FEATURE
Images by THE AUTHORike Todd’s aptly named 1955 Chevy features a true hot rod tale and is a first-rate, slow-cooked result of everything you’d expect from a car bestowed with the moniker “Patience.” “My Uncle Johnny bought this car back in 1978. When I was a kid, my family and I would visit him in Florida, and I couldn’t wait to get in the car and go for a ride with him,” Mike fondly remembers.
Johnny made it clear that one day the Chevy would be passed onto its biggest admirer, which of course was young Mike. “He started telling me this when I was a grade schooler. As I got older, my uncle continued to tell me that in time the car would be coming to me. I wasn’t sure if he was serious, but that’s what he always told me.”
To Mike’s amazement, just a week after talking to his uncle, the 1955 showed up to his house on a car hauler. Right away Mike started making plans. The first thing he did was call on his good buddy and mechanic Pinto Joe (Joe Boywitt) to get him on board with the Bel Air’s rebuild. With that accomplished the teardown and ordering of parts began. “I learned very quickly how expensive a total overhaul was. There was some unforeseen sticker shock on my part,” Mike admits.
Fast-forward to 2014 and Mike finally got the opportunity to get back on the project. By that time, his ideas on how he wanted to rebuild the car had taken a turn. First off, they scrapped the idea of using his uncle’s engine and decided to go with a completely new build, starting with a stroker kit. However, that quickly morphed into a supercharged small-block.
With the powerplant rebuilt things started to look up. However, unforeseen circumstances once again stalled the project. A few years later Mike got back on it. “In those few years since we planned the menu for the project, the aftermarket came out with a ton of new stuff,” Mike says. “So, now I was upgrading and, of course, re-spending money for newer items.”
It was about this time that Mike found Wise Guyz Performance & Restorations in Morganville, New Jersey, to handle bodywork and paint. The Chevy was in decent shape, so it needed only minor metal massaging before they basted the car in Orion Silver paint accented with Mercedes black on the roof, trunk, and upper sides.
Manzo Motorsports Customs in South River, New Jersey, worked around the custom rollcage and reupholstered the custom bench seat up front in a stunning scarlet red synthetic leather. Continuing the theme, they refreshed the door panels and wrapped the Sparc Industries billet steering wheel. The shifter and pedals are from Lokar, while an Ididit column replaced the original. Dakota Digital RTX gauges carry the vintage vibe while staying on top of engine vitals.
Budnik wheels, 18×8 front and 20×12 rear, give just the right amount of Pro Touring attitude and are shod in Nitto rubber (225/50R18 and 315/35R20) respectively.
With the car in its final build stage, Mike could finally see his hard work coming to fruition. “This car has always been my dream ride. From day one riding with my Uncle Johnny, until now,” Mike states. “The whole process was long, fun, frustrating, and expensive but totally worth it. There was never any doubt about finishing the car as once I start something I usually see it through.
“The car is now absolutely amazing. The instant and massive power along with the updated suspension make it a joy to drive,” Mike says. “When I look at the finished product, I smile and think about what a long journey it’s been. That left no doubt but to name the car ‘Patience.’”
Vehicle: 1955 Chevy Bel Air
Block: Dart small-block Chevy Little M
Compression Ratio: 9:1
Rotating Assembly: Callies crank, Manley rods, JE pistons
Heads: Edelbrock
Cam: Bullet custom grind
Intake: Edelbrock Victor Junior
Induction: Holley Terminator X
Ignition: MSD
Exhaust: Doug’s headers, 3-inch custom exhaust, Borla mufflers, Mufflex Performance Exhuast C tips
Power Adder: Procharger D-1 supercharger
Transmission: TREMEC T56 Magnum six-speed
Rearend: Chevy 12-bolt with 4:10 gears
Front Suspension: Ridetech coilover shocks
Brakes: Wilwood 12-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front and rear
Wheels: Budnik 18×8 front, 20×12 rear
Tires: Nitto 225/50R18 front, 315/35R20 rear
Seats: By Manzo Motorsports Customs (South River, NJ)
Steering Wheel: Sparc Industries
Column: Ididit
Gauges: Dakota Digital RTX
Shifter: Lokar
Pedals: Lokar
Rollbar: Four-point
Bodywork: WizeGuyz Performance & Restorations (Morganville, NJ)
Paint: Orion Silver with Mercedes black accents
Paint by: WizeGuys Performance & Restorations (Jason Foley)