Grabber Blue?

Jimmie Fraley, NC

A classic Chevy painted in Ford Grabber Blue? Maybe that rubs you the wrong way, but consider how many old Ford hotrods are out there with Chevy engines.

Jimmie Fraley of Denton, NC, bought his first ‘56 in 1971 (in his senior year in high school) and had it painted Grabber Blue because that was the flavor of the time in car colors. Ownership of that car would be short-lived because it was totaled it in a crash in 1974. Although he escaped serious injury in that crash, his favorite ride was gone for good. His future wife, Sheila, whom he was dating, loved that old Chevy, too. At that time he vowed that someday he would have another ’56 Chevy.
 
In the spring of 1984, Jimmie found the carcass of a ’56 Chevy behind a body shop next door to where he worked in Charlotte, NC. It was in pretty bad shape; just a body and frame. Nonetheless, he called Sheila and told her about it and she told him he should buy it. After a bit of haggling with the body shop owner, he became the new owner of an old 1956 Chevy. However when Sheila saw the condition of the “car”, she wondered if it would ever resemble the car she rode in back in high school.
 
With the carcass safely ensconced in his garage, Jimmie began the process of disassembly and restoration. He did all of the work on the car himself except for the interior (headliner and seats), which were handled by James Whitley's upholstery shop in Albemarle , NC . Additional interior appointments included 1970 Chevrolet Impala front bench seat custom covered with cloth and vinyl with cut-out for the shifter, Rod Doors with flamed door panels covered with vinyl and leather, Grant custom steering wheel, ididit tilt steering column, remote keyless door locks, Dakota Digital instrumentation, Rockford Fosgate stereo, custom console and 400 watt amplifier. Paint and body work was done by Carolina Custom Ridz in New London , NC . A fiberglass cowl induction hood, Bumper Boyz California one-piece smoothie front bumper and polished billet aluminum grille add the final touch to the exterior.
 
Power for the car is provided by a 350ci motor, bored .030” over, TRW forged pistons, Crane cam and lifters, Dart II cylinder heads, Edelbrock Torker intake, Barry Grant Speed Demon 650 cfm carburetor, MSD ignition, K & N filtration with Hedmann ceramic coated headers and a 2.5” Flowmaster exhaust doing the heavy breathing.  Vintage A/C cools the cabin.
 
A Borg Warner Super T10 4-speed transmission is controlled by a Hurst Competition Plus shifter. An 11-inch Zoom clutch and 1966 Chevelle 12-bolt 3.36 limited slip differential puts power to the pavement.
 
Stance and handling are modified with springs that lower the car two inches, GM power disc brakes and 605 power steering and OE parallel leaf springs. Boyd Coddington Junkyard Dog 17”x7” wheels on the front and rear with B. F. Goodrich G-force TIA 255/50/17 tires add to the overall cool, modern look. The car was completed in late 1985, which is a short time-frame in car building years.
 
This is a wonderfully customized ’56 and if you were to see it at a car show or on the street, the color would truly “grab” you!