RADICAL IN RED
Hot Rod|October 2021
Spot All The Changes Made to This 1956 Chevy
Tim Bernsau
 RADICAL IN RED

The trophy they gave to Don Gira’s 1956 Chevy at the 2020 Grand National Roadster Show said it right on the front: Radical Hardtop/ Sedan ’55‐’59. For Don, radical wasn’t always the plan—it’s just where things went with his middle year Tri-Five Chevy.

Don is more than a car guy. “I’m addicted to adrenaline,” he told us, and he has always been into any machine that moves under the power of an engine. In addition to his long lifetime list of streetcars, he’s raced all kinds of drag cars at all the historic Southern California tracks. His passion goes beyond four wheels and solid ground. He’s raced dirt bikes and drag boats and flown planes.

Don spotted the raw material for this project, half covered and parked alongside a house while taking a detour on his work commute. “Not for sale,” the owner told him the first and second time he asked about it. The third time, he brought along enough cash to strike a deal. He discovered that the Chevy, a 210 sedan, had been set up for drag racing, but Don wasn’t planning to build that kind of adrenaline delivery system. This time, his goal was to turn it into a cool low-key cruiser.

The first modification made was a 3-inch top chop—or rather an attempted chop. “After three months of prodding the body shop where the car was, I went to look at the car and I was shocked,” he said. “It was cut in all the wrong places and they couldn’t figure out how to put it back together.”

This story is from the October 2021 edition of Hot Rod.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 2021 edition of Hot Rod.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HOT RODView All
Making Connections
Hot Rod

Making Connections

Project T-top Coupe: We install a Terminator X Max for big power.

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2024
LET IT BREATHE!
Hot Rod

LET IT BREATHE!

Project X’s new ZZ632 big-block needed to breathe, and this do-ityourself stainless exhaust kit was just the ticket to make it happen.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
TUNING OPTIMIZED
Hot Rod

TUNING OPTIMIZED

VARIABLES WITHIN FUEL-INJECTOR CONSTRUCTION CAN LEAD TO POOR ENGINE OPERATION. HERE'S HOW TO TUNE YOUR FUEL INJECTORS.

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2024
Re-Flange It!
Hot Rod

Re-Flange It!

We check out the fab skills needed to run a flat hood on a 1970 Mustang with a very unique and too-tall engine.

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2024
THE TRIBUTE FOR THE WIN
Hot Rod

THE TRIBUTE FOR THE WIN

Ron Capps wins the NHRA U.S. Nationals driving a Don Prudhomme-Hot Wheels tribute Funny Car.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2024
So Close
Hot Rod

So Close

Following a nearly flawless performance, a pít lane penalty kept the C8.R off the top of the podium in the IMSA Sportscar Weekend.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2024
A RADICAL SHIFT
Hot Rod

A RADICAL SHIFT

When you're a teenager and the police know you by name, it's not usually because of your volunteer work or class-topping GPA. Not at all. That was especially true for Jeff Kainz when he was behind the wheel of his 1975 Camaro. In the '80s, while cruising his hometown in North Dakota, his buddies with police scanners often heard the police tell one another: \"Kainz is out on Main Street.\"

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2024
WILD MASH-UP
Hot Rod

WILD MASH-UP

Built to long-haul the 2023 HOT ROD Power Tour, this 1984 Monte Carlo’s facade hides a performance secret!

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2024
6 TIMER!
Hot Rod

6 TIMER!

Tom Bailey captures his 6th HOT ROD Drag Week Unlimited/Overall title with his Sick Seconds 1.0 Camaro.

time-read
10+ mins  |
February 2024
JIM MCFARLAND'S INFLUENCE WENT WAY BEYOND HOT ROD MAGAZINE.
Hot Rod

JIM MCFARLAND'S INFLUENCE WENT WAY BEYOND HOT ROD MAGAZINE.

Jim McFarland, the multitalented, multifaceted Texan who enjoyed several careers in the automotive performance industry, passed away in October 2023 at the age of 88.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2024