1957 Bel Air 2 Door Ht Gasser Or Show Room??

Hello:

I have a chance to puchase a local 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 door Hardtopp project in exceptional condition. Factory V8 car with three speed on the column and in solid single color of Mexican Red with Red interior......

Ok HAMBERS what was and is the general consenses for the tri five small block straight axle "Street Gassers" builds

Use only a 150/210 two door post for Gassers?

Use the Bel Air Hardtopp 2 door to restore to show room only?

Is it "Believable" to have a "Street Gasser" WITHOUT a roll cage or best to install?

Please input.

 

You don't have to run a straight axle (I wouldn't - especially if your car has new suspension components). You can work with a combination of springs and ball joint spacers to achieve a nose-high look, if that's what you're after.

And yes there were a lot of hardtops in the gas classes. A lot of them didn't have roll bars. But then again, they weren't exceptionally "fast" either, a 14-sec car would have been near the top of the lower gas classes.

 

make it a gasser!!! Put a straight axle under it cheater slicks in the back, rollcage, no interior and cheap bucket seats....get a V8 for it and a different tranny too...im guessing it has the straight 6...if so you wont want the column shift 3 speed...they arnt real strong...get a powerglide or a 4 speed...go with a ford 8.8 rearend...they are basically the same as the 9 and the 12 bolt...just beef it up a little....throw it in primer and think of a good mane and you got yourself a gasser

 

custom.

there arn't nearly enough tri-5's being made into customs

 

Like I said it was a factory 283 Car.

Attached is a pic of a stunning Bel Air 2 door Hard Top Street Gasser. What a stunning look even with the Wheelbase Altered.

It seems the tri five's are very convincing Gassers without the altered wheelbase.

 

I second the custom assertion.

 

Look through this guy's 55-57 photo album and you'll see plenty of hardtop race cars. Lots of great ideas too.

http://community.webshots.com/user/TriFives

I can look at these photos over and over.

Go the gasser/'60s street machine route and you'll have more fun. There are plenty of red/red '57 hardtop stockers out there and there's usually at least one on eBay every day of the week.

 

I love gassers!
Gassers were built for the strip not the street.
Its one thing to drive a gasser to a car show. Its another thing to use one as a day to day cruiser. A true gasser build was not meant to negotiate curves,quick stops, potholes and the like.
Tri-5's make the best looking gassers.
But by the sounds of this car, you will do better reselling it instead of transforming it. You asked... IMHO.

 

Here's a sweet '57 hardtop I saw at Puyallup last summer:

 

A few more from Puyallup last summer:













Even a '58 street machine from way back:

 

Here's that same '57 at the Hot Rod-a-Rama:

 

Why just a gasser?

Why don't ya gut it, yank the radiator and put a water tank in the back seat and use it in the destruction derby?

Why not round up all the "exceptional condition" complete original old cars and fuck them up, just because we can?

 

HAHA man you made this guy mad.

I would probably think about selling it and find something that wouldn't hurt so much by cutting it up, the tri-five bel air's are fetching good money and I would hate to see a nice one get cut up. But it's your car so do as you may, I would rather see a custom than a gasser as there are so many gasser builds out there and almost nobody does a tri-five custom, and yes I have seen some really nice one's out there you just have to think outside of the box.

 

Thanks for the opinions guys.

These topics are not for the "Fragile".

 

You can build a nice Hot Rod from it without going the gasser route. Not all the cool, bad shoebox's were straight axle cars. Either way, great find.

 

Don't go the gasser route...there's plenty tri 55 gassers floating around.

 

I'd make a nice street machine out of it...

Sam.

 

Maybe something inbetween, maybe mostly stock, with a few simple modifications someone would have made to thier new car before taking it to the strip in 1957.

 

I`d go with a street machine style. Don`t hack up a `57 HT.
It would be impressive if done right. 396 , 4 speed, Cragars. I`m digging it.

 

We own a original '55 sport coupe Bel Air gasser and a original '57 sport coupe 210 H/Stock, both ran in the '60s, the gasser without a straight axle. Build a gasser! Just do your research! Look at as many old pics as you can find and figure out what you like for stance, wheels/tires, lettering etc...
-Dean

 

I have an original 60's or 70's built survivour Street Machine '57 HT.

It's got a 327 a 4 speed and a posi rear. It's a bit rough. The paint ain't primered, but old and worn. It does not have any pinstripes and I am not tatooed. It's metallic blue and it's got a crazy knob interiour.

Some people say I have to restore it, others say '57 are gay.
Real hardcore Rodders here, who built 40's style Rods with flatheads say they love it, 'cause it's cool and real.

I just love it the way it is! And I always will! (The tires are not great. Just what I had laying around at the moment.)
It's got a road movie feel to it, and that's what I like. And it's fast too!
I think with the right stuff, not too much, and also not to high, u can have a cool ride. It's the same with most cars actually.
Gassers rule, but sometimes they can be overdone too!

Keep it simple but cool, and sth. else and u'll have a winner!
cool old five spokes or Ansens will always work!!!
Maybe this blue paint is just the perfect tone for a '57....

 

a 57 Chevy can just be a real cool car! (There are many of them out there that I don't like, but I love this one so much I can't tell u why actually!)
I have an offer for it, which is pretty good. The guy wants to primer it black and redo that old interior. also wants to put on modern wheels. Then I told him NO! Either u love her the way she is, or take another one. There are enough out there!
I rather keep her, and burn some rubber!

 

I've always been under the thought that hardtops are for customs and sedans are for going fast. There are lots of nice gasser/street machine tri-5s around, but there is a dearth of good customs. With a hardtop, that'd be my choice. Check out the Rikster's site for inspiration.

 

im with gator on this one but hey its your ride do what you want to do , either way 57s are bitchin rides ..

 

if you're doing the gasser thing, make sure it runs in the very low tens. Nothing like having another half-assed gasser joining the scene. If you're going to build a poser, don't make it a traditional one. Raise the thing up and put 30's under it. Make it a real poser.

 

I would say build it into a gasser, but find an extra frame for $400 just in case 20 years from now you want to bring it back. For hardtops, I hate the roll cage look (personal opinion!) if it's just to be driven on the street. Lots of street gassers back then didn't have cages. I've been that ball joint spacer route (with a 56) with springs ect and it always screwed up my camber. I've heard of people modifying spindles to get it high, but never understood how they did it. If anyone has a picture of this modified spindle I would love to see it. Can you add any pics of the car? PM me if you don't want the car.

 

I completed a 56' Bel Air gasser in late Nov. being that I live in mid-west weather has not been the best to get it out, but in my opion if you like the straight axle look just do it, and as far as the which body style same applies or you will be spending more money later to make your self satified to get the look you want from your car.

 

Thanks for all the input.

I just bought a 1957 Bel Air two door frame that already has a straight axle and spring over posi of which I found locally in Washington state!

My objective is to clean and fox hole the original 57 Bel Air frame and marry the body to the newly aquired straight axle frame. Please see attached pics and again thank you for the amazing input!

The axle is a I beam with dual parrell leafs.

Do you like the drilled holes "Swiss Cheese" beam look?

 

Here is pics of my 56 Bel Air

 

GASSER STYLE!!!!! Or custom check out my 55 in the sunday models