When Scott Benson started this '53 Chevy straight-axle, he was in high school, the car was pretty much a bare roller wearing eight different colors of paint and primer, and the name Mister Twister belonged to his dad, Don’s, old GTX drag racer—a car that Don had given up years ago so he could settle down and raise a family. Eight years, three engines, a couple revisions, and several trades later, Scott is the proud owner of his own Mister Twister.

The 454 lurking under that custom cowl hood started its life in Scott’s first hotrod—a 1948 Pontiac that he bought when he was 12 and had road-ready when he turned old enough to drive. After it spun a bearing, Scott seized the opportunity to build it up and transplant it into the '53 Chevy. The custom headers and Summit air cleaner add some shine, but this engine is all business.

Scott kept Mister Twister’s dash sleek and clean with a radio delete and a combo of original and aftermarket gauges.

Sullivan’s Upholstery in New London, Ohio, crafted the new interior—a clean black and white scheme that was inspired by a '55 Chevy Delray. “I just like the way '55 Delray interiors look,” Scott says. “I had to get the interior done in this car to finish it off right.”

A couple of Don Benson’s close friends drove straight-axle hotrods for decades. When his son, Scott, caught the bug and started building one, Don knew he had to get on board too. The Fugitive is among hundreds of cars that Don’s built, but it’s certainly one of his favorites.

From its stance to the blue window tint, single stage Maaco paint job, and freehand lettering, the Fairlane looks like it rolled off the dragstrip decades ago. “It was a mess when I got it,” Don says. “I’m really lucky to have so many talented friends. I couldn’t have done this without them.”

So why does the hood say 427 cu. in.? “That’s what was in the car when I had the hood painted,” says Don. At the time of this story the Fairlane was powered by a Chevy 283 that Don acquired in a trade from Scott. “You never know, it might have a 427 in it again one day,” Don says. The way Don, Scott, and friends trade parts, cars, and talent, we wouldn’t doubt it.

The Fugitive’s cockpit is all business with stock seats covered in black vinyl, a mix of stock and aftermarket gauges, and aluminum door panels. Don finished off the Hurst stick with his own custom shifter boot.

The door says it all. When asked about it, Don smiles a sly smile and tells a story about a police officer who saw it in a parking lot and liked it so much he had to get a picture of it to share with his friends.

Don’s quick to credit his friends and family for the work on the Fairlane. This is just one of the many thanks that he had “J-Bird” Jeremy Lockard letter. “He is so talented,” Don says of Jeremy. “I just left him alone to do his thing and he did an amazing job.”