That engine is sweet... looks like you could eat off of it. Awesome looking Bel Air. Love the red color. Sounds like these guys are really on top of their game in restoring this baby. I love to hear the rumble of that engine...
Thanks to everyone for your kind words, it means a lot to me. I wanted this car all my life and don't get much time to show it and hear reactions from others.
I'm a fan of that car, totally in love with this model of car .. pity that in Brazil is hard to find and when found, his price is too high. Sorry if my english is wrong or difficult to enteder, my language is different. a nice car, congratulations on the state of conservation.
'Stangs are cool, I used to have one, I see from your page you're a railfan. I worked 6 yrs for a private short line throughout Pa. We bought up old lines and restored them and generated new business along them. I restored a few old locomotives and passenger cars as well. Thanks for the kind words on the car.
Thats pretty cool. My grandpa had a 57 Bel Air StationWagon back in the 60's. I don't have anything of old though. Iv'e got a 94 mustang, and I consider that a gem to me.
I just got my Moser rear w/ 370 gears and true-track - can't wait to install it. I'm also upgrading to disc brakes at the same time. The radiator, support and dual electric fans are from progressive automotive and will set you back about $1200 polished. It keeps me running at 160 to 170 all day on a 90 degree day, I'm really pleased with it.
Single chamber flowmasters - not sure of the model number, I'll check when I go back to pick up the old 283. I want to rebuild it myself and use it in a T-bucket roadster. It's great your dad and you enjoy working together, my dad was a huge help with my 57 (and the 15 cars before it). Thanks for the kind words.
He actually replied back and was totally cool, no big deal, everyone can have an opinion or suggestion. Yes, I did go with a Tru-trac w/ 3.70 gears in a Moser 9 inch. I kept the leafs instead of going 4 link 'cause I didn't want to chop into it, and to keep the cost down a bit. Thanks for liking and sticking up for a fellow rodder anyhow!
hot damn listen to then pistons fire off!!..that engine is well done,thumbs up to you guys..and talk about a sleeper..that 57 aint no joke hahaha i love it!!
Well then in that case i will chew on my foot for a bit lol and apologize to fiddlepin. Sounds like you need to some day post another video of this awesome ride with the upgrades. Glad you haven't chopped into the car. That is the awesome fact about it , it houses a beast but still looks factory. I love it.
@tommynights you guys did an excellent job on this car though, these things are icons of the 50's. i like how it was kept with the sleeper look. stock appearance with dangerous power. thumbs up
Thats sweet !! Love the original look with some good HP underneath were it counts.I would have put a posi in though, besides that a 20 out of 10. Man if i had money i would have so many different rides indeed.Cars are cool. 57 are iconic.
@4freespeech Orig motor was totally shot from some backyard mechanic who thought he knew how to rebuild it, and they (283) were notorious leakers anyway. It runs plenty fine with the 4speed muncie and 3.70 rear, although it does like fuel, but I wasn't looking for a daily driver. As for keeping orig, the suspension and brakes HAD to be replaced with modern stuff - without which the car was a death trap, I respect your opinion, but I had to go with my dream of an old school rod.
i am crying tears of beauty right now. that is one amazing badass car! i have a 72 chevy cheyenne and im about to put a 350 chevy big block in it the engine thats in it right now sure does make it rumble, but its seen better days so im lookin at one 350 i had my eye on. ill try to post a vid
Thanks Vegas and Kolfritz - I'm trying - working hard; look, it's never gonna be a contender with modern tech, but I'm just doing what I wanted when I was that little kid at a car show, admiring all the work those other guys did. BTW..., Three "modern shops" who said they can do an alignment can't and everybody who calls this dated around here doesen't know what/how a carb (let alone TWO) IS/WORKS. Fortunately I got my start from good mechanics and rebuilding locomotives.
