Ground-Up Pro-Built Bel Air Hardtop Restomod LS3 V8 Auto Custom Interior A/C

Over the past few years, many of the world's finest tri-fives have graced our RK Motors Charlotte showroom. According to sales, '55-'57 resto-mods are often considered our best offerings. And it's easy to see why when something like this incredible Bel Air, a car that backs hot Chevrolet Performance power with an upgraded chassis and custom leather upholstery, is casting bright glares in our sedate photo booth. If you're searching for a sizzling custom that mixes proven mechanicals with timeless appeal and great aesthetics, you've found your next classic!

SOME LIKE IT HOT

Sealed in a superb coat of GM Some Like It Hot 2-stage, this slick Bel Air is the beneficiary of a professional rotisserie restoration that cost its owner one year and roughly $220K. Naturally, the pros who massaged this sedan's timeless body paid plenty of attention to the fundamentals, but their primary focus was creating the most perfect surfacing possible. That surfacing is founded on solid, original panels that were fully stripped and carefully media-blasted. As expected, those straight pieces ensure fit and finish that's significantly above '50s factory fodder. And today, this Chevy rolls as a first-rate classic that mixes polished tradition with rich customization!

Not surprisingly, this five-seven's sophisticated PPG pigment creates a fabulous foundation for a select array of choice bolt-ons. At the front of the car, a custom, one-piece bumper traces a Satin Black grille, pristine parking lamps and chrome-trimmed J.W. Speaker headlights. At the top of that grille, a sculpted hood, relieved of its gold Bel Air brandings, centers stylish Speer Bullet Spoons in front of a filled cowl that's fashioned around polished RainGear wipers. Behind those blades, a smoked greenhouse traces a Gloss Black roof with traditional trim and a duo of frameless mirrors. At the base of that glass, a gold-free profile floats factory door handles above black-trimmed Speed Spears that fly monochromatic “Bel Air” scripts. And at the back of the car, a sleek bumper frames factory tail lamps and an emblem-free decklid.

CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE POWER

Pop the car's stylish hood and you'll find a hot Chevrolet Performance LS3 that was sourced directly from Pace Performance. One of the most well rounded crate engines Chevrolet offers, the LS376/480 utilizes aluminum construction, L92-style heads and a racing-inspired Hot Cam to mix miles of thrills with years of reliable cruising. And, churning stout 10.7 to 1 compression into 480 horsepower and 475 lb./ft. of broad torque, this Chevy's smooth-revving engine is certainly no slouch in the performance department! Some Like It Hot rail shrouds sport clean “LS3 Multiport Injection” graphics, which complement a glossy carbon fiber plenum cover. Factory serpentine components spin a fresh alternator and a coated AC compressor above modern power steering. A polished air tube terminates in a big, reusable filter element. There's a custom, body-matched PRC radiator that's fitted with color-keyed puller fans. Pliable GM plug wires join trick dipsticks, a Holley oil pan and ceramic-coated long-tube headers to detail an otherwise purpose-built performer. And everything rides in a custom, body-matched engine bay that's finished with billet hood supports.

LOOKS, POWER AND ATHLETICISM

Not surprisingly, the bottom of this show worthy bowtie continues the theme of pairing proven hardware with enhanced technology. Behind the awesome engine, a fresh 4L60E 4-speed spins a proven Ford 9-inch that's equipped with a posi-traction differential and big, 3.73 gears. Turns come courtesy of power rack-and-pinion steering. Speed gets scrubbed by hydraboosted CPP calipers, which drain a polished master cylinder to cinch drilled and slotted rotors. Stainless, Mandrel-bent exhaust feeds an X-shaped crossover, throaty Pypes mufflers and polished stainless tips. Some Like It Hot floors hover on a blasted and smoothed frame, which rides a factory front-clip that's augmented with an upsized sway bar, 2-inch drop spindles, tubular CPP control arms and adjustable QA-1 coil-overs. That clip is pushed by an adjustable, triangulated 4-bar, which features more tubular control arms and two more adjustable coil-overs. And all that hardware rolls on sweet Raceline wheels, which spin 225/45R18 Mickey Thompson Street Comps in front of 275/35R20 Mickey Thompson Street Comps.

CUSTOM AND COOL

Between the doors, Chuck Hanna of Mooresville, North Carolina's Hot Rod Interiors installed $12,933 of custom leather. Front and center, a quartet of French-stitched buckets feature throwback cloth stripes. In front of those seats, a smoothed dash wraps blackened billet around Dakota Digital VHX telemetry. At the base of that dash, a custom, full-length console centers Vintage Air climate control between chrome power window switches and a Bluetooth-capable Planet Audio head unit. Beneath that console, like-new carpet, which floats piped mats on quality sound deadener, bridges the gap between custom side panels, which back billet handles. And the driver spins a half-wrapped Billet Specialties steering wheel around a tilting column and billet foot pedals.

Sporting a detailed, frame-off restoration that would probably take a second mortgage to duplicate, this Chevy rolls on the right side of impressive. It's a highly desirable tri-five that's been carefully fitted with all the right stuff to be one seriously cool cruiser. If you're dreaming of the perfect blend of lavish '50s style and modern, reliable performance, you've found the ultimate classic!

----------

HIGHLIGHTS

* Sizzling Bel Air resto-mod that's the product of a professional, $220K build
* 6.2 liter Chevrolet Performance LS376/480 V8 / 480 horsepower
* 4L65E 4-speed automatic transmission
* Ford 9-inch rear axle / Posi-traction differential / 3.73 gears
* Modern air conditioning
* Power rack-and-pinion steering
* 4-wheel power disc brakes
* Heavily upgraded suspension
* Custom leather interior / Modern audio
* 18 and 20-inch Raceline wheels
* All-original sheetmetal / PPG Some Like It Hot and Gloss Black paint
* Restoration photos
* Restoration receipts
* All RK Motors vehicles receive a comprehensive, multi-point inspection
* We can arrange shipment of your purchase anywhere in the world