Printed in The American Tri-Five magazine in Volume 8 : Issue 4

As anyone who has put one of these cars together in recent times can tell you, putting one together simply ain’t cheap. With price increase after price increase from every vendor under the sun, it costs roughly 40% more to put one of these cars together than it did even 5 years ago, and even more if you venture back 8-10 years.

With the rising cost of every part, what upgrades you make can very quickly turn back into “what will my budget allow”? And with that question being posed, if a budget is in place, how can you make the most of it?

After 20+ years of working on these cars in my own garage with some type of budgeting in mind (at least as much as these cars will let you have), as well as working at Woody’s Hot Rodz, where larger budgets allow the use of the newest, biggest and best parts on the market, the “pound for pound, dollar for dollar” upgrade parts have gathered in the back of my mind over time; no matter what the project. This list certainly isn’t all inclusive of all the “best” upgrades, or all “budget minded” upgrades, but taking both points into account, these are 5 parts/kits at the top of my hit list, for literally any Tri-Five being put together or under the wrench.

Sway Bar - WHR-80089

Alright, this is one hill I will certainly die on if I have to. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, a front sway bar is 100% the best bang for your buck drivability modification you can do to your Tri-Five Chevy.

Trust me, I’ve heard it all: “I don’t want it; it will make it ride stiff.” “It drives fine without it.” “I’m not carving corners; I don’t need one.” But one thing’s for certain: I’ve never installed one, sold one, or let someone drive a car with one on it back-to-back ala “The Pepsi Challenge” that came back and said it DIDN’T do exactly what it claims to do.

And what it claims to do is get rid of the sea-sickening side-to-side motion that occurs when each individual suspension point on each side is allowed to move purely on its own. You go into a turn, whether large, small, fast, or slow, and the suspension is allowed to lean over heavily on the opposite side of the turn as the weight transfers, otherwise known as “body roll” or “sway”, hence the name “sway bar”. This one simple, cost-effective modification rids your car of sickening body roll improves handling, enhances the driving experience, and generally makes your Tri-Five more enjoyable as a whole.

It may seem odd that a simple mechanical connection from one side to the other, with the frame as a point of contact, makes as big of a deal as it does, but whether your car is all stock, or modified in every way possible, this one is a must-have piece that will be more than noticeable on the first drive.

LED Lighting

1955

HOL-LFRB155 (Headlights) | CTL5510LED-058 (Taillight) | DAN-15564-058 (Parklight)

1956

HOL-LFRB155 (Headlights) | DAN-14543-058 (Taillight) | DAN-16276-058 (Taillight Reflector)

1957

HOL-LFRB155 (Headlights) | DAN-14546-058 (Taillight) | CPL5702C-058 (Parklight)

No one’s eyesight improves any with age at all, this guy included. So, whether it’s the operators, or the folks driving around us, LED lighting is almost a must these days. Thankfully, LED lighting has become easier than ever, and affordable to boot.

There’s been LED taillight options available for some time, but the newest offerings, listed above, are a cut above the rest. The taillight and parklight options are fully potted options that are impervious to any and all weather, unlike many of their predecessors. And where these lights are impressive, Holley’s RetroBright headlights are the crown jewel of all LED lighting for your Tri-Five.

There’s really no downfall to LED lighting: There’s longer bulb life, with most LEDs lasting as much as 100x times longer than their old school counterparts. There’s brighter output, 3-5 times as much to be exact. And, there’s less current draw than their incandescent counterparts, taking less than a third the output to run, meaning less draw on the charging system as a welcome byproduct.

On top of that, installation is as easy as it comes (a full writeup is available in V7:I3 of this magazine), and there’s no re-wiring or additional wiring required. The only additional piece required: a simple plug-and-play low-load flasher, P/N DAN-13677-058 makes sure that turn signal operation is as-intended.

Front Disc Brakes

Part Number: RSF-FSC55SDC

I’ve been guilty of running a Tri-Five WAY past its limits on 4-wheel drum brakes, especially on a car admittedly overpowered for the body/chassis at play. Hey, we’re all young and dumb once, right?

For a car where preservation of originality is an absolute necessity, drums may be a must. If it’s a car that only sees low-speed use (think 35mph or less) around town, where high speed brake fade is simply not of any worry, then drums may be adequate enough to go get ice cream.

But for those who ACTUALLY drive these cars, there’s not a doubt in the world that disc brakes are a worthwhile improvement. By nature, disc brakes offer more heat dissipation, which means less fade, which means shorter stopping distance, ultimately meaning a safer car overall. There is simply no debating this one. At the minimum, the front brakes should be swapped out for discs. But as always, if budget allows, a 4-wheel disc setup will always be the better performing option of the bunch (P/N RSF-FSC554).

On top of braking ability and performance, even your base model disc brake kit will come with a dual master cylinder, opposed to the factory single. For anyone who’s experienced a brake line failure with a single master knows, it’s a harrowing experience you only want to do *once*, as in the event of a pressure leak with a single master, ALL the brakes fail completely. A dual master separates the front system from the rear, and won’t completely kill stopping power in the event of a leak/break/failure. So, bonus there as well.

If your pocketbook allows a mild upcharge, you can upgrade to power brakes all the same, requiring less effort for the same braking power as a manual setup. The 8” dual-diaphragm boosters are my weapon of choice for vacuum-assisted power brakes.

The Right Stuff brake kits have been my go-to for some time, as an affordable, readily available option for upgrading any Tri-Five to disc brakes.

3-point Seatbelts

Part Number: WHR-3POINT

Now, this may seem like an unusual one, but following in the realm of LED lighting and disc brakes, this is 100% a safety related upgrade, and one that definitely won’t break the bank, especially if it means saving your life.

No one wants to actually think about being put in the situation of being involved in an accident with the cars that we love so much. But, the unfortunate reality is, that no matter how good of a driver you are, there’s bound to be someone on the road who’s a whole lot worse. Whether it’s someone jabbering on a cell phone, a driver distracted by kids in the back seat, or any myriad of things we have available inside a vehicle to take our eyes off the road, the risk of accident lies around every corner. And modern, three-point seatbelts are an easy upgrade to keep you as safe as possible in the unfortunate event that something happens to you.

Installation is straight forward, and applicable for both hardtops and sedans. So, not only cost effective, but a project easily accomplished in an afternoon as well.

It can sometimes be hard to justify $200 for a shiny whizzbang doodad, horsepower adder, or dress-up part. But it’s not so hard to understand spending $200 to keep you and yours safe while cruising.