@theDead64 love to see it when it's done - my dad still helps me and gives advice on my car builds. He started teaching me at about the same age as you. I'm 41 now and building a 32 Ford 5 window, hope my 3 y.o. girl will grow to enjoy cars as much as we do!
i think i just creamed in my pant's that she sounds absolutely fucking awesome and the way it kept on spining the one tire half way up the road that baby has some major power under the hood great job guy's
That's cool, but I would shy away from that 57 deal, they can eat up money quick and four doors don't "make it back" and this is by far my "most wasteful (costly) build," but it was a dream since I was a kid. I started out doing body work for friends and their families in the 80's, moved on to restoring locomotives and motorcycles, now I want to build one from the ground up. But truthfully, the best times I had were when my dad was teaching me body work on those "old stock rebuilds."
Still have it, putting it in a T-Bucket roadster for now, but it was already messed with when I bought it - heads, cam , etc. So, I wanted a reliable runner that sounded and ran 60s hot rod and wouldn't be a trailer queen. But thanks for the nice words anyway.
Comp grind, .570 lift, can't remember duration - similar to their newer "mother thumper" grinds - not the all out choppy one, one step down. 1.6 rockers, Dart Pro 1 200cc alum. heads - and TONS of other goodies inside...
Some nice additions for sure.A 32 as well.Some seriuos HP to wieght ratios there.Planning big block or small ?.Look forward the videos.I am doing the sport compact thing right now but the group i cruise with is a great varity of different rides.from my turbo four to a bad ass SVT cobra.We enjoy each others cars as true car guys.Lots to learn from each other.I have always like the 57 out of many,especially the rare fuel injection.Good luck at finding one of those though. Great job once again.
@Bishn0zle Not sure what you are asking, but I went with worked 64cc Dart pro1 alum. heads w/ 200cc intake runners to flow more, 2.02/1.60 valves, rollers, Scat crank, balanced everything, decked, align honed, Speed pro pistons, hastings rings, Eagle I beam rods, screw-in studs/guide plates, chromemoly push rods, ARP bolts, MSD 6AL with rev limiter, hi-perf oil pump and water pump, crossflow radiator, etc...
Not my kind of car, but my grandfather owned one. I promised myself that after medical school I would buy one for my dad, candy apple red, just like the one from his childhood.
Thanks, I added a Moser rear with Detriot True-track and 3.70 gears this year, along with Wilwood disc brakes all around. Hope to finish my 32 Ford soon and post some videos.
np :) in that quick vid it doesnt have any interior as far as seats, dash components etc. no door locks, and no grille bar/working electrical components. since then new upholstery locks, electrical. cant wait till its done so i can smoke the tires like yours!
An open rear will turn both wheels as long as both have solid traction. If either one looses traction then only one wheel will spin. They can alternate from one to the other but only one will spin. Have a nice day
Thanks for the comments. I know they look like they stick out but they actually sit under the corners of the bumper. Your leg would hit bumper b4 the tips.
Thanks, sorry I misunderstood, still would like to see the 70 olds - my buddy had on in college, 442 - white w/gold stripes. That engine sounded great.
Wonderful job on this!! Love the sound hard to beat a good running chevy. I made a small change to the rear-end on my 57 because of the added horsepower and to avoid spinning one wheel. Although I kept the original incase I ever put it back stock. Question however the radiator cradle looks like its been replaced totally?? I love how you smoothed it out was just curious if it was something you fabricated or purchased. It looks great. I've considered moving my engine forward for the same reason.
if you wanted to keep the stock rims I would really recommend tires from Diamond Back classics. Their radial tires and you can get them in wide white walls. Or if you wanted to do my route you could get from Radir wide white wall M/T slicks with early to mid 60's biasply piecrust edging and put those on the rear with biasply repop tires up front.
@jingelsby It's a comp cam, custom grind with altered rocker ratio - about .570 lift - I would step it down a little for streetability and go with a mother thumper. Right now I idle around 1000, not great for cruising/mileage, but it does really wake up at 2500 and run strong to the 6500 rev limiter.
A posi unit became available late that model year -- this beautiful car needs one. Tri-Fives are Number Uno but unsafe at any speed, no safety features at all . . . would still love to own one though.
