Ogden Chrome Choice Award Winners for HOT AUGUST NIGHTS 2010

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1955 Chevy BelAir
Bob & Nancy Smith
Hot August Nights, Reno NV

From Bob & Nancy:

"After showing our 1955 Nomad for a number of years - feeling a little bored and looking at our 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air Hardtop sitting in the garage, the ideas started spinning in my head. I went to my wife, Nancy, and told her some of my ideas - she became enthused. (What a great wife!)

I discussed my ideas with Dale Webber of Dale's Classic Customs in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. He liked my ideas and was able to interject some of his ideas. So in November of 2005 he took the hardtop to his shop.

After disassembling the car and taking it down to the shell, it was put on the rotisserie where Dale began smoothing out the bottom. All the seams were removed and molded into the body. The body mounts have been molded in and the hold down bolts come down through the top of the floor boards. The wheel wells were given new form by laying sheet metal into them producing a smooth transition from the bottom and sides of the car into the wheel wells.

The bottom of the car was channeled 1 inch - this allowed the body of the car to sit lower on the frame. A 1 5/8 inch strip of metal was added to the bottom of the rocker. The channeling and adding of the metal strip was done to give the car a lower stance withouto altering the suspension. A new custom frame was purchased from Progressive Automotive in Baltimore, Ohio. The totally new frame has polished stainless steel A-arms, rack and pinon steering, a chromed four-link rear suspension, and a 9" posi-traction rear end. The brake lines run through the frame giving the car a cleaner look.

Dale smoothed out the frame and prepped it for paint. All nuts and bolts underneath the car have unique chromed conceal covers. Fourteen-inch disc brakes with 4-piston calipers were added. Dale designed the covers for the rotors and ACS Products in Lake Havasu City provided the machine work. A box was built out of sheet metal to house the new stainless steel gas tank that was relocated to the trunk. This cleans up the bottom of the car where the gas tank had been located.

Our attention then turned to the body of the car. We decided to lower the roof 1 inch. Bourret's Auto Glass in Lake Havasu City made the new glass. The front fenders were reshaped by lowering the profile 3/4". The hood was pancaked 1 1/2" - this takes away the square look and makes it look more areodynamic. New hinges were fabricated for the hood - this cleans up the firewall by eliminating the springs and brackets. The parking lights were flushed in with no visible seams. A metal strip 1 1/4" wide was added to teh bottom edge of the front wheel openings. 1956 rear wheel openings were added to the rear wheel openings. The door handles were shaved and power door openers were installed. Rudy Ortega at New Beginnings Auto Body in Lake Havasu City custom mixed and painted the car with Matrix Red Nectarine Candy. ACS Products in Lake Havasu City provided the machining for the new side trim which was then chromed. The top edge of the quarter panel was increased by 5/8 of an inch. Dale fabricated new trim pieces for the rear taillights. A mold was made for new, larger taillight lenses - Litz Manufacturing in Phoenix, Arizona molded the new lenses. The trunk has been smoothed and the opening and closing is done with actuators. Front and rear bumpers were redesigned, reshaped and smoothed. Mounting brackets that hold the bumpers were removed and new mounting brackets were engineered that allow mounts to slide into the frame giving the bumpers a closer fit to the body.

The car is powered by a LS2 engine and a 4L60 transmission from Street & Performance in Mena, Arkansas. The engine block and transmission have been fully polished. A new engine cover was fabricated and the hood bird was molded into the top of the cover. A new radiator was custom fabricated by Ron Davis Racing Products in Glendale, Arizona, and was installed at a 30 degree angle and was surrounded with a custom shroud. All lines and brackets were chromed or polished wherever possible. The firewall has been totally smoothed and the master cylinder and power booster have been relocated on the frame. Inner fender wells were redesigned by molding a piece of sheet metal to the insides of the front fenders - this was done to open up the engine compartment and show detail work. The stock hood latch was removed and replaced with electronic locking pins located in the front fenders.

The dash has been customized by removing the glove box and the opening for the radio. All other accessory holes have been filled in. New gauges from Dakota Digital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota were installed and a digital clock was installed on the passenger side bezel. The center console houses the ignition, light switches, stereo system, and the controls for the Vintage Air, located in San Antonio, Texas. Power front seats from a Lexus were used and the rear seats are custom fabricated to match the front seats. Howard's Fabricating in Lake Havasu City, Arizona covered the interior of the car and the trunk in a Chamois-colored leather. The floor of the car and trunk are covered in a Mercedes wool carpet. The interior design and work was done by Dave Flaker of Howard's Fabricating.

Budnik Wheels of Huntington Beach, California designed a new set of polished directional aluminum wheels for the car - 18/8 on the front, 20/10 on the rear. Dale's Classic Customs designed and fabricated the new polished stainless exhaust system.

We realized we needed a special trailer to transport the car so we contacted Jim-Glo Trailers in Wilcox, Arizona. Jim Norris, Owner/Designer, manufactured a custom trailer for us."

Specs:

Engine: LS2 V8 6.0L, 400hp, 400lbs Torque, All Aluminum Block

Transmission: Polished 4L60

Suspension: Progressive Automotive custom chassis, Tri-Angulated 4 bar rear suspension, chromed tubular front suspension, chromed coil-over shocks.

Wheels: Budnik "Directional Revolvers" Front: 18/8, Rear 20/10

Tires: BF Goodrich, Front: 245/40/18, Rear: 295/40/20

Bodywork: Dale's Classic Customs, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Dale Webber, Owner

Interior: Howard's Fabricating, Howard Mongold, Owner, Dave Flaker Designer/Fabricator, Materials: Leather, Mercedes wool carpet

Paint: New Beginnings of Lake Havasu City, AZ. Painter: Rudy Ortega, Color: Red Nectarine Candy

Brakes: 14-inch disc

Machine Work: ACS Products, Lake Havasu City, AZ

Air Conditioning: Vintage Air of San Antonio, Gen II System

Gas Tank: Rock Valley Custom Made Stainless Steel

Instrument Gauges: Dakota Digital of Sioux Falls, SD

Steering Wheel: Flaming River of Berea, OH

Steering Column: Ididit of Tecumseh, MI

Radiator: Ron Davis Racing Products of Glendale, AZ

Drive Line: Inland Empire of Ontario, CA, Polished aluminum

Specialty Power Windows: Forsyth, GA

Congrats to Bob and Nancy Smith for winning the Ogden Chrome Choice Award at Hot August Nights 2010 and thanks to them for letting us feature their awesome vehicle on our site!

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