SKJ Performance Engineering's '55 Chevy Is A Sight For Sore Eyes
Merry Christmas, one and all. If you’ve not seen it already, we’ve published our 2018 In Review, with the ten best restomods of the year. If it had been publicised a touch earlier, this Chevy would have featured on that list. Built by SKJ Performance Engineering of Monroe, Georgia, it is exceptionally good-looking. We’ve talked about the incredible Tri-Five Chevys before, and the ’55 Bel Airs are among the prettiest. Owned by Steven Kirk Sr., it was built by his son Steve, making the Chevy a real labor of love.
When the car was found, in the nearby town of Social Circle, it was pretty much stock, bar an engine-swap to a 327 small-block. Steve worked on it between other jobs in his shop, removing the frame and starting from the bottom up. The body panels were refitted, with a strong attention to detail, making sure everything sat perfectly. The frame rails were left alone, which made fitting the car’s LS3 crate engine a challenge. The frame was scalloped, and profiled for strength.
Thanks to a lot of talent, the engine was able to fit inside the Bel Air’s bay, but if you think this is a simple restoration and an engine swap, think again. The engine is hooked up to a Tremec six-speed transmission, which is topped off by a Hurst shifter. The old driveshaft has been replaced with a 1350 carbon fiber model, which is connected to a nine-inch rearend. The wheels, too, are custom, and are made by Budnik. Inside, there’s a Dakota Digital dash, a satellite radio which outputs through JBL speakers, power seats, power windows, a tilt wheel, and upgraded AC. Everything is finished in a bright red which matches the exterior beautifully. It’s not a shock to discover this car has won multiple awards. We look forward to seeing more from SKJ in the future.
