In 1959 Chevrolet introduced the boldest—and some say most beautiful—design to ever emerge from the GM styling center. Even in a sea of chrome, the '59 Bel Air's horizontal fins and cat-eye taillights made it standout. But some people just can't leave well-enough alone, and famed hot rod builder Boyd Coddington decided to take the Bel Air's revolutionary design to the next level.
Boyd's vision became reality in just eight short weeks, with the cameras for "American Hot Rod" rolling for every step of the build. The crew started with a clean example, nicknamed the "Ghetto Princess," and proceeded to give it the royal treatment. First, the roof was cut off to initiate the transformation into a sleek California speedster. Repositioned seats and a hand-formed tonneau cover would complete the topless makeover. To allow room for a massive new powerplant, the dash was also extended six inches. Finally, the sheet metal was massaged to perfection and sprayed with DuPont Hot Hues "Anti-freeze Green."
The foundation for the body would utilize the rear of the stock frame, making room for the Currie rear end with extended rear frame kick-ups and custom coil-over rear suspension. Up front, an Art Morrison clip was grafted in with a tubular A-arm IFS and Flaming River rack-and-pinion. The entire drivetrain was then raised to allow for better ground clearance.
Wheel choice was next, and with all the designs available today, it's easy to make the wrong selection. For a car like the Princess, with her intricate body lines and classic heritage, a traditional wheel works best. Accordingly, the car was fitted with billet Junk Yard Dogs wrapped in Goodyear rubber. Rather than detracting from the lush curves of the body, they accentuate them.
A big car also requires big power, so to make sure this Princess didn't have any problems with motivation, Boyd and the boys dropped in a 496-inch big-block built by M&R Engines. With 700hp and 610 lb-ft of torque, and a Dr. Evil Turbo 400 transmission putting the power to the ground, she's more than just a pretty face. Of course, a hot rod needs to sound as good as it looks, so the car was fitted with a Magnaflow exhaust system and custom headers.
The Princess was then sent to Gabe Lopez, owner of Gabe's Custom Interiors, where the custom buckets and other pieces were wrapped in tan leather and the floor was covered in tan wool carpet. To round out the inside, a set of Custom Rod gauges were installed in the dash, while the other controls were fitted into a custom console.
Looking at the finished product, it's hard to believe this incredible transformation happened in two months! Check out www.boydcoddington.com to see more of his incredible creations.
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