Thursday, April 22, 2010

Down on the Street - Neighborhood Edition

One of the interesting cars in the neighborhood is sitting less than fifty feet from me as I write this post. So why hasn't it been featured yet? Because my next-door neighbor has it tucked safely in his garage 99% of the time. But last week I was fortunate to catch it as it was driven out for a little "keep it running" kind of a cruise.
Restored and lightly customized, she's a '54 Chevrolet coupe; a fitting ride for "The Rockabilly Preacher".
Once she was warmed up, we hit the road for a quick cruise.
1955 would be the first year you could get your new Chevy optioned with a small block V8, this hunk of Detroit iron is powered by the Blue Flame six mated to a two-speed Powerglide transmission....
...which is all you really need for around-town rides. He bought it from a couple in Arizona who did the restoration. The body is very straight while the interior is covered in sweet, dark blue velour.
The straight-pipe exhaust produces an interesting note:

Not menacing, but sporty in a 50s sort of way. I'm also a fan of the hubcaps...
...but they had to be popped off in order to top up the PSI. Nice touch on the red wheels.
While a 1950s Detroit car isn't on my list of cars I'll own some day (even though I sort of have a soft spot for 1959 Buick wagons), I so appreciate seeing cars like this putt around the streets of San Diego County.

1 comment:

Doubledrumlin said...

Very nice. Low...ride...'er...moves a little slower....