Nice. I am more into stock restorations mainly due to the fact that I cant find any Model T`s or pickups cheap to turn into hotrods all I find are like $8,000 for the body and the frame and nothing else. I could get a 57 Belair 4dr with a running Inline 6 cylinder that just needs the paint redone for $2,500
@nldekker For a car in decent shape, expect to pay 30-40 grand. A show car is about 70-100 grand. Mine is about in the middle of the two. If you get a rusto-rod and do it yourself, expect to pay a lot in unexpected repairs.
Haven't decided which to go with yet, still figuring measurements for disc brake conversion. The video is just the guys showing off, but if you work the clutch right, the car will "hook and book" - but a rear should only improve on it. Probably going with Strange or Currie.
On paper, $5525.00; however, I supplied intake, carbs, etc. Also had them do entire front end, paint work, some electrical, labor to install, fuel system, steering, headers, the list goes on to the tune of $21,104.40
Thanks, just put a 9" Ford w/3.70 gears and True-trac posi in along with cragars and wider tires 1960's style - can't wait to post a vid of BOTH tires doing the same, (wheelstand maybe...)
@pepperkitty I wouldn't know, they aren't there any longer. It was Cindy Street in Ocean, NJ, across from the Jaguar service center and next to a cabinet store.
With the rockers I'm using, I've got about.570 lift, can't remember the duration/seperation, but pretty early open on exhaust, hence the noise. Comp cams Mutha Thumpr would be kinda close I guess, but be prepared for very little vacuum and a teeth rattling/ cop waking ride.
Yo, we're from Jersey - Ra-di-ator IS RAD-ia-tor out here; yes it's funny. Working on the posi... had no time before the SuperChevy show to get done; but, 600 miles this wekend without a stutter and 11 mpg - WHEN I WASN'T GETTING ON IT.
It's the right tire spinning, I haven't done the rear yet. If you listen to the guys talking, they mention it in the vid. When it's idling, the puffs you see are condensation - it was freezing out when we test ran it.
You are correct and I had a brain fart. I ment to say open rear. Either way the car pictured has a "open" rear and only 1 wheel will spin. Limited slip differentials are a form of posi-traction. I'm a old school hot rodder and had both kinds in my 55-57 chevys. 64 posi-units worked the best being only a 10 bolt setup.
its so nice to see classics come back to life. :)
That engine is sweet... looks like you could eat off of it. Awesome looking Bel Air. Love the red color. Sounds like these guys are really on top of their game in restoring this baby. I love to hear the rumble of that engine...
Thanks to everyone for your kind words, it means a lot to me. I wanted this car all my life and don't get much time to show it and hear reactions from others.
Talk about a sleeper! I love the original look with the big horsepower, and other handling setups. Awesome!
WOW, Man that sounds BAD ASS!!!! Beautiful!!
that's a beauty.
very clean job !
you have good taste !
Im a Ford man but i would love to have that car.Good Looking car love the way it sounded.Great Job !
Jeees i am still watching this over and over.This is a ride for sure .
Real sharp car. Love the engines idle. Makes it sound like its cammed agressively
I love the way he revs the engine to its limits while its still cold...
Nice sound from those massive pipes though
I love that 57 Chevy. It looks and sounds awesome!
I'm a fan of that car, totally in love with this model of car .. pity that in Brazil is hard to find and when found, his price is too high. Sorry if my english is wrong or difficult to enteder, my language is different.
a nice car, congratulations on the state of conservation.
'Stangs are cool, I used to have one, I see from your page you're a railfan. I worked 6 yrs for a private short line throughout Pa. We bought up old lines and restored them and generated new business along them. I restored a few old locomotives and passenger cars as well. Thanks for the kind words on the car.
That engine sound is great! Pure muscle!
I love that this is so bad ass and looks all original.
I loved that! I even clapped after that first burn out! Nice! Thanks!
Thats pretty cool. My grandpa had a 57 Bel Air StationWagon back in the 60's. I don't have anything of old though. Iv'e got a 94 mustang, and I consider that a gem to me.
I just got my Moser rear w/ 370 gears and true-track - can't wait to install it. I'm also upgrading to disc brakes at the same time. The radiator, support and dual electric fans are from progressive automotive and will set you back about $1200 polished. It keeps me running at 160 to 170 all day on a 90 degree day, I'm really pleased with it.
