By Tommy Lee Byrd – Images by the Author
The old car hobby is a mixed bag of motivation, but it’s safe to say that most of us are attempting to turn back the clock to a memorable time in our lives. Whether you build a car that reflects a romanticized high school memory, or something that’s a little too fast for the street, we’re all looking for a thrill that separates us from the mundane reality of our daily lives. An excellent example is Ronnie Blaylock Jr. and his traditionally styled 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. Even though it’s built to modern quality standards, this car looks like it came straight out of the ’70s.
The ’70s often gets a stereotype for slapper bars, side pipes, and psychedelic paintjobs, but there was also a different breed of customized cars roaming the streets back then. Cars like Ronnie’s 1955 Chevy were always kept clean and typically had plenty of horsepower on tap. Unlike the street freaks of the day, cars of this caliber were tasteful and meticulously built. Ronnie remembers the Tri-Five Chevys, Chevelles, and other cool Chevys that burned up the streets in the Chattanooga area, and that’s exactly where the inspiration came for his slick 1955 Bel Air build. Ronnie shared a love for old cars, specifically ’55 Chevys with his father, so after Sr. died in 2005, Ronnie set out to build a tribute to his father.
He started with a great car, but it was torn apart, which is often a tough place to start a project. Ronnie heard about the Bel Air from a good friend, Scott Cass, who had known the car for many years. The car’s previous owner, Jimmy “Red” Raper had taken the car apart with intentions of a full restoration, but, unfortunately, he died. Red was a bit of a local legend in his small town of Englewood, Tennessee, so Ronnie enjoyed hearing stories about Red from local car guys. Ronnie has some history of his own in the car world, so between the old stories and his desire to step back in time, Ronnie kicked off the build with an eye toward an old-school theme.
Ronnie relied on longtime friends Gene Marshell, Gene Standridge, and Donald Williford to get the build across the finish line, but it still took 10 years to make that happen. He gathered parts and picked away at it until the car suited his vision. To pull off the look, Ronnie focused on dialing in the stance and tire and wheel combination. He used station wagon springs front and rear to raise the ride height, giving him adequate clearance for a set of 15×8.5 American Racing 200S “Daisy” wheels and fat 235/75R15 radial tires. Despite the vintage stance, Ronnie upgraded the car with a set of tubular control arms and upgraded to disc front brakes fed by a 1968 Corvette master cylinder. He also upgraded to a CPP power steering box and all-new linkage.
Underhood, Ronnie swapped in a 383ci stroker built by Riverside Machine Shop. The stout small-block is dressed in Chevrolet accessories and features an Edelbrock intake manifold, topped by a 750-cfm Holley four-barrel carburetor. Hedman long-tube headers lead into a 2-1/2-inch exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers. An aluminum radiator by Auto City Classics keeps the combination cool, while a TH350 automatic transmission with a 2,800-rpm stall converter sends power back to the original rearend.
Part of the recipe for this car’s appearance package is the unique color called Pinecrest Green. It was originally used on 1956 Chevy passenger cars and looks right at home on this ’55. The car has all-original sheetmetal, but Gene Marshell massaged the body in preparation for paint. David Rongey from Ocoee, Tennessee, is responsible for spraying the Sikkens base/clear paint, and a great deal of time was spent sanding, buffing, and polishing the fresh materials to a flawless finish. The stainless steel was restored to perfection. Inside, all-new upholstery from Ciadella Interiors ties it all together. Carlos Rodriguez installed the upholstery, which features green and white vinyl sourced from a convertible. Interior upgrades include a CPP tilt steering column and 1960s Corvette steering wheel. Otherwise, the driver’s compartment is all stock and just how Ronnie wanted it.
Overall, this car isn’t littered with modifications, but it turns heads wherever it goes. The young guys may not fully understand it, but the old timers will instantly remember when cars like this ’55 were the kings of the road. And while it isn’t a 100 percent period-correct build, Ronnie spared no expense when it came to the details of his traditional Tri-Five.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owner: Ronnie Blaylock Jr., Georgetown, Tennessee
Vehicle: 1955 Chevy Bel Air
Engine
Type: Small-block
Displacement: 383 ci
Bore: 4.030 inches
Stroke: 3.75 inches
Rotating Assembly: GM
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum
Valvetrain: Roller rockers
Camshaft: Hydraulic flat tappet
Ignition: MSD Pro-Billet distributor, Blaster coil
Induction: Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 750-cfm carburetor
Exhaust: Hedman long-tube headers, 2.5-inch pipes, Flowmaster mufflers
Ancillaries: Proform valve covers, Powermaster alternator, aluminum water pump
Drivetrain
Transmission: TH350, 2,800-rpm stall converter
Rear Axle: Stock with 3.55:1 gears
Chassis
Front Suspension: Tubular control arms, station wagon coil springs, sway bar
Rear Suspension: Station wagon leaf springs, sway bar
Brakes: Front disc brake conversion, rear drum
Master Cylinder: Dual reservoir master cylinder conversion
Pedals: Stock
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: American Racing 200S “Daisy,” 15×8.5
Tires: Starfire 235/75R15
Interior
Seats: Stock bench, Ciadella Interiors material installed by Carlos Rodriguez
Steering: Corvette wood grain
Shifter: Column
Dash: Stock
Instrumentation: Stock
Stereo: AM/FM Wonderbar Radio
Wiring: American Autowire
Exterior
Paint: Pinecrest Green, Sikkens base/clear by David Rongey (Ocoee, TN)
Hood: Stock
Grille: Stock
Bumpers: Stock
Hood Hinges: Custom
