View Full Version : In Need of Ideas - Post your best 55 Pics....
ProTeal55
03-25-2006, 07:10 AM
Hey ,
Havent had time to be on here lately with the new job and other stuff.
For that I am sorry.....:hail:
I am in desperate need to get some ideas on what direction my 55 Bel-Air should go. I put 5000 miles ont he car last season , and I need something to change.I would love to go all out, aftermarket frame, huge wheels, and so on but the budget isn't their at the momment.
The car is at my buddies bodyshop now getting a few things on the paint touched-up, which got me back in the game so to speak. Last year I did the basic stuff, liek a full MSD ign. system, 12 way adj. QA1 coil-overs up front, new bushings and such, etc...
I was thinking about going for the sleeper look, and keep the wide whites on the car. Maybe do a wider steel wheel with a small baby moon cap, to keep the retro look ? Maybe something along those lines..
I would also love to do a mini-pro car, with a nice set of 17's or 18'' wheels, big brakes (eventually) and so forth.
If you can , post some pics of other 55's you guys have/like, to maybe help me get some ideas for my own car.
Here is how the car sits now. Stock and ready to be updated !! As usuall , all help is greatly appreciated...
onebad2
03-25-2006, 07:17 AM
Here are some pics i had.....
ProTeal55
03-25-2006, 04:44 PM
All of those cars are killer - and big bucks :rolleyes:
I def. wanna remove the front trim piece on the fenders, that I know for sure.
Anyone else have some pics of some other tri-5 chevys (55-56-57) that are built in different styles ?
MSchu
03-25-2006, 06:27 PM
Art Morrison's Tri-Five is one my favorites. They never should have painted it...
ilovefirstgens
03-25-2006, 07:19 PM
Personally I think its gorgeous as is, and I wouldn't touch a thing.
It would be a shame to hack such a clean car thats already "done"
You could always get a shell and take your time and do whatever you want.....
shmoov69
03-25-2006, 07:39 PM
Here is a sweet one that I saw on the PT this last year.
ProTeal55
03-25-2006, 11:17 PM
Personally I think its gorgeous as is, and I wouldn't touch a thing.
It would be a shame to hack such a clean car thats already "done".
Thanks for the kind comments.
I bought the car pretty much as you see it just about a year ago. I have had other cars, with the most recent being a built big block pro-street Nova. This car is the one I have always wanted, down to the color.
I am thinking a good set of wheels, and alittle lower stance will make me happy with the overall look. All of the rest of my cash will be going into the small things, like tilt wheel , power steering, stereo, etc.. Plans for power are a blow-thru supercharged small block. Nothing crazy, just something to have fun with on a cruise night. The Nova project burned me out, as it had lots of maint. to be done to it to keep it "streetable".
I appreciate the help , and keep the pics comming :usa:
That car is cool the way it is.Have you posted over a www.chevytalk.com. ?
ProTeal55
03-26-2006, 01:20 PM
Me and the Guys over at Chevytalk don't get along for some reason.:hmm: I tried to be an active member of that site a few months back, and every question I asked either got no responses, or derogatory ones at best..
tbair
03-26-2006, 05:47 PM
AMEN, to the chevy talk crowd.they are hard core original guys.I do like your car.and I say do what makes you happy, your the one that has to drive it and like it.I say bag it and put 18/20 on it and that will give you a killer look for little money.
ProTeal55
03-26-2006, 05:58 PM
I say bag it and put 18/20 on it and that will give you a killer look for little money.
I was thinking that I will most likely do a set of wheels (whatever size is still up int he air) , and a simple air-ride system. I really want the majority of the cash I spend on the car to go into the creature comforts of the car, so I can enjoy the time I have driving it.
I say this car up for sale on Ebay, and I totally dig the wheels, and overall stance of it. Would be nice to to get my car sitting like this ....
Charley Lillard
03-26-2006, 08:39 PM
my money pit.
BEEBE
03-26-2006, 08:57 PM
my money pit.
Holly crappola .....lot of cubic inches
:jawdrop:
trapin
03-27-2006, 04:31 AM
That car is insane, Charley.
jy211
03-27-2006, 05:46 AM
Me and the Guys over at Chevytalk don't get along for some reason.:hmm: I tried to be an active member of that site a few months back, and every question I asked either got no responses, or derogatory ones at best..
same thing here....
wow charley I have loved that car from the second i saw it i always wonderd who owned that beast! If i had a 55 i would make it look like an old moonshine runner or old school stock car! flat black with black steel wheels 4 point roll bar, bad to the bone engine under the hood.
trapin
03-27-2006, 12:09 PM
Z71...why don't you post up a pic of your '56?
