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itsworn · 6 years

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Pro Street Is Far From Dead With This ’55 Bel Air!

The Bourikas brothers blend—and bend—Pro-Street with Pro-Mod in this wicked ’55 Chevy Bel Air.

There’s very little that hasn’t been attempted in the world of hot rodding when one takes into consideration the sheer amount of design, engineering, and creativity flowing from the minds of builders from coast to coast. Every so often, however, someone comes along with the fortitude to blend specific styles together to form something that’s been percolating in the back of their mind. Not that it’s the first time it’s been seen, but in their perspective it lends to a perfect balance of form following function.

Peter and George Bourikas of Quincy, Massachusetts, have spent plenty of time over the last 40-plus years flexing their creativity while building a number of hopped-up muscle cars, as well as spending plenty of time at the drag strip dialing them in. Growing up in the mid ‘70s, nothing spoke louder to them than an aggressive street machine with a big-block stuffed between the ‘rails. Peter’s fast to remember that: “you could hear a tough car coming from a block away as the owner squeezed the guts out of its V8, winding through the gears within an inch of its life.”

Then it happened. Scott Sullivan’s landmark ’67 Pro-Street Nova hit the scene, being awarded HOT ROD’s Street Machine of the Year in 1979. The car fast became the standard for Pro Street with its mile-wide rear rubber, badass stance, and supercharged mill. It left the pair awestruck and full of enthusiasm to join the ranks with a back-halfed ’69 Camaro Z-28 stuffed with an 8-71—blown small-block and candy blue paint. The fuse was lit and the car gained more attention than anything they had previously owned, especially at the track. At the same time, they had opened Perfection Auto Repair, a high-line auto body shop in their town, so the Camaro also became a calling card of the shop’s work.

As years passed and the Pro-Street movement continued to evolve, the pair kept track of the scene, continuing their study of trends and watching to see where the inspiration would come from for their next build. Once again, it was Sullivan with a pair of Tri-Fives, the legendary Cheez Whiz ’55 (awarded HOT ROD’s Hot Rod of the Year in ’88) and later the jet-black ’57 Chevy which eventually led them down a road to what you see here—but with a twist. The pair still continued to stay active building cars, but two decades passed as they wove a path leading to the start of this endeavor. With the popularity growing in the Pro Mod racing class, Peter gained new incentive to reboot the inspiration by studying Sullivan’s builds, and morphing them for the future.

After living through the original movement, Peter often wondered where its future might lie with the current blend of new design and fabrication technology. The time was right to start a search for a ’55 Bel Air to get the ball rolling. Historically, it’s known that East Coast cars suffer a terrible fate due to road salt, so finding a decent local car to start with was a chore. Luckily, one was sourced in New Hampshire that had lived through the street machine years, and a poorly attempted Pro-Street reboot. All they needed was a decent shell, so a deal was made and the teardown commenced.

The original chassis and driveline were sold off, and the body was hauled to the legendary Tube Chassis Designz (TDC) to have John Sandahl evaluate the build. Sandahl got busy by fabricating a custom 4130 chromoly double-rail Pro Mod chassis certified to 7.50, meeting SFI 25.1E specifications. A Strange Engineering 9-inch HD steel housing was packed with a 9-inch Pro Iron center, a spool spinning 4.30 gears, and linked to 40-spline gun-drilled axles. It’s suspended by a custom-fabbed TCD four-link, sway bar, and Panhard bar matched to a pair of Strange Engineering Ultra-Series Drag Race double-adjustable coilover shocks.

It’s all business up front, with Santhuff’s double-adjustable coilovers matched to TDC-fabbed chromoly lower control arms, and steering through a Strange Engineering manual rack-and-pinion unit. When it gets serious and you need to stop, a Strange Engineering dual master pushes fluid through stainless lines to Aerospace Components discs (11 ¾-inch front, 11 3/8-inch rear) with matching four-piston calipers. The TDC team then focused on the body, removing the floors and all related interior sheetmetal to integrate the shell to the new chassis. Fresh floors, firewall, and rear wheel tubs were fabricated from sheetmetal and welded in place. The chassis and related sheetmetal were then powdercoated in gloss silver by D&T Powder Coating of Pembroke. It all rolls on Radir Tri-Rib 15×4-inch wheels up front with Centerline Competition Series Vintage 15×15-inch rears, all wrapped in Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R radials.

