Jim & Carolyn Wheelers’ 1956 Chevy, 4-door Hardtop, Bel Air, Matador-Red-and-Ivory, March, 2008
My wife Carolyn and I bought our red-and-ivory 4-door hardtop, aka, Sport Sedan, based on an Internet ad. That was in March, 1997, while we still lived in a condominium with no garage. At the time we bought it, our red car was up in Bellingham, Washington, 90 miles north of Seattle. We made arrangements to have the car checked out by a classic car buff. He inspected the car, found no "fatal flaws," and sent us a videotape.
Despite having no place to store the car, I felt I had to have it. You don’t see many four-door hardtops running around and the doors are smaller and easier to open and close than 2-door cars. This has always been one of Carolyn’s pet peeves with 2-doors. Moreover, my first car, in 1964, was a ’56 Chevy convertible and I always regretted not keeping it. I made a deal with the owner of the red car and wired him the money.
We had the car shipped down to Tucson and were able to have another friend to store it for us while we decided what to do next. On advice of members of the Tucson Classic Chevy Club, we had Spud and Roy Hester look over the car. Roy said it was a "special car" because of the much-publicized run up Pikes Peak in 1955, where a ’56 Chevy Sport Sedan was used to set a speed record. Spud and Roy agreed to restore the car and about 15 months later we were ready to take it to car shows.
While this was going on, I was still working for a living. Nevertheless, our retirement funds had done so well I was able to retire early in September, 1998. We were also able to build a new 4-car garage with attached house. That gave us enough room for yet another ’56 Chevy which we bought in November,1998. It’s a convertible and Spud and Roy restored it, too. But that’s another story.
One of the anxious moments in restoring our red car came when Spud and Roy re-installed the rear window. At the time, these were not being reproduced so I took a photo as the old one was gently put back in place. Thank heavens--no damage.
Features of our red car include a 265, V-8 engine, with PowerPack; Powerglide transmission; steel-belted radial tires and wide whitewalls; lowered front-end; air conditioning; power disk brakes; new radio and cassette deck; red velour upholstery; and all the chrome accessories we could find. The car also has a 3rd brake light in its rear license plate frame, an electric antenna on its right rear fender, and fenderskirts. To combat "vapor lock," a common problem with the Arizona heat, an electric fuel pump was installed. It’s a pusher-type pump, located near the fuel tank inside the rear bumper.
Our red car has been driven to out-of-state shows and won several awards. The shows were in Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. Prior to 2003, the car had won two gold certificates and one silver at Western Regional conventions put on by Classic Chevy International (CCI). Then, in June, 2003, we took both our ’56 Chevys to the CCI International Convention at Pinetop, Arizona. We were thrilled when our convertible registered 998, and a platinum certificate. But our "first born" red car also did very well with 988, and also a platinum certificate.
In spring, 2007, we were able to convince Hesters to do some more work on our red car. This included an electronic ignition and a continental kit. (My first car had a continental kit and I’ve always like the look on 50’s hardtops, convertibles, and even sedans). As an added bonus, the additional weight on the rear end seems to make the car steer better up front. In any event, most people who see the car think it’s cool and that was the main idea. We’ve even had neighbors come by and wonder if the continental kit was made of plastic since it’s been rubbed and buffed so smooth. Another Hester masterpiece!
Jim & Carolyn Wheelers’ 1956 Chevy Convertible—PLUM 56, February, 2008
We bought our convertible here in Tucson in November, 1998. The car was in primer paint and would barely run. But it had a 454 big block engine; custom-made radiator; bucket seats (from a ’64 Impala); keyless remote entry; louvered hood; battery in the trunk; and a new radio. The top mechanism worked and the top frame had been powder-coated. $30,000 had already gone into the car with receipts to prove it. My first car in 1964 was a ’56 Chevy convertible and I thought this might be my last chance for another one. So we bought it.
Previous owners were a father and son. They told us they got the car in 1989, after it had been rescued from an Albuquerque junkyard. They’d worked on the car for 9 years with plans for a full custom job--black, with flames. Side trim holes were welded shut on both sides of the car. But we wanted to go back to a Bel Air two-tone paint job, with paint spears in the doors and front fenders. Spud, Roy, and Lee Hester found ways to get the side trim back on the car and do the paint spears--no problem.
For main body paint, Carolyn picked metallic Dusk Plum, a stock ’56 Chevy color. For accent color, she wanted ivory pearl. We're very happy with the final results. During restoration, Roy discovered that stainless trim pieces for the passenger’s side door wouldn’t fit. The door was actually off a ’56, 2-door hardtop! Roy used an electric grinder on the door pillar until the trim pieces fit over it. All told, it took Spud, Roy, and Lee about 18 months to bring the car into show condition.
Our car has a 700R4 transmission and a white vinyl top with glass rear window. The car has a front seat console, instrument gauge pack, tilt steering column, A/C, alarm system, front power disc brakes, dropped front spindles, front anti-sway bar, rack-and-pinion power steering, aluminum bar grille, rear shock bar, and rear air shocks. We have tweed seats, LeCarra steering wheel, polished aluminum wheels, upholstered trunk, Lo-Kar pedals and parking brake, and as much chrome trim as we could justify.
Our convertible has been driven to several out-of-town shows. Perhaps the highlight was when we took both our ’56 Chevys to a Classic Chevy International convention in June, 2003, at Pinetop, Arizona. Our red-and-ivory, 4-door hardtop scored 988, out of a possible 1,000; but PLUM 56 did even better with 998.
