Bourikas Bros “Pro-Fusion” 1955 Chevy Bel Air
Motortrend Top 10 Wicked-cool Street Shakers
Motortrend 1955 Chevy packs a punch
Presenting a truly unique combination of performance and style, Opposing Cylinders offers this magnificent 1955 Chevy Bel Air known on the show circuit as Pro-Fusion. Crowned at the highest level by the Editors of Hot Rod Magazine, it appeared as an extensive feature article in their November 2017 issue. The car was also awarded the prestigious Street Shaker Award and following feature by the Editors of Street Rodder Magazine in their November 2016 issue. Hot Rod Magazine on May 13, 2020 recognized the car as a Top 10 Street Shaker Showcase online. The fusion of Pro-Street meets Pro-Mod is apparent from the design levels incorporated throughout the build making it an extremely-unique, one-off creation with an endless number of breathtaking elements showcased in the accompanying images and text description.
From the moment the car graced the show floor of the world renowned Detroit Autorama as a Ridler Contender in 2017 it has earned multiple-award wins wherever it has shown. This would also include the prestigious Piston-Power Autorama in Cleveland, World of Wheels in Boston and Toronto Motorama where the car received a stream of awards including the Meguiar’s Award for Outstanding Paint. “Pro-Fusion” always gathers a crowd as well as admiration of judging staff. Let’s take a look into the fabrication and completion of the car and just what makes it a standout wherever it has been seen.
Getting started, an original 1955 Chevy Bel Air was stripped bare with the body beingtransported to Tube Chassis Designz (TCD) to have John Sandahl evaluate the build. Sandahl first fabricated a custom 4130 chromoly double-rail Pro-Mod chassis certified to 7.50, meeting SFI 25.1E specifications. He continued on out back anchoring a Strange Engineering 9-inch HD steel housing in place packed with their 9-inch Pro Iron center with spool spinning 4.30 gears linked to matching 40-spline gun-drilled axles. It’s suspended by a custom-fabbed TCD 4-link, sway bar and Panhard bar deftly matched to a pair of Strange Engineering Ultra-Series Drag Race double-adjustable coilover shocks. It’s all business up front with Santhuff’s tube chassis double-adjustable coilover struts with 4.5-inch travel matched to TCD-fabbed chromoly lower control arms steering through Strange Engineering manual rack-and-pinion unit.
When it gets serious and you need to stop, a Strange Engineering dual master pushes fluid through stainless lines to 11 ¾-inch front vented and 11 3/8-inch drilled rear discs from Aerospace Components with matching 4-piston calipers anchored at each corner. The TDC team then focused on the body, removing the floors and all related interior sheetmetal to integrate theshell to the new chassis. Fresh floor’s, firewall and rear wheel tubs were then fabricated from sheetmetal and welded in place. The chassis and related sheetmetal were then powdercoated in gloss silver by D&T Powder Coating of Pembroke. It all rolls on Radir Tri-Rib 15×4-inch wheels up front with Centerline Competition Series Vintage 15×15-inch rears all wrapped in Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R radials.
To dial in a well-balanced combination of streetable power that could also hold its own on the track, Camco Racing Engines of Weymouth was contacted to assemble a mighty big-block V-8. Starting fresh, a Dart Big M Sportsman iron block was bored and stroked to 512ci and filled with plenty of go-fast goods. It starts with a Callies Magnum crank linked to matching Ultra I-beam rods wearing JE 11.5:1 dome pistons with a custom ground COMP Cams setting a heavy beat. Up top, Camco warmed over a set of Brodix heads making plenty of seamless power fed by the crowning touch from Kinsler Fuel Injection. The team at Kinsler engineered a custom induction system starting with a Dart dual-quad tunnel ram which they converted to EFI while incorporating an Enderle Bug Catcher hat flowing air specifically through only the center of the three butterflies. It’s fed by an Enderle mechanical cam driven fuel pump for a nostalgic look with an electric Weldon pump at the tank. Turn a key and it all sparks to life through an MSD crank trigger ignition linked to an MSD 7AL-2 box. Spent gasses rip through a set of one-off headers from Tubular Automotive of Rockland then onto a custom-fabbed 4-inch exhaust by TDC to Flowmaster mufflers. Tuned by Jim Reid Jr of Reid’s Automotive in Whitman; the engine dynoed at 725hp @ 6,500 rpm. Power moves rearward though a TH400 trans massaged to perfection by Triangle Transmission of Quincy complete with an ATI 10-inch Treemaster converter all linked to a custom TDC driveshaft. Please note that all braided hoses and fittings are now black.
As a loaded roller with its suspension dialed in the car had already achieved a nasty stance with plenty of attitude. It was now time to focus on breathing life back into the shell. Perfection Auto Repair in Quincy got started by first replacing the rear quarters, rockers and doors with fresh stock from CARS Inc as well as tending to any other initial sheetmetal fabrication needs. Wanting the car to have a signature look to separate it from the pack, a design consultation was set up with Paul Gamache of Gamache Rod & Custom in Freetown. Well-known for his custom fabrication, Gamache outlined details to bring newfound life to the front of the Bel Air with a number of flowing design changes. He crafted the signature hood scoop to embrace the Enderle butterfly’s as well as infuse the floating Corvette grille, new inner fenders and radiator filler panel. Once back at Perfection, the team metal finished the body, set all the gaps and blended a custom House of Kolor Brandywine Kandy gloss to bring it all to life.
Inside you immediately see the custom sheetmetal dash by Gamache packed with Auto Meter Ultra-Lite carbon fiber dials uniquely set into individual gauge pods by TCD to monitor all the vitals. A custom steering column by TDC has a Grant steering wheel to set course while gears click through a Hurst Pistol-Grip Quarter Stick. A Painless Performance ceiling mounted switch panel handles all requests in unison with a matching harness. To add just the right hint of nostalgia to the cockpit Carello Upholstery of Warwick, Rhode Island, upholstered a pair of Kirkey Racing seats and all surrounding panels with a classic black vinyl diamond pattern complimented by black loop carpeting. The finished car showcases plenty of innovation combined with personal style making itself known wherever it goes and we can’t wait to see it hit the streets and drag strip in a town near you.
