I Built What I Liked

Paul and Jane Jones, AL

I’ve always liked the 1955 Chevy’s boxy body design. I can’t really pinpoint why this design appeals to me, but over the decades since this car model first appeared in dealer showrooms I still love the look of them.

I bought this car from Dan Barkley in Belton, Texas in Jan 2006. As soon as the purchase was completed, I had the car delivered to Mark Ragsdale at Alabama Custom in Alexandria, Alabama where he and his wife, Kathy, began immediately to disassemble it and remove what little rust was on the car.
 
While the body work was going on, I bought an Art Morrison frame and all the new parts needed to build a nice cruiser. For the new powertrain, I opted for a ZZ4 motor and 700R transmission. New tires came next followed by Boyd Cottington 18”x10” rear and 17”x8” front wheels to put the rubber to the road in style. With these chassis and running gear changes, the car performs and handles like a Corvette!
 
Mark Ragsdale painted the frame black and the body Lamborghini Orange and Mitsubishi Pearl. He finished the car in November, 2006. From there I took the car to Southern Hot Rod in Ashville, Alabama where Les Lockridge did all the interior work. He installed Mopar bucket seats and power windows and built the custom console. Then I took the car to Street Scene Automotive for the final tune-up.
 
In terms of build time, my car came together rather quickly in only eight months. My ’55 has 950 miles on it now and I occasionally drive it to the local cruise-ins and local shows.