It's all soooo subjective. For me, it would depend on how you want it to look and the running gear you want. If I wanted to do one as stock, well I prefer the look of a stock 47 to 53 even though they're so common. (There are some fabulous examples in the Gallery.) For rodding or customizing--again, a purely subjective view--a lowered 54-55 Series One with the voluptuous chrome grille is way cooler (although I prefer the windshield treatment and dash of the earlier years). And it's rarer or course, being such a short production run. So speaking as a 54 owner, my main advice is for you to continue to keep them off your list--the fewer we see out there, the greater the wow factor of our 54-55s!
Like Scott Ward I prefer the 48 and 49 doors. It's a cleaner look. But I guess you can stick those on any old AD? (Someone will correct me...) For a driver,I'd say definitely go with a 235 or drop a V8 in. Also, for a driver, whatever you get I'd install disc brakes, decent steering and coil springs. I've driven some weird stuff but I once tried a beautiful Bolt with the stock front end and it scared the bejaysus out of me. (Justifiably proud owners of bone-stock Bolts will have a whole other point of view.)
Finally and somewhat irrelevantly, IMHO the GMC ADs are cooler than the Chevys--again, you see fewer around so it's kind of refreshing when one pops up.
Happy hunting.
Christian
