For roughly the last 70 years, the competition to see who has the coolest custom Chevy Tri-Five hasn't stopped raging even slightly. Decades after their heyday, people are still finding ways to make these timeless classic mid-50s Chevy 150s, 210s, Nomads, and Bel Airs better, faster, and more stylish. But in a game of top trumps that no one's yet to truly win, the Roadster Shop in Mundelein, Illinois, might be a legit contender.
With the distinction of being built by one of the most skilled and respected restomod shops in North America, this 1955 Chevy 210 is stunningly beautiful, arguably even more so when it was new, but it's also one of the fastest of its kind around. As their primary breadwinner, Roadster Shop specializes in fabricating some of the highest-quality restomod chassis anywhere on Earth. Other American restomod shops like Florida's Velocity Restorations, which partner with Roadster Shop to supply chassis for their builds, serve as a fitting foundation for whatever spectacular creation is built on top of it.
But Roadster Shop builds their own restomods too, and perhaps no build of theirs encapsulates the essence of what the shop brings to the table better than this '55 Tri-Five. Back in 1955, these Tri-Fives could've left the factory with either a 235-cubic inch (3.8-L) straight six engine or, for the first time in nearly 40 years, the option of a thumping-great Turbo-Fire V8 of 265-cubic-inches (4.3-liters) paired to either a two-speed automatic or three-speed manual gearbox. Whether or not this particular 210 even had its drivetrain or was just a rolling shell when Roadster Shop got their hands on it.
Either way, once the old drivetrain was gone, the team set off on a long and meticulous restoration process, using their trademark SPEC chassis known the world over as some of the finest made today. Novel intrigues like precision laser-cut frame rails and engine mountings are compatible with the full range of classic and modern American V8 hardware, and the SPEC chassis is built to be as plug-and-play as a restomod chassis could possibly be. Trinkets like Fox performance coilovers, a multi-link rear suspension, and Bear Pro+ six-piston calipers serve as a base for the newest breed of Chevy V8s.
Pardon the comparison, but the modern GM LT engine is, in many ways, the spiritual descendant of the old Turbo-Fire, and the LT5 is still the king of the breed for the moment. The same supercharged fire-breather at the heart of the C7 Corvette ZR1 is now jetting 775 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque after all the aftermarket trinkets Roadster Shop had fitted. Items like forged pistons, a dry-sump oiling system, and a beefy 10L90 ten-speed automatic transmission linked to a nine-inch rear end by an aluminum driveshaft make for a machine that's modern sports coupe fast.
Photo: Roadster Shop / YouTube
Granted, some custom fabrication was likely needed to make the transmission tunnel capable of accepting such a large multi-speed gearbox. But the end result is a drivetrain that is so modern and refined that you'd almost forget the car it's all attached to is nearly 70 years old. Add on a custom color-matched white and orange two-tone interior to match the exterior paint job, and you have a restomod we're sure someone out there would drop truckloads of money for.
You can thank the Miranda Built trim shop in Boynton Beach, Florida, for making this interior look as spectacular as it does. Apart from supplying some of the finest artisanal leatherwork in the modern restomod scene to road cars, the shop also fabricates custom boat interiors built to withstand the harsh conditions on the water. In short, this is a team that knows its fair share about built-tough workmanship, even if this is a Chevy and not a Ford.
As for this '55 Tri-Five, hand-stitched leather seats and interior door panels have a fit and finish that rival legitimate OEM luxury automaker standards these days. Then again, part of the reason is because the seats came from a Kia Stinger. Fair play, as the Stinger is routinely hailed as a nice place to spend a road trip. With a Vintage Air Gen IV Magnum AC system and LED-backlit Dakota Digital gauges, you're surrounded by a blend of modern and classic interior styling cues that make for an interior only a handful of cars in the world can replicate.
As for what it it would cost someone to source a '55 Tri-Five 210, ship it to Roadster Shop and have them build this restomod part-for-part like this one? Well, let's just say we wouldn't be surprised if someone forked out a million dollars for it. There are far less impressive restomods out there commanding similarly mind-melting price tags, but this Tri-Five is particularly special. Congrats to Roadster Shop for building the coolest Tri-Five we've seen in 2024.
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