Vehicle Description
We know you guys love '57 Chevys, so when this black Bel Air 2-door
showed up, we welcomed it with open arms. A cool resto-mod, it has
a few tweaks to make it a blast to drive, including a thundering
427 cubic inch V8, a 4-speed, and the kind of workmanship that will
make it stand out just about everywhere it goes.
Those hot-rod wheels give it a modern look, but the truth is the
bodywork is pretty much as GM intended way back in the 1950s. The
car was built a few years ago and wears more recent paint, which
has a great shine thanks to modern materials and good bodywork
underneath, and while it's been driven, the overall effect is
extremely impressive. The doors fit well and the two-door bodywork
is more rigid than the hardtop, so everything lines up the way it
should. Unlike so many resto-mods, this one still wears all its
original trim and brightwork, most of which was restored or
replaced during the build. From the bumpers to the delicate piece
of trim along the window sills that accents the little dip in the
bodywork, it keeps all the jewelry that makes these cars winners
with the public. The anodized side panels always look great and
amber-colored lenses in the front parking lights give it a bit of a
different look that stands out without making a lot of noise about
it. This car just looks right.
The attractive two-tone black and gray interior is recently
finished and was custom crafted to give it a bit of an updated look
without erasing the car's personality. The original bench seats are
wrapped in high-grade vinyl with pleated inserts, and the rear
bench was upholstered to match. The original dash and gauges were
kept in place and look to be in good condition, with the
three-spoke steering wheel adding a bit of flair to the otherwise
low-key Chevy. The carpets and door panels are also new and match
the overall theme of the interior. A Hurst shifter with a cue ball
knob gives it a more sporting look than they were building in 1957
and it makes this heavy Chevy a lot more fun to drive. The Bel
Air's big trunk is entirely stock, with a shockingly clean spare
tire well and a reproduction mat; all it needs is a spare tire and
it'll be ready to show.
Power comes from a monstrous 427 cubic inch Chevy V8 which, of
course, is a tight fit in the '57's engine bay. Borrowed from a
1969 Corvette, it's got a mild cam inside, a Holley 4-barrel
carburetor up top, and a snarky Flowmaster dual exhaust system, it
makes the right hot rod sounds without upsetting the reliability
that made these engines famous. Chrome valve covers and a matching
air cleaner give it a showy look that brightens up the all black
engine bay, and you'll note a chrome alternator and a power dual
master cylinder for the front disc brakes. A 4-speed manual
transmission snaps through the gears with genuine authority and
there's a heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end out back, so don't worry
about breaking it. The undercarriage is in excellent condition with
a handsome satin black finish to really showcase all the new
hardware, including fresh lines, a new gas tank, and easy-riding
shocks all around. Those aforementioned polished Torque Thrust
wheels certainly make a statement against the old bodywork and
carry 235/70/15 performance radials.
This is an awesome cruiser that doesn't break any new ground but
instead provides the kind of reliable, care-free cruising that
everyone ultimately wants, and the incredible powerplant certainly
doesn't hurt. Call today!