’56-’57-’58

Bowties

How many times have you seen Chevys stacked in a row? Yes, it’s always ’55, ’56, ’57, but being out-of-the-box kinda guys, we wanted to share a different look, say ’56, ’57 and ’58, one of this writer’s favorite Chevys. There are quite a few ’55 thru ’58 Chevys in Havasu, and these three are only a sampling. The upcoming Havasu Hot Rodz Regional event in Havasu will have a Tri-Five corral at the event. Expect to see some of the best around, and this is a definite don’t-miss event! I have been trying to put this shoot together for the last year, and the planets aligned: all three Chevys were in town, we had a great place to do the shoot, Dick Raczuk’s shop (featured in an earlier issue), and a great day for photos. Yes, all three are the same color, which makes this special, and they get plenty of seat time.

1956 Chevy Belair —
Harry Clausing, Lake Havasu City

This sweet ride is powered by a GM Performance Ram Jet 350 with a GM 200R trans, twisting a GM 10-bolt rear end with 3.73 gears, making this ride a sleeper off the line. That sweet sound is Flowmaster dual exhaust with that sweet tone. Stopping when needed is Disc/Disc with Boyd’s 5-spoke wheels, with P225x55x17 front and P245x50x17 on the rears, keeping this ride sitting right! The two-tone white over turquoise is classic Chevy, super clean and a great McCullah Cruiser. The interior started with a traditional bench seat stitched in vinyl and cloth, making it comfortable on those Havasu hot days. The classic instruments, floor shifter, console, and AC make this one kool street ride. Well detailed and enjoyed on the streets of Havasu, cruising with his fellow Over the Hill Gang and Pharoah’s friends and members.

1957 Chevy Nomad —
Rik Jimerson, “FiFi,” Lake Havasu City

Yes, the Chevy Nomads are classic rides and definitely in demand. Rik has dropped a ZZ25 383 stroker with Hooker headers, with a 700R4 doing the gears and a Chevy rear end with 3.08 gears. Yes, this is a freeway flyer. Rik and Janine take this ride on many trips, and I’m not sure if he ever is in the slow lane, as it’s a hot rod in disguise! Yes, Rik does have a few hot rods, and I can verify he drives one every day as his daily transportation.

Rik is taking his road trip in this Nomad, not on a trailer, this year to BC, Canada, eh, eh, then back to Washington, then to Louisville, then to Bowling Green for the Tri-Five Nationals, then again to Branson, then back home to Havasu! Congrats on doing this. It’s definitely an Iron Butt trip, and you are a true hot rodder! You gotta know Rik to appreciate this, as Motorheads like Rik do this to fulfill their soul needs! By the way, Rik names his cars. I would like to introduce you to “FiFi.” Well done, and use it like it should be!

1958 Chevy Belair —
Harry Clausing, Lake Havasu City

This sweet ride is powered by a GM 350, Sanderson headers, Vortec induction, 350 HP, with a GM 700R4 trans, twisting a GM 10-bolt rear end with 3.55 gears. Yes, Harry likes this power configuration for its dependability and because it runs like a Chevy should! That sweet sound is Flowmaster dual exhaust with that sweet tone. Stopping occasionally is by Disc/Disc with American Racing wheels, with P205x55x16 front and P255x55x16 on the rears, keeping this ride looking like a Chevy should! The two-tone white over turquoise is a favorite Chevy color.

A cool story my Mopar friends will enjoy: after the car was complete, every time his wife rode with him, the car would quit. She then changed the name from Bel to Christeen; you connect the dots. He told her it was a Mopar Plymouth. No, that did not help, LOL, but now the bugs are gone. His next project will be a ’66 Pontiac GTO. Look for it cruising the streets of Havasu!