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Salvation |
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Ed Williams’ 1955 Chevy Bel AirPhotography by Ken StidwellEd Williams bought this '55 Chevy hardtop to fix up as a nice daily driver. What he ended up with a seven-year project and an award-winning custom. “I wanted a sedan, but then I found this hardtop and liked it. It looked like it was in fairly good shape-I could fix it up and turn it into a nice hot rod/daily driver," said Ed. “What was supposed to be a simple sill plate and panel repair snowballed when I found out the whole car was in bad shape." With many years of car building under his belt, Ed knew he could handle the engine and mechanical bits, but he didn't have any experience with bodywork. All to often, this is the point in the story where most guys either give up and sell the car or send it to a shop for a complete (and expensive) rehab. Not Ed. He decided to build the car himself, in his garage, with the goal of competing at the 2007 Detroit AutoRama. He pretty much stuck to the plan, too. Engine machining and the upholstery are the only things Ed didn't complete himself. “People told me I should just find another body and use this car for parts," Ed explained. “But I wanted to build this car, and I knew I could do it. A local fabricator and painter named Marvin Tinbrink had a great reputation, so I asked him to teach me." Marvin agreed, and guided Ed through the art of paint and fabrication a few hours every Wednesday night…for two and a half years. Ed put Marvin's tutoring to good use. He replaced all of the sheetmetal from the firewall back with the exception of the roof, trunk lid, and doors. “I wanted the car to look seamless, like nothing had ever been replaced," Ed told us. Indeed, you can't tell the Bel Air got a makeover by a guy who just learned how to fabricate-the body looks like it's been babied since it rolled off the assembly line. The paint the scheme is not traditional '55 Chevy fare. Ed knew he wanted something different, but didn't know exactly what color scheme to use. But since he worked at a paint supply shop, Ed was able to experiment until he found exactly what he was looking for. “I tried 8 to 10 different color combos on some old panels," Ed said. “When I tried these colors (Copper and Tangerine) together, I knew it was right." Staying true to his street rodder roots, Ed went all out on the engine. The Chevy 400 small block was punched to 434 cubes with a.030 inch overbore and a four inch Scat stroker crankshaft. Other fun bits include AFR aluminum heads, a Comp Cams solid roller cam, and an ultra-trick Momar Injection fuel injection system. Ed had Momar move the fuel rails to the middle of the intake for a cleaner look. “It looks so clean and neat- it's my favorite part of the whole project," Ed said of the injection setup. Ed's wife Kathy gets the credit for the interior upholstery and color choices. She went with soft, creamy leather in light and dark tan; she also specified a tuck-and-roll job for the seats, and had the back bench redesigned for a smoother look. Like any first-class hot rod, the Bel Air has amenities like Vintage Air A/C, Auto Meter gauges, and a kickin' sound system. So, did Ed meet his goal of entering the '55 in the Detroit AutoRama? Why yes, he did-and took home the first place trophy in the Mild Custom Hardtop class too boot. Congratulations on a job well done, Ed. Fast Specs Chassis Frame: Stock frame welded, smoothed and powdercoated, powdercoated Rear Suspension: Leaf springs moved inboard for tire clearance, relocated shock brackets Rear Axle: 10-bolt from 2003 Chevy S10 ZR2-narrowed 4", Moser 30-spline axles, 3.73 gears, Eaton posi differential Front Suspension: Stock lower A-arms, Heidt's 2" drop spindles and tubular upper A-arms Brakes: 13" Baer front disc/11" rear disc Wheels and Tires: 17" Boyd Coddington New Wave wheels, Goodyear Eagle tires Engine and Transmission Engine Type: 1970 Chevy 400, bored and stroked to 434 cubic inches Block: Bored .030" over, Hard Blok water jacket filler Reciprocating Assembly: 4" Scat stroker crank, 5.78" Manley connecting rods, forged JE Ultralite flat top pistons, 9.8:1 compression Camshaft: Comp Cams solid roller, 242°/248° duration @.050:, .609"/.596" lift Cylinder Heads: AFR aluminum, 210cc intake ports, CNC-ported Valvetrain: Crane Cams shaft rocker arms, Comp Cams Endure-X lifters Induction: Weber polished/ceramic-coated intake manifold, custom Momar Injection fuel injection with billet aluminum throttle bodies, relocated fuel rails, and Haltech computer Exhaust: Ceramic-coated 1 3/4" Hooker Super Competition headers, 2 1/2" aluminized dual exhaust with Pro Flow mufflers Transmission: GM 700-R4 Other Items: Billet Specialties serpentine belt system, Russell and Summit stainless steel braided hose and fittings, polished stainless steel fuel lines Engine Machining: Tico Racing Engines Transmission Work: Eldred Transmissions Body Modifications: All new sheetmetal from firewall back (except doors, roof, and trunk lid), tubbed 2 1/2", smoothed firewall Paint Color: Custom mix PPG Copper (top) and 2003 Lamborghini Tangerine Pearl (bottom) Body and Paint: Ed Williams and Marvin Tinbrink Graphics: Michael Olney, emblems designed by Ed Williams Interior Upholstery: Tan leather, wool headliner, modified rear seat Upholstery Work: Mike Smith Dash: Modified for custom switches, A/C vents, and Auto Meter Ultra-Lite gauges Steering: Billet Specialties steering wheel, chrome Ididit steering column Shifter: B&M Hardcore Street Bandit shifter Audio: Pioneer head unit with Rockford Fosgate mid speakers, Kicker sub and amp Audio Installation: Jay Brown Other Items: Cruise control, Vintage Air A/C system, Phillips Billet A/C vents and interior lights Awards Special Thanks To: My wife Kathy, Marvin Tinbrink, Mike Smith, Mike Olney, my friends at Dexter Lake Church |
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