Dragsix 57 bel air sedan 6 cylinder

[Dragsix]

On my 16th birthday, summer of 77, my parents gave me a key to their original second car that they had purchased in 65. It was a little rough but my parents got it repaired, running and inspected. The rest was on me as they had actually intended to send the car to the junk yard but thought better of it with a 16 year old in the house. It was black and white. I really did not know much about the car except that it ran and That I now had a set of wheels to drive. Learned pretty quickly from my classmates that I had a pretty popular car. So I must Have compounded and waxed that car 30 or 40 times in that first year. It was missing trim, paint was peeling and cracking and failing off but I cleaned it up a bit, took my drivers test in it a couple of weeks later, and drove it.

by summer of 78 I decided to take it Apart and strip down all the paint jobs on the body. Learned pretty quickly from the body shop that I could not afford a black paint job, well one that looked decent anyhow, so I opted to paint it 78 corvette red. It’s still 78 corvette red.

First photo is 16 year old me stripping the paint off the car. Second is after I got done. The third is a few days after I got the car back probably October 78. The last photo is probably late 80s or early 90s at maple grove raceway.

http://www.trifivechevys.com/blob:http://www.trifivechevys.com/6264ffe2-11f0-48b8-a4be-403b884761a2

[Dragsix]

By 1998 or 99 the car was in pretty poor shape. Northeast rust had taken its toll and the structural rust made the car unsafe to drive. There was hardly anything left of the trunk and to this day I am not sure what was holding the gas tank up. But I had little kids at home, career changes, school, and thus no money. The car sat in the garage from that point onward.

i don’t follow sports, golf, nothing really. I like to play with the cars. So in 2011 my wife asked me why I was not working on the car and I told her that there was too much damage that I did not have the space, knowledge or tool box to fix.

So, bless her heart she said something along the lines of you don’t drink your paycheck, it does not go up your nose, you don’t gamble, you don’t run around, You don’t follow sports, is there not someone who can fix the problems. So that is what I did. I Really took the car apart To nearly a shell, and sent it to some professionals (ol 55 east coast chevy) who agreed to fix the structural rust damage that I was not capable of addressing myself.

My two boys who were both teenagers at the time (the youngest at 15) helped me take the car apart. It was a pretty sad day for me to see the car in such bad shape. I was excited to see it go for repairs, but the more then a decade in the garage had not been especially kind as everything looked worn out and used up. I was just sad that it was in the shape it was in.

[carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)]

good read and cool story. know there is more to the story, will be following.

[Dragsix]

So the Plan was to leave the body on the frame and make repairs. Yea right. Too much undercarriage rust so they took the body off In 2012 and gave me back the frame.

About that time I learned that Chris Sondles was thinking of having a trifive nationals event, something akin to the old classic chevy conventions. I actually called him and we discovered that we were both at the 1980 Cherry Hill New Jersey national convention. Me as a teenager, Chris as a youngster with his parents. He asked me if I would come to the show In 2015 if he put it on. I told him yes, but that it was in a million pieces and that it was not a show car, or even all that nice (it’s a 30 yard car to be sure) but that I would do my best to get the car back together in time.

So I rebuilt the frame and then when the structural rust was fixed, Gave them the frame, they put the body back on the frame and gave me back my beloved car to finish. I literally had to fix, repair, rebuild or replace nearly every mechanical part of the car, the wiring, some trim, and most of the interior (velour seat covers from 1980 stayed and remain. My boys won’t let me change them. Hey, no laughing, velour was the cats meow In the 80s, lol) and repair damage I had done to the front fenders as a teenager. every thing I took apart to fix lead to something else that had to be fixed, cleaned, repainted. The list kept going and going. My wife told my youngest son (the older boy was in the Air Force at the time, still is) that I was going to have a heart attack if he did not help so the conversation with his mother being unbeknownst to me, he jumped in to help.

He was my right hand man from that point on and helped me for the next two years getting the car back together.

