57 Chevy BelAir Gasser Build

I have been eyeing this 57 for a few years sitting at a friend's house. Long story short, I met the owner through the purchase of something completely different and happened across this sitting on the property. I of course inquired about it but it was a sensitive subject at that time and sentimental to him. He always wanted to restore it but wound up taking the route of buying a restored 57 (beautiful car) and recently let this one go. I've had it around a month now. It was his mother's car and had been sitting under a tarp for the last 40+ years! I also picked up two parts cars in the sale that had been sitting on the property for 25+years, a wrecked 2-door Belair post, and a 4-door 210. I parted out the post car and plucking a few things from the 210. The floors are in pretty tough shape and will be replaced, but the outer skin throughout the whole body is in great shape. I plan to make a few initial frame modifications like pocket the rear springs, and stiffen the frame rails. I'm also going to replace the entire floor and trunk pan, and install mini tubs or modify the rear fender wells myself to align with the outer frame surface. Then I'll probably clean down and do the best preserving job I can of the original patina, since it has the factory onyx black paint still mostly in tact and untouched, and mount it back on the frame before going after the front end and lopping off the front horns. I'm looking for a 55-59 Chevy drop front solid truck axle.

 

Here's a few more pictures of the first day of ownership. Definitely a solid start to this project. I've had this idea in my head since childhood and excited for the build. I can remember the admiration for these cars growing up going to the drags, Super Chevy Sunday events, nostalgia events and friends with these cars.

 

Here's a few photos of the interior and transitioning into the shop before and after removing the seats and panels. Original interior as well on this car. I have every piece. The owner started to disassemble things like the dash cluster many many years ago so the car was full of boxes and cans of parts and hardware when I got it. The boxes fell apart when I handled them. He did a decent job tagging pieces 40 years ago but the paper tags and masking tape was pretty brittle and not legible.

 

Pics of beginning disassembly and pulling the trailer hitch, gas tank, bumpers, engine and trans. 283, 3-speed column shift with the under dash cable actuated overdrive. Engine and trans with OD is for sale!

 

Body is off the frame, deleting spring hangers to move towards pocketing the leafs in the frame, and removing rear engine mount frame horns.

View attachment 5615607

 

Frame is all stripped and initially cleaned up. Now this is on hold until I order the pocket kit from Woody's or decide to fab up my own parts.
I'll be moving to floor replacement in the body, but need to decide on my method of how to have the body sitting. I have the option to borrow a rotisserie from a friend while it's available but I think I might just leave it as is on the stands and go for it. I'll have to build some bracing before cutting that much steel out of the body.

 

Welcome to the HAMB from Illinois.

Nice '57 project.

 

I have a couple different weapons here to choose from and would love any input. I had this Muncie M21 rebuilt and ran it in my El Camino behind a 454 big block for a short while but didn't like it with the gear ratio in the rear end at highway speed with the 1:1 fourth gear so I installed a Tremec 5-speed in that car for the OD. Nice gear box though. This other one is a top loader Dearborn out of an Olds 442. Still a 1:1 fourth gear, but a 3-speed. They ran these FoMoCo iron cased 3-speeds in a few GM cars, I believe Pontiac, Buick and Olds starting in 65 to get away from the 4-speed insurance issues and other reasons and the Saginaw GM 3-speed boxes were subpar for the HP of some of those cars so this trans was sourced for a while, and I guess they're pretty stout. I think I'm going to run it in the 57 and kind of excited to run something a little odd and different. The mount face at bell housing, to the aft end of the output shaft is only 1/4" different with the Muncie bring that much longer than the Dearborn.

So if you have input, my intended use is just casual cruising, taking the family to car shows and events to barking tires and a few burnouts with the occasional run down the local track for fun, nothing crazy competitive. I'm looking at TBS's (the blower shop in Idaho) 6V-71 modified (15" to 12" reduced rotors) 6-71 blower to build into a 383 small block. I still have a lot of planning to get dialed in on HP goals. Think they Dearborn will be up for it? The testing discussion I've seen from back in the day sounds like they went through some pretty harsh things without failure back in the 60's.

 

Pretty solid car , interesting thread!

 

Built in California. Where are you?

