Destined Bel Air
March 15, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
TAKING IT TO HEART
Sometimes building a street rod can be downright exasperating. The amount of money involved and the stress of chasing down parts and coordinating the efforts of multiple shops can lead to a fair bit of tension in any owner. How many times have you heard someone say something along the lines of: “That damn car’s going to give me a heart attack!”? Odds are you’ve heard it or even said it at least once or twice if you’ve been involved in rodding for any length of time.
CIMTEX RODS SUPER CAMEO: PART 4
In parts two and three of The Auto Builder’s Cimtex Super Cameo series, we followed along as Cimtex Rods primaries Tim and Darrell Cimbanin instatlled one of Flat Out Engineering’s Corvette C4/C5 front and rear independent suspension crossmember kits beneath a 1956 Chevrolet 1/2-ton pickup chassis.
Of course, this was followed by the actual installation of the 1984-1987 Corvette C4 rack-and-pinion-steering-equipped IFS and the bolting up of the 1984-1987 Corvette C4 IRS, which makes for a pretty nice-handling street truck.
Along the way, some modifications to the Corvette C4 front suspension were made for the sake of simplicity and an enhanced ride. For openers, Flat Out Engineering designed its kit to incorporate a pair of 12-1/2-inch Aldan Eagle 659/450 coilover shock absorbers, which replace the somewhat antiquated GM designed Owens Corning Corvette C4 monoleaf fiberglass front spring.
RADICALLY DIFFERENT
During the latter part of the 1950s, as America fell into a recession, the American industry machine suffered. The Big Three Detroit automakers felt the hit and quickly began building affordable cars that would appeal to the public.
Spotlighter
FREDDIE’S ’55
A Family Keepsake
Once a West Coast gasser, this ’55 Chevy made its way to Lebanon, Ohio, thanks to longtime Chevy enthusiast Freddie Green. That was back in 1978, when his son Jason was just four years old. Fast forward a few years, and Jason, professing to be a Chevy man since birth, took ownership of the car from his father at the age of 10.
Author
Doug Marion
Story and Photography
A Family Legacy: The Story of a ’55 Chevy Gasser
Once a West Coast gasser, this ’55 came to Lebanon, Ohio, by way of Chevy man Freddie Green. That was back in 1978. A family man, Freddie’s son Jason was then a mere lad of four. Professing today to be a Chevy man since birth, Jason acquired the ’55 from his dad at age 10. From that time on, the father and son duo saved their pennies and dimes and went to swap meets together looking for just the right parts. Talk about father and son fun!
That was back in 1978. A family man, Freddie’s son Jason was then a mere lad of four. Professing today to be a Chevy man since birth, Jason acquired the ’55 from his dad at age 10. From that time on, the father and son duo saved their pennies and dimes and went to swap meets together looking for just the right parts. Talk about father and son fun!
A Father-Son Project Begins
Seven years later, Jason, a conductor for the Norfolk Southern Railroad, decided to test his learned mechanical skills by rebuilding the entire front end and braking system himself. He then got the ’55 running and proceeded to snap the spindly rear axles, one after another. Sound familiar? As a direct result, a call went out to Jack Tekelue, a local rearend specialist. He then built a Ford 9-inch rearend, complete with 4.56:1 gears and Moser axles. Ansen Ground Grabber traction bars and station wagon five-leaf leaf springs were also installed on the ’55.
Power and Performance Upgrades
Jason then stripped the body to bare metal, prepped it and applied PPG flat black primer, code DP 90. It has been that way for several years. The powerplant is a healthy 350 small block with 2.02 heads and an Edelbrock Performer high-rise intake manifold with a Demon 650cfm carb. An MSD billet distributor fires the cylinders in conjunction with an MSD 6AL spark amplifier. Hooker competition 1-3/4-inch fenderwell headers sends the spent gasses through 2-1/2-inch diameter exhaust pipes, mounted under the doors to Dynamax bullet-type race mufflers with turndowns. A GM-steel flywheel rotates a Centerforce clutch assembly. Bolted to the bell housing is a stout Muncie four-speed built at Liberty Gears. It is actuated by a Hurst Competition Plus short-throw shifter.
Classic Styling and Interior Touches
The black vinyl tuck-and-roll interior was done at the famous Dixon Auto Trim in Lebanon. Interior extras include a Sun tachometer, Stewart-Warner gauges and a Cal Custom steering wheel. Cragar 4×15 front S/S wheels rotate 6.70-15 Firestone tires, and 8×15 S/S wheels rotate 8.20-15 Radar slicks in the rear.
A Tribute to a Beloved Father
When Jason was 27, his father, Freddie, suddenly passed away. As an everlasting remembrance to him, Milford, Ohio’s Josh Shaw lettered the ’55 just like you see it here. Over the years, Jason has also owned a ’57 Chevy wagon, ’62 Biscayne, ’66 El Camino and a ’31 Chevy rat rod pickup, but none as important as this ’55; it’s a family keepsake. Jason enjoys working with his wife, Angie, and their son Logan (who, ironically, is 4-years-old) to continue with this gasser-of-old, having great fun in the process. They earned a Doug Marion Editor’s Choice award at the 2005 Ohio Open Run event, and we thought you’d like this ’55 as much as we did.