JV69z/28
03-27-2006, 08:04 PM
Would you be happy with the same stance as the 2 tone blue '56 you posted? If so you can achieve that stance for about 1/3 the price or less than air ride. I'm not knocking air ride just reading into what you were saying about where you wanted to spend your money. You can get that look with dropped spindles and dropped leaf springs. Keep in mind the guys over at Chevytalk are not into the handling thing like the guys over here. What these tri-5 chevys really lack is front spring rate. Dropped spindles on these cars are not the catastrophy that the are on the 1st gens. The TCI spindles actually move the front wheels in slightly. 1st gen front springs fit Tri-5s so that means lots of spring choises. They will probably have to be cut for the correct ride height though. See David Pozzi's sight. You can also do a coil over conversion. There are lots of tubular a arms for these cars also. In the rear you can go with dropped leafs or have custom springs built at a reasonable price. The rear also needs a rear shock bar if you don't already have one. They are inexpensive. As far as sway bars go Helwig makes the biggest and they will do the job. You need a front and rear kit. If you stay with stock control arms you can use poly bushings. Stiffer springs especially in the front - big sway bars - and good high quality shocks - along with some good high perf tires will make a world of difference. The car is NOT going to handle like a road racer but it will not be sloppy and it will be fun to drive. If you need more info let me know. I have a 55 Nomad that has 18s and 20s on it since 1999. So I'm an original poser.
Sorry I didn't realize you did the QA1s - are you not happy with them? If so why? If you feel the front spring rate is too soft try another spring. I also think I read somewhere that Marcus from SC&C said he has a lower spring perch conversion so you can use the short stock car type springs from Afco or Landrum. If that's the case you can pick your spring rate. The Morrison frame would be the best solution but it's not the cheapest. The air ride set up with the controllers is pricey also. I think you can get the look your after without spending a small fortune if you're willing to experiment a little.
ProTeal55
03-29-2006, 04:25 PM
JV69z28--->
Thanks for the in-depth post, it is appreciated.:usa:
I did in fact do the QA1 12-way adj. coil overs ont he car, and am happy with them thus far. I mainly did them for the drop in ride height, and think I have them set where the ride is the best.
As far as swaybars go, I do infact have both front and rear ones installed on the car (they were on it when I bought it)
A nice set of 17'' wheels is gonna run me atleast $2500, and thats on the low side. So , wheels are gonna have to wait for awhile.
tourings10style
03-30-2006, 05:59 PM
zl1 the red one you posted(2nd one over) I believe is here in my hometown Lafayette Indiana and if it is... it is nasty. One of the nicest cars I have seen in person and he drives it quite well!!
CraigMorrison
03-31-2006, 08:24 AM
http://public.fotki.com/CraigMorrison/under_construction/
Here's quite a few pics of our GT55. The crusty green paint was cool, and definitely was a sleeper car when it was that way.
http://public.fotki.com/CraigMorrison/customer_gt_sport/
This link has a handfull of our customer's cars (Tri5) that are being built with our chassis.
Travis B
03-31-2006, 08:32 AM
:pics2:
Rybar
03-31-2006, 09:22 AM
Here is a local '55 that I drool over everytime I see it. Love your car BTW. If it were me, I would run 18 fronts maybe 20 rears (for the look only)
muthstryker
03-31-2006, 10:28 AM
art morrison's tri5 looks soo much better when it wasnt painted.
ProTeal55
03-31-2006, 12:21 PM
TRAVIS--->
I know we spoke about this in depth awhile back , but what size/backspacing wheels are on that 55 you posted the pic of ?
JV69z/28
03-31-2006, 05:48 PM
For a cruiser - not max size possible - in the front a 7" wheel with 4.5" back space will work fine with a 225 to 235 tire. In the rear a 8" wheel with 4.5 to 4.75" backspace will work with a 245 to 255 tire. I have 225/40-18s on the front and 245/40-20s on the rear of my Nomad. I wanted a little more side wall in the rear because the Nomad rear tire is completely exposed and I wanted the top of the tire to tuck up into the wheel well slightly. You should be able to get the wider 255 in there with no issues. There is a spread sheet on these cars over at chevytalk that chevynut did - it has lots of info about what fits - track width and available space inside the wheel wells. Check it out. Hope this helps.
ProTeal55
03-31-2006, 06:28 PM
JV69z/28----->
That helps allot, it is much appreciated :bananna2:
I have been worried about ordering wheels for this car sience day one. With my luck, I will order a set of "custom" wheels, and they wont fit, and I will be stuck with them.
Now atleast I have a good reference point to start with, now just need to come up with the $$$:confused:
I really dig the Intro wheels, but once again I dont have $2000+ for wheels, then I have to do tires as well.
I was thinking maybe I could do a set of ZR1 style wheels, maybe off "Evil-Bay", and save some cash ?
Will those late model / F-Body wheels fit my ride ?
Richz68
04-01-2006, 12:34 PM
Me and the Guys over at Chevytalk don't get along for some reason.:hmm: I tried to be an active member of that site a few months back, and every question I asked either got no responses, or derogatory ones at best..
I know that this magazine is sometimes hard to find, but get your hands on the current (April) Chevy Rumble. This magazine is a virtual spin off of Super Chevy by Buckaroo Communications.
There is a black Bel Air on page 33 owned by Ron Miller that i would literally hack something off for:injured:
It is the BADEST thing out there!!!
