By James McCarter
LA View Publisher

Larry Messenger frequently says he’s no mechanic as he gives a tour of his two-tone 1955 Chevrolet Belair. That may have been true at one time, but he’s clearly become pretty handy while souping up his classic shoebox over the last two years.
“I’ve had lots of help,” he said, “Especially from Jim Avery of Avery’s Automotive and my brother, Daryl.”
The brightly painted Ivory White over Gypsy Red. The 2-door hardtop is full of clever upgrades and modifications, many of which Messenger executed himself.
Messenger bought the car in 2002 from a seller in Lapeer County. It had been sitting in a garage for four years. He doesn’t know a lot about its history, but he does know it originally came from Virginia.
The body and paint were in excellent condition. It had been repainted 15 years earlier and the job has held up well.
This car has lots of chrome. It came with optional chrome front and rear bumper guards and a deluxe side trim package. The trim and bumpers had been well- cared for and Messenger has merely had to polish them to achieve a great shine.
The interior, which was reupholstered in the original two-tone style to complement the exterior, was also in great shape.
In fact, when Messenger decided to upgrade the car in 2004, the paint, body and interior were so clean that he concluded he would focus on the drivetrain.
When Messenger bought the car it had a modern 350 small block Chevy. It ran fine, and for the first two years he drove it to cruises and got to know the car inside and out, a process anybody who’s ever restored or modified a car understands — it’s the process of determining exactly what you want to do to your treasure.
During that time Messenger was convinced by friend and neighbor Avery that a complete recycled engine-transmission-computer package was the way to go. Avery knew of a complete drivetrain from a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice police car. It included a fuel injected LT1 engine, a 4L60E fully electronic four-speed automatic transmission and the control computer.
“With the dual exhaust and K&N air cleaner, the engine probably generates over 300 horsepower,” said Avery.
By using such a setup, Messenger could be sure that all the components would work well together, which is not always the case when you mix and match engines, intake systems, ignitions and transmissions from various manufacturers.
In 2004 Messenger hauled the car over to Avery’s shop in Lapeer and got to work.
“I just kind of guided him along,” said Avery. “He did a lot of the work himself.”
Messenger began by replacing many of the wearable LT1 components such as the distributor, water pump and spark plugs. Rather than install traditional headers, he retained the cast iron exhaust manifolds, which he had powder coated. They flow well and fit nicely in the tight engine compartment.
Installing a modern drivetrain in a ‘55 Chevy presented quite a few challenges. For example, marrying the wiring from a 50-year-old car to a modern computer-controlled engine required an entirely new custom-made wiring harness. Also required were new motor mounts, a special transmission cradle and a new fuel pump with a fuel return feature.
Messenger’s brother, Daryl, fabricated many new brackets to accommodate various mounting situations. He also made a very cool air block-off for the intake system emblazoned with “1955 LT1 Fuel Injection.” Neat touches like these make the entire setup look like it belongs under the hood of the old car.
Other upgrades include power brakes, power steering and a digital gage cluster that fits into the original dashboard. The exhaust system has 2.5-inch stainless steel pipes routed through a pair of Flowmaster mufflers. He added an aluminum Heat Tech radiator and an electric fan to keep it all running cool.
As a finishing touch, Messenger located a set of classic-looking Kelsey wide white- wall tires that have all the attributes of a modern radial.
The result is a wonderful marriage between new and old. The car retains its classic appearance while providing effortless steering, improved stopping power and, of course, lots of extra horsepower.

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