibu leaves excellent shadows under the more southerly sun. Owned and carefully driven by an older gentleman, it has only 74.000 miles (119,000 km) so it has a long and shadowy life - we hope without other drivers' faulty left turns...

Ruby Tuesday Too - New name, old truck

I missed the fun Ruby Tuesday last week, and lo and behold, I am back and noted he name change too. The theme requirements of a lot or a little red remains as before, and I have reds and quite a bit...this is probably one of the nicest and (mostly) original trucks around, a 1951 Chevrolet 3100. GM referred to this as its Advance Design series. Not only is the vehicle red, it sits in front of the ruby barn at the Shelton (CT) History Center. And ruby stripes on the flag on the Ford nest door. Classics all in design, utility and new blog name...

Ruby Tuesday 2 - Long, longer and...

Ruby Tuesday 2 reappears, and we look for red in many ways: microscopic or massive. I have chosen the latter...at yesterday's Fathers Day car show at the Shelton History Center, I was (as usual) intrigued by the sight of chrome laden 1950s American barges with their styling excesses. 

Especially when I stumbled into this, a massive 1958 Chevrolet Impala painted in acres of red. It was sooooo long that two frames were needed to capture its ruby goodness - there is plenty of it :) See more ruby goodness at RT2

SOOC - Takeoff

A delta-winged aircraft takes flight from the bonnet of a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air...

SOOC - Straight out of the Camera - presents us with art from the 1950s. In the case of vehicles produced in the dawn of the Jet Age, the feeling of speed was everywhere...even on the hood/bonnet of American cars. How about a hood ornament that looks like a jet plane leaping into space. Like an aircraft carrier, it has the feeling of zooming off into space. From a car - a silly premise in theory, yet quite dreamy as it lifts into space...style over substance? Absolutely, thank you!

Restored Retro Ruby Tuesday

For Ruby Tuesday 2 a little or a lot of red is okay, and given my attraction to old American cars, a bold ruby 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air is not to be ignored...full of 1950s styling art, restored in this stunning red outside, and on the engine (and even the battery is ruby). 

And it is for sale! However, with a new engine (350), and the high appraised value Chevy's from this era command, it is somewhat too rich to contemplate parking in our driveway. I'll stick with admiring its classic 1950s US car styling instead...

Ruby Tuesday - Impala Run

1960 Impala Convertible

1961 Impala SS 348

Ruby Tuesday - Impala Standing Still

1963 Chevrolet Impala SS, 327/300, Powerglide

Ruby Tuesday 2 is back (as am I after our cable internet went out at an inopportune time where blogs needed to be posted last week). The direction, as always, a lot or a little red. True to one of my interests, and old car is the theme. It is a 1963 Chevy Impala SS sitting for its portrait in an urban setting on Bridge Street ins Ansonia. It looks fine either sitting or moving, as it is styled so well. The straight edges and small amounts of chrome give it a timeless look, the maroon paint flawless. An impressive looking car of its day...

The texture around the badge is the old concrete under the Impala adding a cool element to this view.

Useless but clever automotive trivia I have is found in the V-shaped emblem on the front wing. It indicates that this has the 327 V8 (added to the chrome chevron) as opposed to the smaller 283 V8 (no flags) or the larger 409. Things I knew that when I was 10 but still remember it now at a more um...advanced age. Like Patti said, Carhead 55 could have been my blogging name...see RT2 for more ruby treasures!

Ruby Tuesday - Patrol Car

2011 Ford Police Interceptor

1957 Chevrolet Delray

Ruby Tuesday 2 is back, and a number of reds could be expected at a Memorial Day parade - and the two town Shelton and Derby parade last Monday is no exception. We see the red in the American flags, brick structures and in the awning of Altamari's Little Italy.

I am focusing on the police cars im the parade. A restored replica of Shelton's 1957 Chevrolet with its simple ruby light - contrasted to a current (and ubiquitous) Ford Police Interceptor from Derby with its blinding computer controlled flashing ruby (and blue) lights. Way different style and technology seems obvious. What will not change in any era is the arresting ruby red (couldn't resist :) ...see more at RT2

Tina's Pic Story - Round

1960 Chevrolet Impala convertible - a classic in its period two-tone red and white paint...

Tina has kindly provided this week's fun Pic Story. Her challenge today is the theme round. So, we add our photos that comply with the theme. I think that I may have found one...

Old American cars, favorites of mine, perhaps can meet the shape requirement. How does this 1960 wonder with fins do so? I see three particular items: the round wire wheel set into the round tire. And, the Impala, the top of the line Chevy, always had three round taillights on each side (unlike the lesser and cheaper Bel-Air and Biscayne which had two round taillights...)

A Chevrolet with a few circular details. Who would have thought of that?

Ruby Tuesday 2 - Speedy Chevrolets

1962 Impala SS 409

1967 Malibu SS, 427

Ruby Tuesday 2 arrives with retro rubies captured when they were not moving....

In the 1960s, hot were endowed with speed. The manufacturer thus added little badges to let the world know that you had hardware the other guys didn't have. The little die cast and ruby painted signs from 1962 and 1967. Both vehicles were immaculate restorations, and since I really like old cars, I saw the potential for a post!

Also posted as part of Tina's 29 Days

Shadow Shot Sunday - Sculpted and Shadowy Chrome

ShadowShot Sunday arrives courtesy of our three hosts, allowing us to present the artistry of shadows, when and wherever they may present themselves.

Obviously, I prefer warm weather to cold and like cars as much as I like shadows. As a winter cold front is passing through, the look at past and nicer seasons warms things up. My affection for old iron shows up in these two scenes, and the shadowy world playfully intrudes into both.

First is this curvaceous 1958 Chevrolet Impala. Its sculpted flanks throws arcs and angles about, causing contorted shadows and reflections that fall over the chrome gazelle. Shadows of a tree and the reflected lawn show up - both of subtly seen...

View two is from a 1953 Hudson Hornet. The stylish interior has its share of 1950s flair - the dashboard showcases that material that reflects its era - chrome. The dazzling brightwork is retro cool.

The shadows add a nice contrast, falling over the two-tone green upholstery and steel. Compared to modern vehicles, the safety and driving dynamics are not very good. But for artistry in steel, the new does not compare. See shadowy style at this always fun meme!