"'Exciting new exterior styling' is one of the descriptive phrases used in referring to the '57 Chevy by the ad people. Sadly, the cars fall far short of being either exciting or new, and there is no excuse for this drab sameness. The GM Dream Cars were supposed to be forerunners of the production models, but this Stovebolt is a rehashed Buick and won't excite anyone but the stockholders."
Those were Henning & Ritch's words in the story "Custom Possibilities for the '57 Cars," which appeared in the December '56 issue of ROD & CUSTOM. Accompanying the text is a rendering in which Henning & Ritch "correct the errors of the design department" by "removing the 'blips' from the front bumper, the overriders, grille, and hood." The artists also add new fins that "are only 9 inches[!] higher than the stock fenders but give a far greater effect to the swooping line." The words alone will spark a heated debate with the typical Tri-five Chevy fan. Show him the artwork and you're likely to get decked!
As off-base as the assessment seems today, however, the story and artwork serve as reminders that Tri-five Chevys in general-and '57s in particular-were not always revered with the iconic status they currently enjoy. Sure, hot rodders were quick to see the appeal of the '55 Chev's new small-block mill, and most seemed happy enough with the styling from all three years, but the cars weren't regarded much differently than others of the era when they were first introduced. Heck, it's a well-known fact that Ford outsold Chevy in 1957, and if you study the rodding magazines of the era, you're just as likely to see Fords, Buicks, and other makes as you are Bow Ties. It really wasn't until '55-57 Chevys started hitting the used-car lots that they began taking on lives of their own as custom, and especially hot rod, fodder. Their cult status seemed to take root in the '60s and has grown like a weed ever since.
This brings us to the modern state of the Tri-five Chevy. At the risk of ruffling a few feathers, we're going to argue that these cars are in a rut. Most seem to fall into three categories: totally stock; totally stock with updated mechanicals and rolling stock; or high-end, frame-off street machine with billet wheels, leather interior, custom paint-and a totally stock, factory two-tone body! To quote Henning & Ritch, "There is no excuse for this drab sameness."
Don't get us wrong. Most Rod & Custom staffers would love to put a Tri-five with a stock body and updated drivetrain in our garage, just as we'd love to put a red cookie-cutter Deuce highboy in our garage. It's just that we're a little weary of wading through dozens of red-and-white (or turquoise-and-white) restified examples at every car show or cruise night we attend. Perhaps you're tired of the same old thing, too. Maybe it's time to shake up the status quo a little. If so, R&C might as well be the book to do it.
This month's cover car is a good example of what we're talking about. Heck, it's as stock-bodied as they come but has an attitude that few resto-rod Tri-fives can match. Check it out again and see if you don't agree. Then take a look at the Tri-fives we've compiled on the next few pages for more ideas on how to break the cycle of Chevy sameness. In the end, you need to build the car you want to build, but if you want to catch our attention with a Tri-five, the following pages hold some suggestions. See what you think!