Showdown: Raygun Gothic Edition

Automotive styling went through a bit of a “phase” in the ’59-62ish timeframe. Gone were the iconic shapes of 55-57, but the solid lines of the mid-60s had yet to materialize. Instead, we got a mix of wannabe-rockets (See: Ford tail lights of the era) and Googie architecture inspired swoops and gauge-pods. We’ve got examples from each camp in this edition. In the Mopar corner, we’ve got a Dodge Pioneer two-door post sporting a slant six and three on the tree. This year’s very Googie sideways-scalloped rear fenders and low-slung front grille went over about as well as The Beast of Yucca Flats from the same year. I’d argue they’ve actually aged pretty well. Maybe the slightly rough paint helps knock a little absurdity off the lines. The gauge cluster is pure modern art: a see-through speedometer flanked by banks of chrome buttons and a clear-epoxy steering wheel center. This one’s not in such perfect shape that you’d feel obligated to keep it original. Instead, it’s begging for an angry hemi or max-wedge from the era. For extra over-designed-ness, go for a huge cross-ram intake. It’s a little over $3k with an unmet reserve. What’s a cruiser like this worth to you? When I think of men with flat-tops, short-sleeved white shirts and clip-on ties worrying about winning the space race, I think Thunderbird. The ’61-63 rocket-bird/bullet-bird) era was the cleanest of the early T-Bird styles. While I think Ford’s hitting it out of the park with the current lineup, nothing they offer has the same presence of a ’61 T-Bird. Anyway, this one’s a good notch rougher than the Mopar, with a cracked-to hell dash and basically 85% crapped-out interior. The seller says it runs and drives ok, despite the tires that obviously hold air for about five minutes. Still, that HiPo 390 could be made to get up and go, or could be swapped for an even angrier 428. It’s a little over a $1k with three days left. It’s in rough shape, but could be made into a bullet-fast cruiser without too much work. What say you?