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“Right from when I first built it I had in mind that this is the kind of car somebody who couldn’t afford a new muscle car would have built to beat up on muscle cars in the late 1960s. It would also fit in with the Junior Stock or Modified Production classes in drag racing during the late ’60s.”

During the repaint several different colours were discovered on the car. Besides the Butternut Yellow it had originally been blue, then light yellow and at some point before the Butternut Yellow a metalflake brown.

“When you take the stainless trim off the dash you can still see that brown and I’ve never removed it.” He had already replaced Street Sweeper’s front trim and grille with parts scored from a Texas wrecking yard in 1980 but the car was so clean and straight it never needed any sheet metal replacement.

The front suspension remains stock though in 1979 the front coils were cut and rear springs dearched for a 2.5” drop. At the same time the upper and lower control arms were chromed. Other than that it has only been maintained. A 1957 Pontiac rear end with 4.88 gears came with the car and remain as do all four drum brakes and a single master cylinder.

Also in 1979 a rare Hurst Ram Rod inline shifter was installed which now sports an even rarer vintage 1964 white Hurst 3-speed shifter handle with black Hurst logo. “The shifter came out of John Wilson’s 11-second big block Chevelle. It was a well known car back in the 1970s but he kept braking Muncies and one day he came to our shop and said ‘that’s it I’m putting a Turbo 400 in the car.’ He took out the Muncie and I bought the shifter for $50.” A quick scan of eBay found a few Ram Rod units with a $450 asking price. He ran an early 3600 Accel breakerless electronic ignition until 1989.

Rogerson bent and installed the 2.5” dual exhaust system in 1979 and still runs with the California Turbo mufflers he purchased in ’79 for $19.99 from Jim’s Speed Equipment. Even Street Sweeper’s roll and pleat black naugahyde upholstery was stitched in 1980.....on the front seat. “The back seat was upholstered when I bought the car in 1978 and I’ve never touched it,” says Rogerson. The door panels were redone during the 1992 makeover but that’s it.

In 2008, in anticipation of displaying the car at Performance World in Toronto another exterior makeover was performed, this time with the idea of making the car even more like a 1960s hot rod. The mid-1970s Edelbrock tunnel ram was swapped out in favour of a rare Edelbrock TR1 tunnel ram. “They came out in 1968 and they don’t breathe as well as the mid-70s tunnel ram but it fits the car’s theme better,” says Rogerson. The rear rims are ’54 Chevy units widened to 15x7 with bias ply piecrust drag slicks. The front ET Gasser (15x4) wheels are patterned after drag racing spoke wheels of the 1960s.

The car was again painted, this time by Richard Hilton (Rich Refinishing Auto Body) with a base/clear formula of the same Navistar Green. When it was finished the car captured Outstanding Nostalgia Drag Car at Performance World. It earned a similar, though somewhat more impressive honour this year at the 61st Detroit Autorama competing against a much larger field of competition.

But shows and trophies have never been what Rogerson or Street Sweeper is about. “I’ve had guys throw some money at me, especially from the states but I’m one of those guys that I’ve got a past and a lot of history with that car. I have a lot of buddies who have pictures of the car either at the track or early shows or getting up to some laughs on the street. History seems to keep building with the car. I figure I got lucky a long time ago when I bought it and I’m just happy I still have it after all these years. It still puts a smile on my face when I get into it,” says Rogerson. “When I’m done with it it’ll probably go to my son and hopefully he can build more history with it.”

A perfect never-ending story for the perfect ’55 Chevy.

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