Intro: My '57 Chevy Bel Air

Thursday 7th March - 2019

Recently I decided to replace the two photographs on the head banner of my blog page.

For many months now, every time you logged onto my blog page you would see a Turquoise 1964 Plymouth/Valiant, 2-door, 3-speed manual sedan kept in company by the 1931 Model A Ford 4-door Town sedan. These two vehicles I purchased in Santa Clarita, California in July 2018. 

Two different cars of mine now feature
on my new blog headline banner

I just thought that those two photos were growing a little tired by now, so I have updated those (2) photos with (2) of my later model vehicles for you to see & enjoy. I also decided that I would write a story on both of these classic vehicles of how & where I became the proud owner of them both.

1) 1957 (Black) Chevy 2-Door Bel Air.

Way back in 1957 when I was a spring chicken I cast my eyes over one of these beautiful cars & decided that one day I wanted to own one of these classic vehicles. Even then as a 10-year-old child I believed that the '57 Chevy was the best looking car of the fifties.

Two striking examples of iconic design lines from the '50s and the '70s
paired together here. The Sydney Opera House c.1973
& the Chevrolet Bel Air c.1957
Photo: Steve Core  

So to cut a long story short & fast forward 49-years here is what happened.

On one of my trips to the States (October 2016) I attended the Hershey Swap Meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania, now if you do not know any thing about this swap meet let me tell you a little bit about it. This meet takes place the first full week in October, where you can visit over 9,000 vendors, view over 1,000 cars for sale in the corral, & admire the approximately 1,200 cars at the car show on Saturday. (Put this event down on your bucket list).

One of my American friends is a vendor at this swap meet selling Model A Ford parts, I casually mentioned to him that I am in the market for a '57 Chevy. This chap is a motor mechanic & he said that one of his clients has his '57 Chevy in his (Cleveland, Ohio) workshop for repair. So I decided to call in & see the Chevy on my road trip back west to Phoenix, Arizona. As soon as I laid my eyes on this '57 Chevy I immediately feel in love with it.

The '57 Chevy parked under the Prince Alfred Bridge in Gundagai, NSW.
The bridge, opened in 1867, is a wrought iron truss & timber road bridge.
The bridge spans across the Murrumbidgee River floodplain.

Of course this vehicle was not for sale. I met up with the owner & began negotiations to purchase his vehicle, as luck would have it, this gentleman was in the process of selling his house & downsizing, so you might say that I was in the right spot at the right time because he had no room to garage this vehicle & by me buying this vehicle from him would save him quite a few head aches.

We came to an amicable deal & I now owned my life long dream a 1957 Chevy 2-door Bel Air.

The '57 Chevy framed under the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Photo: Steve Core  

There was still a huge problem because I then had to drive my RV back across America to the West Coast & then on down to Phoenix, Arizona, as soon as l arrived back in Phoenix I boarded an aircraft & flew back to Cleveland Ohio to take delivery of my new 'Baby'.

Once I had taken delivery of my new vehicle, I decided to take a HUGE gamble & drive it back to Los Angeles. All of my American friends advised me to ship it to the West Coast on a Truck, I was having none of that & decided to take the PUNT & drive it back to LA. 

Distance: Cleveland Ohio to Los Angeles is 2,350 miles (3,782 kms). Two and a half days later I arrived in Los Angeles. The only problem that I experienced with the car was I lost the passenger side wiper blade in one of the rain storms I drove through.

The vehicle is as close as possible to original condition
where the chrome & trim are in stunning condition.
Photo: Steve Core  

When I arrived in LA I immediately organised to have the vehicle shipped back across the Pacific ocean to good old Sydney town.

So that my dear friends is how I come to own this '57 Chevy. Now I want to tell you about these highly sort after icons.

The Chevy Bel Air is an iconic car that debuted in the 1950s. The 1957 Chevy Bel Air remains to be one of the most popular made, it's really one of the most popular Classics of all time. These models are highly sort after by collectors & enthusiasts. If you want to pick up a '57 Chevy Bel Air today, it will cost you from $80,000 - $100,000 Aussie $s based on condition.

Here's the engine bay with the 350-cu.in 5.7 litre Chevy engine.
Sitting on top of the engine you can see the 650 Edelbrock Carburetor.

There are many high dollar collector cars BUT how many can be called a true work of art. The 2-door 1957 Chevy Bel Air is one of few. It is a rolling Mona Lisa. If Leonardo da Vinci had ever designed a car it would be the 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

It is safe to say that Chevrolet will never produce another car like the 1957 2-door Bel Air, this vehicle is a time capsule of a by-gone era.

Some interesting Specifications:

* Price. '57 Chevy in 1957. $2,300.00.
* Outside Length. 200 inches (5,080 mm). Width 73.9 inches (1,877 mm). Wheelbase 115 inches (2,921 mm).
* Estimated curb weight. 1550 kg/3,420 lbs.
* How fast is this car? Top speed 155 km/p (96 mph).
* Engines available. 4 Standard engine options. 1) 235.5-cu.in a 6 cylinder. 2) 265-cu.in V-8 "Turbo Fire". 3) 2 x 283-cu.i V-8's a " Turbo - Fire" twin barrel carburetor & a "Super Turbo Fire" 4-barrel carburetor.

In March 2017, the '57 Chevy landed at Port Botany in Sydney from the USA.
Here we are trailering it out of the Customs clearance facility. It still
has its original Ohio number plates on it.
Photo: Steve Core  

Modifications that were carried out by the previous owner.

* 350-cu.inch 5.7 litre Chevrolet engine.
* 400 Turbo Hydro Transmission.
* 3.55 Ratio differential.
* Headers powder coated.
* 650 Edelbrock Carburetor.
* Rack & pinion power Steering.
* Classic Instrument Gauges. (after market).
* Front Disc brake conversion.
* Mag Wheels.
* Huge Aluminium radiator.

Production numbers for the 1957 Chevy Bel Air 2-Door Sedan: 62,751. Total.
Who designed the '57 Chevy? Designer. Clare R Mackichan. (1954).

What does Bel Air mean? It's French, meaning literally "beautiful air".

Successor: Chevrolet Impala in 1975.

Manufacturer: Chevrolet. (General Motors).

So for now my fellow classic car enthusiasts, I hope that you have enjoyed my story about my 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

Cheers for now.

Warbo