1955 Chevrolet Retrolet

Known as "The Retrolet," this car was built by Scott Winfield in 2002-2003. Fabrication took one year and over 3,000 hours of labor. The custom frame was hand-fabricated using 2x4 boxed steel tubing. A Fatman independent front suspension was installed, as well as a rebuilt Jaguar rear end and independent rear suspension with coilovers. It has Wilwood disc brakes and the wheels are Boyd Coddington Stingrays (20" rear and 18" front) with BFGoodrich tires. The engine is a 502 Chevy crate motor with 502hp and 572 ft/lbs of torque and it is painted to match the body color. The transmission is GM TH 700-R4 (automatic). It has 3" stainless steel exhaust and the A-pillar and roof are from a 1999 Chrysler Concorde, selected to fit the overall symmetry of the car. Most of the body is heavily modified new 1955 Chevrolet body panels, including the fenders, rear quarters, doors, rockers and trunk. The front fenders were notched in 22 places and metal-filled to shape. The leading edge of the hood was left from the 1955 Chevrolet. The hood nose is a 1956 Buick, and a 1960 Chevy Impala roof makes up the rest. 1955 door skins were used with 3" cut from the top. Two sets of 1955 Chevy rocker panels were joined due to the length of the car. The glass was left unchanged. The quarter-panels are mainly 1955 Chevy, with the tops rounded, rolled and 14" added to their length. The trunk lid is a combination of a 1955 Chevy and Concorde. The trunk area and engine compartment were all hand-fabricated. The dash, rear console and rear door panels were made from fiberglass and covered in leather, as were the seats, which came from a '95 Mazda MX-6. Classic Gauges were set in a '55 Chevy instrument cluster and the car has all power accessories, including Vintage Air and automatic door and trunk openers. A CD sound system with remote was installed behind the trunk panel. The paint is glass smooth PPG Orange Pearl Mist with five coats of clear. From the Tammy Allen Collection.