Johnny Mac
04-02-2006, 07:25 AM
Here is my friends 55, he is replacing the sbc with a bottle fed 434.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
ProTeal55
04-06-2006, 05:33 AM
Went to my first Car Show/Cruise of the year last night, and got a few ideas for my 55. With the funds being low (new job), I am not gonna have the scratch for a set of 17''s anytime soon.
I think the plan now is to lower the car as much as possibile, while still being able to drive it, ditch the stock style hubcaps for some baby moons & trim rings, keep the wide whitewalls, and drive it.
Kinda make it look like a rat rod/hotrod deal, and go from there..
This way, atleast it will have a nice stance, and it wont have that "Grandpa car" feel to it that it does now.....:woot:
ProTeal55
04-21-2006, 11:48 AM
Did alittle lowering of the car.
Did a 3'' drop in the rear, and went 2'' up front.
Car drives/handles so much better than it did before.
In the search/hunt for a set of Merc Led Sled hubcaps for the car, untill I can figure out exactly what wheels I wanna go with...
shmoov69
04-21-2006, 07:36 PM
Looks awesome man! Which style caps are you wanting?
Looks killer just like that.
camaro608
04-22-2006, 05:17 PM
here i like the orange and silver
ProTeal55
04-22-2006, 10:39 PM
I am looking for the hubcaps that you see on EVERY merc lead-sled custom. The car in the pic below has them. Prob. the best looking hubcap that I have seen thus far,
Anyone know where I can find a set of these ?
JV69z/28
04-23-2006, 05:08 AM
I believe they are Caddy hubcaps - they are reproduced - you should be able to find them at a big swap meet or on line with a company that sells Lead Sled stuff.
ProTeal55
04-23-2006, 02:12 PM
I believe they are Caddy hubcaps - they are reproduced - you should be able to find them at a big swap meet or on line with a company that sells Lead Sled stuff.
You would think right ? I have looked high and low for these things on the net and have come up empty handed.
Anyone point me in the right direction ???
shmoov69
04-23-2006, 02:29 PM
I saw some on ebay awhile back. Do a google and there are some that come up. I will keep an eye out though. I am pretty sure that Colorado Customs makes some billet wheels with that look, if not them, then it is somebody because I have seen them befoe. Looks pretty bitchin' the way it is though.
ProTeal55
04-23-2006, 02:41 PM
57 Cadillac hub caps.
I recently bought a set of 56 caddy caps , and they are way off in being able to fit my stock wheels. Seems like the 57 style has less of a dish.
I did see that set on Ebay, and will see how much they go for. Still , for my life, and Goggle anything up to see if some place sells these things allready customized.....
Diognes56
04-23-2006, 03:30 PM
That is a very nice '55 as it is :yum: . Looks great with the lowering :cool: .
The ChevyTalk guys aren't ALL hard core resto guys. There are some guys in the modified 55-57 section that have some pretty extensive mods. I know there are atleast 2 on there that have AME chassis. They are a tight knit group and it takes them a while to "warm up" to people but they are a good group :twothumbs . I have been on there since '02, I don't post alot so I am not really known, but I have gotten lots of valuable info from them :) .
Anyway, glad to see another tri-five on the board :) , you will definitely get good info from these guys :cheers: .
David
ProTeal55
04-24-2006, 06:39 AM
Thanks to all for the kind words. I am having a blast driving my car around, now that it is slowly loosin it's "Grandpa Car" feel to it. Nice to scrape a header here and their again :doh:
Still in the hunt for these damn hubcaps. I am hopin to find a source for them soon. I have my eyes on a few sets of 1957 stock hubcaps on Ebay, but would much rather buy a set allready "customized" , to save myself the hassle...
ssdeuce
04-30-2006, 02:55 PM
Your car is great as it is. I would leave it alone. JMO. But you could do some nice wheels and tires and keep your current wheels and tires for later if you wanted to change them out. The bigger brakes is cool too. There is nothing wrong with making your car more driveable.
CraigMorrison
05-01-2006, 05:28 AM
I am looking for the hubcaps that you see on EVERY merc lead-sled custom. The car in the pic below has them. Prob. the best looking hubcap that I have seen thus far,
Anyone know where I can find a set of these ?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://rodandcustommagazine.com/hotnews/0602rc_americruisereg/#)Here's a Thom Taylor rendering for the car being built by Roy Brizio using one of our chassis. The wheels ar a Billet Specialties / 60 Vette copy that will look pretty cool. This car is supposed to be done sometime early this year and will be driven on the Americruise.
ProTeal55
05-01-2006, 05:40 AM
That rendering is sick ! Must be nice to have cash :twothumbs
I have a set of 57'' Caddy hubcaps comming my way from Canada, which should be here sometime this week. Once I insure they actually fit (god I hope they do), I plan to have them cleaned up and either chromed/powdercoated. Not sure as of yet. I want to do something different.
We shall see what I come up with, and as usuall, will keep ya guys posted with pics...
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