I'm pretty sure everyone at the show saw this '55 Chevy Gasser, a down-to-the-last-nut-and-bolt replica of the one used in the movie "Two Lane Blacktop". Pretty tough to miss a car sitting 6' off the ground. I must admit, it was what first caught my eye too, but it wasn't until I began to take some photos I realized the "Gem in hiding" was not the Gasser. It was what it was sitting on.
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Just to be clear, the Gasser is amazing and we'll tell you about that too |
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Accurate right down to the flex fan |
"It's a '56 Ford C500. You can tell the '56's apart from other years because of the brow over the windshield", he said while pointing at the roof. " '55's didn't have it and in '57 it was a totally different design. There were several versions of this truck in '56. The C500 had the lowest height. That's what I was looking for."

Looking back at the truck, I quickly surmised the layout. "So the engine is actually mounted mid-chassis under the flatbed." "Yup", said Bob, a man of few words. "Very slick", I replied.
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The new mid-engined power train |
While we were talking, another person had come over to look at the truck and listen to what Bob was saying. "It looks pretty top-heavy", he said. "How does it drive?" "It drives really well. With the double overdrive and the torque of the Duramax, you can cruise uphill or downhill with a car on the bed and one on a trailer behind it at about any speed you'd like to go. We installed a supplemental air ride system in the rear to handle any overloads without affecting the ride when no weight is on it. The truck is so well balanced and the center of gravity is so low, it handles like a sports car. It's better balanced than my '11 Ford Dually." "What's under the hood now?" "Cooling, condenser, electronics", replied Bob. After asking Bob if I could get some photos of the interior, he said, "Sure, but there's a bunch of crap in there. Let me get it out of the way."
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The reconfigured dash eliminates the "brow" styled speedo |
Thanks,
The Garagistry Team