We're gonna need to hear more details on that '55, Robert. What drivetrain? Ever run it in the 1/4? If so, times? Also curious to hear what the hot street cars were in the 1970's in your neck of the woods...
As in all things nostalgic, it was remembered faster then it probably was.
It was a 210 or maybe a Del Rey. not sure. it was a 2 door post car, factory 6 cylinder three on the tree car. Bought it for 750 bucks. swapped a small block into it, put the shifter on the floor and promptly began a extended pattern of breaking the weakest link. 3 speed died, replaced with a Muncie m 20 that allowed me to grenade the stock rear end. replaced the rear end and the front suspension with parts from a drag car I bought. That gave me a straight axle front end, a narrowed Olds rear end that was narrow as heck. and a ladder bar suspension with coil overs and a pan hard bar. The small blcok died a violent death that took out the m 20 so a big block with a tunnel ram bolted to a m 22 rock crusher finished out the car. The 427 big block was a square port solid lifter motor I put together out of hand me down and used parts. I traded straight across for a fiberglass one piece front end for all the stock steel and chrome.
When it ran, it was exciting. Manual steering and non existent brakes made for some lively times. I drove up to Fremont to drag race it on a track a couple times and found the abundant traction difficult to work with. It was a solid low 12 second car and that was pretty damn fast back then (1975ish)
The fast stuff in my town back then were a couple Anglias with healthy small blocks. A couple V8 Vegas (One with a big block and full cage that was the first street car in town to run an honest 10 second pass) Mostly muscle cars that were easy pickens for a 55 Gasser with 5.13 gears and a spool.
