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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
Silverfox- I was just born around '55..LOL Very cool about blowing off that Merc Flatty stroker, with a tweaked Thriftmaster 235".... I got my 53 when I was 14, had a spun rod bearing. Dad figured this might get me interested in wrenching, instead of hanging on street corners, he was right,
Originally Posted by speedwagen
My ole gasser..
Speedwagon- Sweet 1956, is that a Nomad ? or Handyman ? Very Sharp...
Originally Posted by 2manyvans
Since I sold my 09 SS Panel I guess this is what I replaced it with.
2manyvans- This Panel is AWESOME. It's so tiny. I have always had a thing for these mini's.. Nice addition to your diversified collection.
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.
No one else addressed this, so I will make a try. That hard top was terrible to fit in production.
However, most convertible hardtops, this one included, have done OK in the real world (once it's actually aligned with proper clearances). The running gear is circa 2005 Chevy Blazer. It has limitations, although parts are readily available.
Cool vehicle, but don't overpay.
Blazer SS is probably cheaper and has no unexpected water leaks in your future. Daily driving an SSR seems iffy. Don't know if you have have snow and ice, but that would give me pause in Michigan.
The Saab 9-7x was the best of those vehicles and it came with a V8 as an option. There weren't many of them, but that would be a cool choice for a daily.
EDIT: I see you are in Indy. A folding hard top in winter is iffy. If it stays closed all winter, it might be OK. Open it once, and you could run into fit/leak issues. My opinion only. On the other hand, I know people with G6 folding hardtops with no problems in the Detroit area, too.
Last edited by Blue_SS; Jun 26, 2019 at 06:02 PM.
Reason: Location
It was a 56 sedan delivery that was from the Oregon Gas Company. An old hippie friend drove it back from the west coast in the mid 60's.
It quickly got snapped up, and turned into a drag car.
Fuel Injected BBC with a clutch flite-tranny, and an Olds rear end...and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
I later turned it into a street car..and No Officer I never street race. :)
It was a 56 sedan delivery that was from the Oregon Gas Company. An old hippie friend drove it back from the west coast in the mid 60's.
It quickly got snapped up, and turned into a drag car.
Fuel Injected BBC with a clutch flite-tranny, and an Olds rear end...and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
I later turned it into a street car..and No Officer I never street race. :)
My mistake. The Handyman had glass not a solid metal panel.
It looked to me liked the glass was blacked out.
My HHR is getting long in the tooth, and I need to get a lower mileage daily driver.
And retire my HHR to the back up ride.
I can't find anything that I like as much as my ole Panel.
What would your suggestions be?
I have been looking for a replacement for my 2008 HHR 1LT, and have been hard-pressed to find anything that matches the small size, driving characteristics, and sheer versatility of this car. Even with the glut of SUVs on the market now, there is nothing quite like the HHR...they’re either much bigger, or the smaller ones don’t have the equivalent cargo room.
One car I am considering is the Hyundai Kona, largely because its interior looks like a more modern version of the HHR interior layout...and the overall size is very similar. But I don’t think it has quite as much cargo space. The HHR is proving to be a hard act to follow!
I also would be interested in learning about the journeys of other current and former HHR owners, what their thoughts have been as they considered replacements, and the vehicle that they ultimately chose.