To dial in a well-balanced combination of streetable power that could also hold its own on the track, the Bourikas brothers went to Camco Racing Engines of Weymouth to assemble a wicked big-block. Starting fresh, a Dart Big M Sportsman iron block was bored for 540ci and filled with plenty of go-fast goods. It starts with a Callies Magnum crank matched to Ultra I-beam rods, JE 11.5:1 dome pistons, and a custom-ground Comp cam setting a heavy beat. Up top, Camco warmed over a set of Brodix heads which are fed by Kinsler Fuel Injection. The team at Kinsler engineered a custom induction system from a Dart dual-quad tunnel ram that they converted to EFI with an Enderle bugcatcher flowing air specifically through only the center of the three butterflies. It’s fed by an Enderle mechanical cam-driven fuel pump for a nostalgic look, with an electric Weldon pump at the tank.

Turn the key and it all sparks to life through an MSD crank-trigger ignition linked to an MSD 7AL-2 box. Spent gasses rip through a set of one-off headers from Tubular Automotive of Rockland, then onto a TDC custom-fabbed 4-inch exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. When tuned by Jim Reid Jr of Reid’s Automotive in Whitman, the engine made a725 hp at 6,500 rpm. Power moves rearward though a Triangle Transmission Turbo 400 with an ATI 10-inch Treemaster converter, then to a custom TDC driveshaft.

As a loaded roller with its suspension dialed in, the car had already achieved a nasty stance with plenty of attitude. It was now time to focus on breathing life back into its weathered shell. George replaced the rear quarters, rockers, and doors with fresh stock from CARS Inc. Wanting the car to have a signature look, the brothers consulted with Paul Gamache of Gamache Rod & Custom in Freetown. Well-known for his custom fabrication and vision, Gamache outlined a number of design changes. He crafted the signature hood scoop to embrace the Enderle butterflies and added the floating Corvette grille, new inner fenders, and radiator filler panel. Once back at Perfection, George metal finished the body, set all the gaps, and blended a custom House of Kolor Brandywine Kandy gloss with a mile-deep vibe.

Inside, you immediately see the custom sheetmetal dash by Gamache packed with Auto Meter Ultra-Lite carbon fiber dials, which are set into individual gauge pods by TCD. A custom steering column by TDC, a Grant steering wheel, a Hurst Pistol-Grip Quarter Stick, and Painless Performance ceiling-mounted switch panel cement the new-era Pro Street vibe. To add just the right hint of nostalgia, Carello Upholstery of Warwick, Rhode Island, hit a homerun covering a pair of Kirkey Racing seats and surrounding panels with diamond-pattern black vinyl. The finished car showcases plenty of innovation and personal style, making itself known wherever it goes.

For some, the Pro Street movement might be a thing of the past, but for the Bourikas brothers and many more, the movement that started in the late ’70s is just a jumping-off point for what comes next. By combining old-world craftsmanship with 21st-century technology, Peter and George Bourikas have taken the Pro Street and Pro Mod ethos to the next level. Perhaps the fusion of styles will serve as inspiration for the next generation of builders, just as Scott Sullivan’s work has for the Bourikas brothers. Ultimately, you are the ones who will decide that!

It’s all about proportions and balance. The ’55 nails the look from front to back, paying homage to classic original lines while infusing plenty of ferocity. The combination of Radir Tri-Rib front wheels and Centerline Competition Series Vintage rear wheels adds a classic look.

The team at Camco Racing Engines massaged a Dart Big M Sportsman iron block to 540ci and packed it with high-energy bits including a Callies Magnum crank, Ultra I-beam rods, and JE 11.5:1 domed slugs. Kinsler Fuel Injection converted the Dart dual-quad tunnel ram to EFI, topping it with an Enderle bugcatcher.

The boxed firewall and wiring harness quick disconnects are to accommodate a much more powerful 2,000hp supercharged Rodek alcohol-burning V8 that is planned for track use at a later date.

Looking down into the front of the engine bay you can see the Kinsler vapor separator tank and matching mechanical fuel pump as well as a Meziere remote electric water pump and plenty of Earl’s stainless braided lines.

Warming the massive Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R 33x22xR15 hides for extra bite is effortless with 725hp of big-block power on tap.

Inside is an immaculate cage and sheetmetal panels from TCD. Look deeper and you’ll see a custom dash cradling Auto Meter Ultra-Lite gauges, and a traditional black diamond-pattern vinyl interior with matching black loop carpet by Carello Upholstery. Shifts fly through a Hurst Pistol-Grip Quarter Stick.

Wheelie bars protrude the tail end of a TCD custom 4130 chromoly double-rail Pro-Mod chassis. The trunk-mounted Simpson drag chute and 4-inch exhaust are just wicked.

The front is a work of art, thanks to Paul Gamache of Gamache Rod & Custom. The sculpted steel hood showcases an Enderle injector; a floating Corvette grille easily separates the car from the rest.

To deliver brute force to the street, a Strange Engineering 9-inch HD steel housing passes the goods through a matching 9-inch Pro Iron center packing spooled 4.30 gears and 40-spline gun-drilled axles.

The post Pro Street Is Far From Dead With This ’55 Bel Air! appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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