THE OTHER ’55

A Family Affair in the Making

Lamar Cline and his sons, Brad and Joe, have always been into cars. Brad says the family has always been partial to tri-5 Chevys, but when he went looking for a car to turn into a father-and-son project, it wasn’t a Chevy that ended up in the driveway. Instead, the car was a ’55 Ford that he bought from Craig Hopkins, a friend who runs C. Hopkins Rod & Custom in Cleveland, Georgia. Brad Cline also runs a rod shop called Thunder Valley Customs (770/386-5509) in White, Georgia, a position that made it easy for him to plan and design the car and then build it for his father, Lamar.

From Camaro Clip to Custom Suspension

When the Clines pulled the Ford into the Thunder Valley shop, it was complete and intact, but that’s not to say original. Hopkins had already installed a ’69 Camaro front clip under the car, so the Thunder Valley crew picked up the work from there. To that Camaro subframe they added Fat Man Fabrications 2-inch drop spindles and air springs coupled with Monroe shocks to lower the car. Using the Camaro parts made it possible to upgrade to more modern Detroit Speed & Engineering steering and a 1-1/4-inch Suspension Techniques sway bar. Wilwood multi-piston calipers and 12-inch rotors provide more braking force than this cruiser likely needs, but it’s nice to know the stopping power is there. Those brakes are hidden behind the 15×7-inch Wheels of Steel rollers, parts that were chromeplated and treated to stock ’55 Ford hubcaps. The tires are Diamondback Classics 195/65 radial whitewalls.

GM Influence at the Rear

The use of GM components continues at the rear of the car. While so many people have put Ford 9-inch rearends in ’55 Chevys, Thunder Valley put a 10-bolt GM rearend from a ’68 Camaro in this ’55 Ford. A limited-slip differential and 3.73 gears reside within the rearend, while a custom four-bar suspension connects the axle to the frame. Suspension comes in the form of more Monroe shocks and air springs. Likewise, braking components are the same, consisting of Wilwood calipers paired with 12-inch rotors. And while the rear wheels look the same as the fronts, they’re much wider (15×10 inches) in order to mount a fat 255/60R15 Diamondback radial whitewall. To make room for those big tires, the builders relocated the rear framerails.

Modifications for a Perfect Stance

More changes in the name of rear-tire clearance are present on the body. You can’t see the modified trunk floor or minitubs until you open the trunk, but those changes help the car fit the big tires and sit right at the same time. You also won’t see the repairs made to the bottoms of the front fenders and rear quarters, as the car’s sides are straight enough to make you think the car’s never seen so much as a shopping-cart ding in its life. Look closely enough and you will notice that Jimmy Whitten, who performed all the car’s bodywork, smoothed the hood, modified the inner fenders, smoothed and recessed the firewall and fabricated the Ford’s radiator cover. When it came time for paint, it was Brad Cline who applied the PPG Delstar Black acrylic enamel. All of the chrome trim is still in place, a decision we applaud, as stripping it might well have stripped the car of its character, too. The shop sent the hood bird to Advanced Plating in Nashville, Tennessee, while Georgia’s Peach Plating handled the rest of the chrome on the ’55.

Hot Rod Heart with GM Power

And what sort of engine would you expect under the hood of this Ford? It’s not the stock Y-block, and the use of GM parts throughout the suspension should give you a clue. The engine is a new, 290hp GM 350 crate motor, but it sure doesn’t look like one. The aging process began with the addition of an Offenhauser 3-2 intake manifold and a trio of Rochester 2GC carbs. Chrome helmet-style air cleaners from Speedway Motors and finned valve covers from Streamline Hot Rods do the same. The detailing is another nice touch, with the block, carbs and valleys of the valve covers painted gold. The fuel and vacuum lines are translucent red rubber, which is a cool touch. Patriot headers and Flowmaster mufflers provide the Ford with a proper hot rod sound, and the PerTronix Flame-Thrower ignition adds the spark. Trans Plus in Cartersville, Georgia, prepped a GM 700R4 automatic to cover the shifting duties.

Vintage Interior with a Story

The interior was the only portion of the build left incomplete, as well as the only portion of the project that Cline and Thunder Valley didn’t handle in-house. Perry & Greg’s Auto Trim in Rockmart, Georgia, handled the interior, and they upholstered the car in an interesting choice of material. One of Brad Cline’s old friends had an interior shop that had operated from the 1950s to the 1980s. When the shop cleaned out its basement of old stock, Cline seized a bolt of material from a ’55 Cadillac and held onto the material for more than 10 years while he tried to figure out what to put it in. Though some involved with the project had their doubts, Brad knew that the green Caddy cloth and vinyl would look right at home in the ’55. He was right, as the material now covers the door panels and seats. Matching carpet covers the floor, and the dash and steering column are smoothed and painted in a matching green tone. The Ford’s stock instrumentation—what little there is of it—remains and looks great above the stock dash knobs. Classic Industries supplied the 14-inch GM Classic-style steering wheel, and Lokar supplied the shifter. Amenities such as the under-dash Hot Rod Air A/C system and Panasonic stereo head make cruising much more enjoyable. An EZ Wiring harness finished the project.

Built with Love and Recognition

Brad Cline and Thunder Valley finished the car and presented it to Lamar Cline. Father and son both seem okay with the fact that the car isn’t a Chevy, and the car probably gets more attention because it’s just a bit different. Some of that attention came at the 2007 Goodguys Indy show, at which the Ford earned a Pros’ Pick award against some stiff and pricey competition. That kind of acknowledgement of one’s efforts has to feel good, and Brad Cline says that without the efforts of everyone at his shop—Shane Jackson, Cale Hood, Jimmy Whitten and Rod Sanders—the car would never have turned out as well as it did. Between picking up the award and seeing the whole Cline family out cruising in their Ford at Indy, we’re sure the car is everything they hoped it would be: stylish, top-notch quality and full of good times.