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We see a lot of late-‘60s and early-‘70s pro-street builds and it’s always cool to see the same treatment given to a slightly older hotrod. In the case of this ’56 Chevy, it does everything right in the way of a pro-street build. The owner, Will Welch of Spanaway, Washington, built this car from the ground up and knew exactly what he was doing.
Although Chevrolet didn't offer an engine like this in 1956, it sure looks good between those fenders!
“I’ve had this one for 25 years,” Will explained. “I finished it In 2002 and then redid everything in 2015. I took it back off the frame and put it on an Art Morrison rear and Jim Meyers tubular front end. It’s got the best of the best.” This pro-street classic is powered by a 454 cubic-inch big-block engine, automatic transmission, and a Ford 9-inch rearend with Strange 31-spline axles, 3.89:1 gearing, and an Art Morrison 4-link rear suspension system.
Jim really went with the best of the best on this build. Nowhere was a corner cut or anything made "good enough." This car was built with the quality of a professional shop, all in the owners garage.
The interior has also been completely gone through and features a rosewood steering wheel, movie screen stereo, Dakota Digital dash, custom upholstery, and a B&M Shifter. It is also setup with a full roll-cage. We love the style and look of this car inside and out.
The upholstery and interior work is tastefully custom. Check out the "PRO 56" detail in the back seat area between the wheel tubs.
The exterior bodywork was done by Will, but the paint was done by Doug’s Classics, “I highly recommend him,” Will said. He is really happy with how the paint turned out and recommends Doug to anyone looking for paintwork. It’s cool to see the combination of 1950s car meets pro-street build with this ’56 Chevy. The fat, meaty tires and big-block go well with the large and loud style of the tri-five Chevy.
This is the kind of build where the paint and bodywork is just out of this world. It's the kind of thing you've got to see in person to appreciate. At least you can feast your eyes on these pictures.
“I built this whole car, nobody else has done any of the work on it,” Will said. “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” It also features rack and pinion front steering and hydra-boost braking. “The steering is real smooth, a one finger kind of deal,” he explained, “and the hydra-boost brakes give you plenty of stopping power.”
The look of the brass topped radiator against the chrome and aluminum is really cool. Usually in a build like this the radiator is all aluminum, so it adds a unique custom touch that works well with the pro-street mid-'50s look.
We love Will’s car, and we’d love to see what you folks are driving out there. If you love it, odds are good that we will too, so shoot us an email with a couple pictures and a little information on your ride, you might just see it here as one of our Street Features. Still a work in progress? No worries, we’d always like to see a project for our What Are You Working On series.
