This is the ’55 as it arrived at MetalWorks’ shop. The stance is timeless, but the suspension was as dated as fluorescent-striped leg warmers.

Picking out one shop from each state to represent all of the talent housed within its borders can be a daunting task. Other times, it becomes obvious. Case in point is MetalWorks Classic Auto Restoration in Eugene, Oregon, and the 1955 Chevy post car currently under construction there. You could say that it has led a life that would be the envy of many sports fans in that it has gone pro – TWICE! Remember the Pro Street craze, when huge tires found their way under almost every body style? This particular car succumbed to the same treatment, but never became a finished product. Its fate was sealed when it was relegated to the back corner of the shop, and then unceremoniously pushed outside the shop.

What could be more Pro-Street than closely mounted coilovers and a fuel cell dip in the trunk?

One day, its owner came to the MetalWorks shop, as he was looking to buy a ’70 Mach I Mustang project that MetalWorks had for sale. At the same time, another customer was at the shop looking for a Tri-Five Chevy. Fate intervened, a deal was struck, and the not-so-little 210 got another chance to go Pro, this time of the Touring variety. Chadly Johnson from MotorWorks put it best, “Due to the heavy modifications to the body during its Pro Street transformation, along with body damage and rust, the vast majority of the body needed to be replaced. The only thing original to the body at this point is the roof, rockers, front fenders, hood, and trunk lid. Everything else had been replaced, and all of the replacement panels were sourced from Danchuk.” Pro Touring is a bit of a misnomer, in that most chassis are set up for more “sport” than they are “touring”, so you want a solid foundation to peg the fun meter and resist twisting the body when the steering wheel goes lock-to-lock. That’s why MotorWorks turned to Art Morrison Enterprises and their GTSport Tri5 chassis and Multilink independent rear suspension assembly.

Upon that solid foundation, the ’55 will receive a brand new Chevrolet Performance 430 horsepower LS3 engine, fed by MSD fuel injection, and backed by a 4L65E automatic transmission. Inside the car, a custom leather interior will surround the occupants once the owner chooses what particular color he wants the car painted. That shouldn’t be too much longer, as Chadly reports that a build to this extent usually takes MetalWorks about a year to complete, and as you can see, they’re well on their way to having this car ready for prep and paint! Better get those paint chips ready!

MetalWorks Classic Auto Restoration has been in business for around 13 years. They describe their work as creating modern classics, where the car retains all of the classic charm that makes them so desirable, but are manufactured to perform well above their original configuration. MetalWorks has a fully-stocked walk-in speed shop, and is an authorized dealer for many of the industry’s top manufacturers. They also have an acid-dipping facility to chemically remove rust and prepare bodies for refinishing, and the shop area within MetalWorks covers approximately 12,500 square feet and includes a fabrication shop, body and paint areas, an assembly bay, and the speed shop.

You can see how the new frame tucks up under the body.