The word "evolution," according to the definition in Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary, is the act or process of unfolding; development or growth, usually in slow stages and from simpler forms to those that are more complex. So, I guess this evolution isn't really so strange, and the word, in fact, seems just about right as descriptions go for the process we are about to describe. Starting some 10-plus years ago, Tim Strange decided he would assemble his first serious project car, built solely to showcase his construction talents. At the time, he was working for a dealership by day and cranking out a few side projects in the evenings and on weekends. Having always liked the '53-54 Chevy body style, his first thought was to see just what he could do with a two-door hardtop body. The catch was that all the hardtops he could locate exceeded his limited budget. Of course a minor setback like that is nothing for a real builder--he just substituted a '54 two-door sedan body and started dissecting it.
This first evolution was from stock '54 Chevy to a highly modified street machine. Following along with common practice of the time the car was tubbed so it could handle mega huge tires on the rear and dropped close to the ground. The difference was that rather than making use of any part of the original frame (the trend at the time was to back-half them and tweak the front suspension), Tim constructed a complete 1 3/4-inch twin rail tube frame and his own front and rear suspension components. As for the frame, Tim went a bit further with the body than most Pro Streeters of the day. Among other things, he whacked the top, then removed the sedan doorposts and started making a few substitutions to net the hardtop look. The interior, in the best Pro Street tradition, was filled with a full rollcage, a flat custom dash with digital instruments, and a full tweed interior stitched up by Tim's friend Carrie Olson. The last remaining part of the treatment was the installation of a modified 427 big-block Chevrolet engine backed by a Turbo 400.
The latest evolution of the car is, as it should be, a refinement of the 1993-94 effort. The original Strange Motion Rod & Custom twin rail chassis was used again, but this time suspension components from the aftermarket replace some of Tim's owner-fabricated pieces. The rear suspension is a polished stainless steel Air Ride Technologies triangulated four-bar system that locates a 4.10:1 geared polished Dutchman quick-change rearend with Wilwood six-piston calipers and 13-inch drilled and vented rotors capping the ends. Up front, the owner-built tubular A-arms have been replaced by polished stainless steel components from Scott's Hot Rods that have been combined with spindles from All Star Performance and a custom, narrowed and chrome-plated Maval steering rack. The front brakes are the exact same as the rear, so stopping the '54 is not a problem. But just to make sure that the entire system was up to standard, Tim replaced the brake booster, master cylinder, and all the lines with All Star Performance items. Then he topped it off by installing a new Kugel Komponents under-dash pedal assembly. A full complement of Air Ride Technologies equipment (airbags, compressor, gauges, switches, and reserve air tank) makes ride height adjustments a snap, while a full set of QA1 shocks control joust and rebound. The old 15-inch big 'n' little wheel and tire combination was replaced by a set of Jimmy Smith-designed Colorado Custom 20x8 and 22x10 billets wrapped in BFGoodrich G Force rubber.
With the chassis in a completely updated condition, it was time to do a little drivetrain alteration. The 427ci big block, prepared by Auto Ron, would be retained but refinements would be made. ASG Motorsports came up with the perfect combination of Competition Cams hardware to activate the valves that feed the 11:1 TRW pistons. Also retained would be the quartet of Dellorto carburetors, their manifold, and the ported and polished heads--only this time they would be better dressed. The C B Performance manifold received a Precision Plating chrome finish; the carbs a thorough cleaning accompanied by a light polish; and the fuel lines were plated. Then, to really set off the top of the engine, Tim designed and fabricated a sculpted air intake that pulls its fresh air from in front of the radiator rather than from the hot engine compartment. A Mallory UniLite ignition lights the mixture when it enters the cylinders and a pair of Loko Coatings finished Sanderson headers deliver the spent gasses to a set of Flowmaster mufflers and the side exit exhaust tips. Because this is meant to be a driver, cooling was a real consideration, so Tim installed an All Star Performance aluminum radiator to suck the heat out of the coolant; electric fans to move plenty of air over it; and a Meziere Enterprises polished water pump to circulate the liquid. Then, for a little added flash, there are some Zoops engine pulleys, J & B Micro Finish wire looms, a pair of polished aluminum rocker covers with Edelbrock breathers, and some Chrome Hardware Supply items scattered throughout.
