Frame Off Built Bel Air Custom EFI LS3 V8 550 HP 4L65E 4 Speed Automatic PS AC

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 Description

SUMMARY

The beneficiary of a professional, $350K restoration
Winner of multiple national awards
6.2 liter LS3 V8 / 550 horsepower
4L65E 4-speed automatic transmission
Custom leather interior / Vintage Air conditioning / Custom standalone audio system
Full Jim Meyers Racing suspension / 17-inch Budnik Gasser wheels
House Of Kolor Limetime paint
GM 10-bolt rear axle / Posi-traction differential / 3.55 gears
Power rack-and-pinion steering / Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes
Sale includes build receipts, component literature and builder information

The automotive scene can be a fickle place. Trends come, go, fizzle and sometimes even cycle back under the guise of "retro". While many builders strive to create cars that offer the flavor of the day, others use calculated observation to transform premier classics into timeless customs. Sure, this national award-winning Bel Air features plenty of modern must-haves, like air conditioning, custom upholstery and a 550 horsepower LS3. But items like a full Jim Meyer Racing suspension, custom 10-speaker audio and brash House Of Kolor paintwork certainly underscore the fact that the car marches to its own beat. Fresh out of a professional, $350K build, this Chevy is a literal manifestation of "only the best". If you're looking for a storied custom that attracts big crowds and even bigger trophies, it's prime time for Limetime!

BODYWORK/TRIM

Built by Graham's Bel Air Hot Rod Shop in Fresno, California, this freshly finished Bel Air does an excellent job of wrapping vintage style around modern technology. A solid California fruit that was ripe for customization, the car was subjected to a systematic, no-expense-spared build that involved $350K and thousands of hours of labor. During that build, its clean body was completely stripped, thoroughly massaged and layered in a liquid-smooth coat of House Of Kolor Limetime 2-stage. Every surface of that pearl pigment, shot by Vicente Gonzales of Madera, California's Fab-Worx, was sanded, buffed and perfected - top to bottom. And in January of 2016, this incredible custom was professionally appraised at $265K.

This Chevy is rolling proof that more doesn't necessarily mean better. The car has earned major recognition in national competition by simply doing what it does best: being one of the finest Bel Air's on the planet. No heavy add-ons or overwrought fabrication, just classic proportions and tasteful aesthetics. Up front, a smoothie bumper traces a polished grille, clear parking lamps and chrome-trimmed headlights. At the top of that grille, a shaved hood leads the eye to a flowing greenhouse, which finds smoked glass behind polished frames and capped wipers. At the base of that glass, factory door handles and a small mirror reflect ornate trim spears. And at the back of the car, factory tail lamps hide a custom fuel filler behind a shaved decklid and second smoothie bumper.

