Paul Savelesky's 55 Chevy, Miss elegance, History lesson with vintage pictures

The tangerine paint is very, very cool!

 

Mark, thanks for sharing the incredible journey of this beautiful custom. It warms my heart that Paul was able to reunite with his creation and redo it once again. And it is a relief to know that it is in good hands with someone who appreciates the mastery of that amazing period of customization. . My dad and uncle took me to my first car show in the mid sixties and this is the sort of thing that I love to this day.

 

Far out! I can’t believe how much planning, and work went into his build. Incredible.


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Can we assume he built all the seats, you’ve shown the barrel seats?


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We have never met, but I got to check out “Miss Elegance”at CCR 2019. Thank you for the history, Hopefully we’ll get the 2020 show in. Later Lou


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Thanks Mark for a great history lesson. And even better it is in good hands now.

 

Paul commented that Ray Wilson used a silver roof paint as base coat, the effect was that the small flake looked like it wwway down there, have never seen any paint depth like it since... Dyno Dave

 

As the show info card states; Full Race Corvette Engine.. That it was, a 355 cu. in. from Earl Wham's limited hydroplane race boat, it was replaced with Buick as a engine transplant gave owner extra car show points. Dyno Dave

 

@Moriarity,
Probably a dumb question, but are all of the electronics still functioning?

The door solenoid with a “polarized” light is just too cool.
"Buttons? we don't need any stinking buttons."

 

Such an amazing thread and car Mark! My fiancee and I are still planning to be up for BTT50s. Staying North of you on the river. She would love to see this and the rest of your toys. I think I still have your card and number here somewhere

 

Polarized light is whats used in a lot remote controls. Think of your TV remote and how you have to be aiming it at a certain spot for it to change channels or adjust the volume.

 

Ok, now I'm just super curious if you can get a TV remote control to trigger the door. Looking at all the wiring, I'll bet it still works, just like everything else on this car. Just trying to find the correct frequency may take some time. Perhaps in the 50's there were less frequencies readily available. Some research may shed some light on that. ... But I'd rather spend my Saturday afternoon next to this great custom, reprogramming the TV remote, searching for the right code

 

Probably swimming with sharks, bullfighting, or jumping out of a perfectly good airplane .. or some sh*t. Ha !!!

Send Moriarity a digital converter from the Atomic Headquarters stash arsenal.

Probably whittling one up now, & sending it to chrome, & gold leaf. What do I know ? I'm always late around here. This place rules.

 

Moriarity, I tip my hat to you sir. Thanks for knowing what true treasure is and saving it.

 

One of the few kustoms that really looked great in all of it's iterations. It always seems like when one the early customs got "updated", it got ruined. This car was spared that fate. Radical, but with some restraint.

 

Notice that he didn't require some yee-haw fancy garage to do the work.

 

Maybe not as complicated as you think. Maybe like the automatic headlight dimmers Caddy's had on them in 58. ? just guessing. Maybe not a frequency at all. Lippy

 

darn, lol. Probably with out knowing the frequency of light that the receiver is looking for its going to be tough to narrow down a device that would work with it. If the rest of the wiring is still functioning.

 

Truly amazing piece of custom history. Thanks to all it's
owners for not letting it disappear and rot away as was the
fate of so many customs of the era.

 

You might try to find an old TV repairman, and pick brain a little. Hope you get it figured out, I love old electronic stuff that works. I only wish I knew how to work on it

 

Well being from England I enjoyed this so much, you are not only very lucky but very gifted, more power to your elbow.

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