1957 Chevrolet Project Part XIV: The Finished Product

When we purchased the '57,...        read full caption When we purchased the '57, it was assembled with an assortment of body parts from different '57 Chevys. The difficult parts to find, such as the upper chrome trim with flappers and window molding, were still intact. The inside molding was also there. The bumpers and side trim were history, but the trim is available from aftermarket suppliers. The bumpers can be found at swap meets.

Andrews Powder Coating media...        read full caption Andrews Powder Coating media blasted the car down to bare metal. Fortunately, what we saw was what we got--there were no hidden surprises.

Our friend who talked us into...        read full caption Our friend who talked us into buying the '57 had an extra frame that we could assemble and modify. This frame was the boxed tube style that was stronger and lighter than the C-style frame. We started by having the frame media blasted, then we installed the front motor mounts from Mike McGaughy's Classic Chevy.

We also installed the rear...        read full caption We also installed the rear trans mount from Mike McGaughy's Classic Chevy. Both the front and rear mounts can be bolted in, making it easy for anyone to assemble, or the parts can be welded on for extra strength. We opted to weld them.

The frame was painted with...        read full caption The frame was painted with PPG Black Deltron urethane for a shiny finish. We also rebuilt the front suspension with new parts from Performance Suspension Technology. Eaton Detroit Springs' Rod Ride springs were used with 2-inch lower coils in the front and 2-inch lower leaf springs in the rear.

The original drum stoppers...        read full caption The original drum stoppers were replaced by disc brakes and dropped spindles from Master Power Brakes. The rotors and calipers are late-model GM-style, and work great.

Here we are installing the...        read full caption Here we are installing the '69 Road Runner 3.23:1 Positraction rearend on the Eaton Detroit Springs. With these new springs, the car will sit 2 inches lower in the rear.

The chassis was finished with...        read full caption The chassis was finished with the installation of American Racing Torq-Thrust five-spoke wheels running BFGoodrich tires. The American wheels give the car a timeless hot rod appearance.

We have go-power and stopping...        read full caption We have go-power and stopping power--all we needed was power steering to make it perfect. Mulling Steering Gears solved that problem for us with a complete kit that includes the power steering box, pump, lines, and brackets. Only one of the steering box brackets has to be welded on--the rest of the brackets are bolt-ons.

An ample amount of bodywork...        read full caption An ample amount of bodywork was needed to get the Chevy straight. We spent plenty of time massaging the panels, and when we felt they were perfect, the car was painted Tahitian Turquoise with platinum pearl using PPG basecoat/clearcoat. In this photo, you can see that the car is still sitting on the original frame.

While the bodywork and paint...        read full caption While the bodywork and paint was being done, the new chassis was completed. In this photo, we are mounting the freshly painted body on the new frame.

We mounted the body on the...        read full caption We mounted the body on the frame using special mounting bolts from Totally Stainless and rubber pads from C.A.R.S. Inc. The next step is installing the front sheetmetal followed by the trim. All of the sheetmetal parts were also installed with bolt kits from Totally Stainless.

Looking at the '57 from the...        read full caption Looking at the '57 from the rear, you can see the new aluminum panels and stainless trim that we got from C.A.R.S. Inc. The company also supplied the taillight lenses. The taillights are rechromed originals. The stainless fin trim pieces are also originals that we polished on a buffer from The Eastwood Company.

C.A.R.S. Inc. also supplied...        read full caption C.A.R.S. Inc. also supplied all of the side stainless and the lower trim molding. The door handles are rechromed originals.

Since the first big cruise...        read full caption Since the first big cruise for the '57 was going to be Americruise, we wanted windshield wipers that would work. The original cable units weren't very good, so we upgraded the car with a complete system from Pacific Western Design. As you can see, they utilize the stock positioning and trim bezels, and they are two-speed wipers.

We purchased a nice set of...        read full caption We purchased a nice set of '57 bumpers and an original grille bar at a swap meet, but C.A.R.S. Inc. supplied the new grille, rubber bumpers, headlight bezels, grille bar lenses, Chevy logo, and side louvers.