[Dave the Wave]

you`re the koolest, dragsix! told ya that for a few years! i`m sure ya bought stuff from, "chop your e.t.", K & G !

[Dragsix]

We finished literally the night before we left for the 2015 trifive nationals. I had broken in the motor that I had built for it, but absolutly 0 miles on the motor. I had no time to test the transmission I had rebuilt. All I knew is that it would start, idle, go into first and reverse. So we polished it up, cleaned and cleaned and did our best to make it look presentable.

We got to Kentucky and trailered the car to the front gate, backed it off the trailer, and I drove my car for the first time in 15 years. Truth be told, I could hardly believe I was behind the wheel of my high school car again, and with my son to boot. The car ran great, motor did not blow up and and the transmission did not scatter all over the place. Not terrible for a couple of backyard hackers. Even drove it down the drag strip, very carefully of course. I was elated.

Here we are driving into the show that morning. I was nervous and excited.

https://youtu.be/vG2YQrfJT2A

My youngest son was very introverted, did not talk much. Hardly anything really. And that was the case right up to the time we got to the nationals and then all these folks started asking him questions about the car when I was off talking. He knew the answers and was talking more then ever. I had to take a secret video just to send to my wife, lol. Now he is off and running, lol. That first year was magical for the two of us. A real roadtrip with my boy.

We thought the car looked pretty good for a couple of backyard hackers

[Dragsix]

So here it is, vintage mis-matched paint, scratches, dings, my teenage body work, peeling roof paint, old velour seat covers, all my high school era speed equipment, old Cragers, not a single gap the same, nothing really lines up, but it’s mine and it’s been mine for 43 years.

[markm]

You are a little yougger than me but I am sorry 4drs are for parts and not safe for familys.

[Dragsix]

Dave, there were days when I would just take my little high school paycheck and drop it off at K&G. The tach, gauges, cragers, and valve cover, along with god knows what else came out of that shop. I am lucky, a really good friend of mine runs that shop now and so yes, I still buy my parts there. Believe it or not, I still have a chop your et water decal in my stash of stuff. That was some operation at one point. All kinds of famous east coast racers hanging around. for example, it was not all that unusual to spot Jim Liberman either at the retail shop or at the machine shop. All kinds of well known racers from the day. Jimmy Fox (Frantic Ford fame) and Radar (John Henry) did my machine work and taught me how to build a motor when I was still in my teens. They got a kick out of my six motors.

[BamaNomad]

4-dr sedans are probably the safest of all the models~ :_

Mike: Thanks for posting the updates... I think your car (and your straight 6 approach) are FAB... :)

[Dragsix]

Hey, you asked for it it so I aim to please, lol.

http://www.trifivechevys.com/blob:http://www.trifivechevys.com/d193e8d9-9e28-4046-9dec-077bd9bab5e8

[BamaNomad]

Mike: It takes skill and courage to be *different*... :)

[Dragsix]

Na. Truth be told, I do what I want to the extent I am capable. I never worry about what anyone else thinks about my car, and I always appreciate what others are doing with their cars. And I try to encourage anyone who wants to enter the hobby to do so. Too much emphasis these days on absolute perfection. I like going to the nationals for just that reason, all types of builds are in attendance and no one is judging anyone, or they should not be. There are a couple of awards for a couple of cars but most are attending to be among the breathern with whatever version of a trifive they have. My kind of show. I think the people who most enjoy this hobby are those who are in it for the fun. Nothing wrong with the show car enthusiasts, I totally appreciate the unbelievable quality of those builds and the financial commitment you make with those kinds of cars. But for me, I like to tinker and play. Life is short you know what I mean!

So here I am, happy to assist anyone with whatever I can assist them with.

[Family4door]

You are a little yougger than me but I am sorry 4drs are for parts and not safe for familys.



i have a 57 210 4 door my kids grew up in this car no way id take a two door over it

[Dragsix]

Family four door and markm, I think you may be positing in the wrong thread, no?

