In the classic car hobby you can find tons of awesome ‘tri-five’ Bel Airs which carry a timeless style that will forever be associated with one of the greatest designs in automotive history and one of the greatest eras in American history. But as nice as those cars are, their extensive use of chrome trim and avid dedication to concours homogeny has almost become a handicap in today’s modernist hot rod culture. “Sleek” and “subtle” are increasingly becoming key words for most builders; and as a result, cars like this stunning 1955 Chevrolet Delray are really starting to hit their prime. Built as a head turning classic which looks good and performs great, this cool old Chevy wraps a traditionally low key exterior around a professionally built 383 stroker motor, a modern automatic overdrive transmission and a simple, color-keyed interior that’s complete with modern air conditioning. If you’re a fan 50s Chevrolet design, but would rather have an edgy hot rod than a chrome-laden parking lot princess, this razor sharp Delray is the black knight you’ve been searching for!

When a gearhead says the words “sleek” and “subtle”, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a mirror-like coat of high quality gloss black urethane and a fully restored, arrow straight body. And naturally, being the top notch paint that it is, the Glasurit found on this Delray’s super straight panels displays deep reflections under a spectacular shine. Those deep reflections are the result of hours of high quality bodywork that was executed during a complete frame-off restoration by Phil Harper of Zanesville, Ohio. And today, this classic Chevy coupe is a fully sorted show stopper which proves just as impressive on a curvy mountain road as it does on a summer show field.

The ‘55 Bel Air is certainly the cleanest of the ‘tri-five’ Chevys; and that means sub-models like this Del Ray retain all the character of GM’s classic 50s design without the massive chrome and exaggerated proportions that are so typical of today’s red carpet trophy queens. At the front of the car, a trademark body-width chrome bumper hangs below a pristine chrome grille that’s flanked by clear parking lights, chrome trimmed headlights and a showroom fresh Chevrolet crest. At the sides of the car, deluxe front fender trim fades into a point on the solid closing doors while stainless door toppers flow around traditional chrome handles into straight ‘tri-five’ stainless quarter panel spears. At the top of the car, a factory fresh ‘airplane’ ornament is perfectly centered on the rolled, gloss black hood which borders new stainless windshield wipers, new stainless windshield trim and slick, smoked glass. And at the back of the car, a second body-width chrome bumper hangs below clear, chrome trimmed tail lights and a custom center high mount stop lamp takes the shape of the car’s original Chevrolet crest trunk emblem. That’s it…. Just classic lines, clean trim and no need for 10 pounds of chrome and extravagant visual gimmicks.

Since this killer ’55 Chevy is more stop light warrior than parade grand marshal, it should come as no surprise that its 383 cubic inch GM Performance Parts crate motor is also a gimmick-free exercise in modern technology. However, what might surprise AND delight you is the fact that this hot small block stroker is actually a piece of balanced and blueprinted Chevy muscle which was professionally assembled by Todd Quinn to create over 400 horsepower! At the top of the block you’ll find a custom, body-matched Corvette air cleaner which sends air through a 4-barrel Edelbrock Endurashine carburetor to a ceramic coated Edelbrock aluminum intake. Once that intake passes its air/fuel mixture to the cylinders, an MSD points distributor sends spark from a Ron Francis wiring harness to black MSD Super Conductor plug wires; and coated Hooker Competition headers, which perfectly contrast a pair of custom body-matched valve covers, make quick work of spent gases. At the front of the engine, a GM serpentine system spins a modern alternator and AC compressor behind a polished aluminum radiator that’s equipped with both an electric puller fan and a polished overflow tank. And at the back of the engine, a modern master cylinder rides in front of a fresh brake booster. Aesthetically, the clean engine bay retains the sleek look of the car’s exterior panels by extending their glossy Glasurit finish onto its inner fenders, firewall and radiator support. And the engine’s black, high temp block paint is perfectly complemented by details like braided hoses, billet dipsticks an inline Edelbrock fuel filter and a chrome thermostat housing which create a nice, finished appearance.

The car’s stout small block engine is backed by a column shifted Gearstar 4L60E 4-speed overdrive transmission which sends power to a custom Ford nine inch limited slip rear end with tall 3.73 gears. That tweaked drivetrain is housed in a completely rebuilt suspension which, along with the car’s power rack and pinion steering and four wheel power disc brakes, provides excellent handling characteristics. And that rebuilt suspension rides on an aggressive set of Billet Specialties Legend Series Dagger B wheels which spin 235/40/18 front and 245/40/20 rear Nitto Extreme Performance radials around Graphite Gray spokes and pristine chrome center caps. Naturally, the car’s solid floors have been over restored in the same shiny Glasurit as its exterior panels. Completely fresh hardware is present and accounted for from the rear mounted stainless fuel tank to the tubular upper control arms. And an authentic ‘snap, crackle, pop’ engine note is provided by a mandrel bent true dual exhaust system which breathes through giant three inch pipes and two dual-chamber Flowmaster mufflers. All this stellar hardware and expert craftsmanship adds up to one road ready classic that will provide years of carefree cruising!

Featuring upgraded vinyl upholstery and a waffle-like grating that is color-keyed to the car’s exterior paint, the interior of the Delray was one of its most impressive traits. And the new Cars Inc. cockpit inside this sweet ’55 Chevy is certainly one of the coolest places to spend a sunny summer afternoon! At the center of the car fresh bench seats, which feel firm to the touch, are covered in pristine black and white vinyl that is highlighted by clean white stitching. On the doors, stylish black and white panels hang chrome door handles, chrome window cranks and chrome vent window handles next to virtually new armrests. At the floor fresh black Daytona carpet, which is protected by color-keyed Daytona floor mats, perfectly accents a nice set of Lokar pedals and smooth, custom kick panels. On the roof, a clean and tight white headliner stretches from the smoked front window to a straight black package tray. And at the front of the car, a pristine black dash hangs a traditional Chevrolet speaker, a new MP3 compatible AM/FM stereo and spectacular chrome gauges above controls for the cars heat and air conditioning and a trio of modern Equus gauges. In front of the driver, a spectacular small diameter steering wheel spins around an Ididit tilt steering column that’s complete with a full set of billet stalks. And behind the cockpit, a fully upholstered trunk artfully conceals the car’s high quality Optima gel cell battery.

If you’re not a fan of the flashy ‘tri-fives’ that dominate today’s car shows, this 1955 Chevrolet Delray was built for you. It features serious go power under the hood, a unique and stylish interior, and a ton of high performance hardware in a car that simply can’t be duplicated for the asking price. If you’re one of those enthusiasts who dreams about the perfect combination of classic 50s design, old school hot rod style and modern drivability; wake up, we have your car!