A Roll of the Dice!

Doug Dailey, TN

I have always been an automotive enthusiast and over the last few years I have managed to acquire a few of my favorite cars, including a 1967 Camaro, a 1966 Chevelle and most recently, a 1955 Chevy convertible.

The ’55 came into my possession as a result of my browsing through an Auto Trader magazine. I noticed an advertisement for a 1955 Chevy convertible that looked quite nice in the ad photo. The car was located in southern Texas and I had a friend in that area, so I asked him to take a look at the car for me.  He felt the car would make a good builder project, so I purchased the car, sight unseen and had it shipped to me in Tennessee.
 
When the car arrived, I found that the “builder” needed a lot more work than I expected! I knew it was a gamble to buy the car sight unseen, but it wasn’t beyond reclaiming. So, undeterred and wanting to add a ’55 to my collection, I pressed on with the makeover. Initially, I sent the car to Sam Halle for extensive metal and bodywork.  From there, the car was sent to Crowe’s Auto Restoration in Maryville, TN where John Crowe and his associates, Bobby Lewis and Woody Myers, applied the Porsche Red base coat/clear coat and assembled the car.
 
My goal with this car was to have a good quality, powerful, but reliable powertrain, so we elected to install a 454ci crate engine and a 4-speed transmission. We finished the restoration off with Vintage Air, an AM/FM/CD stereo, Classic Instruments gauges, an airbag suspension and a set of 17-inch American Wheels. Steve Millsap of Millsap’s Upholstery put on the canvas top and stitched the two-tone leather interior.
 
This 1955 Chevy convertible is definitely a keeper and is a real blast to drive!  It is now my favorite car in my collection.