In our last showdown, the Volvo C30 shunted its two competitors into the weeds for a commanding 56% of the vote. Today, we’re reducing the number of choices so as not to confound addled pre-vacation brains. Two groovy gassers will go neck-and-neck in the Hooniverse drag strip of public opinion – who will prevail?


I tend to have a habit of creating landslide Showdowns, and I sense this might be another one despite my ardent passion for this ’48 Chevrolet Fleetmaster. Can it stand up to a more traditional ’50s gasser with a lift the size of a monster truck? I think it can – I’ve never seen a Fleetmaster turned into a gasser, and such a classy one as that. Dig the nose flank art – “Strip Teaser” – and the purposeful stance. It doesn’t hurt that this Chevy packs a (as far as I can tell) fully built LT1 350 feeding into a 9″ rear with Detroit Lockers. The dash has nicely integrated, original-looking gauges and a broad swath of chrome, and the interior is as clean as you could want from a used but well-maintained racer. Plus it’s likely to be a good deal cheaper than what the Bel-Air will likely sell for.

Of course, when it comes to stance, this ’53 Bel Air 210 is in its own motley league. Not knowing a ton on gassers, even I can tell that this is an extreme lift. Weight transfer be damned, it looks righteous. The color is probably not for everyone and I’d bet a whole silver dollar that its next owner paints it flat black, but the detail I’m most fond of is the “406 CU. IN.” decal on the side of the intake – that’s pitch-perfect. You could eat off of just about any surface on it, and a pair of Holleys making a claimed 650 HP running through a 10-bolt rear end will mean it’ll run like a politician from a scandal.
For this Hoon, this is a neck-and-neck battle. Let’s see how the underdog does.
[poll id=”23″]