Projects Loppy's 55 Chevy Belair Wagon Build

After 5 years and four months I'm happy to say my 55 Chevy Belair Wagon is done...so to speak. I still have a few minor things to do, but for the most part, the weight has been lifted. And, it feels great! It's been a long winding road. Most turns filled with great memories. As with all projects, the process has been amazingly educational. I approached the build in stages, and throughout the years I drove it as much as possible taking it off the road only for short periods of time.

It all started back in July '06 when I found it on eBay. Placed my bid at the last minute and won. I then though, "Oh Shit what now!" It's in California and I'm in Florida. So, I cashed in some of my frequent flyer points from business traveling throughout the years and headed west. Flew into Sacramento, rented a car and drove out to Kelseyville, CA. Not the easiest of places to get to. I arrived at this 5 acre spread amongst a walnut grove and saw her high in the air on a lift in the previous owners 3000 sq.ft. garage. Sweet, I get to see the undercarriage and all! Everything looked great and checked out according to the eBay ad so we finished the deal, and I was off.

First stop was to the local Sears to get some tools, and a jack. Next was an autopart store for oil, antifreeze, and miscellaneous stuff. Ok, all loaded up, time to hit the road, Florida is a long way off. This should be fun. New car, 3500 miles from home. I'm armed with a AAA card and a cell phone. LET'S DO THIS!

I decided to stay as far north as possible since there was a nasty heat wave down south in LA and east into Arizona and across through New Mexico. I'll head to Salt Lake via 80 then make my way down through the country stopping along the way to see friends and local sights. She performed exactly as the previous owner said. "Keep her under 60, you'll hear the lifters rapping, then they'll settle down before you make it to the gas station." He was right. The 265/Powerglide combo did exactly that. Made it as far as Reno when I decided to call it quits for the night since I didn't know how hard to push her.

The next day a set my sights at Salt Lake for my lunch stop. I know the city well. Worked for a company there back in 87. Crown Burger here I come! The trip so far is going perfect. Totally enjoying the new feelings, sights, smells, and sounds of my new ride. Passing by Bonneville was too cool. So temped to pull off the highway and check it out, but have to keep pushing on. I get to Salt Lake and find my way to the restaurant, I'm starving. As I sit waiting for my food, I look at the map. Reality sets in. At 60 mph I'm looking at 8-10 days on the road. No big deal I've all the time in the world. Don't care if I break down. I'll fix it, or tow it to a shipper. Just for kicks I call the shipper. He's about 5 blocks from me. Hmmmmm, I says to myself? SHIP IT! In retrospect I miss going for it, but it all worked out. I met her in Florida all in one piece. Drove her for about a month in all her stock glory before the build began. Good times!

I thought showing the build from start to end would be a nice twist from following a thread though the years. Enjoy!

Me and my new ride July '06.


The before shot.


The after shot. (after paint, before interior, November '10)


Heading out of Kelseyville, CA


Passing Bonneville


Jacked up and ready for transformation


Original 265


Bye-bye 265


Stripping her down


Empty bay


Stripping bay


Taping getting ready to spray


Taped and primed


Seam sealed


All shiny


The hood stripped


Removing stock tranny mount


Grinding clean


New TCI 700R4 mount mock-up


Cleaned and painted firewall

 

Looks great!

 

Here's some more of the build process.

Dynamat Extreme


Dynaliner with lead


Fitting B&M Street Rod Shifter


Engine mock-up


New front end


Mock-up headers and Unisteer rack


Wilwoods, QA1 coilovers, Global West tubular A-arms, sweeeeeet!


Fitting Be Cool


Checking fan clearance


Hanging engine components


Crate 350/330hp left


Crate 350/330hp right


Heat shield


Stripped floor


Painted floor, and acid etch frame


Assemble stock rear with Moser axels


Rebuilt rear, new "P" case with posi and 3.55 gears, Wilwoods


Drive line done, enjoying her


Original cargo interior


Ripping into interior

 

nice 55,keep us posted

 

Yet more...

Acid etched


Painting floor


Stripping well


Paint on well


Stripped rear floor


Stripping roof


Stripped etched roof


Acid primer


Primed ready for base coat


Based and flaked


Painted dash


Stripped dash by Anthony White (00MACK)


Ant doing his thing on my B-pillar cover


B-pillar stripped


Garnish hell!


Billetproof FL 2, Someone see my keys!


Eyebrow rot


Mike Jacox (THEKID49) fixing eyebrow


Fitting patch


Working floors

 

Lots more coming...

