Frame Off Built Bel Air 350 V8 TH400 Leather & Discs

Classic cars are all about passion. Some of the nicest classics we feature are those built by folks who invest a large amount of time and money into a project they simply love. And much to the surprise of casual onlookers, most gearhead's dream builds don't always involve Ridler finalists or a prestigious pile of name brand parts that serves as garage floor décor. Instead they're filled with impressive, well-done cruisers which wrap modern power, everyday livability and top-notch road manners in about five times the curb appeal of the local showroom special. This awesome '57 Chevy was painstakingly crafted into a first class piece of automotive art during a multi-year, high dollar restoration; and thanks to a proven small block V8 and a virtually indestructible transmission, it also sports a fully-sorted drivetrain that creates the perfect platform for cross-country road trips. Looking for a hot tri-five that's every bit as cool and twice as classy as a ground-up custom? This killer Bel Air is an amazing car at an incredible price!

Looking both modern and classy at the same time, this slick '57 sports coupe is proof that Chevrolet's decision to take a curvaceous fuselage, weld it to a sweeping roofline and decorate it with an ample amount of chrome was an excellent idea. Unlike the exaggerated designs of the late 50s and early 60s, the car's proportions are spot-on, there's appropriate use of trim, and the sharp rear fins that would eventually grow to controversial wings are fully integrated into attractive, planar surfaces. Judging by a quick glance at its profile, this Bel Air was an extremely solid piece when its high quality frame-off restoration began. But nevertheless its body was stripped to bare metal and virtually perfected in a thorough rebuild that even included a restored undercarriage and a custom interior. In late 2010, the car's smooth fuselage was covered in a thick coat of classy green paint and buffed to a wet-look shine. And today, it sits as one fantastic shoebox Chevy that creates a one car parade wherever it goes!

This attractive Bel Air is an excellent example of a popular practice automakers call “re-skinning”. Re-skinning is a tried and true sales technique which utilizes new exterior panels to make an older design appear fresh without changing its basic structure; and in the 50s and 60s, nobody perfected re-skinning like General Motors! At the front of the car a heavy, body-width bumper hangs a silver Bel Air grille behind a pristine Chevrolet crest and clear white parking lights. Above that crest a clean green hood props '57 Chevy-exclusive 'spear bullets and spoons' between bright halogen headlights. At the sides of those bullets classic tri-five Chevy stainless, which visually connects the car's front fenders with its rear fins, is branded by gold, Bel Air-exclusive emblems. At the edges of that stainless, Bel Air-exclusive fender louvers combine with traditional door handles, familiar door handle guards and a new driver's mirror to lend a finished look to the car's profile. At the top of that profile, spotless stainless trim combines with bright stainless wipers to frame factory tint glass and am off-white roof. And at the back of the car, peaked stainless trim, which begins at the top of fins and continues down to chrome trimmed tail lights, flows into a second body-width bumper that's centered below a smooth green trunk lid.

Much of the money spent during this Chevy's recent revitalization centered on its performance and reliability. Lift the car's smooth hood and you'll find a proven 350 cubic inch GM Performance Parts crate motor which looks good and, with 290 horsepower and 326 lb./ft. of torque, runs great! Straight from the factory this fully-sorted package combines a cast nodular crank with powdered metal connecting rods and cast aluminum pistons to create razor-sharp throttle response and a Bonneville-flat torque band. The hot engine's air is supplied by a pinstriped, Cadillac-style cleaner which seals around a big Edelbrock 650 carburetor that's fed by fresh stainless fuel lines. A perfect mixture of elements is sourced through a high performance Edelbrock aluminum intake and cast iron heads which are capped by black, “CHEVROLET” branded valve covers. Fires are ignited by fresh Jegs 8.0 POW'R WIRES which are connected to a modern HEI distributor. Heat is suppressed by a heavy duty Be Cool cross-flow radiator that's equipped with a polished cap and a welded and polished overflow tank. Spent gases are jettisoned through a slick pair of Sanderson block hugger headers. The motor keeps turning thanks to a full serpentine system which spins a chrome alternator and a chrome AC compressor between a full set of polished pulleys and a full set of polished brackets. The compliments keep flowing thanks to a highly detailed, well-executed engine bay which is bathed in an impressive combination of green and satin black paint. And everything from the car's chrome power steering reservoir and polished thermostat housing to its polished breathers and deep Moroso oil pan is fully sorted, ready to show and ready to hit the road!

During its extensive restoration the car's freshly cleaned chassis and freshly undercoated floors were bathed in a thick coat of glossy black paint. At the back of the torque rich small block you'll find a stalwart Turbo-Hydramatic 400 3-speed which twists thrust to a traditional GM rear end that feels smooth and contemporary. At the front of the chassis the car's traditional 'knee-action' suspension, which has been fitted with shorter coil springs and a thick sway bar, swaps a traditional manual rack for power steering and a fresh Classic Performance Products 605 gearbox. At the back of the chassis, familiar leaf springs combine with lowering blocks, a second sway bar and two inch drop spindles to ensure enough strength and reliability to counter all the small block's chutzpah. And at the corners of the chassis, fresh stainless lines shuttle fluid from a familiar power brake booster to big rotors and modern calipers. The 350 beats a killer soundtrack through a 2.5 inch true dual exhaust system which features an H-pipe crossover and great sounding Flowmaster dual chamber mufflers. Power flows to the pavement through a sweet set of 16 inch steelies which spin 215/70 front and 235/70 American Classic whitewalls around smooth hub caps and chrome trim rings. And everything, from the car's chrome flywheel cover and finned transmission pan to its fresh gas tank and functional parking brake, works in unison to create one sharp and dependable cruiser.

One of this Chevy's most noteworthy features is its great looking leather interior which was stitched to match its light green body at Armando's Custom Upholstery in San Jacinto, California. Completely unique, from its supportive leather seats and sculpted door panels to its fresh carpets and color-keyed headliner, this supple cockpit looks almost as good as it feels. At the front of the car a chrome-trimmed dash holds attractive silver faced gauges, which are complete with a metallic green bowtie, above a three pack of Auto Gauge accessory gauges. At the base of that dash heavy duty floor mats ride above tan, stain-free carpet. And above those seats, a fresh leather headliner frames a fully functional dome light. At the sides of the car, traditional chrome handles ride between billet lock knobs, green door frames and leather-wrapped armrests. Out back, the trunk reminds us of how big full-size cars really were and features a nice mix of well-fitted leather panels and high quality carpet. And in front of the driver, a painted tilt steering column spins a traditional Bel Air steering wheel around a polished shifter and a full set of billet stalks.

Included with the sale of this sassy tri-five is a small stack of restoration photos, a vintage cooler and a full set of stanchions.

Cars like this awesome Bel Air cruiser are very special, and they represent incredible value to buyers. With a high quality restoration that's beyond reproach and a custom color combination that creates a riot at shows, THIS is the kind of build you simply can't touch for our asking price. Just imagine heading out in this old school classic on a warm summer evening; the burble of the 350 as your chorus, the smooth open road as your canvas, and nothing between you mind and miles of happiness!