Looks and sounds Great. One of my favorite cars---1957 Chevy Bel Air.Mmmmmmmm
Single chamber flowmasters - not sure of the model number, I'll check when I go back to pick up the old 283. I want to rebuild it myself and use it in a T-bucket roadster. It's great your dad and you enjoy working together, my dad was a huge help with my 57 (and the 15 cars before it). Thanks for the kind words.
He actually replied back and was totally cool, no big deal, everyone can have an opinion or suggestion. Yes, I did go with a Tru-trac w/ 3.70 gears in a Moser 9 inch. I kept the leafs instead of going 4 link 'cause I didn't want to chop into it, and to keep the cost down a bit. Thanks for liking and sticking up for a fellow rodder anyhow!
hot damn listen to then pistons fire off!!..that engine is well done,thumbs up to you guys..and talk about a sleeper..that 57 aint no joke hahaha i love it!!
It's beautiful. Beautiful.
Well then in that case i will chew on my foot for a bit lol and apologize to fiddlepin. Sounds like you need to some day post another video of this awesome ride with the upgrades. Glad you haven't chopped into the car. That is the awesome fact about it , it houses a beast but still looks factory. I love it.
thats an awesome bel air, even with stock rims/rear end. its one haul ass car i can tell :)
2:14 This is the best sound I have ever heard...in my life.
@tommynights you guys did an excellent job on this car though, these things are icons of the 50's. i like how it was kept with the sleeper look. stock appearance with dangerous power. thumbs up
Thats sweet !! Love the original look with some good HP underneath were it counts.I would have put a posi in though, besides that a 20 out of 10.
Man if i had money i would have so many different rides indeed.Cars are cool. 57 are iconic.
i noticed you said over 100 hours, well it seems that they were all worth it! Great job dude!!
@4freespeech Orig motor was totally shot from some backyard mechanic who thought he knew how to rebuild it, and they (283) were notorious leakers anyway. It runs plenty fine with the 4speed muncie and 3.70 rear, although it does like fuel, but I wasn't looking for a daily driver. As for keeping orig, the suspension and brakes HAD to be replaced with modern stuff - without which the car was a death trap, I respect your opinion, but I had to go with my dream of an old school rod.
Such a hot car! I love the 57 bel airs. Definitely the best year, i wish we had them in australia :( i'll have to settle for a Holden LoL
NICE, I got a 57 Chevy project car a few years ago. Once I get the time to restore it, it should hopefully look like this :D
This car sounds beast. Nice cam selection
nice car looks original classy like it should and sounds like a beast,wish it was mine,well done.
Amazing sound and very beautiful car
One thing at a time, man. This was just step 1, followed by 4 wheel wilwood discs, Moser 9" rear with Trutrac, the list goes on and on...
i am crying tears of beauty right now. that is one amazing badass car! i have a 72 chevy cheyenne and im about to put a 350 chevy big block in it the engine thats in it right now sure does make it rumble, but its seen better days so im lookin at one 350 i had my eye on. ill try to post a vid
Thanks Vegas and Kolfritz - I'm trying - working hard; look, it's never gonna be a contender with modern tech, but I'm just doing what I wanted when I was that little kid at a car show, admiring all the work those other guys did. BTW..., Three "modern shops" who said they can do an alignment can't and everybody who calls this dated around here doesen't know what/how a carb (let alone TWO) IS/WORKS. Fortunately I got my start from good mechanics and rebuilding locomotives.
a beast in a beauty suit..
Sleeeeeper, looks great man!
This video just makes me smile man :)
@theDead64 love to see it when it's done - my dad still helps me and gives advice on my car builds. He started teaching me at about the same age as you. I'm 41 now and building a 32 Ford 5 window, hope my 3 y.o. girl will grow to enjoy cars as much as we do!
i think i just creamed in my pant's that she sounds absolutely fucking awesome and the way it kept on spining the one tire half way up the road that baby has some major power under the hood great job guy's
Dude this is my dream car it is really nice man, Nice Job.
Wow nice i like the original look with that engine!
@MrGjstone It's called a little thing called a rev limiter, which was set at 6k. And it now has true trac 9" Moser.
