Historic 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Gasser Found in a Warehouse, It's Been Sitting for Decades

Recently discovered by YouTube's "Hot Rod Hoarder" in a warehouse in Tennessee, this Tri-Five isn't your regular hot rod. Apparently this Bel Air used to charge down the quarter-mile as a gasser in the D/Gas category back in the 1960s. Retired sometime in the 1970s, the Chevy has been sitting ever since, and now it's mostly a shell devoid of its interior, front clip, and drivetrain.

So what's it doing here and why is it spending its retirement in this derelict state? Well, with gasser divisions phased out in the 1970s, the owner lost interest in racing the car. He parked it on a field for a while and then sold it to a guy that kept it in the woods.

The current owner, Paul Ault, got the beat-up race car in the 1980s and simply didn't have time to put it back together. But the good news is that the gasser is now waiting for a second chance at life in a dry warehouse. And while it was stripped off inside and out, the sheet metal is mostly rust-free except for the floor.

Paul is actually planning to do something with it soon and already started cleaning the car and making plans for a replacement drivetrain. It's safe to assume that it won't be restored to its original gasser specifications (which you can see in the vintage photos in the gallery section), but it will get back on the road sooner than later.

Is this a historically important and valuable gasser? No. But even so, it's a really cool find and more proof (if still needed) that local drag strips were once populated by nicely-built hot rods. Gotta love the 1960s!