From High School Beater to a Custom Built Cruiser, Kelly Boen’s 1956 Chevy Finally Gets its Due
Kelly Boen is a champion dirt late model racer with a long list of accomplishments. He also owns a 1956 Chevy Bel Air that he acquired as a young teenager. When he made the decision to turn it into his dream car, he had a rather simple goal: Make it beautiful and make it fast. “No frills, just three pedals and a lever with a steering wheel to hold onto,” Kelly says with a smile.
After three years of work at Precision Designs in East Aurora, Colorado, including the addition of an 850-horsepower SB2 small-block Chevy, the finished Bel AIr is also a stunning ride. Beautiful enough, in fact, to become a 2025 Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist.
The heartbeat of Kelly’s 1956 Chevy Bel Air is a well-detailed SB2 engine repurposed from one of Kelly’s race cars. The SB2 was a special version of the traditional small block Chevy engine that was designed primarily for NASCAR use, but over the years has been a mainstay of other racing series. Transformed for use in the ’56, the engine features a dry-sump oiling system with a reservoir tank located in the trunk. The power flows through a Tremec TKX five-speed manual transmission to the 3.50 gears in the ZL1 rearend.
The Precision Designs team mated the drivetrain to a Roadster Shop Ride Line chassis that features a performance-designed coil-over front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and an independent rear suspension, plus Baer 14-inch disc brakes. The chassis got up and rolling on Billet Specialties 19×8- and 20×11-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin rubber.
The 1956 Chevy maintains its iconic design but is extensively massaged. Body panels were shrunk to the correct shape and flatness. The engine compartment features custom inner fender panels and a smoothed firewall. All stainless trim was massaged for a precise fit and both bumpers were custom-built. Other changes include filling the top of the cowl, deleting the windshield wipers, and removing the hood bird and extra emblems. The PPG candy red and silver paint was applied by True Colors Customs.
The interior was a team effort by Precision and Auto Weave Upholstery of Denver. The modified dash houses Dakota Digital gauges and an Ididit tilt column topped with a Leading Edge Machine and Design steering wheel. The custom seats are covered in Garrett leather.
What began more than 50 years ago as a $550 1956 Chevy with a primer gray finish and Cragar wheels has turned into a most impressive classic Chevy. Kelly says he has only one regret on the build of his former high school car. “If I were to do it over, I would start five years sooner,” he says.
Photos: Damon Lee