I dream of one of those, Black with a Red soft top..... One day...
way better than new! Good job!
That's cool, but I would shy away from that 57 deal, they can eat up money quick and four doors don't "make it back" and this is by far my "most wasteful (costly) build," but it was a dream since I was a kid. I started out doing body work for friends and their families in the 80's, moved on to restoring locomotives and motorcycles, now I want to build one from the ground up. But truthfully, the best times I had were when my dad was teaching me body work on those "old stock rebuilds."
Thanks, love to see yours too.. Dual 4 barrel 500 cfm Edelbrock carbs
Still have it, putting it in a T-Bucket roadster for now, but it was already messed with when I bought it - heads, cam , etc. So, I wanted a reliable runner that sounded and ran 60s hot rod and wouldn't be a trailer queen. But thanks for the nice words anyway.
Comp grind, .570 lift, can't remember duration - similar to their newer "mother thumper" grinds - not the all out choppy one, one step down. 1.6 rockers, Dart Pro 1 200cc alum. heads - and TONS of other goodies inside...
dam man you got a crazy ride
Some nice additions for sure.A 32 as well.Some seriuos HP to wieght ratios there.Planning big block or small ?.Look forward the videos.I am doing the sport compact thing right now but the group i cruise with is a great varity of different rides.from my turbo four to a bad ass SVT cobra.We enjoy each others cars as true car guys.Lots to learn from each other.I have always like the 57 out of many,especially the rare fuel injection.Good luck at finding one of those though.
Great job once again.
whats the cam and the specs for it? Im in love with that sound!
@Bishn0zle Not sure what you are asking, but I went with worked 64cc Dart pro1 alum. heads w/ 200cc intake runners to flow more, 2.02/1.60 valves, rollers, Scat crank, balanced everything, decked, align honed, Speed pro pistons, hastings rings, Eagle I beam rods, screw-in studs/guide plates, chromemoly push rods, ARP bolts, MSD 6AL with rev limiter, hi-perf oil pump and water pump, crossflow radiator, etc...
Just some off the shelf stainless jobs, just slightly larger than the actual pipes.
Not my kind of car, but my grandfather owned one. I promised myself that after medical school I would buy one for my dad, candy apple red, just like the one from his childhood.
Thanks for the kind words. Yeha, those guys are great, they're builiding the motor for my 32 5-window Ford soon.
FUCK YEAH!!!!!! PURE ROCK!!!!
Sheeeeet thats a goddamenned car dude...!!!
Thanks, I added a Moser rear with Detriot True-track and 3.70 gears this year, along with Wilwood disc brakes all around. Hope to finish my 32 Ford soon and post some videos.
@tommynights Money well spent. What a beautiful car- you guys did a great job!
Yep, very cool!!!
That sounds REAL healthy
np :) in that quick vid it doesnt have any interior as far as seats, dash components etc. no door locks, and no grille bar/working electrical components. since then new upholstery locks, electrical. cant wait till its done so i can smoke the tires like yours!
An open rear will turn both wheels as long as both have solid traction. If either one looses traction then only one wheel will spin. They can alternate from one to the other but only one will spin. Have a nice day
Thanks for the comments. I know they look like they stick out but they actually sit under the corners of the bumper. Your leg would hit bumper b4 the tips.
...huh, a burn out on one wheel? Not a posi-trac./ Sounds like these guys are straight out of the Bronx NY. funny vid.
Thanks, sorry I misunderstood, still would like to see the 70 olds - my buddy had on in college, 442 - white w/gold stripes. That engine sounded great.
Thanks - I did end up changing the wheels to 60's era Cragars, but overall, still looks the same and I can change back later if I want.
@tommynights sounds amazing mate. im looking to put a chevy 350 in my kingswood. they are a variant car of the gto/monaro.
My neighbor is puttin' an engine in his today!
