need frame measurement for 57 bel air.

We're finally getting around to working on my wife's wrecked Bel Air and I have to cut the front leg off the driver's side of the frame and straighten it. I need to know the distance from the outside of the frame by where the bumper bolts up to the other side of the frame. It got pretty wrinkled in the crash. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Mike.

 

i get 35-9/16" from outside to outside on the front of the frame.

 

Thanks. Gonna start cutting and tweaking tonight. Worst case scenario I might be looking for frame section to weld in.

 

My 57 BelAir 2door sedan measures 35 3/4" outside to outside at the end of the frame rail all the way back to the rearmost front bumper bracket hole.

 

i have no idea where NOLA is, the frame in my pic has been sitting there for 20 years or more even, i would just tack things togather and see how things line up, heres the other end of my frame.

 

New Orleans, LA(Louisiana)

Military designation for the above NOLA.

 

so i went out and double checked my frame, and its 35-3/4" at the bumper bolt locations, but its 35-5/8" at the very front.

 

I've got 35 3/4" on two cars.

 

I figure between 35 5/8 and 35 3/4 should be close enough. Its only the bumper location so if need be I can shim or tweak the brackets. I wanna be damn close since this is her baby and its in really nice shape, other than the front end being a foot shorter.

 

do you have any pics of your frame?

 

Not with me, I'm at work. I'll take some when I get home. My wife might have some though.

 

Hi everyone i'm the wife that got in the crash

here's a pic of the damage before we took off all the sheet metal

we'll take some more pictures when we get home and post them

 

There's a better pic of her in a bikini taking the front end apart. Gotta find that one.

 

have you checked to make sure the frame is not diamond shaped? most likely you have.

 

What do you mean by diamond shaped? From the wreck or the actual shape of the frame? I can see that the pass side didn't get damaged (the impact was the drivers front corner). The frame itself is just c channel with another channel welded on the inside to box in the front section. I've taken measurements down the rest of the frame and its still square. Looks like the control arm supports held it all together because the wrinkles in the frame are right in front of them.

 

Damn that looks just like my old car.


Kinda strange there's no paint missing.

 

Yeah. That's the original paint and it still looks great. Gonna be hard to match for sure. Sucks cause its just too clean of a car to go gasser style, which I secretly wanted to do.

 

Well 4 drs kinda look goofy as gassers any way.
A mild custom would be cool though.

 

Complete specs on 57 Chevy

 

Ya should pick up a factory shop manual and assembly manual just for
future reference.Thinking they even come on CD now and are reasonably
priced. Still,it sucks it got crunched...

 

We do need to get the assembly manual. Its on the parts list. Here's some pics-

 

I was going to say, Chiltons and Motors put out annuals with frame specs in them, you might grab one of those. But the posting above will take care of that -

 

If you need a frame section to weld in let me know I have a whole spare frame and I have a buddie with the front stub only that could yeild you a good frame rail. I also have many other 57 parts. I am about 60 miles from you. Tim