By Brandon Burrell – Photography By The Author
When Chevrolet decided to undertake a full model change for the Bel Air in 1955, they had no clue how much of an impact it would have on the automotive industry. Becoming one of the most iconic and sought-after body styles of all time. The 1955-57 Chevy quickly caught the eyes of collectors, customizers, and restorers, and has dominated the car scene for decades. Automotive designers always say the next production model is the next best thing, but the 1955 Chevy was way more. This new version was sleeker and more refined, with more options. Making cars faster was always part of any revamp, and with the V-8 option in 1955, had a 0-to-60 time of 12.9 seconds. In today’s world, that is incredibly slow. Fortunately, with modern technology, these old cars not only perform better but also look better, thanks to a few modifications and upgrades.
To explore the story of this beautifully built car, let’s go back to around 2012 when the original owner, Taft Asher, started restoring it. His nephew, Bryan Smith, with help from Tony Collins at Tony’s Rod Shop, spent about five years paying attention to every detail to make it stand out among all the other 1955 Bel Airs on the road. The first step was to get the stance right, so they chose an Art Morrison Enterprises GT Sport chassis, complete with several chrome and polished components. The front was upgraded to rack-and-pinion steering and sits firmly on a set of QA1 coilovers. Out back, it has a four-link suspension, a Strange 9-inch rearend with 3.70 gears, and another set of matching QA1 coilovers. Wilwood 13-inch front and 12-inch rear brakes ensure the car stops quickly when needed. Covering those brakes are a set of Schott Tomahawk 20×8 front and 22×12 rear wheels, wrapped in 225/35-20 and 325/35-22 Pirelli P Zero tires.
With the chassis finished, it was time to prepare the body before reattaching it. You can’t have a chassis that sano and use a stock body, so Smith and Collins started modifying the sheetmetal to refine a few areas and enhance the stock lines. The front bumper was shaved, altered, and flipped to better integrate with the body, while the rear bumper was tucked in. The door handles and driprails were shaved to smooth out more factory lines. The hood was smoothed on both the outside and the inside, and the trunk interior was molded as well. Even the doorjambs were smoothed, which most people won’t notice, but significantly enhances the body line cleanliness. The smoothing process is extended underhood for a seamless appearance. The firewall was shaved, and a custom radiator cover was built to match. Once the final bodywork was complete, Collins flawlessly applied a tri-coat red paint, making this car truly stand out.
Moving inside, the Paul Atkins gauge pod and Classic Instruments American Tradition gauges, along with the Vintage Air controller, create a simple and clean dash. Several panels were painted red to match the exterior and caramel to coordinate with the new caramel and gray leather seats and door panels. Dark Mercedes carpet completes the classic look. Even the trunk received the same level of treatment to maintain consistency. All interior work was done by Paul Atkins Interiors.
At this stage, the internal components needed to be as impressive as the rest of the car, so a fully dressed LS7 was installed and paired with a Gearstar 4L45E transmission. The 3600 Yank torque converter and polished driveshaft ensured smooth power delivery to the ground.
The car was “done” at this point and started hitting shows around the southeast, where it was in the Top 3 at the 2017 Tri Five Nationals. Even though Asher was enjoying the car, his health declined, and it was in his best interest to let it go to a new home where it could be enjoyed as he envisioned. That’s when Alan Bates from Summerville, South Carolina, stepped in. While trying to find his next project car, the 1955 Chevy you see here came up for sale and had already had a ton of work done to it, so Alan knew he could push it to the next level and quickly scooped it up. This is Alan’s fifth Bel Air since he’s been driving, and picking one up that didn’t need any work was an easy choice. But just like the rest of us gearheads, we must make small additions to make it our own when we buy vehicles. For this, Alan reached out to Jason Mode and his crew at New Creations to dial it in. The first thing on the list was to freshen up the engine and give it a whole new look. The engine was also completely gone through, compression was changed to 10.5 to 1, and a Brian Tooley Racing stage 2 cam was added along with a Billet Specialties front runner. The engine was painted before assembly, while the headers and the complete 3-inch exhaust with Dyno Max mufflers were Jet Hot coated. The factory LS7 fuel injection was swapped for an eight-stack injection while the factory GM engine controller was replaced with a new Holly EFI Terminator X system. While in the shop, a few other minor issues were addressed to ensure the car would be at its absolute best when it went home and hit the show circuit.
We connected with Jason Mode around the time his shop was finishing this upgrade and managed to set up this photo shoot. We knew our readers would enjoy it, so we made it happen. Now that Alan has finished the car and has it back home, he’s been enjoying it just like the original owner did. Hearing stories of cars like this continuing to bring smiles to people after they change hands is what helps keep our scene alive. MR
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
