1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Gets Unusual Turbo Swap, Goes Cruising Without the Hood

The folks over at Penny's Hot Rods & Custom took the latter route with a 1955 Bel Air four-door sedan. However, instead of going with a crate engine, they opted for a 4.8-liter LS sourced from a pickup truck. And it's turbocharged too!

An unusual swap for a Bel Air, the said LS is most likely of the LR4 variety. It debuted in 1999 in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra twins, but also found its way into the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. GM eventually added the mill to the Chevy Express and GMC Savana full-size vans too.

The company updated the small block in 2007. Known as the LY2, it was offered in the exact same SUVs, trucks, and vans until it was replaced with the L20 for 2010. The final iteration of the 4.8-liter Vortec soldiered on until 2017.

The V8 was capable of 260 to 302 horsepower, depending on vehicle and specs, but these numbers don't matter here. The 4.8-liter mill that occupies the engine bay of this Bel Air also features forced induction, so it's definitely more powerful.

There's no info as to how much oomph it sends to the rear wheels, and that's mostly because the project is not yet ready, but it packs more punch than a stock Bel Air from 1955. And it sounds better too, especially if you're a fan of turbocharger blow-off valve sounds.

Yes, this kind of swap will upset a few Bel Air and hot rod purists, but hey, did you take a good look at this car? It's all rusty and beat up, so it doesn't really matter what's under the hood as long as it generates a lot of power. And it's quite impressive that they pulled it off because fitting a 4.8-liter LS in a Tri-Five engine bay is a difficult task.

You'll find out why if you check the channel's previous videos with this car. Meanwhile, hit play to see the turbo Bel Air takes its first run since the swap. Without an engine hood!