CANDY APPLE CHIEF

Hot Rodding A 1955 Pontiac Chieftain

- Tim Bernsau

Pontiacs don’t really pop up on a computer search for the most popular pre-muscle car hot rods. Chevys dominate in a mid-1950s popularity contest, but a 1955 Pontiac has the same potential for coolness—if not more—because of the “something different” status.

Likewise, when we think of West Coast hot-rodding spots, the places that come to mind right away are Pomona, Burbank, Bakersfield, Pasadena, and a few others. But if you go up the coast about 50 miles from Los Angeles, you’ll find a lot of activity in Ventura County. There is a lot of really nice iron in the shops and garages of Ventura, Oxnard, and Camarillo, including this 1955 Pontiac Chieftain belonging to Charlie Utts.