[tubman]

I have a '51 club coupe I drive all the time in the summer. As mentioned above, shoeboxes are modern enough cars to be completely adequate as daily drivers.

As to tires and lowering, I put a set of Aerostar springs in the front, and am thinking of 2 or 3 inch blocks in the back, though I kinda' like the rake. I bought on a set of Coker Classic WWW radials a couple of years ago and couldn't be happier; the changes made a huge improvement in ride and handling. When I had the re-pop Firestone bias plies on it before, every cloverleaf intersection was an adventure at anything over 20 MPH.

As to "tunes", this is one time to think modern. An iPod or the like hooked up to some of the ultra-small speakers they make today will give you a superior sound to just about any radio you can put in with minimum hassle. With proper grounds, connections, and an adequate battery (think Optima), 6 volts is fine for these cars. If you really want a radio, there is a place in Wisconsin (Google is your friend) that makes a 6 volt device that plugs in between your antenna and radio that allows you to receive FM stations. I am lucky because where I am located in north central Minnesota there is a good AM "Oldies" station, so I do just fine with my stock radio. I have the "deluxe" (8 tube) radio, and when I set the tone control to "Bass", it sounds just fine.

Good luck with your new ride, if you have half as much enjoyment out of yours as I have had with mine, you'll still be happy. I've had my car almost 30 years and our relationship even survived an "affair" I had with a "hot '36 3-window about 20 years ago.