Home-Built Hero: Dale Barry’s Hot-Rodded ’56 Chevy

There is no denying that Dale Barry is a fan of Chevrolet’s Tri-Fives. In fact, he told us he had one in high school and like many enthusiasts, he really misses that “first car”. He rekindled his passion for classic Chevys when he rescued this once-forgotten ’56 Chevy from a collector roughly 19 years ago. At the time, the owner happened to have too many projects on his hands and Dale needed one.

Like most project cars, this one needed a lot of work to get into the condition you see here. It also took quite some time to make it into a decent hot rod. “It took roughly four years to make a reliable driver out of it,” says Dale. Building a decent daily driver was not Dale’s ultimate goal. He wants the ultimate cruiser, so he told us he is still upgrading it. What he did have to say, was, “It is definitely better than the one I had in the ’60s, when I was in high school.

He didn’t give much information about what motivates his ’56, be he did explain that his hot-rodded Chevy is fitted with a 327 small block that has been bored .030-inch over and topped with an Edelbrock intake and FAST fuel injection unit. Remember, this ride was built to be a great cruiser, and to say the small block is reliable would be an understatement.

56 Chevy

What better way to motivate a Tri-Five Chevy than with an iconic 327 small block?

The underpinning benefit from goodies like Classic Performance Products power steering, power-assisted disc brakes, and American Racing wheels. Finally, interior upgrades consist of Vintage Air A/C, a Dakota Digital dash, and cruise control.

As we get older, nostalgia is one way we keep ourselves young, and that memorable trip back in time always takes our minds back to the car we drove in high school. For some, the ride was something special. For Dale Barry, that special ride was one he will never forget. Luckily, he is fortunate enough to be able to realize that feeling once again.

Do you want to read about more Home-Built Heroes? All you need to do is click here. We want to see those readers’ rides. If you would like to share yours, we want to hear about it. Since we’ve started this series, we have received more than a few candidates, but we still want to see more — we can never get enough. If you want to see more cars built by you the readers, send a few pictures of your car showing the engine, interior, and exterior, along with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you internet famous. You can send your submissions to chevyhardcore@powerautomedia.com.

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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