The ’57 Chevy Bel Air is a car that requires no introduction. A timeless icon, it has aged flawlessly and has become one of the most sought-after Chevys of all time. If someone mentioned that they had a 50s Chevy convertible, this is almost certainly the first car that would appear in most people's minds. The 1957 General Motors products are heralded as arguably some of the most elegant cars of the 50s, being in the sweet spot where designers had started to come up with more flamboyant designs but just before the “bigger is better” policy was fully implemented. Three-quarters of a century later, this design still manages to be just as popular as it was on the day it was launched. What we have here is a restomod that largely preserves the appearance of the car that it’s much famed for, while also giving it many modern conveniences. It has undergone a frame-off restoration and has reportedly scored 994 out of 1000 points at the Classic Chevy Show.

Exterior and Interior

Bright reds, glossy greens and pastel shades of pink are always commonly associated with the '50s. This classic red exterior suits the car perfectly and is reportedly from the Porsche color palette. It also complements the custom Saddle leather interior (which also includes a Saddle-tinged steering wheel around a tilting column). Among the upgrades done to the interior are a modern air conditioning system, a modern audio system (with a glovebox-mounted custom Autosound head unit that bumps integrated Pioneer speakers, and a hidden custom Autosound CD changer), power windows and a Saddle convertible top (matching the upholstery color). It wasn’t just the steering wheel that was changed, with the system itself being upgraded to a Concept One power steering system. This car has also reportedly been fitted with modern Raingear wipers and remote keyless entry. The visual upgrades aren’t just limited to the interior. For example, the louvers and the Bel Air logos are gold, and those shiny alloys are 17-inch Foose Nitrous wheels. These upgrades continue under the hood as well, with a chromed alternator, serpentine system, and AC compressor.

Engine

Back in 1957, this car was available with a choice of a straight 6 and a 283ci small block V8 (shared with the Corvette of the era), combined with either a 3-speed manual, a 2 speed Powerglide or 3 speed Turboglide automatic. This particular car, however, has been extensively worked on. It’s fitted with a 5.7L LS1 whose power is transferred to the wheels through a 4L60E 4 speed automatic transmission, and whose voice is heard through Flowmaster mufflers with Borla exhaust tips. Mind you, this isn’t just any LS1 either; it has an aluminum block, cylinder heads and flat top pistons, ceramic-coated shorty headers, Coil-Near-Plug Ignition and GM Electronic Fuel Injection. Underneath, this car has also been fitted with Monrow Sensa-Trac shocks at all 4 corners and tubular control arms up front to help it get around corners better. And if you’re worried about how the original brake system would handle this added power, rest assured, it has been upgraded to four-wheel Wilwood disk brakes.