Vehicle Description
1957 Chevrolet BelAir Custom Hardtop
I am not sure if there is anything we can say about the tri five
Chevy's that hasn't already been said. They were popular new and
these vehicles continue to be among the most sought after classics
on the market. They are the ultimate "classic" that both novices
and hobbyists can easily identity. They make the base for some of
the coolest customs on the planet and this clean 1957 BelAir
Hardtop falls into that class. We have listed many restomods and
pro touring style cars over the years but this BelAir takes things
to a whole new level. This has to be one of the nicest tri five
Chevys out there and was professionally built with all the best
components transforming it into beautiful car that has a vintage
50's look but modern performance. The build is all documented with
receipts that will come with the car. It was a complete frame off
nut and bolt build with no piece being left untouched. The body is
all solid and rust free. It was bead blasted and is all straight
with good gaps. It is painted in a beautiful Pearl White and the
paint work was completed by one of the best in the area. The paint
really comes to life out in the sun where you can get a good look
at all of the pearl. The chrome and stainless trim all has a
beautiful finish with no pitting or issues. Almost $3K was invested
into just having the trim professionally polished. It still wears a
lot of its original style trim pieces but the front has been
modified with a smoothie 1 piece bumper and the "V" emblem has been
removed. Also, any of the pieces that would have been Gold
originally have been changed out for chrome. The glass was all
replaced and is all tinted throughout. The custom Budnik wheels
tuck under the fenders perfectly and really look clean on the car.
They are 19 and 18 inch rims with ultra high performance Nitto Invo
tires that have plenty of life left in them.
The car is an original "VC" car meaning it came from the factory as
a BelAir ordered with a V8. Also being a hardtop makes it one of
the more desirable '57s but in place of that factory V8 this thing
is now sporting a LS7 which debuted in the C6 Corvette. These
motors are known for performance and it makes this 1957 a car you
could comfortably drive anywhere. The engine compartment is very
cleanly finished out with a painted to match custom smooth
firewall, white inner fenders, and a very cool White and Blue
cover. You will see the White and Blue theme throughout the car and
you can really see the attention to detail when you notice items
like the matching Blue air intake and Blue painted block. There is
chrome everywhere you look with everything from the AC compressor
to the serpentine belt pulleys having a nice shine. The entire
radiator support piece is polished out as is the aluminum radiator
itself and overflow tank. It also has electric fans to keep it
running cool at all times. The car sounds great and lets you know
it has something special hiding under the hood. The 2.5 inch
ceramic coated dual exhaust is all custom made with Magnaflow XL
mufflers and passes through the frame. Speaking of the frame the
car sits on an Art Morrison chassis that has all been powder coated
in Silver. The undercarriage is definitely worthy of showing off
with mirrors at shows. It has 14 inch Baer brakes under all four
corners with a chrome power brake booster/master cylinder and a
Wilwood adjustable proportional valve. It has a Mustang II style
front end with tubular A arms, adjustable coil overs and power rack
and pinion steering. The rear shocks are also JRi adjustable coil
overs. There is so much going on with the build on this car that
there are definitely features we are going to forget a leave
out.
Moving onto the interior they certainly didn't cut corners there
either. Knowing it needed something that stood out, the car was
shipped off to Paul Atkins who is very well known in the industry.
It is done in all high quality Blue and White leather which
contrasts with the White exterior nicely. It has dual bucket seats
with custom inserts that have miniature "V" BelAir trim accents on
the back. The hand made center console runs between the seats and
fits up nicely against the dash. It houses the custom automatic
shifter which is like something you would expect in a modern sports
car. The console also offers a spot for the power window controls,
cupholder, storage space and the Clarion AM/FM/Aux/Bluetooth and
Navigation system. It even has a back up camera which is something
you don't usually see on even high end builds. The dash is painted
perfectly to match and has a custom made dash pad. Even the floor
mats were custom made for the car. In the dash the car has a Dakota
Digital set of analogue gauges which incorporate a digital odometer
and clock. In front of the driver sits a nice tilt adjustable
column with a custom leather wrapped steering wheel. The trunk of
the car is very cleanly finished out and has a removable panel for
additional hidden storage.
Vintage AC/Heat, chrome door hinges, billet hood hinges, new
wiring...the list of nice features on this car go on and on. So
many talented builders had a hand in putting it together and the
result is one of a kind. This car has a lot of fun miles and
trophies in its future.
You couldn't come close to building the car for $172,500.00!
