Tri5 1955-57

Imagine awakening to find that it’s 1959! Wow, what would it be like to open your eyes to such a sight? Though such a discovery may conjure up many thoughts, the minds of most of us reading a publication like Chevy Classics drift quickly to our favorite topic…old cars. Well, I recently had just such an experience.

A near absolute ban on travel from America to Cuba has existed since 1959 and the Kennedy administration. In an attempt to ease relations, in 1999 President Clinton implemented “People-to-People,” an initiative designed to allow Americans to travel to Cuba as part of an educational exchange. Under special license, agents would be allowed to offer a fully-scheduled cultural exchange program to a limited number of travelers. However, due to various roadblocks, licenses were seldom issued and the initiative went nowhere.Recently that closed door was opened, if only just a crack. In October of 2009, an amendment to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations eased the Cuban travel requirements paving the way for license issuance, and the race to Cuba was on.

I was twelve years old when my oldest brother Walter "Speedy" bought a new black ’57 Chevy Sports Coupe. It had a 283 c.i. engine and 3-speed transmission with overdrive. I learned to drive using this car. I didn't know at that time that I would become addicted, but I couldn't escape the influence of Tri-5 Chevys. At seventeen, and a senior in high school, I bought my first ’57 Chevy. It was a four-door Bel Air sedan, painted Tropical Turquoise with a 265 engine and 3-speed transmission. It had 58,000 miles showing on the odometer. I dated my wife in that car and we traded it in on a ’64 Chevelle in 1965. In 1972 I bought my dad's black ’57 Bel Air four-door sedan and kept it a few years. In the mid ’70s, I had a craving for another ’57. I found a two-door Sports Coupe from a club member in Warner Robins, GA. It needed paint, interior and a transmission. I had this Chevy repainted Tropical Turquoise and the transmission rebuilt, and installed some ’66 Chevelle bucket seats. As a side note, the seller gave me a Classic Chevy World magazine. This was my first knowledge of the club.

(continued from Project Car: '55 Bel Air, 2 Door Hardtop)

Project '55 Bel Air: May 2014 Update

Project '55 Bel Air: June 2014 Update

Project '55 Bel Air: July 2014 Update

If you go onto the Internet Movie Cars Database to check out Tri-5s at the movies, you’ll be there all day! (We've provided a link at the bottom of this story, just in case you've got the time!)

We’ll share the 4 most memorable ones here (in our humble opinion anyways). Feel free to let us know your favs!

1973’s American Graffiti starred (among others) Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford and Suzanne Somers. The black ’55 Chevy in this film was a re-work of the same car used in Two-Lane Blacktop.


Two-Lane Blacktop from 1971, starring James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates and Laurie Bird. One tough ’55 that sports the meanest hood scoop of all time.

Please note: This article is intended as a general point of reference only. Actual parts, years and body styles may differ slightly from your application.

Chevy Classics has developed a simple way to stop the inherent "burp" from the cast iron Powerglides. One of the causes of transmission fluid backing up and running out is the failure of a one-way valve in the pump assembly. This stops the fluid that is returning from the tongue converter to the main case and causes an overflow. In the past, the only way to cure this was to pull the transmission down and repair the valve. This, of course, is very costly and time-consuming. Now, with this kit (part #19-28), you can repair this problem in less than one hour of shop time!

A 1956 Chevy 210 Post was on display at the Cobo Center in Detroit on Friday morning. Owner Dan Duffy of Marietta, Georgia was attending to last minute detailing but was ready to talk with anyone who stopped by to comment on his car. He explained that he has built this car to drive. So it is no show queen.  Yet it would be hard to find a flaw in the car. It is just that nice. Ted Thomas of T&T Customs in Canton, Georgia was with Dan. Ted has been in the Great 8 seven times and the car he built won the Ridler Award in 2010, a 1933 Ford Phaeton called the Gold Digger. He said his job is to keep Dan calm. He said the pressure on these builders who are competing to get into the Great 8 is intense.

Meet our Project ’55! 1955 Chevy Bel Air, 2-door hardtop

Thought we’d give you a sneak peek at what’s coming down the pike here at Eckler’s. This “seen better days” Bel Air will be undergoing a complete body-off restoration. It will be rebuilt to keep that classic Tri-5 look, but will include the following modifications:

When you look over the field of candidates competing for the 2014 Detroit Autorama Ridler Award you have to consider John Sadler’s 1957 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop as a spoiler. It’s good enough to win the award, but Sadler is presenting a car here for the first time. The plus that he has going for him is that the car presents itself well.

irst of all, every inch of the car has been refabricated with hundreds of modifications from stock condition. The front valance has a completely custom look but is so perfect done that it could be mistaken for factory made. The top was chopped 1.5 inches with all stainless cut to fit to hide the chop. It has a smoothed firewall, drip rails were removed, custom hood with top and bottom smoothed with bullets removed, plus the bottom pan is rolled. The front headlights are made by Hagen and they have been frenched, grille is modified. Notice the smoothed one-piece front bumper with bullets removed. The special leather custom interior is by Chuck Rowland of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The 2.5 inch custom exhaust was done by Juliano’s.

My first memory of a classic was in the fall of late 1954. My dad bought a 1955 Pontiac two-door sedan and my uncle Ted bought a 1955 Sport Coupe with Power Pack. The first thing Uncle Ted did was put Smithy’s on his Chevy. For the younger classic lovers, Smithy’s are 50s style glass packs, I’ll never forget that sound!  Every time these two cars were in the same town of Burlington, Washington, the race was on.

Chevrolet Performance, the high-performance parts division of Chevrolet, has announced that it will increase its contingency payouts to those who race in NHRA-sanctioned events using Chevrolet Performance parts while displaying the brand’s decals.

Says Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, “Chevrolet has a long history of supporting NHRA drag racers and our 2014 contingency program rewards sportsman and Pro Stock racers for top performances. When you race with Chevrolet Performance parts and display our decals, you are eligible for a contingency payout that can be reinvested in your race team.”