1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom - Twin Turbo
The Chevrolet Bel Air is an iconic car that completely encompasses the look of the 50's. Tri-Fives have remained extremely popular throughout time and that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. The '55 model was called the "Hot One" in GM's advertising campaign and was well received for it's handling, acceleration, performance and comfortable ride. Well GM must have been predicting the future because this 1955 Bel Air custom must .....
be the king of the "Hot Ones". We get the opportunity to sell some pretty cool vehicles both classic and custom. This one is definitely always going to be remembered as being one of the top we have had the chance to work with. The exterior is fairly unassuming and utilizes mostly stock features. The body is solid and the classic 50's light Blue with White has a great finish and is show quality. The car wears all of its stock style Bel Air trim and chrome which has a beautiful shine. The glass is all good throughout and is slightly tinted. The car rides on a set of very clean Foose 17 inch chrome alloy custom wheels with Nitto 255/50-R17 tires.
One of the coolest things about this car is the exterior has been kept very modest with only the wheels to indicate it might have been customized in some way. When you pop the hood at a show however expect to see crowds starting to form. This monster is now powered by a LS3 6.5L turbocharged motor. Yes, you read that right. This '55 is sporting a set of twin turbos! With the LS craze people are automatically drawn to LS pro touring cars so how do you remain unique in that constantly growing class of customs? Well adding twin VS racing turbos with intercooler and a Holley Sniper electronic fuel injection is a pretty good place to start. It isn't just that though because this build incorporates high quality performance components throughout. The engine bay is super clean with a full serpentine belt system, chrome alternator, polished power steering pump, braided hoses, Chevrolet valve covers, polished billet hood hinges, and polished billet brackets throughout. Even the radiator support is chrome and it has an aluminum 4 core radiator with electric fans. Being a turbocharged car the exhaust is highly customized, features ceramic coated headers and delivers a great sound. Backing up the motor is a 4L65E 4 speed automatic transmissions that shifts smoothly. The brakes have all been redone with a Wilwood 4 wheel power disc brake setup that has polished calipers, slotted & cross-drilled rotors, and a chrome Hydratech brake master cylinder. To gain an excellent ride it has received Tubular A-arms, adjustable coil over shocks and a 4 link in rear. The car runs very well and offers all the power you could ask for.
The interior of the car is very tastefully done and fully custom. It has new matching White and Blue upholstery with Dark Blue carpeting. The headliner is all White with working courtesy lights, custom sun visors and chrome headliner bows. It has a nice rear bench seat and front bucket seats with seatbelts on each side of the fully custom center console. This console houses cup holders and a custom gear shifter with leather knob. The dash is all nicely painted and is combination of stock features like the bowtie trim and some modifications. The stereo is a Custom Sound multimedia audio system and sounds great. In front of the driver it has custom AutoMeter white face gauges that are mounted in the original bezel position. It also has a clock on the passengers side. The tilt steering column is painted Blue to match the rest and has a reduced diameter steering wheel with chrome horn ring. The Vintage Air AC/Heat unit works properly off modern freon and has custom mounted adjustable vents. The trunk has been all reupholstered as well and has the relocated battery with kill switch.
This Bel Air is one of a kind and was built to perform and impress. If you have never experienced the feeling of turbos spooling up with your hands behind the wheel you are missing out. They are meant to deliver boost at a higher revving speed than a supercharger and what better package to have that kind of fun in than a classic 1955 Chevy.
To replicate the car you would be investing a lot more than $115,000.00!