Vehicle Description
1956 Chevrolet BelAir Custom
The tri-five Chevrolets truly have a special place in automotive
history. They have always been a popular choice among car
enthusiasts and there are no signs that will change anytime soon.
Pick out any 50's television show or movie and you are almost 100%
guaranteed to see one of these cars. They really are an iconic
group of cars and some of the most recognizable American cars of
all time. Of those everyone has their favorite whether it is the
'55, '56, or '57. No matter what year you lean towards there is
zero chance you would walk past this '56 without giving it a second
look. This car is one of the nicest vehicles we have had the
opportunity to list and if it isn't the nicest '56 BelAir we have
ever listed it is definitely near the top. Checking it out it is
clear that there has been more work, time, and money invested into
it than we could even imagine. The car is one of a kind and just as
much a work of art as it is a classic car. From top to bottom
everything is of the highest quality throughout. Those classic
BelAir lines combined with the customizations has transformed it
into something anyone would be honored to own. The car, known as
"The Double Huffer", was originally built in California and anyone
that has laid hands on it is an expert in their respective
field.
Starting with the exterior, the car is very solid overall with no
rust issues and nice straight panels throughout. The Gloss Black
paint has a beautiful shine and the flames were expertly done. They
stretch the entirely length of the body and look perfect on the
car. Framed in Purple pinstriping the metallic paint changes from
various hues of Orange, Red, Blue and Purple. We know flames aren't
for everyone but can't imagine anyone seeing these and not being
impressed. Along the sides is the original stainless trim which is
laser straight and beautifully polished out. In fact all of the
chrome or stainless trim on it has an excellent finish. The
original 3 piece bumper up front was turned upside down, shortened,
had the edges re-shaped and then was seam welded to give it a much
better fit. Had Chevrolet seen this car back in the 50's they might
have rethought their original 3 piece design because it really
looks sharp on the car. It gives it the illusion that the car sits
closer to the ground and is perfectly accented by the 1954
Chevrolet grill/parking lights that was shortened to fit in place.
In back the rear bumper looks just as good and came from a 1956
Nomad Station Wagon. The hood and trunk of the car were
nosed/decked with only the original "V" emblems being left in
place. The result is a very slick and clean exterior. The car is an
original 2 door hardtop and they even went as far as to remove the
drip rails and contour them to match the chrome flippers. When you
start seeing modifications like that it is a clear indicator to how
detailed and well thought out this build was. Another cool feature
on the roof was the incorporation of a 1958 Chevrolet Impala rear
roof vent. Not only does it look right at home, it also functions
as a third brake light. The wheel wells on the car have been tubbed
to allow space for the Boyd Coddington wheels to tuck underneath.
All of the paint and body work was completed by Extreme Automotive
in Corona, California.
If you thought this thing was only "hot" on the outside then guess
again. You might be wondering where the name "Double Huffer" comes
from. Well the answer is tucked away under that flamed hood. This
classic is now fitted with a 502 Big Block motor with twin Paxton
Superchargers. That's right, twin superchargers! They are blowing
into a modified Paxton Air Box to send air supply to the 850 cfm
Holley double pumper and trunk mounted Nitrous system. If you
thought you were going to get attention just pulling up, wait until
you pop the hood. There is chrome and polished components
everywhere you look. The engine compartment has been smoothed and
features hand made components throughout. The car sounds awesome
thanks to the "Doug's Headers" combined with electric cutouts and
Flowmaster mufflers. The motor produces a lot of power and
transfers that through the 4L80E automatic transmission with shift
kit to the Ford 9 inch posi rear end with 3.70-1 gears. The rear
also has 31 spline Dutchman axles. This would be a blast to cruise
around in and thanks to the AC, power steering and power brakes you
can do that comfortably. It is a heavy duty IFS rack & pinion
steering and the brakes feature 11 inch discs up front. The car
sits on a Jim Meyer Racing chassis and the undercarriage looks just
as clean as the rest. It was fully powder coated in Sparkle Silver
metallic and clear coated. The entire floor from the firewall
through to the trunk was replaced with hand formed heavy gauged
steel with a slightly different contour. The car has a 4 bar rear
suspension with tubular A arms up front as well as coil over
springs and shocks.
With that exterior and drivetrain you can bet they sought after an
interior that would be on the same level. Well the man for the job
was Ron "The Stitches" Mangus out of Bloomington, California.
Mangus is well known throughout the industry for his extremely high
level quality of work and his work has won numerous awards. In
fact, he is so good at his craft that he teaches upholstery classes
and has books out there dedicated entirely to his work. This '56
was featured in the Ron Mangus' Custom Hot Rod Interior Series
highlighting the designs he applied to various tri-fives throughout
his career. The interior is finished out in a two tone Black & Gray
leather that is in excellent condition. The dash features custom
Billet trim across its entire length and has been modified to house
White Millennium VDO gauges. The custom made steel center console
was formed to hide away wiring and air vents while looking good and
running the entirely length of the inside. It mates up to the lower
portion of the dash and flows all the way back between the rear
seats. The front and rear buckets were custom designed by Mangus
and are power adjustable. The Alpine stereo, AC, power seat, and
power window controls as well as the shifter are controlled from
the console. All of those controls are housed in a custom formed
polished out panel. Not only are the standard side windows power
controlled but even the vent windows are power. The polished tilt
column is easily adjustable and is topped off with a custom leather
wrapped steering wheel. Everywhere you look on the car there is
something to point out. Even things you would think are relatively
simple like the door panels and door handles are custom designed
and created.
This is one of those cars where there is no question that some sort
of highlight or feature has been left out. It is over the top and
has so many well thought out aspects to it that there really is no
way to replicate it. This car is going to be bringing home "Best
of" trophies for many many years to come. It has been featured in
many magazines and comes with binders full of build pictures and
receipts.
Originally asking $149,500.00!
Large reduction down to $79,900.00!
It is worth every penny.
