53-55 gull wings

[Mike M.]

anybody repo'ing these pot metal side trim pieces?mike

[Karl L.]

Re: 53-55 gull wings

Mike,

Paragon...page 78...listed as: side moldings...gull wings..1 pair
part # 12264K... New Catalog.

Corvette Central... listed as: exterior trim & mouldings...gull wings
part #331004...1 pair...on their web site.

Karl.

[Mike M.]

Re: 53-55 gull wings

thanks karl. mike

[Edward B.]

Re: 53-55 gull wings

Being the owner of a '55 Gullwing (300SL) since 1964, it was exciting to see the heading for this thread, but much less exciting to realize it was a search for a trim item that I had never heard identified in that way before.
Glad the information is available and I'll wait for another day for the real Gullwing to be discussed on the NCRS site.

[Mike M.]

Re: 53-55 gull wings

Being the owner of a '55 Gullwing (300SL) since 1964, it was exciting to see the heading for this thread, but much less exciting to realize it was a search for a trim item that I had never heard identified in that way before.
Glad the information is available and I'll wait for another day for the real Gullwing to be discussed on the NCRS site.

Ed: since the Gull wings appeared on the 53 Corvettes, did Mercedes steal the name from GM? i must admit, the 55 Gull Wings are beautiful vehicles. regards, mike

[Ian G.]

Re: 53-55 gull wings

A friend of mine at work who has a treasure trove of stories to tell, told me about his father who owned a 300SL in the early 60's. His father loved the car and drove it fast. He'd hit the pedal to the metal. He also liked to hit the bottle. Apparently, one night he hit both a little too hard and drove the car over an embankement. The gullwing broke its axles, bent its frame, ruined the body and his father broke his legs. They sold the car to a local mechanic, who spent the next 5 years or so resurrecting the car to like-new. My friend saw the car finished and was amazed at what a great job the guy had done bringing the car back to life. The car was then promptly stolen by some kids for a joy ride and set alight. The mechanic didn't bring try fixing it the second time. Pretty ironic story really.

[Karl L.]

Re: 53-55 gull wings

Mike,

I see a Thread, posted by Dan Patch, about getting screwed by
Chicago Corvette.
It was posted Fri. 7/31/09 at 10:13 pm.
Seems like I read something a couple years ago about some others
having problems with them.
I called Chicago Corvette last week about a Rear-end Housing
for my "55" and they haven't called me back yet.

I haven't had any problems with Paragon. I was there Thursday and
they couldn't help me on a "53"-"55" housing. So I bought some bolts
and some other parts. Then I looked at "REX".. REX is Paragons "58"
Silver-Blue Vette. I look at it everytime I go there. It sits in their showroom. It's looks like my first love...almost to a "T".

Karl.

[Edward B.]

Re: 53-55 gull wings

Mike: The term "gullwing" actually came from the German automotive press from a visual impression of the car with doors open. Did you ever wonder where the inspiration came from for the styling accents on the hoods of C-1 Corvettes. Look no further than the 300SL where the low hood line necessitated one "bump" to clear part of the engine; the second was added to balance the design. All of this on a car where the engine was already rotated 45 degrees from the vertical to provide a lower profile. The coves and side vents on the Corvette are other styling features whose origins can be traced to the 300SL where they were functional items from their inception.