The
1955 Chevrolet (sometimes referred to as '
55 Chevy) is an automobile made by the
General Motors division
Chevrolet in 1955. It is considered a huge turning point for the manufacturer and a major success. It was available in three models: the 150, 210 (Delray), and Bel Air.
The '55 Chevy was the first successful Chevrolet with an optional
V8 engine. Chevrolet had produced an earlier car with a V-8 in 1918
Chevrolet Series D using a 55-horsepower, 288-cubic-inch V-8,
[5] but it had remained in production for only a year. For 1955, Chevrolet decided to fit their new car with an overhead valve V-8 engine design, which was a similar overhead valve design to the 1949 Oldsmobile "Rocket 88" V-8 engine. The new 265-cubic-inch overhead valve V-8 was designed to be smaller, lighter, and more powerful than previous V-8s in the auto industry.
Ford had an overhead valve V-8, the 239 CID (same displacement as the previous flathead) a year earlier than Chevy. But Ford's "Y-block" (as it was called) was problematic, especially when it came to a critical design error in its engine oiling system. A small and too-deeply set passage from its crankcase to its cylinder heads could easily clog if the oil wasn't changed often. Since oil of that time was low on detergent but high in coke, oil with too much age combined with short intermediate drives could cause a clog in the passage, which could lead to the engine's top end being deprived of oil and burning up the rocker shaft assembly. Another problem was the Y block was limited to how large it's cylinders could be increased, compared to the Chevy V-8.
However, Chevy's new "small block" for 1955 wasn't without its problems. It had no oil filter, and the factory could only add an oil filter externally. This was actually an option for 1955. Those that did not order the engine with the "oil filter option", their oil would become dirty quicker. This was corrected for the next year. However, the new small block V-8 could be easily maintained, and had a wonderful built-in ability to be upgraded. Its cylinders could be bored from 265 CID to 400 CID (Ford's Y-block could only be bored to 348 CID). The small block Chevy V-8 would become so popular, that it is still used in Chevrolets today. Although there have been various changes made to the motor to modernize it, the basic design of the original 265 remains.
