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This 1955 Chevy Bel Air dirt track race car is about as rough as they come but still runs after nearly 70 years of abuse.

"Rough is an understatement," says our host from Hot Rod Hoarder YouTube Channel when making reference to the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air in his latest upload. The initial walkaround shows various bits of the car and sees our host almost easing us into the image that he is about to show us. He explains that they did not do precise fabrication back in the older days of dirt track racing and most drivers would have to come up with ingenious ideas to just make things work for not a lot of money.

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After seeing some of the rough work that our host is talking about such as the chopped and horribly welded roof, propped up by angle iron, completely missing floorboards, and electric tape-wrapped steering wheel, we can appreciate why our presenter saw fit to ease us into this one. Our host zooms out to reveal the whole picture at the 39-second mark while telling us cars such as this one were completely common in the 60s through to the 90s.

Once we get a full view the car looks incredibly nostalgic. The red, white, and blue paint are fading and there's a nice healthy dose of rust and decay. The wheels are massive 8-lug wheels like you find on a heavy-duty Ford Superduty. Miraculously, the front bumper and grill remain which is incredibly rare on dirt racers. The old-school mentality starts to show when we start going around the car a second time.

A prime example of this is the new wheel and tire combo did not fit into the wheel wells. Instead of calling it quits, the inner wheel wells get removed entirely and the outside fenders rolled inwards with channel lock pliers.

It's more of the same story as the interior. Today, we would need to purchase a certified roll-cage or have it made by a certified company. In this car, the driver welded some water piping together to create a custom roll cage.

As our host points out, the pipes still have threads on them. The car also has a timing gear welded to the steering column which feeds to a smaller gear to allow for much quicker steering which is as our host says essentially a "free and genius" modification.

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At the 5:12 mark, we can see the heart of the car. It's a "pretty modern" bulletproof small block Chevy says our host. The engine looks absolutely stunning with blue anodized valve covers and is incredibly clean. The red accents such as the air filter cover and breathers fit perfectly with the American theme of the car. By the 8-minute mark we get to hear the car start up and we now completely understand the car. After all these years, it is amazing that the car still fires up. They really don't make them like they used to.

Pat is a licensed mechanic who has built everything from custom tent trailers to resto-modding a 1950's all Canadian Princecraft boat and everything in between. Pat currently drives a modified '05 Mustang, lifted '08 F250 and a Mercedes E350 Coupe.