1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

Description

All 1957 Chevys are alike, right? Wrong! This gorgeous Bel Air breaks every stereotype and delivers a fresh look at an old friend. All the things you love are still there, now wrapped in a flaming orange package with lots of horsepower, lots of leather, and lots of attitude.

To get an idea of how extraordinary this car is, note that this was already a trophy-winning rod before it was completely stripped and rebuilt from the ground up in 2003. The car was disassembled and the body was media blasted so they could start the rebuild from bare steel. A full rotisserie restoration ensued, with every square inch of bodywork being treated to the best of everything and finishing with that amazing House of Color Sunset Pearl paint. It's a multi-stage paint that must have something radioactive in it, because it seems to glow when the light hits it just right. Then it got a righteous set of pinstriped flames to accent the fact that this isn't just an orange Bel Air. At the same time, every piece of stainless and chrome trim was either re-restored or replaced with a perfect part, then reinstalled on the freshly painted bodywork. If there's a Bel Air out there with brighter, straighter, shinier chrome, I've never seen it.

A lot of planning and coordination obviously went into the interior, which is anchored by a new Glide Engineering front bench seat wrapped in two-tone leather soft enough to feel like cheating on your spouse. And speaking of matching, the striper worked with the guys at Bobby's Upholstery to duplicate the flame effect on the door panels, the steering wheel was custom made to match the road wheels, and the leather is closely color-matched to the bodywork. Dakota Digital instruments were stuffed into the original gauge pods, and it carries such niceties as A/C, power windows, and a powerful AM/FM/CD stereo with a 6-disc changer stashed in the trunk. Even the trunk got the full flame treatment with artfully stitched side panels and more high-quality carpets that match those found inside.

While the body was getting its makeover, the chassis was also stripped bare and thoroughly re-engineered. Power comes from a ZZ3 crate motor that makes 350 horsepower from 350 cubic inches, enough to make this Bel Air a blast on the street. Plenty of billet and chrome ensures that it's properly dressed for its job in this '57, and there's nothing but solid, reliable hardware so this is a rod you can actually drive anywhere. It's linked to a 700R4 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, so high-speed cruising is effortless. The entire frame was treated to a two-stage powdercoating process that gives it that "hammertone" finish, and the brightly painted floors are the perfect background for the lowered suspension and beautifully crafted stainless exhaust system with custom outlets just ahead of the rear wheels. And speaking of wheels, they're custom designed "Twin Vistas" wearing 18-inch front and 20-inch rear performance radials.

The list of show wins is extensive and this car has appeared in magazines, so if the desire to own an extraordinary '57 Chevy has hit you, this Bel Air is the only way to cure that itch. Call today!