My all time favorite 55!! I agree.... You know growing up Dad would always say... it doesnt have to be pretty to go fast. The last few cars never even had a radio to have the option to turn it down... HA!
[QUOTE="Whitey Ford" 62 Uni;6903389] You can call my truck a shit sandwich and I would still enjoy it. [/QUOTE] If I ever host a car show.... "The shit sandwich" class will be there!!
Gasser style tri fives seem to be a dime a dozen these days and while there some nice ones I'd have to think that they really put limits on how much a guy would really want to drive one after he finished it. Every cruise area I was around in the 60's and the areas I lived in always had one really cool 55 two door post Chevy that was usually lowered a bit in front, had shiny assed paint usually jet black and narrow white walls front and back with maybe 7:10's on the back The one here in town had the lakes plugs (not pipes) right behind the front wheels. Spider caps or baby moons on painted wheels. And a straight forward custom but not overdone interior. That particular car got traded for a special ordered 63 Split window Corvette at the local dealer and sat on the lot for a while before leaving town to never be seen again by the local guys. None of us high school kids had parents that would buy it or let us buy it at the time. Mainly because it had been "hotrodded" all over the valley. I should have turned that 55 gasser with coil springs and Pontiac rear end and cut out hood (thunderbolt hood scoop) that I had traded for into one like that instead of getting rid of it when I had it in the late 80's.
X 2 Do your own thing build and Hot Rod that YOU like. It seems everyone these days wants to follow a trend just to fit in.
my model A is a rat rod, my wife's 4 door merc is just like the cobra car, my harley looks like it's from hells angels 69, ect, ect, ect good for you, you have a car style people like and relate to something I would guess the majority of this happens at car shows or cruises, because honestly driving my A daily I get a thousand thumbs up or compliments to every one stupid remark. Spend more time driving, less time talking is my advice
[ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=1836 Scroll down to part 3 of the video. Then, scrub to the 7:30 mark of the video. Rad, right? That's how I would build mine. Sorry for getting off topic for a second, but DANG Ryan, at the 8.0 mark, that's a TUCKER with scallops on the football field.
maybe u could restore it back to stock(hah). gassers were cool then and are cool now. i do understand that if everyones doing it, sometimes it takes the luster out. that being said if one more ignorant jackass calls my coupe a rat rod i'm gonna throw up on them.
If people building "gassers" out of 55 Chevys raises your blood pressure, you may want to seek some kind of medical help for that. Or take up knitting. .
Well if you talk to Uncle Vic you'll find out that even the customs had to go otherwise they were laughed off. By the late 50's guys were hopping up their engines even if it was a full out custom because that's all they had and didn't have a '32 roadster in the garage waiting for when they wanted to go fast. Only a very few had two cars so if they were building a mild custom in 1955 that thing would have had some nut behind it as well.....and I mean why wouldn't it? If you're not into building it as a Gas Class drag car then build that mild custom and throw a hot little 283 in there with a some of the finest speed parts that could have been built back in the day and drive the piss out of it. Don't worry about all the fluff people are saying around town. For the most part I find that the people in our area like to cling to the next "it" rod whether it's rat rods, gassers, etc. So lower it, put some wheel covers on it and paint it nice and drive it.
I had my own little rant here today, so I'm not the only one! Great thoughts, great points, and some killer pics of '55's, which do, as Ryan points out, look great as gassers. The whole thing is a little over-wrought, and like a lot of things, being copied isn't always a good thing. I saw a "gasser" last weekend at the "Relix Riot", with trailer springs and what, swear to God, looked like conduit for a tie rod. So, do it, but do it right! Brian
Early '60s in my area '55-'57 Chevys would usually be clean with good paint, probably nosed & decked, nice interior either stock or custom, some sort of 'worked' SBC, floor shift with 3 or 4 speed, Traction Masters and the wheels could be anything. The 'stance' was slightly nose down or up just a little front and back - never down in the rear. And they all seemed to run good. Never saw a straight axle or fenderwell headers on the street before '64.
I live in San Diego, CA a fairly popular spot for old cars in general. I don't think I've seen one driving around town in the last 20 years, I'd be thrilled to drive up next to one of the 12 gassers in this town one day on the freeway... Anyone claiming any style of old car is played out does not drive one daily, because regardless of what style car your driving it'll be a rare day that someone pulls up next to you in a similar old car. As far as car shows and cruise nights why would anyone care what the weekend warriors are doing? Shut up and Drive
Any of the variations of 55 chevys are real kool. The main thing is not to listen to anyone on how the car should be. You need to find our for yourself the way you would like the car and go for it. If you don't you will find out later you are not happy with it. Follow you dream of how it should be for you. That is what hotrodding is all about anyway. Have a good build..... Ahooooogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.................
Probably not related to this Thread at all, but if I was going to build a '55, It would be lowered a bit, black or dark blue, black interior ( mostly stock but with buckets out of a Corvair, or something like that), Kelsey Hays Corvette knock offs, Corvette steeringwheel, Rochester FI, or dual quads on a low rise intake, healthy 327, 4speed.... Kinda like a Black Widow '57 on its sunday best...
I agree. Everyone that sees my Model A thinks I'm building a rat rod as a result of their lack of proper automotive knowledge. I do agree however that '55 gassers seem to be a cliche but if that's what people like, let them be. Build it however you want.. If I got a Tri-5 Chevy, I'd do a mild custom for sure. Here's a couple of photos for inspiration in the form of '55 "non-gassers".. Here ya go. iPhone - TJJ App
Kasey, Raise your car a little in the front, mount some chrome rims or mags and put an 8-track in it. Put on a bigger carb, possibly a mild cam, perhaps headers with capped dumps and a 4spd. Add gas and drive. Hope it is a two tone. You do not need pinstripes, a flaked roof, or wide whites. Gary
while crazy ass gassers are cool as hell i'd build a milder street racer styled car like Falfa's but in a metallic color and with polished mags heavy front springs but leave it A-arm...do it how you will but whatever you do DRIVE IT!!!
I hear what your saying. Gasser is missed used for sure by those how don't know any better. The term Gasser is slang for Gas Coupe in the beginning. And the straight axel thing is something that gets thrown at me all the time as to why I don't have or to put one. I just say thats not how it started, then get a blank look. But I don't rant about it.
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