ENGINE

Toss the hood and you'll find a hot LS3 small block that, thanks to a high-lift Erson cam, looks ALMOST as good as it runs! GM Powertrain invested a great deal of time and research into getting the most out of its Gen IV V8, and it definitely shows. Changes started with a 20% stronger casting, featuring an increased bore of 103.25mm. Focus then shifted to flow efficiency, resulting in the use of an all-new intake manifold and L92 rectangle-port heads; which Graham's further improved with upgraded Erson valve springs. Factor in new pistons, a Chevrolet Performance computer, LS7 injectors, and a Chevrolet Performance controller and you get one very potent commuter that creates a stout 550 horsepower. At the top of the mill, a color-keyed filter element funnels wind in to a polished air tube, which feeds a color-keyed intake by way of a polished throttle body. At the sides of that throttle body, clean Sanderson headers, fully coated in Ceramachrome, frame a trick dipstick and AC Delco plug wires. At the front of those headers, polished Concept One pulleys spin a Powermaster alternator and coated AC compressor above modern power steering. In front of those pulleys, a polished Sweet Components radiator utilizes a coated water pump to swirl water around a fabricated expansion tank and fully programmable cooling fans. Fresh American Autowire wiring ensures everything communicates well. Details like custom valve covers, billet EMS supports, polished fuel rails, a billet EMS latch, AN fluid lines and billet EMS bracing ensure first-class presentation. And all that glitz is framed in glossy Limetime pearl, which coats smoothed fenders, a smoothed firewall, smoothed fender extensions, a smoothed hood and a body-matched Sweet Components core support.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Park this custom on a lift and you'll find a professionally powder-coated undercarriage that's been prepped, primped and polished to match the car's slick powerplant and stunning exterior. A fresh 4L65E 4-speed, built by CD Performance Transmission of Fresno, California, balances a flawless coat of Limetime pigment between a polished pan, Chevrolet Performance coolers and a performance converter. That gearbox twists a custom Arizona Driveshaft, which spins a familiar 10-bolt axle that's finished with 3.55 gears and a posi-traction differential. That GM pumpkin is an integral part of a sturdy Jim Meyer Racing 4-link, which weaves a beefy panhard bar around adjustable QA-1 coil-overs. Opposite that 4-link, a Jim Meyer Racing front-clip sandwiches power rack-and-pinion steering between tubular control arms and two more coil-over-shocks. Quick stops are a cinch thanks to 4-piston Wilwood DynaPro calipers, which utilize a Wilwood master cylinder, a Wilwood proportioning valve and quality stainless lines to squeeze 12.19-inch drilled and slotted rotors. A custom, Mandrel-bent exhaust system, which, like the aforementioned Sanderson headers, is fully Ceramachrome coated, routes spent gases through an H-shaped crossover and Flowmaster 3-chamber mufflers. A polished, 22-gallon Rick's stainless fuel tank utilizes a high-volume internal pump to supply plenty of 'go juice'. Billet Budnik Gassers throw torque through 235/45ZR17 and 275/40ZR17 BF Goodrich g-Force Sports. And everything, from the car's polished oil pan to its chrome starter, is well planned, exceptionally executed and ready to show!

INTERIOR

Open this hardtop's doors and you'll find a custom leather cockpit that was installed by Wall & Eades Auto Upholstery of Fresno, California. Top dead center, a Limetime dash frames slick Dakota Digital VHX telemetry in supple brown leather. Opposite that dash, power-operated buckets and a plush bench frame a custom console, which balances a simple shifter behind controls for the car's custom-plumbed Vintage Air climate system. Beneath that console, clean carpet floats piped and color-keyed floor mats opposite a custom hard shell headliner. At the sides of that headliner, custom side panels front a full suite of Specialty Power Windows on their way to a custom package tray that mimics the aforementioned dash. In front of the driver, a tilting Ididit column spins a polished and half-wrapped Budnik wheel. Behind the passengers, a leather-lined trunk hides four 10-inch RE Audio subwoofers and two Optima gel cell batteries behind two JL Audio amplifiers. And, speaking of those amps, they're part of a standalone sound system that includes a Bluetooth-enabled Kenwood CD/DVD head unit and six additional Hertz mid and high range speakers.

AWARDS/FEATURES

Fresh out of its professional transformation, this Bel Air has only seen three shows. Not surprisingly, the car received major honors at each outing. Here's a short list of this coupe's significant accolades:

Featured in the House Of Kolor booth at the 2016 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California
2nd Place in the Full Hardtop class
- Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California
- 2016
Outstanding Paint
- Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California
- 2016
Showcased in the July, 2016 edition of Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette
Winner's Circle
- Goodguys Del Mar Nationals in Del Mar, California
- 2016
Best Ride on BFGs
- Goodguys Del Mar Nationals in Del Mar, California
- 2016
Award of Excellence
- Goodguys All American Get-Together in Pleasanton, California
- 2016

OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES

A stack of build receipts
A list of the car's builders
A 2-page build summary
A stack of component literature
A transmission controller cable

Owning a lights-out classic is cool. Owning a lights-out classic that's been professionally customized is something few are lucky enough to experience. Owning a professionally customized, lights-out classic that's lauded by some of the most established organizations in the automotive community is the stuff most gearheads dream about. Don't miss your chance to enjoy this incredible, national award-winning Chevy!