Hot Parts for the Hot Ones – A Guide to the Latest Offerings for Your Tri-Five Chevy
What is it about the Tri-Five Chevy models that has made them so alluring for so long? After 70 years, the three amigos of midcentury Chevrolet history continue to be popular among collectors and enthusiasts. Whether it’s in the form of an original cruiser, a nose-high Gasser, a pro street rumblers, a chromed-out lowrider, or an updated restomod, the ’55, ’56 and ‘57 Chevy platforms continue to hold their own in the hot rodding and vintage car world.
There are plenty of reasons for this popularity, of course. It could be due to the introduction of the 265c.i. overhead-valve V8 engine in 1955, the legendary small-block Chevy. It could be the design updates that began with the 1955 models, which sent Chevrolet in a new direction and made the brand much more appealing to a younger market. Or was it just perfect timing for a fresh look at a good price for a population of new buyers?
Whatever the reason, with millions of Tri-Fives being sold, the cars became ideal fodder for hot rodders. They were relatively inexpensive and readily available to be hopped up, customized, and raced. Today, while the Tri-Five may no longer be regarded as “cheap” compared to some other ’50s vehicle, the cars are still extremely popular and relatively plentiful. One great thing about their continued popularity is that there are oodles of parts and components available to help restore, maintain,n and to build your Tri-Five to exactly what you envision. Take a look at some of the latest Tri-Five Chevrolet parts available from top companies in our industry.
Dakota Digital
Direct-Fit Gauge Upgrade
There is no reason to try to rely on 70-year-old technology to keep tabs on your drivetrain, especially when there are great-looking, direct-fit instrument upgrades available from Dakota Digital! Dakota offers its popular RTX Instrument Systems as direct replacements for the iconic ’55-’56 and ’57 Chevy dash.
The RTX series retains the original look of the classic Chevy gauges without sacrificing the late-model features you expect. In fact, a casual glance may dismiss these as original equipment, but once the ignition switch is turned on, the LED backlighting comes to life! A TFT message center can be fully configured to display just about any piece of information you’d like from the complementary home screen layout to the user-configurable data group screens and colors.
TANKS Inc.
Fuel Up Your Tri-Five
A new fuel tank is a wise choice in any classic car, whether you’re sticking with a carburetor or making the move to electronic fuel injection. Tanks, Inc. has your Tri-Five Chevy covered with new, high quality stamped steel tanks formed from galvanized steel then powder coated silver for a great-looking finish.
The company’s ’55-’56 EFI tank holds 15.5-gallons and features internal baffling with an extra-large dual tube baffled fuel tray to prevent fuel pump starvation, making it ideal for pro-touring or autocross rides. Each tank accepts a common five-bolt sending unit for the fuel gauge (multiple ohm ranges available) and you can choose from electric fuel pumps ranging from 109 – 450 lph.
Coker Tire
Classic Whites
The Coker Classic Star Series whitewall radial gives you the look of a classic wide whitewall tire with the performance of a modern radial, making it a great upgrade for your Tri-Five Chevy. The tire line is available in 28 sizes, which includes 205/75R15 for ’55 and ’56 Chevys, as well as 205/75R14 for the 1957 crowd. The range of sizes allows for staggered fitments to achieve a hot rod stance.
Match them up with a set of Coker’s powder-coated OE Tri-Five wheels (available in 14- and 15-inch sizes) to take advantage of free mounting and balancing delivered right to your door! Coker Classic Star Series radial tires offer best-in-class performance and handling with 480 treadwear rating, Grade-A traction rating, and T speed rating.
Old Air Products
Tri-Five Coolness
You know what’ll make your Tri-Five Chevy even cooler? A Hurricane A/C system from Old Air Products! Designed specifically for the Tri-Five, the Hurricane unit mounts using existing holes in the firewall to ease installation and the SuperKool condenser assembly is supplied with mounting brackets, aluminum hard lines, and bulkhead fittings allowing the A/C lines to pass neatly through the core support.
