“The car had never been entered into a show until after he died,” Dusty states. “I’m not sure he would have even entered the car in a show, but I decided to enter it in the Cars for Charity show here in Wichita, and it won Best Chevy, Favorite Vendor Award, and was nominated for the Magnificent 7.”

Power comes by way of a stock LS1, as Jim’s idea for the portly Chevy was to keep it chill—just a mild street cruiser. Again, he built cars for himself, not for outside approval, yet the smoothed firewall and extremely sanitary engine room would suggest otherwise. The custom stainless headers add to the attraction and dump onto a 2-inch exhaust baffled by a set of Dynomax mufflers for a sedate yet authoritative rumble.

A factory 4L60E transmission worked over by the crew at The Tranny Shop sends grunt through a two-piece driveshaft spinning 3.73 cogs housed in a 9-inch rearend armed with Moser axles. Yes, the car has three pedals and a floor-mounted shifter, with the shifter ball indicating a four-speed manual transmission exists. Dusty explains, “The simple reason is that my dad just liked the way a manual transmission setup looks, so he made it appear like the car has a four-speed.”

With presentation and driveability at the forefront, Jim reinforced the notoriously flimsy X-frame chassis and dialed in a RideTech air-ride suspension system to highlight the car’s distinct personality in a static situation or while cruising down the road. That necessitated modification of the front inner fenders to accept the car’s low profile and larger-diameter wheels and tires.

Baer 13-inch rotors front and rear provide excellent stopping power, and the hydraulic assist brake booster ensures easy pedal effort to get the job done.

The interior is a welcomed step back in time as the original steering wheel was used, only cut down to a smaller diameter for functionality, and the factory dash was painted and populated with the original-style dials. A vintage Sun tach looks the part perched on the side of the steering column. The Vintage Air A/C system provides modern climate control while not to interfere with the interior’s classic scene. John Bedford and Zack Noel at Downy’s Auto Upholstery preserved the factory seats and door panels using black leather to keep the car’s original theme in check.

The compelling feature of the car is the precise bodywork performed by Butch Dysart and the immaculate paintjob laid down by Lonnie Baxa. The BMW metallic Burnt Orange hue commands attention and the white top gives the massive Bel Air an exclusive vibe all its own.

“When I look at this car, I see my dad’s stellar craftsmanship and precise attention to detail,” Dusty says. “It took him seven years from start to finish, but that time indicated his love for the hobby and it absolutely shines through in his final build.”

Yes, Dusty, it does. We are honored to show off his efforts in the pages of All Chevy Performance magazine.

Bodywork: Butch Dysart (Wichita)
Paint By: Lonnie Baxa (Wichita)
Paint: BMW Burnt Orange Metallic
Hood: Factory, reinforced
Grille: Factory
Bumpers: Factory