Wow, that looks really solid!
Wow, that looks really solid!
Hell yeah! I love those things. My dad recently bought back the 57 that he had when he was in high school.
Very nice!
It’s been sitting for 30+ years. I’m not sure how survived the original 6 cylinder is, and i’m not intending to find out. I’ve had a 235, they are 18 second 0-60 slow, quite literally. I sold the original rebuilt one from my 54 for $400 and it cost over $1200 to rebuild. Having an original 6 isn’t really a feature, and i’m not a restore it guy. I do want to preserve it, but it’s been tapped light in the RF and came with another entire front end that’s been blasted and primed, 30+ years ago, and they’re only original once.
Check out these new shocks
So in addition to the front sheetmetal there is a 2nd trunklid, complete 2nd set of trim, 2 extra rear windows, extra quarter glass, 3 bins of parts, buckets of parts, supposedly there are extra doors hiding somewhere, 2 new sets of harbor freight wheel dollies. The only pieces missing are the grill and front bumper, that were stolen somewhere along the line from where it was stored.
In reply to Patrick :
I drove a 12:1 496-engined '56 for a while while doing musical weights and springs in the 700-R4's governor, dialing in the WOT shift points. Certainly not 18 seconds to 60.
The pictures of the car look WAY better than your description! I was expecting something that had no panel left unbeaten.
In reply to Patrick :
57s look best with no front bumper anyway...
I have a stiffy.
Please leave it that strange purplish color.
What color was it?
Looks mauve but that could also be due to fading
Looks like some raccoon poo on top of the right rear quarter. 
John Welsh said:What color was it?
Looks mauve but that could also be due to fading
I think it's a very faded Dusk Pearl.
SCORE!!!!!!
I do believe it’s dusk pearl. Everything is surreal right now. I’m looking at the pictures still not believing it’s coming to my house. We were eating dinner in the truck when Brit showed up, she got stuck in traffic and the wait was killing me.
I can not stress enough that Carli is awesome. I just kept handing down parts and bins from the attic, and she and Brittany kept grabbing them from me, both dressed in their professional work clothes. Colin and Abby ran around the attic like nuts, but when it came time to get the fenders and glass down Colin did awesome, feeding me heavy things while I stood on the attic ladder.
We have the inner and outer fenders, core support, front splash panel, the wheel dollies, a bin of trim, and a couple little bits in the truck. Filled the trunk of the car with bins and buckets, put the side glass and trim inside, and headed home. Will have to get the hood and trunklid in the next load as well as take blankets galore for the rear windows.
I’m anticipating going to get the rest including the car on the 26th if my buddy with the rollback isn’t busy.
Old survivors have so much charm and soul.
Knurled. said:I am prepared to administer an Internet Nut-Punch to the first person who says OMGZ LS SWAP LOL. (Patrick excepted, of course, it's his car after all)
You’re right a 5.0 Coyote would be better.
Man, trying to keep your project list and schedule straight is mind boggling.
Wartburg, Devin panhard, corvair, hell what is the list and statuses?
Mostly asked because I'm curious how the devin is going. Last I remember was discussions regarding front bodywork?
Wish I could do half what you are. Mad respect.
In reply to John Welsh :
Dang, that’s even an i6 car!
Suggest you keep it I6.
This I6:
#LL8Lyfe
57 was the pinnacle of the American fin.
Oh man, this build thread is going to be epic!
In reply to Apexcarver :
The Wartburg is at tear down for finish welding/painting and final assembly stage.
Devin is in dry long term storage while I collect parts. Jumper K Balls is trying to work some magic on collecting the front end from the guy who has it, because he went from willing to crate it for a fee and have it picked up by a freight company to not wanting to do so.
Chevelle is pissing me off because i wish they had not hacked up the bodywork so bad. I plan to make it run in the spring. I’m anticipating making it drive then moving it to the harbor freight tent garage for bodywork to keep the sanding dust out of the garage. I’m so deep I can’t back out. I just had to see how bad the bubbles were under the vinyl top..... I’ve been discouraged by the rust, and I think I’ll snap out of it when it moves under power again.
The 57 throws a wrench into things, and something is going to be the odd one out. I have resigned myself to the fact that it’s probably Darth Nader. Realistically that car is a thousand man hours from being done my way, and I just am not willing to put that time in away from my family. I have come to the realization that there wouldn’t be much of a post challenge life for it, once again I’ve shot myself in the foot with a 2 seat build when I have 2 kids that like to go for rides, and I’ve kinda fallen out of lust with it. I have an LS swapped z car that’s capable at going fast in a straight line as well as turning, so I don’t need two like cars.
The Corvair was supposed to be my gun to a knife fight win the challenge car, but that’s not a goal anymore. I felt slighted, stupidly, after the 2016 challenge, and wanted to show up and win all 3 parts. At this point I realize I had the wrong minions in my ear, and my sole goal is to build for me and have fun. Getting a podium finish in 2017 reaffirmed my belief that I can build a winning challenge car, and that’s good enough for me. I have nice welders and I don’t need trophies. I’m not going to try and win an editorial exercise at the cost of missing my kids’ childhood. I’d rather have fun with them than sweat concours points and be a miserable jerk.
I’m not going to dive into anything, but I have almost nothing into the Corvair, and I could certainly use the c5 parts elsewhere. It would pain me a little bit to never see it completed, as would it make me ill to see it finished by someone else, but I think sacrificing it at the opportunity to own this 57 is a no brainer in my eyes. This is literally THE CAR for me, when I was little all I ever wanted was a 2 door 57. I had posters, magazines, I even had the folder with the Boyd Coddington Chezoom in my trapper keeper that I put the cars in I drew instead of paying attention in school.
This is just me. I have always been a 50’s chevy guy. Other things catch my attention and they come and go, but this car is who I am at my core.
Im voting for cam class challenge car.
I'm voting for getting it home, standing back with a cup of coffee or six, and pondering what sort of final product will make you truly happy long term. There's not really a wrong answer with these. Restoration, hot rod, drop it on a lifted 4x4 Blazer frame, it's all been done and it's all cool in it's own way.
Nice. Is that a rare color? Don't think I've seen one that color before.
Patrick said:...but this car is who I am at my core.
We like who you are at the core!
Another sample:
http://www.superchevy.com/features/sucp-0907-1957-chevy-210/
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