1956 Chevy Two Door - Juice It!

The '56 Chevy is often thought of as the "through" car. The "fifty-five through fifty-seven" phrase implies that there is a '56 model, a car that, to many diehard enthusiasts, gets the least attention of the three. Harold and Linda Davids' car is for all the "through" fans out there. This awesome '56 two-door post represents the fine body changes that the oft-overlooked five-six is known for.

Harold and Linda wanted a '56 Chevy that was a truly trick driver. It had to be a car that had all the creature comforts, with enough horsepower to roast the tires from stop light to finish line. As with most projects, the couple only intended to fix the rust and make the car clean and driveable. Hot Rods and Custom Stuff (HR&CS, 800/HOT-ROD-5) in Escondido, California, was in charge of sandblasting the body and frame and performing the rust repair. It was later determined-after much thought-that HR&CS would take on the entire restoration project with the insight of Harold and Linda.

After 18 months the car was finally ready to hit the pavement. Randy Clark, owner of HR&CS, went through every nut, bolt, and decision with the Davids on a regular basis. The results were stunning. The front end took on a unique shape with a completely custom bumper and front-opening hood. Most of the exterior trim was removed for the smooth look, and the modified front end keeps the car looking clean. Mini tubs, custom firewall, and inner fenders were all part of the new assemblage. Due to the age and condition of the original sheetmetal new quarter-panels and doorskins were a must. After all new steel was installed, Mike Adams and the rest of the paint crew at HR&CS applied a multi-stage clearcoat paint job. The color was a custom mix that Linda Davids happily takes credit for. Once the car was blocked straight, which was no small task, test panels were shot, and the final color was agreed upon, a unique pearl clear with a tangerine basecoat. The '56 was painted in pieces and then assembled after the fact.

After being coated with its new pigment, the car went to Ron Mangus at Custom Auto Interiors, where it received a set of leather Summer Yellow power bucket seats out of a Lexus coupe. For convenience and style, power windows, door locks, a custom billet dash, and a console were also installed. Tunes were provided by Audio Evolution in Temecula, California. The custom Infinity system packs Eclipse aluminum sub-woofers and Rockford Fosgate amplifiers. The system is powered by a separate Optima battery, hidden in the leather-upholstered trunk. White-face gauges round out the package.

With the project 95 percent complete, HR&CS picked up the '56 from the interior shop to complete the finishing touches. Later that evening on October 6, 2002, Randy, owner of HR&CS, received an urgent call from Harold, who explained that the Make-A-Wish Car Show, in Riverside, California, was only one day away. Shifting into overdrive, HR&CS pulled an "all nighter" and finished the final details while Harold prepped the '56 to a diamond-like shine.

To everyone's delight-and to no one's surprise-the tangerine Shoebox took the Platinum Award as best of show. The Davids donated their winning prize money to the Make-A-Wish cause and had a much deserved plaque to show for it. We believe this gesture represents the heart and soul of the hobby. Harold and Linda are proud of their '56 Juicer and look forward to driving it on a regular basis. If you see a tangerine '56 with the tires up in smoke, watch out; it might be the Davids on their way to another best of show.