In the Old West, another Cassidy, Hopalong, went around on his marvelous steed "Topper." In the new West, Mike Cassidy goes around in his bright red ride, which is a "topper" when it comes to the competition at car shows, such as his recent win of the CLASSIC TRUCKS Magazine Outstanding Classic Truck award at the Houston Super Chevy Show.
Cassidy, of New Caney, Texas, found this second-series '55 big window at a Super Chevy swap meet. Mike was really in the market for a '55 Cameo, but those are definitely hard to find. This truck had spent a lifetime running around west Texas but it was all original and all there. Besides, with a Cameo, it may not have seemed right to do all the modifications that were done to this old farm truck. Also, Cassidy had just spent two years on a '57 Nomad project, so he was in the mood for something that could be "whipped out" in a shorter time.
After about a year, Mike wound up with a "user friendly" version of one of the most popular trucks ever made. We were impressed with the fact that Mike and his son Jeff did all of the body, paint, interior, chassis, and engine assembly. About the only things they farmed out were the chrome to Auto Chrome of Houston, and the engine machine work to Competition Automotive Machine in Spring, Texas. Lots of talent in this family. It rides on independent suspension (the rear being from an '87 Corvette, the front from RB's Obsolete Automotive), has a '98 Mark VI 454 motor with a Chevy 502 roller cam, a Turbo 400, disc brakes all around, and is lowered 6-inches in front and 5-inches in the rear. All emblems have been shaved; it has air conditioning, leather upholstery, and is bright red. It gets driven often and about the only thing Cassidy would change is going to a trans with an overdrive. It definitely isn't a "hop-along."
| F A C T S & F I G U R E S |
| Mike Cassidy |
| New Caney, Texas |
| 1955 Chevrolet Half-Ton |
| CHASSIS |
| Frame / Manufacturer | modified stock / Chevrolet |
| Rearend / Ratio | ‘87 Corvette / 3.08:1 |
| Rear suspension | ’87 Corvette IRS using “Flat Out |
| | Engineering” kit, Aldan coilovers, 3/4-inch sway bar |
| Rear brakes | GM Discs |
| Front suspension | RB’s Obsolete Automotive front clip |
| | using all GM components, 1-inch sway bar. |
| Front brakes | 11-inch GM discs |
| Steering | GM power box |
| Steering column | ’72 Chev truck tilt |
| Front wheel make, size | Budnik, Famosa, 17X8, |
| Rear wheel make, size | Budnik, Famosa, 17X8, |
| Front tire make, size | BFGoodrich, 255X50R17 |
| Rear tire make, size | BFGoodrich, 255X50R17 |
| Gas tank | stock |