Hot Rods 57 chevy old stock car Craigslist find

Found this on Craigslsit .
for sale in the S.F. Bay area. Not my car, just passing on a find

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/d/1957-stock-car/6698908825.html

 

I sure would like to have back some of the 55 and 57 Bel-Air hardtops my neighbors down the road used up for stock car bodies back in the 60's. I helped strip out many interiors and trim pieces off those cars when I was a kid. All the stock cars ended up yellow with a big black number 55 on each door and one on the top. Those were the days

 

All those layers of paint might have helped it. Looks to be more solid than I expected. Wonder how the floor is

 

Wow! You knew Darrel and Toke Dexter and Jerry Engle also? This is me in the Chevelle at Skyline way back in 1970.

 

Darrel at Hilltop in 1969 @BuckeyeBuicks

 

I wonder if whoever buys it, will have the good sense to restore it to it's former racing glory?

 

Heck, looks solid enough, bolt on a pair of repro frt fenders, trim, glass, it may still have another life as a straight-line racer this rime around.

 

Sure did, still do. Toke was my next door neighbor for over 40 years until he moved to Logan. I still see him every now and then at the Moose Lodge. Jerry still lives down by Orland. I have not seen Darrel in years but I hear he is still doing fine. Before I was old enough to drive me and another guy would ride in the stock car in the back of Engle's dump truck down to Skyline. Those were great times! I had moved away in the early 70's so I didn't get to see many of the races when they switched to Chevelle bodies. When I got out of the Army in 73 I ended up with property right next to Toke. Back when they were racing Toke was a top notch wrench man and Darrel was a hell of a good driver. Hard to believe we are all getting so old! Thanks for the pictures, I didn't even own a camera back then!

 

^^^ for future thread prosperity .....

 

Hope the person who makes it live again goes with tube bumpers.

 

Man that would be a blast to get it going and drive it on the street.
It looks like a sedan with a hardtop roof on it.

 

That might be Rapid Roy's old car.

 

Good eye! package tray too far back for a 2 door hardtop ,top of door and quarter kinda looks right tho,(doesnt look patched where post were cut off cant tell about the different swoop they have) not sure whats goin on there???

 

Yeah I agree henry29, it needs to be street legal.

I would work as much of the dents out that I could without messing with the paint. Put the glass etc back into it and drive the wheels off of it.

 

It was a common practice back in the day,on dirt track cars,to cut the top off, then build the roll cage, the weld the top back on. Could have easily got the top from a different car.


Bones

 

Has anybody from the HAMB bought this thing yet?

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Convertibles were popular for circle track because of the stronger frames.

 

Interesting that nearly twice as many convertibles were built compared to Nomads in 1955. Yet the ragtops are seldom seen.

 

We used to roll '55-'57 Chevy convertibles over at junkyards to cut the bodies off the frames when we were racing.

 

yep.....went to an old circle track guys yard sell years ago of tri 5 Chevies.....perfect bodies on one side.....the side that was rolled over into the dirt for the frames.....not so perfect....but the chrome fell RIGHT off when we rolled them over onto the trailer !

 

That's a really cool vintage warrior...thanks for sharing that @studebaker eric...those tri 5 racers were all Hotrod to me.

 

Bought It! Now my avatar. Going back on the track in Northern California. Surprisingly solid. Zero rust. Appears to be a two door hardtop. Raced in the mid 80's at Pearsonville Speedway near Corona, Ca. by Jim Quinn. Here's pics from 2 weeks ago and this past weekend to start working on the sheetmetal. Trying to get it running, so I can cruise the parking lot at Famoso in March. Included a couple of pictures from the 80's as well.

 

Glad to see someone bought it, It's definitely a sedan with a hardtop roof on it though.

 

Checked it out the other day, and yes.......definitely a 2 door sedan body with a 2 door ht roof. Back in the day, somebody put a lot of work into reinforcing the body for stock car racing, so this car will never see the street again. Very solid race car, and little needs to be done to get the car back on the track. Even found this front bumper on CL the other day for $25......score!

 

I love old stock cars. Have fun.

 

Awesome, keep us updated.
I'd be tempted to drive it to work or cruise night just once...

 

I love driving my old race car on the street! Even though its not really an old race car, it sure looks the part. Gene

 

...........We'll be the judge of that, Gene....Post a picture or two.

 

I should take more pictures! LOL! Gene