This car was owned/built by a friend and was run fairly constantly in the Tampa bay area, from 1967 to 1970. The St. Petersburg Times even featured the car in an article on the front page of the sports section in August of 1970. The builder/owner wants info/photos or action photos of the car at the dragstrip. . Or if anybody knows the whereabouts of this car please let me know. Most of the time the car was run at Sunshine Speedway, Largo, Fl. Engine was a '55 265, punched out .120 to 283 w/ 5/8 Jahns pop up's, boxed rods w/floating pins, custom tuned and fabricated headders, (by owner 50 1/2 inch from end of pipe to valve seat). Cast iron Borg Warner T10 close ratio gearbox, with 5:38-1 posi rear end. Offenhauser cross ram with dual Holley 650 CFM carbs. Scheiffer Flywheel. All extraneous weight was removed from car, Total weight around 2800 pounds.....wet. Best run in D Altered was 11.04 @ Sunshine Speedway, Largo Florida. (with original windshield removed and a handcrafted "boat style" windhield installed w/toneau cover over everything except the driver area) Prior to removing the original windshield, the race car ran in C modified and turned in the low 13's....but was more or less capable of being driven on the street. Tow car was another '56 chevy convdrtible, with matching paint, also 4 speed car, with 2 four barrel WCFB carbs. The last picture is a photo of the two '56's, prior to the body and frame mods on the race car.
Hope it survived as built, but with the prices tri-five convert's bring, I wouldn't be surprised if it's been restored to original; Donor 4 dr for the ch***is and front clip, etc. and a resto. Toughest part would have been to find a conv. windshield frame.
Man I just decided to check this thread to see what the car was. I'm up in Michigan so I figured it wouldn't be something I may know about but wanted to check out the pics if they were from the old days....I actually think that I may have seen this body before. There is a guy who's family ownes/owned an excavating company about 30-35 miles south of me. I used to deliver parts to them for thier equipment. The one son was a huge gearhead who had quite a big "collection" of cars/parts cars in a clearing in the woods on thier property. I had a 33 ford roadster body that he wanted and he had 55 chevy cars I wanted. When we went out back to look at them, there was a 56 chevy convt. shell sitting with them. I remember checking it out, because it was a convertible, but had been stripped of the top and all the mechanicals for the top...even the windshied frame. I asked him if he used it to make a 55 conv.? he said, that he got the car that way, but it had a tilt front and a "old style" roll bar. He sold the front end to one of his buddies and had put the roll bar into a 55 he was rebuilding. He showed me the 55 he was rebuilding and it had just a 3 point hoop roll bar like that one in these pictures. I will try and dig up his number or if I cannot find his number I will take a road trip and see if that body is still there. This was back in 89-90. I am not sure if it is the same car, but it sure made me say "holy ****" when I saw these pictures. I do not recall there being a name on the side, but it may have been painted or removed by the time I saw it. I do not know, but I sure will check into this no later than monday.
Just thought I'd post this up, I sent a pm to thunderplex telling him what I found out. It might not have been good news. If the car I seen back then was his, it is now gone. Long story short, the guy who had it has fallen ill, and he has s****ped all of his junk/parts cars from out behind thier place and also sold the entire collection of cars he had. He had some of these cars from when he was 18-19 years old. I'm guessing he is in his late60's early 70's. I was able to talk to his younger brother and found out some details about the 56 that was behind Johnny's place. I'm not sure if they were enough details to help out or not. I wish I'd have known about Johnny's health and the sale, as it would have been nice to see if I could have afforded to buy my old 33 ford back from him, or maybe get some of his other stuff. His brother didn't say what stuff sold for, but told me that he knew for sure there were 6 55 chevies, my 33 ford roadster, 2 63 impala ss 409 4spd car, one 63 impala ss convt 409 4spd, and one 65 riviera. He also said Johnny had quite a lot of 348/409 engines and speed parts for the "W" motors. Wish I would have known.....
For fts55 (newbie) post number 21, ...I'm not asking for your critique of the vehicle, just want information of it's continued existance. For the record, maybe you sould take reading lessons too!
The owner of this highly modified 1956 Chev conv is now on the HAMB, ...hopefully he'll chime in and give more details on the car. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Negative!!! It ran D/GAS, C/MP and D/A. I was just talking/drinking with the owner. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
With 5.38 gears he wasn't doing a whole lot of street driving....or if he was he was getting p***ed by VW vans!
I know. But the article implies it sorta "but was more or less capable of being driven on the street."
There are a number of people here in Florida that I can think of who spend most of their time at the old Sunshine Drag Strip which is still there today under it New name of Showtime Drag Strip and Speedway. The Nelson Brothers James and Geter built racing engines for 25 years for many of the cars that ran at Sunshine. Wayne Dokken also ran there back in those day's with his B/MP car. I will try and find out some more information on the car and the owner within the next few days. Jimbo
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