They say things get easier the second time around. Could it be that the knowledge and skills gained from the first time give us better insight when our second chance comes up? But who are "they" and what do "they" really know anyhow? For a guy like William LaCrue, the first time around was a time to remember. As a young buck in the mid '60s, William piloted a bright red '55 Chevy. No doubt that any teenage boy owning and operating a '55 Chevy back in the day would have been a real contender on the street. Like most stories go, the car was sold but never forgotten, and the dream of owning another bright red shoebox refused to die.
In 2002, William got his second chance, and he was once again the proud owner of a bright red street machine, only this time around, there were some definite improvements on his original '55 Chevy. A donor 454 engine was found and punched out to a much larger 468ci. With a dragon like that under the hood, it was decided the best way to keep that dragon under control was to subframe the shoebox. A '78 Camaro that had long since given up the ghost donated its front clip to the '55 Chevy project. This was how William got the disc brakes, power steering, and better handling he was looking for. He even moved the rear leaf springs to the inside of the frame to fit the large 10-inch wheels in the back. When asked what would he do differently, William informed us that rather than use tweed for the interior, he would have chosen leather. Well William, no hot rod is ever truly finished, only abandoned. Go for the gusto and add that last jewel to your crown!