Projects 55 Chevy 4-dr gasser-anyone with pics?

I am wanting to build a 55 Chevy gasser but cant find anything "affordable" that isnt a blow-out. Well I found a decent 55 4-door but I am skeptical on using it to build a gasser. So I was wondering if anyone has done this or has pictures of one so I can see how it looks!

 

try for a 55 wagon ... cheap and unique ... would make a cool gas car ... JD

 

If you have the ability to make it into a true Gasser and not just a wannabe you should be able to cut down the 4 door and make it a 2 door. There are more than a few excellent threads here that show how to do it.

 

You could do this but no matter what you do and no matter how much you put into it, it will always be worth 10 to 20 thousand less than a two door with equal investment, but that is up to you. Yes I saw four door gasser in the sixties, not many but they were out there mostly willys and Prefects, used to be a '55 4dr that a guy had at Lions I think he was going to make it to match race the early /FX cars but that didn't fly so it ran as an altered, the engine sat where the front seat should be and he sat in the back seat location, he would open the front door to work on the engine, and the rear door to get in. didn't run much I am not sure why, but it looked kinda cool back then. the '55 4dr doesn't look that much different other than the profile, could be cool just as a nice street crusier.
Maybe if you get the 4dr do one of the 2dr conversions that are all over this site.
It would be money well invested. Good luck

 

I found this one a couple of years ago cruisin around a town that I like to drive to on sundays. I got the owner to pull over and talked to him for a bit. He said he runs it at the strip every so often. Looks cool comin down the road at ya. Not a gasser, just looks kool.

 

Stay skeptical...

 

build a wagon

 

meh they used 4 dr willys, i see potential in the second pic of the one above.

 

I agree, 4dr = donor car!

 

Always a shame when a hot rod project is an investment rather than a passion.

 

Thing is if you actually look in the period magazines, the Car Craft and Hot Rod and Rod & Custom and all that? Guys DID race 4-doors at the drags now and then, and you'd see one sneak into the shots of event coverage. And they'd stick out, somewhere here I have a magazine with just exactly that - a '55 4-door making a pass. I don't know that it had the gasser straight axle and all, but it was up on slicks.

So do it if you want to, just bear in mind that if you should ever want something else, it will sell a lot easier put back to stock.

 

I will agree with that.....just build a wagon, I did. Here is a pic of mine. 1955 Chevy 2 door Good luck with your project.

 

My dad was a national record holder back in the day, c gas,

4-DOOR 57 Chev hardtop. So don't let em tell ya it never was...and his wasn't the only 4 door.

Scot

 

Just do the four door and call it whatever ya want gasser,street freak its all good just make it streetable,and drive the wheels off it,who cares if it does not fall into some "period"gasser class car

 

Yeah but unless you plan on keeping it forever, it will come down to this.
I have had many cars that I owned because I loved them but eventually the time came to sell and I was many times disapointed at what I got for them.
I don't buy and sell cars for a living but I also can't afford to put money into every new fad with no possibility of getting any of it back.

 

Dave Koffel's '49 Packard 4dr was alot uglier, and it did make some championships in the '60's. Build what you want man. My worthless opinion is "If it's a 4dr and it's supposed to be a hotrod it better be all business".

People can only say so much when the interior is gutted, lightener holes are all over every steel panel, there are only two seats in the car(maybe), full roll cage, and your dash looks like the clocks at the NY stock exchange w/switches under each of them.

 

X2...

 

I say build what you want.....Just make it fast and eveyone will keep their mouths shut. You could always build the 4 door have fun and when you can buy a 2dr you transfer everything over.

 

You could always do a 2 dr conversion, guys on here have done it before

 

I got a 2 dr wagon in the cars for sale 55 model,Already gasserized hard work done Check it out!!

 

Go to ChevyTalk.org, 55-57 forum, and look up 2loose's 4 door gasser project. Butcvh/56sedandelivery.

 

Here's a 55' wagon we saw at a car show in Chehalis, WA. show this summer. Very cool. I'm looking to do a 55' 2 dr. or 55 2dr. wagon. My son is going to do a 38 Chevy Coupe:

 

Build the 4 door. Real racers do not care too much about what the car looks like just how fast it will go!!! Have fun!

 

A guy has one here in Jersey, runs it at Atco & E'town. He took off the rear door handles and it looks pretty good.

 

fuck 2 doors, build a 4 door!

 

Half the rods and customs back in the day were 4drs. People that do this 2dr only thing are just trying to cover up the fact that they are the fat old lawn chair and billet types and are only doing this old school thing because its trendy right now. Fuck them and the billet barge their gay asses floated in on. And 2dr conversions are the most worthless modification you can do to a car, it doesn't matter how good of a job you do, at the end of the day all you have is a piece of shit fake 2dr. Have some balls people, built a 4dr. Just my .02.

 

4 door 55s are cool as 4 door 55s, If you want a gasser wait for a 2 door to come along (and it will)or do the 2 door conversion
A 4 door tri five gasser looks like a 2 door wanna be car.
It either is, or it isnt, dont disgrace it by being so obvious trying to be something that its not
If your going to have a 4 door 55,embrace its 4 doors and make it cool.
(Not a wanna be 2 door gasser)
just my .02
Be real

 

Bullshit. If you do it right, the end result is indistinguishable from stock.

There are a couple good threads on the subject, one using donor parts which is how I did my '60 Fury and how I plan to do my '57 Chevy, and another using only the doors and making the rest, which would be the budget way to do it, especially for a race car.

If you can find a decent 4 door 55 Chevy to build and you have some welding and fab skills, you should have no problem making a 2 door sedan out of it. And it sounds like that is what you really want. New 2 door sedan doors are available in steel now in case you aren't able to locate used ones.

If you like the idea of building a 4 door racer, there are enough examples out there that you could do it and still consider it period correct. But if you make that decision based only on your budget, then there are ways to work with that body to get what you really want.

 

My nephew used a 4-door Chevy for his gasser - so it can be done. I'm sorry I don't have pictures to post. It looks great though.