 

Washington State, Olympic Peninsula

 

For those not familiar with this, here is an interesting thread about one piece bumpers and frame rails, I can't vouch for these"facts".
Your results may vary!

https://www.trifive.com/threads/california-one-piece-front-bumper.49291/

 

This car does have the one-piece "california style" bumpers, but I have the two piece seamed frame. I have all VIN and body tag manufacturing information processed, but I'll have to go back and review it to recall where the car was made. There were various locations that applied the one piece bumpers as I understand. Would be nice to have the one piece frame too.

 

Considering how long it was sitting (outside?), it looks pretty solid. Have Fun with your project, Carp.

 

True. Yea it was outside tarped up for 40 years or so. I guess it moved around the property a handful of times so hard to say 100% what it's been through but yea very solid other than floors. It'll be easiest to just chop and drop those out and replace the whole bottom side at the pinch welds.

 

Very cool. You'll probably need inner rockers as well. You may be able to find your V.I.N. on top of the frame while it's all apart.

 

Yea I bet I'll be doing rockers too! I'm looking forward to getting these floor pans cut out to see what I'm working with. I have the VIN, it was on the pillar like usual. Also have the body tag from the firewall. Here's the VIN info:

(So it is a California car with "California bumpers")

1957 Chevrolet Belair Sport Coupe VIN:
VC57O146000 ABCCDEEEEE
A: V=V8 B: C=2400 Series, Belair Models CC: 57=Year D: O=Oakland, CA EEEEEE: 146000, Production Numbers begin with 100001 for 57 model year
Cowl Tag:
Style: 57-1037O 57-1037=210 and Belair 2-door Hardtop Body Style, O=Oakland, CA Assembly Plant Code
Body No: O 6475 O=Oakland, CA, 6475=Assembly plant sequence or rotation number, not same as VIN sequence.
Trim: 670 670=Black/Silver interior with Cloth/Vinyl Model Code 1037D
Paint: 793A= 793=Black Onyx, A=Single paint color ACC: None

 

Spending a little time getting inspired this morning with my coffee, reviewing the Woody's catalog, ordering parts and reading some of my old magazines and just getting fired up about 57 Gassers! I recently joined the American Trifive Association, and bought into some com Southeast Gassers swag too. This old Trifive magazine is from January 1982. Love looking through these, have a big collection of oldies from my dad, uncle, friends and estate sales.... I bought the diecast online and what a cool model! Well made. The picture of the gasser with red glass I found online, but don't know much about it. That's the type of direction I'm going to go, minus the colored glass. More of a "gasser inspired" build than a track car with all the perfect period parts and weight cutting, but we'll see where it goes. I don't plan to trim the rear wheel openings, I love the factory lines, and might even run the smoothie front bumper. That's a tough call on that one.

 

What a score, to be honest with you I kinda liked the stance it had when the front tire was flat.

 

Wow, seems as though you have a case of “57 Fever”! My Dad bought a Sport Coupe similar to the one on the Hot Rod cover (283/195 HP w power glide).

 

Yea me too!!

 

If building a period Gasser, got to delete front bumper. I Love Tri-five Gassers! Good luck with your build.

 

Yes pretty much no option huh?! The 55's look pretty cool without the bumper, 57's are a little tougher to get to look right but I think I have a solid plan! Thanks!!!!

 

The great thing about these tri five Chev's is there are so many ways to go with them.
Seems you have dialed in a plan for yours, now just a matter of making it happen.
Thanks for sharing, good luck.

 

I have been in love with 57 Chevy's ever since I was a little kid, our neighbor had one, he was a street racer. Congratulations on getting this car and have fun with the build.

 

If you go with the 3-speed, I'd keep that a tree shifter.

 

Great Start!

 

Ordered up the spring relocation (pocket) kit and a fresh set of rear springs from Woody's Hot Rodz! Also working with a fella on OfferUp about a drop center I beam front axle with leaf springs out of a Chevy truck for the front end.

https://www.woodyshotrodz.com/mobile/Product.aspx?id=45674

http://www.woodyshotrodz.com/mobile/Product.aspx?ProductCode=DAN-285-050

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...283cid+v8,1442175,suspension,leaf+spring,7544

 

they look like they are going 200 mph -------- standing still !!!