Seth Paton (51 chevy killer) working rockers and floors


Floors fixed and painted


Body acid primed


High build


Wayne "Woody" Wood working hood


Woody jam'n


Body primed and sanded


Base


Flake going on


Niiiiiice!


I applied more flake and pearl to roof


Laying out roof lace graphics


Middle lace panel


Fogged in kandy on lace


Here's base graphics, more will come on top!


Painting interior


Heading to Lone Star Round Up, 999 in mirror


Round Up bound


Baton Rouge at dusk West bound to Round Up


Hang'n at Doc's on S.Congress at Round Up

 

really like that lace pattern,car looking good

 

More action from the Round up...

Reggie's BBQ at the Round Up, Good time!


Honored Gene Winfield asked about my paint


Hang'n at Billy Martin's Round Up pre-party


At the Austin Speed Shop party


At Ski Shores


At Mercury Charlies party with Lenny Gorman and Mike Jacox


Cruising back from Round Up


Dynamat floor


Carpet on wheels wells and passenger areas


Making new windlace from scratch


Jeff Phipps installing windlace


Jeff installing new headliner, with help from a little bird


New headliner


Disassemble front seat


Front seat frame in great shape


Interior design


Jeff fitting new upholstery


Close-up of interior design


Back seat ready for installation


Doors Dynamated and design sketch

 

This is well done car/thread!

 

Here's more...

Raw door panel


Test fit driver door panel


Jeff shaping door panel


Shaped door panel ready for covering


Attaching pleats inner panel


Panel done and installed

Front and back door relationship


Front interior shot all done


Front and Back Interior shot


Shot I took at the 2011 Turkey Rod Run


2011 Church of Chop Show Best Paint


2011 Billetproof Florida Best Flake

 

DAMN! that's nice! thanks for posting all the build pictures
what did ya use for the acid etch?
gotta love those mid-50's long roofs! just makes me miss my last 55 pontiac wagon....

 

love the interior, very nice job on the car

 

Beautiful car, nice job!

 

This is from my Daytona Turkey Run show coverage. My camera battery died right after I snapped this and I wasn't able to take any photos of the outside. I have a bunch of others from various Florida shows.


This one was taken at the Nostalgia Drags in West Palm Beach a couple of years ago.

 

really enjoyed reading this build. what a nice wagon. how do you like the unisteer front end ? was it hard to install with the headers & motor mounts?

 

I used Ospho, but any good phosphoric acid will work. I like it a lot. It soaks in eats and neutralizes the rust. For final body paint build up I used DuPont Vari Prime. That's the greenish looking stuff.

 

Thanks. Designing the interior was fun and eye opening. I leaned on Jeff Phipps to tweak it into it's final look. We kept on adjusting the relationship between the front and back doors, the seat cushion and back rest angles to the doors, and interior body cues like the door gaps, b-pilar, and wheel wells. After a few mods we locked-in the design. I think it came out sweet, and really finishes off the car.

 

Super-nice car. Congrats.

 

This one was taken at the Nostalgia Drags in West Palm Beach a couple of years ago.
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Thanks Skirv, that came from a 58 Chevy. I modified it to fit a modern 5 1/8 carb, based and flaked it to match the roof, then gave it to Sonny DePalma to do his magic. Sonny Rocks!

 

Installation of the rack was super simple. I'm pretty sure I was one of the first to get their single piece crossmember mount. And I highly recommend it. It's 100% bolt-in. Uses existing holes from the steering box and idler arm. Earlier versions were two piece. It feels very tight when driving.

I used TCI motor mounts that moved the block forward 3/4", which gives clearance for large HEI caps at the firewall. Again, super simple installation.

There were no out of the ordinary clearance issues other than the steering and header tube on port 3. Slight dimple inward and all is good.

 

I remember talking to you at Laquinta Oltorf at round up. We were staying there. Very nice execution. interior and top very nice and still subtle. Is it round up bound in the spring?

 

Yep, making plans now. The Round Up is a great show. Have a few surprises too. See ya there.

 

Very Clean don't get to close to mine...

 

I like yours too. I'm gonna have to check out your roof rack. Looking for a vintage rack, and doing research to fabricate one in case I can't find one. They're harder than I thought to locate. See ya there.

 

Great job!!

 

Stunning work and stunning wagon. You nailed it man! Enjoy the hell out of it! Love the entire theme...

 

Thanks for the build pic's/ story.

 

Very nice! Build would like to see it one of these days in person when I am back in FL.

 

thanks for sharing, great ride!

 

Anytime Joe. Contact me here, and we'll arrange it.