FEBRUARY 1, 2012: 1956 CHEVROLET 2 DOOR POST-A CHEVY GUY MARRIES INTO A MOPAR FAMILY

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Years ago Tim Sinclair married Sherry Swainson and they lived happily ever after except for one issue-the Swainsons are a hardcore Mopar family.

So hardcore that their Chrysler allegiance extends over several generations plus Sherry’s family has owned and operated a Chrysler dealership since 1971.

Tim is a hardcore Chevy guy-his first car was a 77 Camaro, so this transition from single Chevy guy to mixed marriage GM-Chrysler couple had bumpy ride written all over it.

It got worse when Tim ventured into the old car world.

Tim’s brother in law is Peter Swainsonhe’s a well known name in the classic late 60s early 70s era of Mopar muscle and his first inclination was to steer Tim toward a 340 Cuda or a mint Super Bee.

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Tim’s response was always the same, “I can’t afford a Mopar, only guys with money can swing that”. Mopar guys may take exception to that statement but it did keep peace at Swainson family gatherings.

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The Swainson family had some influence on Tim because he did own a Viper for a period of time but he deemed it “too scary”. His fondest wish was to own something classic, old and more civilized. He focused on a ‘56 Chevy.

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Sinclair followed a ‘56 Chevy for two years but the price was higher than Tim’s budget allowed for an entry into the old car world. In 2011, the car came up for sale at a more attractive price because “the guy wanted the room in his garage” and Tim became the proud owner of an iconic car from the Tri-five Chevy family.

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Tim had originally seen the ‘56 Chevy in a magazine and he knew that this was a car that he wanted enough to swim upstream against a Mopar family current. The car was on a regular car show circuit in the Las Vegas area and it needed a bigger trunk for the trophies it won at various meets including a major one at Lake Havasu. The car had been well looked after because the paint is still the same coat that won all the hardware for nearly two decades.

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Tim picked up the car immediately and he was proud of the fact that he “used a Mopar guy’s trailer to haul it back”.

The ‘56 Chevy is a mild resto-mod and it definitely attracted attention at the first local show. Tim conceded that the car “isn’t a race car, it’s got a pretty mild cam in it but it goes pretty good”. The car has a great finish to it because of the diligent care over the years and Tim can only see one modification in the future-air conditioning.

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Tim and Sherry want to take the old tri-five to several shows over the next few years and Tim admits “I’m an older guy so I like to be comfortable and that air looks pretty good at 80 degrees. Other than that, the car is perfect”.

Perfect for a Chevy guy in a Mopar family…

Jerry Sutherland

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