Cooling was a big consideration...        read full caption Cooling was a big consideration when this car was built, because we knew we would be traveling through the desert in the middle of summer. We equipped the car with a Be Cool aluminum radiator designed to cool a big-block, and a Scott fan. The air conditioning condenser is a Vintage Air unit.

Looking from the inside of...        read full caption Looking from the inside of the engine compartment, you will see a 17-inch mechanical fan and a shroud from Vintage Air. The torture test for the system was the Baker grade coming out of Las Vegas. It was 117 degrees on the world's tallest thermometer, we were climbing the grade at 70 mph with the air conditioning on, and the engine temperature was 205 degrees.

This view of the interior...        read full caption This view of the interior shows several of the items we equipped the car with, including the B&M shifter that is hooked to the B&M Turbo 350 trans, the Vintage Air heat and air conditioning system, the Lokar pedals, and the Custom Auto Sound stereo system. The inside dash trim was also from C.A.R.S. Inc.

The stock dash bezel was upgraded...        read full caption The stock dash bezel was upgraded with Dakota Digital gauges in blue to match the car. The bezel was repainted, the stainless trim was polished, and the trim rings and small light bezels were chrome-plated.

We were able to find a set...        read full caption We were able to find a set of original seats, which are pretty rare, so we decided to reupholster the '57 with a reproduction Bel Air interior from C.A.R.S. Inc. in turquoise and black. The carpets are also turquoise. As a safety precaution, we added seatbelts front and rear.

The rear seat is also original...        read full caption The rear seat is also original and features the C.A.R.S. Inc. Bel Air interior. Juliano's supplied the seatbelts.

A Grant steering wheel was...        read full caption A Grant steering wheel was adapted to the ididit tilt steering column. We started with a light gray wheel and dyed the leather rim turquoise to match the upholstery.

We ordered extra carpet and...        read full caption We ordered extra carpet and vinyl upholstery from C.A.R.S. Inc. so we could reupholster the trunk. Mike Ambrose interiors did the work and added a panel at the back with a pair of doors for storage. You can also see the Custom Auto Radio CD changer located in the panel.

The '57 ran great on Americruise,...        read full caption The '57 ran great on Americruise, but it would have been nice to have an overdrive unit, so when we got back we decided to install one from Gear Vendors. The switch to control the overdrive unit from manual to automatic was attached to the Vintage Air outlet.

From underneath you can see...        read full caption From underneath you can see how the Gear Vendors unit mounts to the end of the transmission. Installation of the overdrive took less than a day, and it really makes a difference. At freeway cruising speed it dropped the rpm from 3,000 to 2,000! In the manual setting, your three-speed automatic can be turned into a six-speed.

We've always wanted to fix up a '57 Chevy but couldn't find a hardtop that was priced right. A good friend knew we were looking for one, and turned us on to this $1,500 derelict. His thought about car-building is "why buy one that's in pretty good shape and then replace all of the mediocre parts with new ones, when you can buy one that needs everything for a fraction of the price and replace the same parts?" In the long run, the price of fixing up the nice car would actually cost more than fixing up one that's not as nice. Using that logic, he persuaded us to buy the '57.

The '57 Chevy's body had its share of dents, and many of the body parts were mismatched, but overall it wasn't too bad, and the floorboards were rust-free. The first step was to strip the body to bare metal to start the initial bodywork. It was taken to Andrews Powder Coating where it was media blasted. Under all that mismatched paint there were no surprises, so the bodywork was what we expected. In this final story on the car, we'll give you an overview of how the car came together. It took about a year from start to finish, working in our spare time, and many readers saw the car firsthand at Americruise '98. Our intention when we built the car was to make it look good enough for car shows, but not so nice that it would keep us from driving the car. What we ended up with was a very nice-looking '57 that's also a blast to drive.

What we found interesting about building a tri-year Chevy was the abundance of parts that are available. Restoration suppliers have just about everything a person needs to get a '55-'57 Chevy looking brand-new. They have parts ranging from stainless trim to interior kits for the cars, and the parts are high-quality and reasonably priced. Aftermarket companies are also offering a large supply of suspension-related parts, from disc brake kits to power steering systems. If you have always wanted to build a classic, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of parts that are available to make your car '90s friendly. We turned this Chevy from a stripped-out derelict to a luxury cruiser using the parts we uncovered in our search.