Vehicle Description
If you're looking to play in the big leagues, this phenomenal 1957
Chevy Bel Air convertible is your ticket. Even at this price,
someone's losing a ton of money on the build, and with a long list
of upgrades and a traditional look, it's the kind of car that that
stops even the most jaded car show fan in his tracks.
Well-done cars stand out. Sure, the soft Larkspur Blue paint is
subtle, but it's really the details and craftsmanship that get your
attention. Looking at this '57, you'll discover that someone spent
months getting the body panels to line up exactly, smoothing the
surface so that the transition from one piece to the next is
seamless, and to eliminate any waves or ripples in the final
product. Finished in 2007, it still looks fantastic thanks to
expert care and quality workmanship, and we do like the fact that
it's not red. All the Bel Air details remain, so it has a stock
look enhanced primarily by its stance, and you can bet that the
bill for all the brightwork was about the size of a college
education. Of note, that's a California 1-piece front bumper (good
luck finding another one of those!), and all the gold anodized
parts have been polished to a high shine.
There's more beautiful work inside, where old and new are subtly
blended in such an expert way that it's hard to discern where the
original gear stops and the new stuff starts. The original bench
seats wear correct two-tone blue upholstery with textured inserts,
there are correct carpets with matching rubber floor mats, and the
two-tone dash is a neat custom twist that most folks will think is
an original feature. The gauges are modern pieces from Classic
Instruments that fit neatly in the original pods, and the factory
A/C vents are fed by a powerful modern A/C system from Vintage Air.
An Ididit tilt column wears a three-spoke wheel that comes from a
vintage Corvette, a nice touch. Entertainment comes via an
AM/FM/cassette stereo in the original slot and the fantastic
matching blue convertible top stows with the touch of a button.
Open the trunk and you'll find a very correct cargo bay, complete
with rubber mat and a vintage bias-ply spare on a painted steel
wheel.
As I mentioned, the engine is a crate 350, but they did more than
take it out of the box and throw it in. The block was smoothed and
painted in Chevy Orange, then topped with a lot of polished
aluminum and chrome. For power there's an Edelbrock intake manifold
with a Holley 600 carb on top, along with a set of Hedman headers
to handle the exhaust. A big aluminum radiator has no trouble keep
it nice and cool, and the brakes are upgraded with a dual reservoir
master cylinder and front discs. The suspension features 2-inch
drop spindles up front and custom leaf springs out back to suspend
a Chevy Nova 10-bolt rear end. A TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission snaps off easy shifts and the stance is accentuated by
a set of 15-inch Torque Thrust wheels with staggered 205/70/15
front and 235/70/15 Goodyear radials.
Yeah, it really is as nice as it looks, and if you're serious about
owning a '57 Chevy convertible, you'll have a hard time topping
this Bel Air. Call today!