When we found the Chevy sitting...
When we found the Chevy sitting in a backyard in Hemet, California, it was in rough condition. The sheetmetal was intact, sound, and rust-free, but most of the trim parts were missing. Since the car was rust-free and the missing parts were available from the aftermarket, the car was worth the $1,500 price tag.
Media blasting at Andrews...
Media blasting at Andrews Powder Coating removed the old paint and rust prior to performing the bodywork. The worst part of the car was a dent in the driver-side cowl.
After hours of tedious bodywork,...
After hours of tedious bodywork, the car was painted PPG Tropical Turquoise basecoat/clearcoat with Platinum Pearl. At this point, the body was still on the stock chassis.
We removed the front clip...
We removed the front clip so the firewall and jambs could be painted.
The wheelwells, core support,...
The wheelwells, core support, and other engine compartment parts were painted separately. They were also painted Tropical Turquoise with Platinum Pearl.
The body was lifted off the...
The body was lifted off the old chassis and installed on the upgraded one we just finished. We used a "cherry picker" at the rear of the car and a pair of come-alongs at the front hinges.
Now we're ready to start reassembling...
Now we're ready to start reassembling the '57, starting with the front clip.
C.A.R.S. Inc. supplied all...
C.A.R.S. Inc. supplied all of the side stainless and the trim clips and screws necessary for installation. The parts are top quality and have been beautifully polished. Just as good as--if not better than--new.
C.A.R.S. Inc also supplied...
C.A.R.S. Inc also supplied the aluminum insert with the script installed for the Bel Air. This is another fine quality part that looks exactly like the original, which was missing from this car when purchased.
Along with the trim parts,...
Along with the trim parts, we also got the side louvers for the front fenders, the plastic insert for the chrome grille bar, lenses for the parking lamps, taillights, and turn signals from C.A.R.S. Inc.
When we bought the car, it...
When we bought the car, it only had one beat-up headlight bezel. We ordered a pair of new bezels from C.A.R.S. Inc. The chrome grille bar below the headlight is an original part that we had chrome-plated.
To give the engine compartment...
To give the engine compartment a really custom appearance, we assembled all of the sheetmetal with button head bolts from Totally Stainless. Since the bolts are stainless steel, we were able to polish them on a buffer from The Eastwood Company.
The aluminum trim panel must...
The aluminum trim panel must be spaced and secured evenly between the trim holes.
A closeup of the aluminum...
A closeup of the aluminum trim shows the small nonstructural blind rivet we used to secure the panel to the car. A few rivets in the tab extensions will keep the aluminum trim in place until the stainless is installed.
The stainless trim strip actually...
The stainless trim strip actually fits over the edge of the aluminum panel and hides the tabs we used for securing the trim.
Here's how it looks after...
Here's how it looks after the stainless was installed. It may look a little difficult to install, but it's actually very easy, and only took about an hour to do both sides.
The tail fin trim piece is...
The tail fin trim piece is a stock Chevy unit that has been polished and restored for this application. C.A.R.S. Inc. had the clips we used for securing the part.
The taillight and tail fin...
The taillight and tail fin stainless are original parts. We had the taillight housings chrome-plated and the stainless parts were polished on The Eastwood Company buffer. The taillight lenses are from C.A.R.S. Inc.
Bel Air hardtops also had...
Bel Air hardtops also had lower rocker moldings to finish off the bottom of the car. We got new moldings from C.A.R.S. Inc.
When we purchased the '57,...
When we purchased the '57, the grille was bent and broken, and the bumper was rusty and pitted. We were able to find a new front bumper and had it replated by Verne's Plating in El Segundo, California. The rubber bullets, new grille, grille bar light lenses, and center emblem came from C.A.R.S. Inc. The bumper bolts were purchased from Totally Stainless. RC
In the last few issues of R&C, we showed you how to improve a tri-year chassis with modern hot rod components. The chassis featured new springs, dropped spindles with disc brakes, new engine mounts, sway bars, and basic detailing. While the chassis was being built, the body was also undergoing some changes. The stripped-down and dented hulk we started with was going through a body-building course that would ultimately turn it into a hunk.
The tri-year Chevys were built in the "chrome age," so the higher the model designation (150, 210, Bel Air) the more chrome and polished stainless steel the car carried. Over the three-year run, the chrome and stainless that were used increased, making the '57 Chevy Bel Air the leader in brightwork. Unfortunately, most of the stainless and chrome on the '57 Chevy we started working on was missing. On the bright side (pun intended) the majority of the trim is available from aftermarket sources. We contacted C.A.R.S. Inc. for all of the trim parts we would need to get the '57 looking good. C.A.R.S. has a very complete line of stainless parts, grilles, ornamentation, lenses, and trim installation parts for '55-'57 Chevys.
In this story we'll show you how we transformed the tired Chevy into a fine piece of rolling stock. What we won't show you are all of the hours of block-sanding and primering that took place to get the body perfectly straight, because that's a given when looking at the before pictures.