General Information
Year
1955
Make
Chevy BelAir
Model
2DHT
I have wanted a '55 since high school--call it 30 years ago! I've come close a couple times but always found a reason not to buy one (no time, no space, no skills). I recently found one when I wasn't looking. The body seems very good, the frame seems rock solid. It's got a 350 with a TH350 installed a couple owners ago, and the last owner--the man I bought it from--installed disc brakes. The floor is shot, the interior is shredded, the paint is chalky and the windshield is broken. But I love this car!
A quick overview of my plans: replace the floor & interior, replace the glass, install a pocket kit & mini-tub it. I hope to have that done in time to drive the car late this summer. AND NOW A QUICK DOSE OF REALITY: The original idea was nice...cute really. The car wasn't drivable. It was a fire that just hadn't ignited yet! The previous owner ran rubber fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump, including running it right over the exhaust in a couple spots. And the exhaust? Flex tubing, a run of straight pipes and a couple mufflers with the outlets (notice I didn't mention tailpipes) right under a couple holes in the floor. Not a piece of wiring on that car newer than 50 years old. The rear shocks weren't attached to anything (nothing to attach them to). So far, I've had the body off the frame twice. I replaced the floor with a one-piece pan. I remove the trunk and have a one-piece replacement ready to go. The car is disassembled and the engine is sitting on a stand in the corner. There's no trim, no glass, no wires, no brake or fuel lines. . .I won't be driving it this summer.
Phase two--beginning next fall--build & install a new motor; BBC with a ProCharger centrifugal supercharger. Install a narrowed Ford 9" with gears in the 370-410 range and S&W ladderbar suspension. Smooth the body and paint it.
A quick overview of my plans: replace the floor & interior, replace the glass, install a pocket kit & mini-tub it. I hope to have that done in time to drive the car late this summer. AND NOW A QUICK DOSE OF REALITY: The original idea was nice...cute really. The car wasn't drivable. It was a fire that just hadn't ignited yet! The previous owner ran rubber fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump, including running it right over the exhaust in a couple spots. And the exhaust? Flex tubing, a run of straight pipes and a couple mufflers with the outlets (notice I didn't mention tailpipes) right under a couple holes in the floor. Not a piece of wiring on that car newer than 50 years old. The rear shocks weren't attached to anything (nothing to attach them to). So far, I've had the body off the frame twice. I replaced the floor with a one-piece pan. I remove the trunk and have a one-piece replacement ready to go. The car is disassembled and the engine is sitting on a stand in the corner. There's no trim, no glass, no wires, no brake or fuel lines. . .I won't be driving it this summer.
Phase two--beginning next fall--build & install a new motor; BBC with a ProCharger centrifugal supercharger. Install a narrowed Ford 9" with gears in the 370-410 range and S&W ladderbar suspension. Smooth the body and paint it.
