Just joined? Please introduce yourself.
Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 33

Thread: Dualfours-My 2Dr

  1. #1
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020

    Member #:4419
    Location
    Wellington, Kasas
    Posts
    241

    Dualfours-My 2Dr

    \\Okay, second post here since I just joined this morning. Bit of a LONG back story as have had my 57 since '75. Hope it does get too boring for anyone to read.

    As mentioned, I bought my 57 in early summer of '75 Some of the guys I ran with were doing some rather informal drag racing at our local track. I was married, two kids, working a good paying job with Boeing Aircraft Co. in Wichita, Ks. and figured it would be fun to try the race car bit. I already had a decent running '65 Impala SS 300hp/327 4 spd. Quite the ''family car', NOT, LOL.

    Started looking thru local car ads and came upon an ad for a '57 210 sedan for sale in neighboring town. Went and looked, running 283, Muncie M-21, original bench, peg leg 3:55 rear end, Appliance headers, good Kansas title, $500. Bought it and drove it home with a lot of trim in the trunk and back seat, body in primer. Had a General Kinetics solid lift cam, Weiand aluminum intake and Holley double pumper. A few minor changes and off to the drag strip I went. Flat towed it behind my 1/2 ton Chevy pickup with drive shaft laying in the trunk. Ran it off and on when I could but work hours were getting longer and longer and weekends also. Best time I ever turned as I recall was 14.32 at 93.6 mph. Decent but not hardly fast enough. Finally decided after 2 1/2 years just wasn't working for me. Wife, kids, job, house payment, car payment, I'm sure a LOT of guys know the deal there. Parked it in the garage and always planned to "get back to it". Yeah, sure.

    Fast forward several years. Still could not get back to the 57, added a third youngin', bought and remodeled an older house on two acres. Bought a rough 71 4WD Chevy 1/2 ton, restored it. Bought a 71 Chevelle and restored it, 57 still sitting in the garage. Retired after 36 years with the Boeing Co. and built a 35x50 steel building retirement playhouse. Okay, put it off long enough, time to get the 57 done and enjoy it!!
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020

    Member #:4419
    Location
    Wellington, Kasas
    Posts
    241
    Some more on my 57. After I had been retired a few years decided it was time to get started on the 57. During my working years wife and I helped two kids thru college and one thru trade school. I had mentioned at times the thought of selling the 57 since I had no time to work on it and no money to do it with. Wife talked me out of it saying she knew I would kick myself for selling it as by then I had sold the 65 Impala SS and to this day I regret doing that. 57 sat in the garage with me doing a few minor things on it as I could afford it. Rebuilt the engine, ditched the solid cam, went with a Melling hydraulic cam, acquired a stock 57 GM 2x4 intake and Carter WCFB carbs. Took 3 carbs to build the two. Added front disc brakes from the old Classic Chevrolet International before Eckler's acquired them.

    A friend of mine who also retired from Boeing Co. was doing body work on the side as a retirement income supplement. He had done the body on my Chevelle and I was very satisfied with it. Asked him to do the 57 when he had an opening, 8 months later the tear down and restore was started. Body down to bare steel and found the unknowns in the body restore world. Floor pans, trunk floor and rear tail pan brace, roof repair from many dings. Finally got the body done, blocked and primed 4 times. Off to the paint as he did not have an actual paint booth, only shooting primer in his garage. BC/CC coat of 2018 GM Shadow Gray Metallic and all the original trim worked, buffed and installed. Straight from the body and paint process into the interior shop where it resides now. Gray cloth and vinyl interior, gray carpet.

    Couple more pics of current condition.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  3. #3
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016

    Member #:3217
    Location
    Rocket City, USA (Huntsville, AL area)
    Posts
    3,771
    Very neat story and great looking car!! It certainly looks drivable... are you able to put some miles on it ??

  4. #4
    Administrator 567chevys's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010

    Member #:3
    Location
    Woodland Washington
    Posts
    2,407
    Great Story and great looking 57 Chevy , I love Carbs x 2 on it

    Thanks for telling us the story .

    Be safe

    Sid

    1955 2 DR Post
    1937 Chevy Coupe
    2023 Ford Super Duty F350 TREMOR
    2019 Corvette Z06
    1955 Chevy Nomad
    1935 Ford 2dr Slant back I have 4

  5. #5
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020

    Member #:4419
    Location
    Wellington, Kasas
    Posts
    241
    Car is tagged with a Kansas 1957 license plate, street legal and drivable altho no interior seating to sit on right now, LOL. Have a couple pics on my phone of a completed door panel but not smart enough to post them here from my Android phone. Will send them to my email address and get them posted at a later date.

    I do have a pic of some of the "treasures" that were found during the tear down phase. Nothing special but just interesting every day use items. Made a display case to show them when the '57 makes it's first car show along with an album of pictures taken during the build. The two pocket knives, one beer opener and the rusty feeler gauges were found when the front clip was removed. The other items found came from the front windshield area under the trim by defrost vents. At first I thought the two dried twisted cigarettes were of the "roll your own" variety until we removed them and seen the factory filters, LOL. The rectangular metal patch piece was at the left rear dog leg area by the rear wheel well. Had been braised in with brass rod many years ago prior to me buying the car.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  6. #6
    Registered Member carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011

    Member #:33
    Location
    Culpeper, Va.
    Posts
    1,857
    good read and cool 57. neat to have all those in a display case. thanks for sharing.
    ARMY NAM VET, very proud!

    56 210 4dr

    drive and enjoy them while you work on them, life is to short.

  7. #7
    Registered Member WagonCrazy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012

    Member #:530
    Location
    Santa Clarita, CA
    Posts
    1,789
    Lookin' good man. Like that display case with the history lesson in it.
    1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
    1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

  8. #8
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    May 2012

    Member #:625
    Posts
    3,408
    The only thing cooler than one carb is two or more.

  9. #9
    Registered Member NickP's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012

    Member #:1653
    Location
    De Queen, AR
    Posts
    4,157
    Welcome

  10. #10
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020

    Member #:4419
    Location
    Wellington, Kasas
    Posts
    241
    Couple pics of the door panels and the rear package tray from the interior process. Ordered the stainless steel trim pieces from Classic Industries and was almost a month getting them. Headliner from Ciadella was delayed also. Guess not a huge problem tho cause not much going on in the way of car shows this year. Our local car show I had planned on showing the 57 for the first time was among the cancellations.
    Attached Images Attached Images

Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •