MAGAZINE SHOWCAR, INSANE BUILD, 427 CRATE V8, 5-SPEED, ART MORRISON CHASSIS, A++

Description

Here at Streetside Classics, our favorite cars are the ones that neatly straddle the line between show car and vehicles you can actually drive. The best cars are those that are fully updated mechanically, yet look so spectacular that it's hard to believe they've been driven. This 1955 Chevy Bel Air 2-door post coupe is such a vehicle, with heart-stopping good looks and a totally streetable attitude.There are a lot of 1955 Chevys out there, that's true. It's a popular car, both then and now, and the reasons folks fall in love with them are obvious. But to rise to the top, to have a car that can be driven and enjoyed, while delivering the kind of looks that makes kids and grown men stop in their tracks as it drives by, well, that's not as easy as it sounds. So you'll definitely appreciate this car's beautiful black-over-silver paint scheme, which is a bit modern, but sticks to the factory's break points for the colors, and keeps all the original trim intact. The finish is show-quality all the way, with excellent gaps and enough time invested in the bodywork to make it really stand out from lesser cars. We love the look of the black top and the tinted windows, but nothing has been shaved, altered, or tweaked, proving once again that the right paint can make or break a car. There's another sizeable chunk of change invested in getting the chrome refinished, but the results were definitely worth it, as it sparkles like jewelry on this Bel Air and the overall look delivers in a big way.The interior is wonderfully subtle, and the outstanding execution and neat details make it an excellent place to spend some time. The original seats are gone, replaced by a pair of leather-wrapped buckets flanking a custom-built center console. The dash was fully restored, with fresh Dakota Digital gauges tucked into the original gauge panel, and the band of bright metal that stretches from end to end is very trick, smoothly eliminating the secondary controls and radio for a clean, smooth look. A custom center console was fabbed up, including an armrest and a cool custom shifter for the 5-speed manual transmission. There's also A/C, an AM/FM/CD stereo radio, and a tilt steering column topped by a stock-looking wheel that has been finished to match the interior. The back seat has been split into two buckets astride the full-length console and the trunk is tastefully finished in black carpets.The engine bay glitters with the look of a full custom piece. That's a thundering 427 cubic inch V8 under that custom air cleaner, and it's a neat fit in the '55 engine bay. Obviously there was an extraordinary amount of time and effort dedicated to the engine bay, showcasing a lot of polished and chrome plated parts as well as custom paint work that gives it a cool monochromatic look. There's a pair of Edelbrock 4-barrel carbs under the air cleaner and the front end is fitted with a serpentine belt drive for the accessories, so it's reliable and quiet. All the wiring and plumbing was expertly hidden out of sight, the inner fenders were finished, the firewall was smoothed, and the aluminum radiator up front has a custom shroud to blend it all together. The aforementioned 5-speed manual transmission spins a Ford 9-inch rear end with 3.89 gears on a limited slip, but with the overdrive gear, it cruises beautifully on the highway. The chassis is a custom powdercoated Art Morrison setup with A-arms, coil-overs, rack-and-pinion steering, and 4-wheel Wilwood disc brakes. The stance is just right and those custom billet wheels and Yokohama performance radials work perfectly.With more than $175,000 invested in the build, this two-time magazine feature car is still extremely fresh. Drive or show, it's up to you, and this Bel Air excels at both. Call today!