Wonderful job on this!! Love the sound hard to beat a good running chevy. I made a small change to the rear-end on my 57 because of the added horsepower and to avoid spinning one wheel. Although I kept the original incase I ever put it back stock. Question however the radiator cradle looks like its been replaced totally?? I love how you smoothed it out was just curious if it was something you fabricated or purchased. It looks great. I've considered moving my engine forward for the same reason.
if you wanted to keep the stock rims I would really recommend tires from Diamond Back classics. Their radial tires and you can get them in wide white walls. Or if you wanted to do my route you could get from Radir wide white wall M/T slicks with early to mid 60's biasply piecrust edging and put those on the rear with biasply repop tires up front.
The guy laughing sounds like Steven Tyler from Aerosmith lmaoo
Beautiful Car,Great Sound ! But sorry for tires.
@lslb2010 Thanks, and no chrome - all powdercoated/ endurashine or ceramic so it won't rust and is easy to keep clean!
Thanks much, yours looks great too, I saw it a while back. How is it progressing?
@jingelsby It's a comp cam, custom grind with altered rocker ratio - about .570 lift - I would step it down a little for streetability and go with a mother thumper. Right now I idle around 1000, not great for cruising/mileage, but it does really wake up at 2500 and run strong to the 6500 rev limiter.
A posi unit became available late that model year -- this beautiful car needs one. Tri-Fives are Number Uno but unsafe at any speed, no safety features at all . . . would still love to own one though.
Got a Moser with truetrac and 3.70 gear now - still running strong. I agree not the safest - heavy duty sway bars help handling now though.
man i love that cam. also the 45 deg exhaust exit. what kind of mufflers though?
Nice. I am more into stock restorations mainly due to the fact that I cant find any Model T`s or pickups cheap to turn into hotrods all I find are like $8,000 for the body and the frame and nothing else. I could get a 57 Belair 4dr with a running Inline 6 cylinder that just needs the paint redone for $2,500
Not only one LS engine can make this sound !!
Do a video, look forward to seeing the work they do.
@nldekker For a car in decent shape, expect to pay 30-40 grand. A show car is about 70-100 grand. Mine is about in the middle of the two. If you get a rusto-rod and do it yourself, expect to pay a lot in unexpected repairs.
Haven't decided which to go with yet, still figuring measurements for disc brake conversion. The video is just the guys showing off, but if you work the clutch right, the car will "hook and book" - but a rear should only improve on it. Probably going with Strange or Currie.
@Bishn0zle Comp cam, with the rocker ratio I'm using, about .570 lift. In hindsight, I'd go a bit less - idle is around 900-1000.
On paper, $5525.00; however, I supplied intake, carbs, etc. Also had them do entire front end, paint work, some electrical, labor to install, fuel system, steering, headers, the list goes on to the tune of $21,104.40
Fuckin awesome
Thanks, just put a 9" Ford w/3.70 gears and True-trac posi in along with cragars and wider tires 1960's style - can't wait to post a vid of BOTH tires doing the same, (wheelstand maybe...)
Clean, I have a 350 in mine aswell.
@pepperkitty I wouldn't know, they aren't there any longer. It was Cindy Street in Ocean, NJ, across from the Jaguar service center and next to a cabinet store.
With the rockers I'm using, I've got about.570 lift, can't remember the duration/seperation, but pretty early open on exhaust, hence the noise. Comp cams Mutha Thumpr would be kinda close I guess, but be prepared for very little vacuum and a teeth rattling/ cop waking ride.
Yo, we're from Jersey - Ra-di-ator IS RAD-ia-tor out here; yes it's funny. Working on the posi... had no time before the SuperChevy show to get done; but, 600 miles this wekend without a stutter and 11 mpg - WHEN I WASN'T GETTING ON IT.
It's the right tire spinning, I haven't done the rear yet. If you listen to the guys talking, they mention it in the vid. When it's idling, the puffs you see are condensation - it was freezing out when we test ran it.
hahhaha i laffed so hard at the dodge ram van that went by with its back doors open XD
kick ass car
this is one of my dream cars
You are correct and I had a brain fart. I ment to say open rear. Either way the car pictured has a "open" rear and only 1 wheel will spin. Limited slip differentials are a form of posi-traction. I'm a old school hot rodder and had both kinds in my 55-57 chevys. 64 posi-units worked the best being only a 10 bolt setup.