Vehicles from the 1950s make for some of the coolest builds. Recently, our friends at Harrisburg, North Carolina's Retro Designs Speed & Custom proved that once again with their 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air project.

The blue Chevy is originally from California — a hotbed of hot rods – and at one point in its life the car went through the customization process. It even appeared in several magazines. 

However, the most recent owner decided he wanted to modernize the entire car while maintaining its classic custom vibe. Today the Bel Air sits on a Scott's Hotrods Chassis and Ridetech air suspension, and it features a variety of other updates in appearance and performance. 

Among the modern upgrades is a supercharged, 6.2L  LT4 crate engine* from Chevrolet Performance. The power plant makes 650 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque. It is mated to a SuperMatic 8L90-E eight-speed automatic transmission as part of a Connect & Cruise Crate Powertrain System.

"You get everything and that just makes it a lot easier putting it together," said Retro owner Daniel Valjevac of the factory-matched Connect & Cruise systems. Each one features a complementing engine and transmission controller, torque converter (for automatic transmissions) and installation kit.

The Bel Air's mean stance creates some killer photos as well, so today, we've made an image of this classic custom with modern power into a Wallpaper Wednesday download.

High-resolution desktop and mobile images are available below.

Desktop

Mobile

Keep watching The BLOCK for many more Chevrolet Performance-powered builds.

*Because of its effect on a vehicle's emissions performance, this engine is intended exclusively for use in competition vehicles. This engine is designed and intended for use in vehicles operated exclusively for competition: in racing or organized competition on courses separate from public streets or highways. Installation or use of this engine on a vehicle operated on public streets or highways is likely to violate U.S., Canadian, and state and provincial laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.