This 1955 Chevy Gasser, hidden for decades, is a piece of American automotive history with a seriously interesting backstory
- This 1955 Chevy has a very interesting past
- It spent time as a drag racer before ending up parked for years
- Now it’s set to get the restoration it deserves
Published on Mar 17, 2025 at 5:16 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Mar 17, 2025 at 10:24 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This 1955 Chevy Gasser has an incredible backstory and is now set to get the full restoration it deserves.
The vintage vehicle is in a pretty sorry state after spending an unknown number of years sitting in a cow pasture.
However, back in the 1960s and 1970s, the Chevy was a regular at Dayton’s Harriman Dragstrip.
Thankfully, the classic car has since been rescued and is set to be restored to its former glory.
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The Chevy has an interesting racing history
Over the years, Chevrolet has produced some seriously impressive race-track-ready vehicles, including this 1969 Camaro or this Silverado that managed to blast past a much more modern Mustang.
But back in the 1950s, a man called Tommy Clayton decided to fit this Chevy with a 301 cubic inch small-block paired to a three-speed transmission to create his own drag racer.
At the time, a three speed transmission would have been an odd choice, but it did the trick and the Chevy Gasser was known to be a solid performer on the track.
However, the original vehicle was around for a good time, not a long time – and it later met its demise at the Harriman Dragstrip after its clutch exploded.
Refusing to give up on his beloved Chevy, Clayton managed to scoop out and salvage as much as he could and dropped it into a Chevrolet Bel Air that he named Phantom.
The 1955 Gasser is set to undergo a full restoration
The Hot Rod Hoarder YouTube channel took a closer look at the classic Chevy Gasser and it’s safe to say it’s seen better days.
Because following its years as a track star, Phantom ended up in a cow pasture belonging to a car collector named Denny George.
But when car enthusiast Paul Ault got wind of it, he reached out to George to see if he would be willing to sell.
In a pretty neat gesture, George gave Ault the Chevy for free and the car lover began to plan a major restoration project for Phantom.
However, the restoration plans took longer than Ault had hoped and years on from when he took ownership of the vehicle it’s still in need of a lot of work to get it back up and running.
But don’t worry, because Ault is determined to finish the project and restore Phantom to the once-awesome vehicle it was.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