Old Air supplies a custom electronic switching package that integrates with the original deluxe lever-style heater control to retain an original appearance. The compressor is a 508 style (or equivalent) and is even available in a polished or chrome finish. Old Air also offers plenty of options for compressor brackets, cooling fans, and more to get your old Chevy dialed in with modern HVAC technology.
Art Morrison Enterprises
Chassis Specialists
If you’re planning to rack up the miles on your Tri-Five Chevy, do yourself a favor and dial up Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) to learn more about their chassis. AME has been designing and building suspension components since 1971 and the foundation for the today’s restomod market – especially the ’55–’57 Chevy.
Engineered to optimize your Tri-Five Chevy’s performance and handling, the heart of every AME chassis is an exceptionally rigid set of rectangular-tube frame rails made of American steel and mandrel-bent to retain consistent wall thickness. This design is far more rigid than early C-channel rails, and it provides improved ride quality by minimizing body flex and reducing squeaks and rattles. Add in a modern IFS with rack-and-pinion steering, plus multiple rear suspension options, and you’ve got a foundation that will have your Tri-Five looking, handling, and riding better than ever.
Classic Instruments
Bel-Era your Bel Air
It’s hard to beat the factory gauge arrangement of the ’55 and ’56 Chevy, but wouldn’t it be nice to have oil pressure, voltage, and a more accurate temp gauge? Classic Instruments has what you’re looking for with its direct-fit Bel-Era III gauge package.
The Bel-Era III delivers factory looks with precise modern gauges and LED lighting, including a speedometer that is easily set up and calibrated, oil pressure, temp, volt, and fuel gauges, all built into a sturdy, injection-molded housing. Turn signals, bright beams, and a warning light are also built in with Classic’s ZST programming technology. These sets are available in four colors, and Classic also offers a matching clock and gear indicator assembly.
Johnson’s Radiator Works
Alabama Built Radiators
A key part of enjoying your Tri-Five Chevy on the road is an efficient, reliable cooling system. Johnson’s Radiator Works offers cooper/brass ’55–’57 Chevy Radiators for SBC/BBC, LS, and LT applications in either a six-cylinder or V8 mount. Each radiator is designed as a stock replacement and features a four-row, 2.75-inch-thick copper core with one-piece 0.040-inch deep-draw brass tanks and half-inch brass tubes.
Johnson’s Radiators offer maximum cooling efficiency with a proprietary copper fin design originally designed by Walker Radiator. Transmission coolers are optional, and all radiators are painted semi-gloss black and have a ¼-inch NPT petcock. Each radiator is made in the USA right at Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop in Gadsden, Alabama, with the same standard of excellence and quality you’ve come to expect from JHRS parts.
American Autowire
Classic Updated Harnesses
The wiring of your Tri-Five is 70 years old and was just not designed to work with today’s volume of electronic accessories. American Autowire’s Classic Update kits are complete vehicle-specific wiring harnesses designed to replace and upgrade an original chassis harness, while providing room for all the modern amenities common in today’s project cars.
Extra-long wire lengths in the engine compartment and rear body sections allow for custom routing, and AAW includes original-style lamp sockets, tube and grommet assemblies, terminals, and connectors to make your final installation simple. Every kit has a modern, ATC blade-style fuse panel and enough circuits to get your classic up to modern standards. Prefer a restored harness over a restomod style? AAW also offers a Factory Fit harness.
Vintage Air
Modern HVAC for Classics
Every Tri-Five Chevy has a large interior surrounded by quite a bit of glass, so to keep everyone comfy and cool (or warm in the winter months), Vintage Air’s new Gen 5 SureFit HVAC Kits are a prime solution.
The SureFit kits, available for ’55-’56 and ’57 models, are built in injection-molded cases and feature electronic controls for the smoothest operation with infinite temperature, blower speed, and vent locations. The system is designed with separate heat and cool coils for efficiency and a block-type expansion valve along with the Magnum Max module and larger blower motor. Vintage Air’s HVAC systems are proudly manufactured in the USA and backed by a three-year warranty.
