This 1955 Bel Air has the look and it’s no accident – the car received a frame off rotisserie restoration with an emphasis on giving the car a killer old-school image. The Chevy has excellent fit and finish, awesome paint, a rocking drive train, and a classy interior. It’s a pleasure to drive and is the perfect vehicle to upstage all of the other cruise-night guys.
The body features a bare metal refinish and House of Colors Sunset Pearl paint with House of Colors Vanilla Shake accents. The paint has been wet sanded for a flat show look and has been polished out with all of the best 3M products to produce an excellent finish and shine. In the sun, the pearl has an amazing "pop" and at night under lights it takes on an equally impressive, but totally different look. The stainless trim on the Chevy is the original stuff and it has been sanded and polished by hand for countless hours to bring back the original finish. All of the chrome has been redone throughout the car as well. The undercarriage is just a pretty as the top with a gloss black frame Vanilla Shake floor boards and suspension components that have been accented in the Sunset Pearl paint.
Powering the cruiser is a balanced and blue printed 350 that has been bored 60 over. The motor has 441 ported and polished heads with Mantley stainless steel valves, roller rockers and a Comp Cam. The carburetor is a Holley Street Avenger and the big spark comes from a 6AL MSD ignition control. The transmission is an M21 with a Hurst Shifter and the rear end is a 10 bolt with 3.08 gears that are perfect for highway use. Cooling the motor is a Griffin Radiator which we have found to be some of the best units on the market. They have great air flow and really bring temps down. The Bel Air has 16" Smoothie rims with small Chevy center caps and custom made skinny white wall tires.
The interior is very clean an has a mild custom look. The dash is the centerpiece of the interior and it really makes good use of its presence with plenty of chrome, nicely integrated Autometer gauges and a killer looking ’58 Impala wheel. Providing the tunes is a Custom Auto Sounds unit with a CD changer in the trunk. We almost forgot to mention the AC system which neatly occupies the factory heater control location. How can you cruise comfortably without AC during the summer time? These systems are fantastic additions to classic cars and are comprised of entirely new, perfectly working components. The carpet is a Daytona loop with tan and copper colorations that were found on the 1956 Bel Air.
It’s hard to find the style, quality, and performance in all one place as we find on this Chevy, so don’t miss the boat and buy a dud.
