Can a '55 Chevy be a street...
Can a '55 Chevy be a street rod? We think the Amsoil/Street Rodder 2011 Road Tour car being built by Woody's Hot Rodz will prove it can.
Since its inception, the stated purpose of the Amsoil/Street Rodder Road Tour has been to prove that a street rod built from aftermarket parts can be a safe, fun, reliable car to drive anywhere you care to take it and, since the tour's beginning in 1996, that point has been made repeatedly. But while the original focus hasn't changed, another element of this yearly event has emerged, which shows the direction and scope of the hobby-a point we're sure will be made with this year's car: a '55 Chevy.
To show what could be done with a '55 when given the full-on street rod treatment, we turned to Woody's Hot Rodz and its founder, Chris Sondles. The builders of our sensational '09 Road Tour car, a '52 Chevy, Woody's has a reputation for building some of the finest Tri-Five Chevys around, probably because its founder has had a lifelong passion for them. At the age of 2, he began watching his father, Fred, restore a '57 Chevy; the same car he has today.
This is just the first load...
This is just the first load of parts for the Road Tour Chevy, which includes the Morrison Chassis, Wilwood brakes, Strange coilover shocks, and rearend.
Because the emphasis of the Road Tour car (and we believe the majority of street rods being built by our readers) is driving, we wanted a '55 that could handle high-speed highways and twisty two-lanes with equal aplomb. That meant a call to Art Morrison for one of his GT Tri-Five Chevy chassis. Based on an all-new CAD-engineered frame, it features a proven front suspension design with Strange coilover shocks for improved ride comfort, cornering agility, and high-speed stability while the Flaming River rack-and-pinion provides instant steering response and greatly improved road feel. In the rear a triangulated four-bar with Strange Engineering adjustable coilover shocks are used and antiroll bars are used at both ends to minimize body lean in the corners. Wilwood disc brakes at all four corners will make sure our Chevy comes to a halt in a hurry.
The CAD-designed Morrison...
The CAD-designed Morrison framerails for our '55 are formed from rectangular tubing on this bender that produces smooth, wrinkle-free contours.
Morrison's chassis has proven their ability to humble the most pedigreed sports cars on the track, skid pads, and even in the canyons of SoCal. That, and the fact Woody's Hot Rodz has put together some of the finest hot rods in the land, means this '55 will not only go the distance but help establish an alternative direction for the hobby.
While we snapped a few photos of a frame under construction at Morrison's in Fife, Washington, back in Bright, Indiana, the Woody's crew was busy massaging the sheetmetal on the '55. When the crate with the new Tri-Five chassis arrived, Woody's, armed with a selection of fasteners from Totally Stainless, began bolting on the suspension components and making the car a roller. That's where we pick up the story, but make sure to stick around for more. For information on how you can be part of the '11 Amsoil/Street Rodder Road Tour, look for updates in Street Rodder magazine or go to www.streetrodderweb.com.
Thanks to precision engineering...
Thanks to precision engineering and exact production procedures, most of the individual frame parts are built to tolerances such that little or no trimming is required.
Here the center X-member has...
Here the center X-member has been loaded in the fixture and is ready for welding. Note the built-in passages for the exhaust pipes to pass through.
Morrison's unique transmission...
Morrison's unique transmission mount accommodates virtually any transmission, including Powerglide, TH350, TH400, and 700-R4 automatics as well as any four-speed, Tremec TKO and T-56 six-speed, and Richmond five- or six-speed manual transmissions.
The front crossmembers provide...
The front crossmembers provide plenty of room for small- and big-blocks as well as LS-series engines. Those tubes welded into notches in the second crossmember are mounts for the rack-and-pinion steering.
Stock-style framehorns that...
Stock-style framehorns that accept original-style bumper brackets are welded to the tubing rails. Look closely and a doubler plate to increase strength can be seen inside the framehorn.
Speaking of framehorns, they...
Speaking of framehorns, they are one of the differences in Tri-Five frames-the '55-56 style is on the right, the '57 is on the left.
In the rear, the framehorns...
In the rear, the framehorns are also shaped to accept the stock bumper brackets. These are also fitted with doubler plates for strength.
All the stock mounting brackets...
All the stock mounting brackets are included to make installing the body simple.
Here the rear crossmember...
Here the rear crossmember and the upper mount for the left-side coilover shock have been installed.
This is a complete '55 Chevy...
This is a complete '55 Chevy frame securely clamped and bolted in the fixture, ready to be welded.
It takes three to four hours...
It takes three to four hours from the first spark to completely weld a frame.
When the chassis arrived at...
When the chassis arrived at Woody's the first step was to assemble the suspension. Antiseize compound was used on all the Totally Stainless fasteners.
Steering will be by way of...
Steering will be by way of a new Flaming River billet power rack-and-pinion.
Smoothing out the bumps at...
Smoothing out the bumps at all four corners are Strange coilover shocks.
This is the kind of thing...
This is the kind of thing you want to see on components that are designed for cars that will be driven-the Morrison coilover mounts on the Strange housing are doubled for strength.
The coilover brackets on the...
The coilover brackets on the rearend housing have three mounting holes to provide height adjustment, the four-bar brackets (left) also mount the antiroll bar via the two threaded holes.
To handle the horsepower coming...
To handle the horsepower coming the rearend's way, we turned to Strange for a complete third member with alloy axles.
Strange offers a variety of...
Strange offers a variety of coilover shocks in single and double adjustable models-these are single adjustable.
Stopping power is supplied...
Stopping power is supplied by Wilwood discs, but the rears feature their unique internal parking brake mechanism.
The Wilwood rotors are attached...
The Wilwood rotors are attached to the hats with screws that are coated with a thread locker, then torqued...
...and then safety wired for...
...and then safety wired for security.
Up on wheels, our Morrison...
Up on wheels, our Morrison chassis is a roller. These frames include motor mounts for Chevrolet small- or big-blocks. (BBC requires firewall modifications and LS1/LS6 engines adapter plates are required to utilize SBC mounts.)