History 1955 CHEVROLET DRAG RACE CAR

all I can say wow that's cool

 

oh and it needs to come to my house

 

So....30 years ago it tripped your trigger. When you first saw it what did you think? Did you look at it and say to yourself "if I owned that I would.....xxxxx"? It's taken you that long to own it and the first thing you do is ask what you should change?

I would say you should change ownership papers to somebody that "gets it".

Squirrel nailed it, as usual. Not everything needs to fit this message board. It, too, is from an earlier time and represents the period well. The only thing I would question is if it was running the steel wheels the first time you saw it or was it running different rear wheels? My guess is the steelies are a later addition. Not crazy about the patina paint on the scoop, either but it's what it is.

Keep it, enjoy it, race it and never look back.
JMO, SPark

 

Go watch 2 lane blacktop back to back and it'll come to you, not saying to duplicate the car but there's plenty of vibe in that movie to point you in the right direction.

 

No thanks, I'd rather just sit here and look at your avatar photo!!!

 

You mean something like this?????.......
Oh, hell no! Gag!....

 

I would not do too much to the outside, maybe remove the front bumper. Under the hood, 327, 461’s, 30/30, maybe a first generation Edelbrock Torker, Holley, and a nice M-21. Oh, and 4.11’s and a Posi. Then, drive the crap out of it.


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I'd swap in a 427 and 4 speed, and put some new slicks on it, and go racing

(unless it already has a 427 and a 4 speed, then I'd just get it running and have fun)

 

Needs bigger swampers.

And a quartet of KC lights on a steel bar lag bolted to the roof

 

If you are a racer, race it.
If not, sell it to someone that is.
Ummm...like me.

 

That "patina'd" hood screams fake! I'd swap the hood.
If it's been strictly a race car since the 70's, I'd make some serious strip runs with it to get that out of my system, then detune it a bit, register/plate it and drive it to work (and everywhere else) , gutted interior and all. After waiting 30 years, I'd want to make up lost time and enjoy it more that hauling it out to the track a couple of times a month.

IMHO, clear coating the 'patina' finish is a step further in the wrong direction. You wouldn't clear coat and old coin or anything else of value. Gas Monkey ruined their Olds build by clear coating it.

 

I just don't get the reasoning behind it either, they will say I want to "preserve" the original patina, well, it's CLEARLY counterproductive because if anything that completely changes the whole concept and look.
And yes, in my opinion, very few attempts at "faking" patina have been successful.

 

The hood on this 55 isn't "fake patina", it's a few decades of Tucson sunshine.

Wait till you see the other side of the car, that didn't get as much sun

 

Do whatever floats your boat. Too many folks worry about what other folks might think. Other folks opinion don't take away or put any nickles in my pockets. I hear the comment quite often that some guys cant see any farther than a 55 chevy. I smile because I know exactly why a 55 chevy is the berries. Im glad so many where destroyed and they are hard to find.

 

I'm with squirrel. I have the exact same car, but the previous owners put in black primer. I would match the rear wheels to the front and make it my bitch!

 

JIM NAILED IT,SUNNYSIDE TO THE LEFT ,THIS IS WHERE IT RESTED FOR THE LAST 30

 

WOW ... and there's your big block !

 

Well, hello sailor...

I see a lot of fun there.

 

I see valve cover spacers. Likely not a stock valvetrain. BFH massage on the firewall! and stock front suspension and original master cyl. I like it the way it is.

 

You can go anywhere from here, just dont over do it like a good percentage of them have already been done.
I like em like this anymore, but it will take some restraint

 

A guy was on here the other day looking for this belair that was at the HAMB drags.

 

kinda needs a tunnel ram under the big hood, eh? although the Dominator is probably plenty fun

 

Yes and a old box tunnel ram would be Ok.

 

Not every day that one would see a Dominator on a dual plane intake.
Do you have any information on the engine, transmission and rearend?

 

Tr2X laying around here. Pm if you want it, I'll let it go cheap.

 

Came with stock hood,tunnel ram ,american t70s for the back,and a fresh Pontiac rear end

 

Did you ever see it race?
Did you get some pictures of the car from the '70s ?
I love it as is personally, because that is the way it is.

 

I rode in it in the 70s on the street

 

I thi

Gas Monkey may have gotten his finger-rings tangled up in his 'devilbiss'!
That guy...