57 Chevy, Dude! build thread

After promising myself that my 1000th post was going to be something signficant, I realized that keeping quiet was going to be tough. In fact, this thread was supposed to start with a photo of the finished car and work backwards to the beginning back in 1984 when I was 18 and dragged the car home. Life has a way of slowing down timelines it seems, so the build is taking a while. Like 1/2 my life!
The car is a 1957 210 2 door sedan. When I 1st laid eyes on it in 1975, it was a used up, butchered drag car, sitting in my friends' driveway. We were kids but I knew it was a 57 and that was cool in my eyes. His dad finally relented and sold it to me in '84 when my friend went off to college and it was clear the car would continue to sit. Purchase price : $1.00

 

This should be good, watching this one...

Amazing what we could get our hands on for cheap back then, ain't it?

 

NICE !!!! is that the engine in your avatar ??

 

Thanks guys! My dad referred to it for years as "The Remains" because it was rusted, cut, gutted and stripped. Tranny tunnel absent, dash hacked, just a mess. Most expensive dollar I ever spent!
The BBC & fresh M22 hybrid trans are the combo! More on them later, pride thing with me I have to build my own engines, shift my own gears, too!

 

looking forward to this one!

 

Absolutley AWESOME!!! Can't wait to see it done.

 

I'm gonna watch this one closely-- looks good!

 

Please give us more more more !!!!!! LOL

 

i am hoping for a lot more on this. maybe some before pics and maybe some pics as it was raced. I am going to subscribe to this.

 

My main man Philroy checking in! Thanks for your help with the pix, here's more:

 

I like it a whole lot what are the wheel and tires on the back?

 

What you see here is the result of a lot of work. The car was very rough when I got it. As a teen, I drove it in primer, Americans, 327, M21, 4.56s and slapper bars. Screaming small blocks are cool, and the car was pretty quick. This time it's going to be FAST! That's the goal, anyway.
In the 90's, I took the body off the frame and worked oveer the suspension with a 9" & ladder bars and tubular A arms, rack & pinion. Blasted the body, replaced floors, trans tunnel, inner & outer rockers, and the trunk floor was transparent too. Built my own trunk floor for a cell and mini tubs.

 

So a few years ago, I cut the frame and did the whole 2x4 box tube and straight axle setup. Muuuch better!!

* The drag link is level when the engine & trans are in the car *

 

Thanks enloe! They are a set of 15 x 10 magnesium Americans from back in the day. HAMBer Flat n Low sent 'em here from California! They polish up to an unworldly luster. Mickey Thompson slicks by Radir 10.00 -15

 

Hi, I also will be watching the build, the car looks GREAT, love the rear fender wells. Ray...

 

More pics please gimme more gimme more gimme more

 

Dig! Subscribed. Lots of 57 guys this. Good luck!

 

Thanks Ray - My body guy took a set of junk front fenders I had & grafted the wheelwells to the rear quarters. We were sure to leave enough sheet metal for the long lower stainless trim to pass over the wheelwells.
Inspired by the almighty Project X back when it was perfect.

 

the price was right and it is looking great...

 

Can't wait to see more pics and read more about the build!

 

The fiberglass front end I planned on using got ditched in favor of a brand new set of fenders. The steel stuff isn't that much heavier and is straighter. Plus, I picked up an OT El Camino with a flip front end. I'm cured of wanting that feature on a street car.

 

what kind of front axle is that?

 

Sick build, I look forward to seeing this get put together

 

It's a MAS drop axle and parallel spring kit. 49 - 54 chevy spindles with thier disc brake kit. Uses GM "A" body calipers and rotors. Same as two other vehicles in the fleet here so uniformity works. MAS is no longer around as far as the story goes.

 

enloe, lemme know if you need another set of ETs for your 61. Got a pair of 14 x 6.75 like the ones in your album. Love the longroofs!

 

wow i soo want one of those and i really like the rear wheel openings tell ya what ill give you a 100% profit of your initial investment ...name a place where you can get that kinda return thats for it the way it is in the pics

 

Man, I love it more and more each time I look at it. Showed the girlfriend and it passed inspection. I agree. Lets see some more pictures!!! If you need any more help downsizing them, please let me know.

 

Thanks, Philroy! This week's goal is to get enough of the splash pan/fenderwell assembly together to stiffen things up and support the fenders. The fenderwells are rusted at the bottom, but most of the lower part gets sawzalled off for the fenderwell headers. Then some more photos.
Even though the car isn't much more than a shell right now, once it's painted this spring it will come together quickly. The powertrain is ready to drop back in and the interior is going to minimal. Already got my eye on the Limeworks low back buckets, going to do a headliner and aluminum door panels. Blue 'flake Covico wheel, blue line Sun tach, oil & vac gauges with a Hurst Ramrod poking thru the floor. Carpet. Done. Tach it up to the moon and dump the clutch!

 

what color is it going to be?

 

The short answer is pearl white. To arrive at this:

House Of Kolor White base
H.O.K. Blue Ice Pearl

And as long as the fiberglass front end, bumper and deck lid sell, the roof will be blue 'flake. Had no idea custom paint was sooo pricey.