History Help me identify this 56 convertible custom!

The rear grill is solid 1/4” round stock

 

Looks like it was back lit

 

Supposedly the owner passed and his sons inherited it, they pulled it out of the garage and yanked the engine and trans and the eldest brother passed and the car sat under a tarp for 15 years. It’s suprisingly solid though, a little soft in the rear floors and trunk and one spot on the door but aside from that it’s wildly solid!

 

Thank you so so so so much for helping me with this, you absolutely rule

 

Great find, what are your planes for it?

 

Thank you!!!! Where’d you come across this pic??

 

For right now get it running and see it I cant track down that grill

Later on a full restoration as to how it was when Dave Parks built it

 

Does the seller think he still has the front grille? If so, that would be awesome.

If not, I would check to see if the rear grill fits in the front. Then you (or your fabricator of choice) could simply duplicate it.

"SIMPLY", he says...

 

By the way, @hotdamn, if you start a build thread (which I desperately hope you do), please post a link here. I'd love to follow along as you bring her back!

 

Why not try looking up the original builder...he may still be around.What with all the new social media to make it easier..someone out there knows of this cars creator...

 

To me this just proves that tri 5's are the hardest car to customize. If you look under the grille header you can see the holes to insert the round grille bars into. Bend up 150 pcs of round stock(I think that's what I counted, now I have to clean the pencil marks on my screen), build a support structure to bolt to the frame and vah-wala, just like new. But I think it needs something horizontal to break it up, maybe a '67 Camaro bumper. I tend to like mild custom tri 5's. Even the Ridler winner this year didn't turn my crank.

 

@redo32 I think it should not be changed from the original build style. It has been unchanged from it`s original build style from 62. Why start now. Ever since I first saw the pic in the 63 Annual when I was a kid that Ric Posted, It reminded me of the front end of a 63-64 Lincoln Continental. It said in the annual that the pic`s were taken from Hot Rod, Car Craft and Rod and Custom. Go back and look threw the 62`s and you might find the original picture and from what indoor show it was at. You do live up to your name, @hotdamn and a good find it is. This makes the 3rd 55-57 Chevy convertible survivor to be talked about with in the last 2 or 3 years now. Here`s one of which was from the same annual. It has the Silhouette on the 63 cover. It is quite thick and is a must have for the Custom lover. The other convertible was gold in color.

 

I did, unfortunately he passed about 10 years ago. I am currently looking for his wife to see if she has any pictures or knowledge of the car??

 

I agree, for me it has to stay as it was

 

The seller was a colossal pain in the ass and was some redneck guy that had plans to cut it up I’m currently trying to track down the surviving brother that owned it before him.

 

If it turns out,the grill can't be found to restore,I'd like to pass a idea along,. Mirror finish stainless steel rod can be used. There a place in Miami ,Siminson Aircraft junk yard,that is the local go to for stainless steel,but likely there some thing near you. If you can't find,let me know,an I could go by there an check

 

That’s actually what I was thinking! Good idea!

 

Whatever you do, take your time and measure a billion times. Whoever built the original grilles nailed it. They almost look like factory pieces, they're so perfect.

 

I like yourself certainly am in awe of these individuals with that level of expertise in building. I see a lot of that here. I'm not that guy but I sure appreciate it. I fight to maintain a driven Hotrod.

So many have these super pleasant turnovers with life time friendships in some cases...sorry your transaction will never bring the good feelings it could have...that makes the survival of this Custom even more incredible.

 

So I found this!!! It’s not a lot but it gives me a little more info, trying to locate some full size Speed and Custom magazines to see if I can locate which issue this is. Also emailed these pics to Darryl Starbird to see if they are recogniazable to him??

 

I`ll see if I have it.

 

I do. August of 63. Volume 11, number 6. Here are some better scans.

 

And the rest of them.

 

dang thats cool

 

Thank you so much!!!!!!!

 

So thanks to the article I was able to find Gene Schwein’s son and he has tons of pics and still has the trophy’s for the car!!! Super stoked about this!

 

Nice find! Hope someone produces polished 3/8 stainless bar stock. Bob

 

That front grille looks to have some sort of mesh stretched across the bars, or do my old eyes fail me?

 

Ah, so it was Darryl that wrote the article.