1956 Chevy 210 Burning Hot With an LS1
Tri-Five Chevrolet's are arguably the most popular and most influential post-war vehicles produced. The combination of comfort, performance, and style was an instant hit that has earned them the title of "America's Car." With nearly 5 million vehicles produced over a three-year span, it is no wonder why these cars are the basis of collections, custom builds, and full-on restorations.
One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure
This beautiful 1956 Chevy 210 you see here was rusting away and left for dead before hot-rod enthusiasts Frank Devlin came to its rescue. Folks often ask Devlin why he decided to build a '56 Two-Ten instead of the far more popular and typically more desirable Bel-Air. According to Frank, the 1956 Chevy 210 holds a special place in his heart as it was the car his older brother taught him how to drive in. Furthermore, an old friend of his also had a '56 210 with a Corvette engine in it, so Devlin used both cars as inspiration for the build. Frank found the car in Kansas, struck a deal, and then had to transport it back to Devlin Rod & Custom. The car was in such bad shape that extra care had to be taken to prevent it from disintegrating during the trip.
>>Join the conversation about Frank's Chevy 210 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
Resto-Mod Minded
Devlin envisioned this car upon completion to be a high-end cruiser with all of the modern technology and running gear of today's cars. However, it would still retain the classic look that draws so many to the car in the first place. In order to achieve this goal, Devlin had to start from the ground up by obtaining an Art Morrison Tri-Five GT Sport chassis. The new chassis provides sports car-like agility and stability while also improving ride comfort. Features such as tubular control arms, adjustable coil-over shocks, large diameter sway-bars, and a 20:1 power steering rack are just a few of the components that make the GT Sport chassis kit the king of Tri-Five Chevy builds.
>>Join the conversation about Frank's Chevy 210 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
Body Massage
With the chassis squared away, Frank enlisted Devlin Rod & Custom to handle the sheet metal work, and boy was there a lot of it. Despite the excessive rust, the sheet metal was refinished and repaired where necessary. The body was smoothed and panel gaps were perfectly aligned along with the stainless trim pieces being polished. After all of that, the bespoke one-piece bumpers were sent off for some fancy chroming. Devlin opted for a Diamont Lexus Red candy metallic paint from BASF automotive paint finishes that has a rich, deep shine. American Racing 17" Torque Thrust Wheels cover the 12" Wilwood brake rotors & 4-piston calipers to provide a classic style with contemporary performance.
>>Join the conversation about Frank's Chevy 210 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
Powerful Powertain
As for the engine, nothing too crazy was completed as Devlin felt the power of a 350 horsepower LS1 would provide plenty of go for his new cruiser. With that said, plenty of detail work to the engine and engine bay has been done to showcase the new "Corvette" motor. Mated to the LS1 is a Street and Performance T-56 six speed with a hydraulic clutch and Hurst Competition Shifter. While the Art Morrison chassis is able to accept an independent rear suspension, Devlin chose to keep it old-school with a Strange Engineering 9-inch Ford rear axle with 4:10 gears and a limited slip differential. Art Morrison long tube headers were coupled with a 2-1/2" Magnaflow Exhaust system. To keep things cool. a Performance Rod & Custom radiator with core support and dual electric fans were used.
>>Join the conversation about Frank's Chevy 210 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
Creature Comforts
Despite much of the new components used throughout the chassis and powertrain, Devlin wanted the interior to remain nostalgic to how he remembered it in his younger years. Scott Downey was entrusted with recovering the original seats in fresh leather, installing two-tone door and side panels, and laying down new dark gray cut-pile carpeting throughout. The cabin is kept ice-cold with a sleek Hot Rod Air HVAC system that blends in nicely with the dash. Instead of opting for a multiple gauge set that often requires custom dash work, Devlin used a Classic Instruments setup that fits exactly where the original gauge cluster did. While Devlin prefers listening to the car's exhaust note while cruising, he installed a modern sound system that includes a Pioneer head unit and 600-watt Pioneer amplifier, Pioneer coax 4x6 front speakers and three-way 6x9 rear speakers, and a 200-watt 10-inch Infinity sub woofer for when he wants to crank up the jams.
>>Join the conversation about Frank's Chevy 210 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
The 210 Revived
All said and done, Frank Devlin's '56 Chevy 210 took approximately 2 years to complete and ended up a splendid example of what a Tri-Five resto-mod can be. Apparently, the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association thought so too as Frank received an award the first meet he attended with the car in 2011 and was selected as a Goodguys magazine cover car a year later.
>>Join the conversation about Frank's Chevy 210 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
For help with service of your car, check out the how to section of LS1Tech.com