Of course making it all look good only goes so far--at some point you have to get the power to the ground. In this case, Tim selected a Turbo 400 transmission and had Wayne Morris add a B & M shift kit to the inside and a US Gear bolt-on overdrive unit to the back of it. Then he used a Denny's Driveshaft to connect the trans to the Dutchman rearend. This setup really makes the car versatile; the 4.10 gear makes the car really quick from a standing start and the overdrive lets it cruise very comfortably. It also makes long straight stretches of open highway your friend if you get the urge to really let it rip.
When it came to the body Tim had completed the heavy lifting in the first evolution, but as the word implies, there were bound to be some changes. In addition to all the modifications made the first go around there would be a Carriage Works billet grille fitted to the custom opening as a backup to the floating '57 Chevy grille bar. To give the car a more upscale look, Tim designed and constructed side trim pieces using half-round brass bar stock. When the shape was finalized and all the imperfections smoothed out, Tim sent them out to Precision Plating where plenty of high luster chrome was added. The other major change was the creation of an all-new rear bumper. Starting with a '54 Chrysler rear bumper, Tim cut it down to fit between the extended rear quarters, then molded the license plate overrider and bumper guards to the bumper. The front is the same smoothed '53 bumper used in the first evolution, but this time it too got the chrome treatment rather than the monotone paint that was so popular (and cheap) all those years ago. Then all the old paint was stripped off the body and a new tri-tone paint scheme (the top color is a custom mix appropriately named Strange Purple Metallic; the center dividing color is Charcoal Metallic; and the lower color is Rose Metallic) using DuPont Chroma Premier paint was applied to the body.
Then it was on to the interior, where some of the most drastic changes (at least visible changes) of the evolution were to take place. Tim pretty much gutted the insides--the rollcage had to be cut out; the complete dashboard removed; the center console cut away from the floor; and the wheel tubs discarded. The same was true of the upholstery; everything from the headliner down was pitched, leaving a fresh canvas for Tim's design vision. When the interior was finally stripped clean, it was time to start rebuilding, and one of the first things on the list was the modern looking dashboard with a center instrument pod built into it. This pod houses a full complement of Auto Meter gauges set into a stainless steel mesh insert surrounded by a steel trim ring and looks a lot like something out of a '50s prototype. Then, to complement the clean look of the new dash, an ididit steel column was hung under it with a Colorado Custom steering wheel attached. Other additions would be made to the interior this time because the focus of the car was to be touring in comfort--not pseudo race car. A Hot Rod Air climate control system was added for all weather comfort, while a killer sound system from M A Audio provides the necessary tunes to pass the time on those long trips. Once everything was fitted to its proper location and the fabricated metal parts had been painted, it was time to power up. For this Tim used a Painless Performance wiring kit and a pair of A/C lines from Aeroquip.
The upholstery part of the project was then turned over to his wife Carrie, who covered the raw materials that he had given her to work with. This time, because there were no huge wheel tubs or rollcage bars to contend with, four Interior Supply bucket seats were placed in the interior and then covered in a combination of Dove Gray Optima Leather as a base and Moccasin Moon flower imitation leather as an accent to the soft surfaces. Mercedes square-cut gray wool carpet was used to cover the floor. Of course the trunk had to be finished to match the interior in order to properly showcase the audio equipment, so like all phases of an evolutionary process, it got a little larger and a bit more complex.
Although evolutions are usually thought of as slow, steady processes, this change only took three months of 100-hour weeks--the blink of an eye in a 10-year period. It also required a lot of assistance from Carrie Strange, Chris Troll, Dave Neal, and Curtis Fitzpatrick to complete the hands-on changes. So there you have it, the evolution of one '54 Chevrolet from salvage yard to Pro Street custom to touring custom, and the evolution of two lives from single people working together on a project to a married couple building a life and a business together. Man, I can't wait to see what the next 10 years brings.