Sir, working for a Caterpillar dealer for 32 years I've seen stuff.
Yes, filling the tires with expandable foam was use. Calcium and water was also used to add weight to tires for certain applications.
Now comes the tires that is so new to the automotive car line that has been in production for years.
Nothing is new, it only repeats itself.
Do you know the '37 Cord had retractable headlight? The '63 Corvette had them and the automotive critics where like "wow".

 

Slick '53 Chevies! Greybeard's made me laugh, though!

 

Put a smile on my face, I remember the Gassers vividly. That would be a handful launching off the line..

 

Sleeper,

Ref:
Greybeard- That is awesome, 1953 Chevy Bel-Air / Gasser. My 1st car was a '53 210 Deluxe. So I have a fondness for them..Like this 53 Delivery........

"I too owned a nice 53 210 Deluxe 2 dr."

I bought it near new with very low mileage and did a lot of custom work on it.
235 6 Cyl. with a 3 speed column shift.
Shaved head
Dual Carbs
Moderate Cam
Upgrade Ignition.
Dyno Tune.
Dual Pipes with Porter Mufflers.

Leaded Hood
Frenched headlights
Leaded trunk
Twin spots
1954 Grille
!954 Tail lights Blue dot
Lowered
Custom wheels and tires
Interior metal painted metallic black
All New Black and White with silver bead trim interior including headliner.
Body parts fitted and detailed.
Wet sanded and shot with a Black Laquer Paint Job.

Wish I still had some pictures.....

Those were the Days!!!

Silverfox

 

What do you guys think about the SSR ?

They look neat, but low volume models filled with trickery like a fold up top,, could be a maintenance nightmare.
But man do they look neat.
My co-pilot says get one, but I'm not sure a 15 year old car makes sense for a daily driver that need to be dependable.
Making responsible decisions doesn't come easy when you run something with these kind of curves past me.

 

Nice, but up here they are expensive to purchase, everybody’s thinking, collectors car.
I have never driven one, but, I like the look!

 

Sleeper worked on this and stupid me could have bought it also from Pfeiffer.
Hilborn injected SBC 301. That's a 327 with a 283 crank.

 

Silverfox- You really went "full tilt" on your 53, (Those were indeed the days) I got a lil crazy on mine & yanked the 235, & dumped in a hot 327, which meant to change trans, & add open driveshaft rearend.. etc,. etc, etc./.. I would love to have it stock again & do it a lil different,.


speedwagen- I would suggest you visit a SSR forum & read the issues. And parts availability is getting to be an issue on certain items. I studies this.. And at our Cruise show 1 dude has one & I got up close & personal scoping it. He said let him lower the roof, it will blow you away, it did, It stuck 1/2 way open, & couldn't get it up or down..


Cat Man- Cool, My kind of Hot Rod.... Yes I know how to make a 302" LOL You should have bought that baby.. Hindsight is always 20-20. I have some I missed as well.

 

Silverfox- You really went "full tilt" on your 53, (Those were indeed the days) I got a lil crazy on mine & yanked the 235, & dumped in a hot 327, which meant to change trans, & add open driveshaft rearend.. etc,. etc, etc./.. I would love to have it stock again & do it a lil different,.

Yes I sure did and especially for the year I did the work.
It would have been early 1955.
No 327's then.
I ran it at the local Drag Strip against a 50 Mercury Stroker and wiped him out in the 1/4 mile. Trans and Rear end were stock.
It was tuned by Shelly's Dyno in Seattle on Rainier Ave.
I sold it in 1956 and bought a 56 Chevy 2dr.265 / auto trans Hardtop Blue and white.

I was also the first guy in Western Washington to buy a 1966 Chevy 3/4 ton pick up 327/Turbo Hydro Trans. 4:10 locking rear axle.
Had to wait 4 months to get it built and delivered but was really worth the wait. Ran smooth and shifted perfect.
I then built a Steel tubing 9ft full sized Camper for it and it handled that very well.

Silverfox

 

My ole gasser..