If you’ve been a long time reader, or follower on the Xceleration Media social networks, this car doesn’t need any introduction! But we’ll still give it to you. Owned by XM’s Director, Shawn Brereton, this 1955 Chevy is a bit of a star around here. It’s often the subject of photo shoots and installs, and we’ve recently gotten a lot of good cruising and dyno videos of the car.

As we told you about last week, we will be featuring some of our team members cars as continuous columns. One of the first two is this ’55, known as Project 1PDQ55. The name comes from the license plate that’s been on the car since being owned by Shawn. You can follow along as the car gets installs, dyno time, and hits the show/cruise circuits. Just check under features and find the special section we’ve created.

You can tell by looking at this Chevy that it’s pretty special, but let’s back up a little. Shawn is an authentic car guy who inherited his obsession from his dad. As a little kid, Big Wheels were life, then he graduated to Quarter-midget and Microd go-karts in his pre-teen years, and started the search for his dream car the moment he could drive.

After saving his money from bagging groceries at Kroger, and diligently searching in Auto Trader for the right 1955-1957 Chevy, he found a blue 1955 150. His dad drove it home that day, and mom christened it with a pair of fuzzy dice, and that’s where the history of 1PDQ55 officially began.

The car got a pretty serious makeover in the years to come; it was parked in 2003 after a body mount broke away from the frame, and a small wiring fire made the car unsafe the drive. Days turned into months as Shawn was preoccupied as a newlywed with a house that needed to be furnished, and then years went by.

In 2007, the ’55 Chevy sitting in his garage would once again become a priority, and the process of rebuild began. On March 8th, 2009, Shawn was able to crank his ’55 again, and made it the SuperChevy show three weeks later. Since the rebuilding, Shawn has put over 15k miles on it taking it to weekly cruise-ins and shows.

Spec Sheet (from original The Growth Of A Car Guy editorial here):

• Owner: Shawn Brereton
• Location: Memphis, TN
• Vehicle: 1955 Chevrolet 150 2 door sedan

Chassis

• Frame: Original frame with a Fatman Fabrications GTECH Mustang II front stub
• Modifications: Tubular A arms, Removed frame horns; Fatman engine mounts and customs trans cross-member and ladder bar mounts
• Rearend/Ratio: 12 bolt, 3:73 gears
• Rear Suspension: Fatman parallel 4-link with QA1 Adjustable coil overs and panhard bar
• Rear Brakes: Wilwood 4 piston
• Front Suspension: QA1 Adjustable coil overs
• Front Brakes: Wilwood 4 piston
• Steering Box: Mustang II power R&P
• Front Wheels: 19×8.5″ Intro Magnum’s with 4.5″ backspace
• Front Tires: 245/40/R19 Continental Extreme DW
• Rear Wheels: 20×10″ Intro Magnum;s with 5.5” backspace
• Rear Tires: 275/35/R20 Continental Extreme DW
• Gas Tank: Original 16 gallon

Drivetrain

• Engine: 355
• Heads: Cast Iron ported and polished. COMP Cams aluminum roller rockers, COMP Cams valve springs and pushrods
• Carb/Injection: 2 Holley 650 double pumpers
• NOS/Turbo/Supercharger: polished 6-71 Blower Drive Service, 1:1
• Valve Covers: Modified Billet Specialties cast aluminum with Chevrolet script
• Manifold: FAST
• Ignition: MSD 6 AL, MSD Distributor
• Headers: Doug’s ceramic coated for 69 Camaro (3″ collectors)
• Exhaust/Mufflers: Stainless Specialties polished flow-through
• Transmission: American Powertrain Tremec T-56 6 speed
• Shifter: American Powertrain White-Lightning
• Misc: Polished aluminum Griffin Radiator with 18” electric fan. Chrome water pump, alternator, and fuel bowls. Stef’s aluminum oil pan

Body

• Style: 150 2 door sedan
• Fenders: Original
• Hood: Original, but shaved seam and hood-bird
• Grille: Custom polished Billet
• Bed: Trunk – Hand-built panels and battery box that looks like a 55 hood, with the original hood bird.
• Bodywork/Paint By: Troy Master’s Auto Body
• Paint Type/Color: Custom mix PPG black with blue pearl, 6 coats of clear
• Headlights/Taillights: Stock headlights, LED tailights. All new chrome bezels
• Mirrors: None – all exterior mirrors removed for a clean look
• Bumpers: Original re chromed

Interior

• Dashboard: Painted the same as the exterior with Pete’s Fabrications Billet Aluminum milled inserts
• Gauges: Pete’s Fab Gauge cluster with Classic Instruments gauges, 5” AutoMeter Tach, with Autometer Blower pressure gauge
• Air Conditioner: 4-40 (4 windows down/40 mph J)
• Stereo: Original AM
• Steering Wheel: 15” original replica
• Steering Column: ididit polished billet
• Seats: Original bench seat
• Upholstery By: Mt. Moriah Auto Upholstery
• Material/Color: Cloth/Vinyl Black on black
• Carpet: Black
• Misc: Firewall is completely smoothed. Master cylinder is a Wilwood 7/8” bore in a custom made fixture under the dash. All electronics, roll-control, and adjustable proportioning valve are on a custom made panel under the passenger side dash. It had a 3 on the tree, 6 cylinder, and original rearend. The car underwent a complete frame-off from 2007-2009. The engine was built in ’92 and is one of the only complete turn-key blower motors built by RHS when they built crate engines. The crank and cam are a custom grind by COMP Cams. The car was off the road from 2003-2009 with the engine sitting on an engine stand for that long. It fired right up as soon as the fuel hit the carbs on the first time on March 8, 2009!