Article and Photography by:
 Bryan Fross
 Model: Emm Jay

   Classic Automobiles have a sentimental value to their owners especially when they've had them for many years. This 1955 Chevrolet is owned by Chad Longo from Corona, California. A friend of his was building a new barn for a guy in Yucaipa, California when he saw this car just sitting there. It had been there for 15 years. Since Chad was a kid this was his favorite car so he had to have it. Chad purchased the car and began the process to get it looking the way it does now. With a lot of late night help from Chad's 3 brothers, this car took 5 years to build mostly in his home garage. Chad wanted to make his Chevy different from all of the others out there. He wanted a classic look on the outside with a modern feel inside and some real horsepower.

   After stripping the car down, Chad decided to go with a full air ride suspension including mini tubs in the rear. The rear end was also given a 4-link with 1.25-inch chromoly tubing and adjustable pan hard bar. The mini tubs were necessary in the rear to fit the 20x12-inch Boyd Coddington Crown Jewels three piece wheels with 335/30/20 Michelin Pilot Tires. The front also received Boyd Crown Jewels in staggered 18x7-inch size with 225/40/20 Michelin Pilot Tires.

   The '55 was originally slated to be painted black but it had a good base of yellow on it already so it slowly worked into Chad's liking and he decided to keep it yellow. The body was cleaned up and prepared for a coat of custom mixed Chevrolet Corvette Yellow paint sprayed by Rocky at Johnson Custom Classics in Riverside, California. With a bright yellow paint job and some accessories from Roger at Old Chevy Parts Store also in Riverside, the car was coming together nicely.

   To accomplish the modern feel inside, Chad chose to take the interior to Miguel at Riverside Custom & Classic Auto Interiors where it was given a treatment of two tone leather, a custom dash-to-decklid console, and four bucket seats. The headliner was also replaced with a clean one piece version and the carpet was removed for a Mercedes carpet kit.

   Now for the horsepower that Chad desperately wanted his '55 to have. The motor is a 383 cubic inch stroked small block Chevy full roller motor by B&G Race Motors in Yucaipa, California. B&G was also the supplier for many other parts including the 4 speed Muncie M21 Rock Crusher close ratio transmission and Ford 9-inch rear end with 4:11 posi-traction. The fuel lines are steel braided and stainless lines to the Holley jetted 950 CFM carburetor and 19 gallon fuel cell. The stop this Chevy after giving it some serious acceleration, Chad installed Wilwood Brakes at all four corners with 13-inch slotted and drilled rotors and aluminum hubs.