[BamaNomad]

Mike, you're in the 99% of us who just enjoy the cars (working on and driving them) and the people (helping them, BS'ing and talking to them)... :) ... and now you're bringing up your son to be among us... :) Congrats!

Not many can afford the $$$ for the all out, no expenses spared, show cars...

[HILLBILLY823]

I am at a loss to understand why you think a 4 dr is "unsafe"? From a structural standpoint, the center pillar and doors would make the roof stronger in a rollover situation, much more so than a hardtop or convertible for sure. Just like color choices, 2 door or 4 door is an individual choice, and in my opinion should not be subject to criticism. A 4 door is certainly more practical for ease of entry/exit, especially for a family situation.

[Belair-o]

I really enjoyed reading your story, and appreciate your independence in not following the herd.
Thanks! Doug

[WagonCrazy]

You are a little yougger than me but I am sorry 4drs are for parts and not safe for familys.

That comment was totally uncalled for Mark.
I'm calling you out here. If you don't have something valid to say keep your fingers on some other keyboard.

[Dragsix]

I don't exactly know what he is talking about truth be told. My car is a 2 door sedan so all the talk about a 4 door? Best I can figure is he is responding to the wrong thread.

[BamaNomad]

A couple of you got confused about what Dragsix' thread is/was about. HE owns a '57 TWO DOOR sedan with a six-banger. THIS thread is his PROJECT THREAD, so comments on other subjects are not appropriate (nor welcome).. :)

Mike: Thanks for posting the updates... I think your car (and your straight 6 approach) are FAB... :-)

[Slim57]

... besides, who would I be to judge, his car runs...

[Slim57]

Mine, not so much. I do respect that you are keeping it real Mike. Doing what you believe is for you and yours is awesome. Too many trend followers in the world. And thank you for sharing.

[enigma57]

Your '57 is a beautiful work of love, Dragsix. The sort of family project that brings everyone together. I especially like the inline 6. Very well done. Has character. Nothing cookie cutter about it.

Best regards,

Harry

[Dragsix]

Hi Harry! Hey, the gang is all here, lol.

Nice of you to say so.

Bamanomad asked me to post and so since I am here, I will do my best to be active. It has been a really great opportunity. The funny part, my son really enjoyed the nationals. Then one of my oldest friends, my long time car collaborator (from age 15-16) was so torqued up that I got back on a drag strip before he did (we both gave all of it up to raise the kids and pay the bills) that he decided to resurrect his old 57 four door sedan for the 2017 nationals which would be his first.

Problem was it was nothing but a shell and we just would not have time to put it back into working order. So what does he do, he buys a running station wagon, not great but not bad either, we fix the wiring, brakes, suspension, exhaust, rear end, install a good motor and four speed and he and his daughter come with us the the 2017 nationals. His daughter told me she had heard all about his car exploits growing up but had never seen her father like this (he was making passes during the fun runs at the nationals and doing it round robin). He had a ball and truth be told, it was a lot of fun watching him have so much fun.

Later in the day, he and my son were sitting having a serious conversation. I had no clue what they were talking about until my friend told me that it was a done deal. When I asked what was done? He replied that he had just sold his 57 sedan (which was his very first car when he bought it in 78) to my son. This is a car that I worked on as a teenager. So now my friend, my son, and I are rebuilding the 4 door sedan and boy does it need a lot of work, lol. Low dollar build, all backyard hacker craft, so we have been scrounging every used part my friend and I have in our garages, anything useful, any way to keep the expenses low and get the car in safe running condition, and a lot of friends and acquaintances have been giving him some of their leftover parts and pieces to keep him moving forward. Its been pretty fun. I will try to post some phots so you can see what he is messing with.

The post script to the story is that his daughter had so much fun, that he ended up getting another wagon and she drives one and he drives the other. Truth be told, this is how younger folks get interested, so now my friend and I have our children doing the trifive thing, lol.

[WagonCrazy]

so now my friend and I have our children doing the trifive thing, lol.

I dig this. Pass it on! :DRight on brutha.

[57kurt]

Nice looking ride