South Side Car Club of Los Angeles, California, is synonymous with attention to style and detail. You'll find it hard to locate a better gathering of cars from the '50s and '60s in any custom car circle; it's almost as if when the South Side guys restore a car they make it even better than factory. Modern technology is slipped between the vintage sheets of metal; high-performance engines along with the creature comforts of audio and the latest in restoration techniques seem to be the main items of the club's mechanical menus.
The club's cars are almost always group efforts and can be seen at the best events, in the best publications (such as lRM) and even at local happenings (such as Sako's sandwich shop on those Friday night cruise-ins when weather permits the early dusk gatherings). When we first caught a glimpse of "Big Manny's" '56 Chevy Bel Air convertible, "Star Struck," it seemed that there should've been some sort of red carpet beneath it. With the elegant colors and design that were picked out for the tri-five cruiser, this ragtop is anything but ragged.
Ah yes, well, as we've mentioned before, it takes a dedicated team to give great effort in creating a work of art like this '56 Bel Air. People like Lenard's, Lee Mulholland and "Indio" are only used to doing their best and nothing less, right? Kudos to South Side C.C. for another worthy cover car and to all involved, take a much deserved bow!
Star StruckOwner: "Big Manny"Vehicle: '56 Chevrolet Bel Air convertibleCity/State: Orange County, CaliforniaClub: South Side C.C.
Engine/Drivetrain: "Indio" and his crew had the great task of putting together a 383-c.i.d. "stroker" engine from crate to engine bay using only the best in high-performance goods. hardware such as AFr aluminum heads and a Street & Performance serpentine belt kit adds to the impact of the highly detailed powerplant. While the car was in Indio's shop in Fullerton, California, it also received a powertrain upgrade in the form of a B&M 700r4 transmission from the auspicious Team C Performance in Paramount, California. The exhaust is also dialed in with a stainless steel Flowmaster hushpower system done up at Lenard's Custom Fabrication in Fullerton.
Body/Paint: The car's exterior was above par to begin with so it was just a matter of getting g's Auto Body in Long Beach, California, to get the body prepped for the classy color scheme of Anniversary gold and Vanilla Crme with a white pearl finish. Keeping up with details is the flawless chrome and stainless work done by rodrigo at Fullerton Custom Works in Fullerton. Other notable options on the ride include Og front and rear bumper guards, two nuVue spotlights, nOS top-fender birds, factory Continental kit, and power windows and vents.