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When it comes to personal taste in car builds, some guys like to build their cars with an over-the-top theme in mind, while others like to settling for simplicity over flash. This custom cruiser has plenty of both hiding beneath its plain and badge-less shell. Let us introduce you to this 1956 Chevrolet 210 sedan. With its smooth curves and timeless looks, it is true custom sleeper. Let’s get to know about this innovative build, and get into the mind behind it all.
Subtle changes like eliminating the hood emblem and badging, and adding a custom grille adds to the custom look.
The Creative Mind
This custom Chevy 210 is owned by Gary Hampton of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, a retired gentleman that needed something to do with his “spare” time. “I’ve owned this Chevy for five years now,” Gary said. “The restoration itself took around three years to complete.”
I wanted to make the 210 a Pro Touring car.
– Gary Hampton
Gary said Gus purchased the car in 1971 from a salesman who bought the car in California. “The car was green and yellow, which Gus had repainted to red and white,” Gary said. “He used the car as a daily driver for 15 years, then put it in storage for 12 years following that. After being in storage, Gus took it back out, but only to local car shows and five different weddings.”
Gary aimed for a clean look that still grabs the attention of those who see it.
When Gary found out his friend Gus had the 210, he asked if he was interested in selling it. Unfortunately, Gus wasn’t ready to part with the car. “Gus rejected my offer, as he wanted to give it to his son for his 16th birthday,” Gary said. “When Gus’ son, Anthony, turned 16, he said he didn’t want it.”
Gus remembered Gary’s interest in the car, so he made the call. As happens all to often, timing was not perfect for Gary, but he agreed to take the car off of Gus’ hands with one stipulation. “I told him yes, but I had just finished rebuilding my 1968 Camaro at the time, so he would have to wait a year for me to have enough money to buy it,” he said. “It may have taken me 20 years to get the car, but it sure was worth it.”
According to Gary, the car was in good shape when he bought it from his friend. “This isn’t the original paint, I had Jon Harrison of Area 51 Autoworx cover the car with Sherwin Williams paint, which came out nice,” he explained. And, in case you’re wondering, those colors are actually a Platinum Gray and Blue metallic.
The debadged exterior and the LED lighting adds a modern touch to the 210.
A Unique Exterior
The body treatments Gary bestowed on the 210 feature a simple aesthetic. “The goal was to have an all-smooth body, with only the side trim to remain,” Gary said.
Before being painted, the body was sent out for media blasting, then to Area 51 Autoworx of West Newton, Pennsylvania, for body work. “Gary Vance at Area 51 fabricated a custom box in the engine compartment, eliminated all the badging on the car, filled in the hood and smoothed out the cowl,” he said.
With no door handles or emblems, the body’s curves hold an uninterrupted stare all the way around the car.
Vance also deleted the door handles, door locks, trunk lock and emblem, trunk license plate holes, and the radio antenna hole, making for a curvy, and endless visual continuity. Up front, there is a straight-bar grille and halogen headlights with blue LED rings.
“There are also blue LED parking lights to complement the LED rings around the headlights,” Gary said. “The mirrors also have LED direction signals, and the rear license plate frame has LED lighting as well.”
Underneath It All
Peeking into the engine bay, there is a sizable beast that roars with authority. “I wanted to make the 210 a Pro Touring car, so I purchased an LS3 engine,” Gary said.
The engine’s cover gives it a modernized look under the hood.
The 376 cubic-inch, 6.2-liter LS crate engine puts down a monstrous 525 horsepower at the flywheel, and is mated to a GM 4L70E automatic transmission that bangs through gears with minimal effort.
“My ace mechanic, Todd Daughenbaugh, helped with setting up the chassis, providing engine and transmission mounting, disc brakes, rear driveline, and linkage for the 210,” Gary said.
The fuel-injected engine has a custom engine cover was designed and fabricated by Brett Howell at BH Customs in Ironton, Ohio, and was then painted by Gary Byers. The custom engine compartment features a stainless Be Cool radiator with twin cooling fans and a shroud to keep the temperatures down under the hood.
The aluminum block also lays down 489 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The GM crankshaft is nodular iron, and the compression ratio comes in at 10.7:1.
“The car also has a remote starting capability, and a hidden kill switch,” Gary said. “The Flowmaster 40-series stainless mufflers out back give a nice rumble.”
When it comes to the suspension, the 210 has an independent A-arm front suspension with chrome QA1 coilover shocks, and the rear utilizes a four-bar with QA1 coilover shocks and springs. “The car sits on a JW Hot Rods chassis, and also features a power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering that makes handling the car a breeze,” Gary said.
A 9-inch rearend is stuffed with 3.70 gears and a Traction Lock differential, and uses 31 spline axles. Spinning at all four corners of the 210 are 18×8, and 18×9 1/2 Coy wheels, wrapped in 235/40ZR18 and 285/40ZR18 Nitto NT555 rubber, respectively.
“The car weighs around 4,200 pounds, but packs a punch,” Gary said.
The Be Cool radiator adds more shine to the already heavily-chromed front end.
Modern Class
Looking inside, one might not find the stock interior, but this is a custom, and without question, it looks great. “Portage Trim in Ravenna, Ohio, refurbished the inside of the car using a blue and gray leather,” Gary said.
Looking inside, this 210 is out of the ordinary for purists.
The seats in the car were taken from a Chrysler LHS, and the steering wheel is courtesy of Billet Specialties. The sound system features a Pioneer DVD receiver with a 5.8-inch display — all wired to Pioneer 6×9-inch speakers to produce a high-quality sound.
The Dakota Digital VHS-infused dash with blue lighting keeps the color continuity that started up front with the headlights.
The Dakota Digital VHS dash has blue lighting to match the color cues of the car. “Everything is kept in check with an American Autowire complete system for ’56 Chevys,” Gary said. “I had the dash extended downward for the Southern Air climate control system that was put in.”
“I wanted to match the paint line exterior to the interior design,” Gary said. He had the glovebox eliminated, and added a lower air-conditioning panel. Other modern touches include power windows (which eliminated the vent windows), electric wipers, and a brake master cylinder that is mounted under the dash. A Lokar shifter and Twist Machine paddle shifters round out the performance enhancements on the 210, giving the car a deadly combination of show and go.
Grace And Gratitude
In the end, it was all worth it for Gary, who is pleased with the results. From the body’s design to the untapped power underneath, his 210 is ready for the show or a cruise. Modernizing an American classic is no easy task, but Gary has managed to conquer the hefty feat, walking away with a custom Chevy that holds beauty in the eye of more than just the beholder.
The sophisticated LED lighting makes this 210 look modern.
There were several hands that helped in making this classic the beauty it is today, and Gary would like to thank Larry Johnston, Bob Miscovich, Norm Ferri, and Denny Kelly. “I’d also like to give special thanks to Todd Daughenbaugh, who spent countless hours in making sure everything performed properly,” Gary said. “From the brakes, front-end alignment, engine, suspension and steering, to the air conditioning, driveline, and wiring — he did it all.”
Lastly, Gary would like to especially thank his wife Marsha, who put up with all of the anxieties and frustrations associated with building this car. “This 2016 modern version of my 1956 Chevy model 210 has been rightly named Hampton’s Hauler,” he said.
As far as we are concerned, it is one beautiful, stylish, and powerful Cruiser.
The body is buttery smooth, no matter what angle you look.