Painless Wiring
More Circuits, Better Wiring
Painless Wiring recommends its 27-circuit Chassis Wiring Harness to upgrade your classic 150, 210, Bel Air, Nomad, or wagon. Designed for factory fitment, this harness comes equipped with all necessary connectors and terminals, and a Painless mounting plate for a seamless installation. The harness features circuits for essential functions such as headlights, turn signals, and brake lights, plus extra circuits for modern upgrades like power windows, electric fuel pumps and fans, or even thumping stereo systems.
Manufactured using GM color-coded TXL wires with printed circuit designations, Painless ensures easy identification for a pain-free installation. Front and rear lighting sockets, factory and aftermarket instrument cluster connectors, and a grommeted firewall pass through are included to help you complete your Chevy’s wiring for another 70 years on the road.
Wilwood
Drop and Stop
Wilwood is making it easy to drop and stop your Tri-Five Chevy with their new ProSpindle. The ProSpindles are engineered to easily provide a 2-inch lower ride height for the ’55–’57 Chevrolet Bel Air and related models while simplifying the brake upgrade process. These precision-machined steel ProSpindles provide reinforced brake caliper mounts and an improved stance, while being lighter and stronger than original factory parts.
Wilwood’s ProSpindles mount to OE ball joints in stock or aftermarket control arms and connect to the factory steering arms with no change to steering or suspension geometry. The spindles are designed to work with five new brake kits available from Wilwood, all engineered to work as a complete system for reliability and performance.
Speedway Motors
Front Suspension Upgrades
Looking to make a handling improvement to your Tri-Five? Speedway Motors offers a terrific bolt-on kit that will bring your classic Chevy up to modern ride expectations. They supply tubular control arms, QA1 adjustable coil-over shocks, and a 1-inch diameter sway bar that all bolt on, resulting in improved stability and handling coupled with ride height adjustment.
The control arms provide a 1-inch lower ride height and feature greaseable Delrin bushings with OEM-style ball joints and polyurethane bump stops. The QA1 coil-overs feature 18 valving adjustments and are fitted with conical springs for improved durability as well as more ride height adjustment. The solid 1-inch sway bar works in concert with the A-arms and coil-overs to improve the corning capability of your Tri-Five.
Summit Racing
Brace Yourself
If you have an engine swap planned with more power coupled with stickier tires, do yourself a favor and plan to stiffen your Tri-Five’s frame to help handle these upgrades. Summit Racing understands the importance of a solid foundation and offers a Frame Brace Kit for ’55–’57 Chevys.
The Frame Brace Kit is based on computer-designed DOM steel tubing bent to fit to the factory rails. An adjustable transmission crossmember is provided that readily accepts modern overdrive automatic or manual transmissions and Summit designed in a generous opening for big-diameter exhaust systems – they even include new weld-on hangers and hardware.
Speedtech Performance
Extreme Foundation
Speedtech Performance can help you enjoy your Bel Air in an all-new, performance-handling, sports car way! The company’s Extreme Chassis will make your Tri-Five handle, corner, and brake like you never thought possible. The Extreme Chassis is designed with proprietary geometry and suspension components featuring a higher steering angle, adjustable QA1 coil-over shocks, effective sway bars, a transmission crossmember, and more.
Speedtech also offers multiple rear suspension options to suit your needs. Their Torque Arm rear suspension delivers all the strength of a 9-inch rearend and puts both acceleration and braking loads to the center of the car. They also offer an Independent Rear Suspension option with full adjustability, which is available in a traditional mounting option or in an overhead cantilever design.
Steele Rubber
Ventless Seals
A common custom touch to a Tri-Five Chevy is to remove the front vent windows to produce a cleaner appearance with one-piece door glass. Once you have the wing window removed and the longer piece of glass ready to install, what do you do about the modified weatherstrip seal?
Steele Rubber Products offers a long list of rubber components for classic Tri-Fives including a Window Felt Beltline weatherstrip kit for Chevys with deleted vent windows. The beltline strips wipe the side windows when the glass is lowered, and each kit includes six pieces that are ready to install for a factory-like appearance. Steele makes the strips from original factory-style material providing a complete seal and clean appearance.
RideTech
Suspension Upgrades
Whether you’re looking to get your Tri-Five Chevy lower to the ground or want to give it a complete handling makeover, Rideyech has what it takes to bring your classic Chevy up to modern handling expectations. The company’s system includes everything you need to completely upgrade your existing suspension, providing an aggressive lowered stance, improved handling, and better road feel.
Ridetech kits are designed to fit the ’55–’57 Chevy Bel Air, 210, and 150 models and include front upper and lower control arms, a front sway bar, a rear 4-Link, and either the company’s proven HQ series coil-over shocks or ShockWave air shocks. All of Ridetech’s suspension arms and bracketry feature a durable black satin powder coat finish for corrosion resistance and great looks.
Borgeson
You Turn Me
With almost 70 years on their clocks, there are many parts on Tri-Five Chevys that need to be updated – and some very important ones, too! For restored or original cars, one of the most important systems to consider for a rebuild or update is the old Saginaw steering box.
Borgeson Universal offers a Steering Box Rebuild Kit for the stock steering system of your Tri-Five so you can retain the factory housing but update it with new internal components to bring it back to a tight, like-new feel. Kits are available in both 16:1 and 24:1 ratios, with your choice of the original long input shaft or a shortened input shaft for use with aftermarket steering columns.
CPP
Boost and Discs
With today’s speeds and distracted traffic, your old Chevy’s front drum brakes are not ideal when it comes to stopping performance. The good news is that you don’t have to change your front suspension or step up to huge rotors on your car – CPP offers a front disc brake kit that bolts to the stock spindles, plus is supplied with a brake booster and master cylinder.
The CPP Complete Disc Brake Kit with Vacuum Booster for OEM Stock Spindles (PN 5557CBK-S-8) fits ’55–’57 Chevy cars. It includes 10.75-inch rotors and fully loaded calipers that are ready to bolt in place. Standard organic brake pads are included, plus this kit features an 8-inch vacuum booster to ease pedal effort along with a master cylinder designed for a disc/drum setup.
Scotts Hotrods
A Clip in the Front
You don’t need to put an entire chassis under your ol’ Chevy to improve its handling prowess and ride height. While Scott’s Hotrods ‘N Customs does offer complete chassis, they also offer their Tri-5 IFS front clip that replaces your stock frame from the firewall forward and is available with coil-overs or airbags.
Scott’s points out that their IFS is not a “Mustang II” kit, but rather a complete system designed from the ground up that features the company’s adjustable upper tubular control arms, sway bar, and rack-and-pinion steering. It comes with all factory bumper holes and core support mounts, so your stock sheet metal will fit back in place. Each Tri-5 front clip is built to your specifications, all TIG welded and made in USA.
Golden Star
Floors and More
Anyone who plays with cars understands the ravages and ongoing battle against rust, and your Tri-Five is no different. As the years go by, finding rust-free cars to start with or build from is getting harder and harder. The nice thing about Tri-Fives is that there are a lot of restoration parts available and when it comes to sheet metal, Golden Star Classic Auto Parts is here to help.
Golden Star can help your rusty floor pan woes with an all-new complete floor pan that includes new factory braces. They have floors for everything from two- and four-door models to convertibles, hardtops, and sedans. They even offer an assembly that includes a fresh trunk floor as well! No matter what sheet metal your project needs, give Golden Star a holler.
Roadster Shop
Ready for the RideLine
In their day, Tri-Fives delivered good ride quality, but that was 70 years ago! Everything about ride quality expectations has changed, which is why Roadster Shop has created its RideLine Chassis, a complete frame assembly engineered for ride quality.
Not every hot rodder is looking for sports-car-like corner carving capabilities and the RideLine answers with modern OEM control arm bushings, low-friction ball joints, and isolated steering and sway bar mounts designed to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness that get transferred from the road to the driver. Longer suspension travel, lighter spring rates, and custom-valved 6-inch RS SV coil-overs by Fox have all been designed to give a smoother, more controlled range and overall improved ride quality to your Tri-Five Chevy.
