Cool Pro-Street '57. Built 454, TH400 reinforced chassis, clean and streetable

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 Description

To use big horsepower effectively, you need more than just the engine. That’s where the idea of pro-street comes in. Take race-grade hardware, including the motor, and make it comfortable and user-friendly enough to use on the street. A well-built pro-street car will give you all the thrills of a legitimately fast race car, but will also make it palatable for, say, your significant other to want to tag along. In the case of cars like this very, very cool 1957 Chevy, there’s a no-compromises attitude that shows in both how fast it is and just how easy it is to drive.

So that brings us to this really spectacular 1957 Chevy 210 2-door sedan. There’s military-grade firepower living inside (in the form of a big block Chevy), but the beautiful bodywork and cheerful paint suggest otherwise. No, it’s not a sleeper, but the care that was lavished on this beautifully built car suggests that someone planned to do something other than beat on it at the track. Starting with a very clean ’57 210 was a smart choice, but take a close look at the photos and you’ll see just how straight it really is. There’s not a wave or ripple anywhere on the bodywork and even for a car with 500+ horsepower churning through it, the gaps are dead-nuts even. Aside from the fiberglass lift-off hood with that gaping scoop, the bodywork is 100% steel and with a few choice modifications, it looks absolutely spectacular. You’ll note that the hood ornament, door handles, and deck trim have all been shaved, giving it a very clean look that’s still pure ’57 Chevy. The simple 210 trim works rather well with monochromatic paint jobs, in this case, a medium purple from the Nissan color chart and we have to say we really like the look. It’s not pastel, it’s not soft, but it will certainly stand out among all the black and red Chevys running around out there. And as with all ‘50s cars, there’s still plenty of chrome, all of which is in excellent shape, having been re-chromed re replaced when the car was built.

Glance inside and you won’t mistake this for a race car. Sure, there’s a cage, but it’s user-friendly, too, getting out of the way, although there are provisions for door bars if you really want to go racing. Front bucket seats wear 1957 Chevy cloth and vinyl, making for a cool contrast that works well. Likewise, there’s correct loop carpet that should look familiar to ’57 Chevy fans, and the door panels are custom pieces that use the same materials for a consistent look. The giant wheel tubs obviously preclude the use of a back seat, but it’s fully upholstered back there—no buzzy sheetmetal to get on your nerves. The original ’57 dash is still in place, but the gauges are handsome white-faced dials that seem custom-made just for this application, and they’re joined by a Sun tack down low and a transmission temperature gauge with warning light on the other side (you know, because racin’). A tilt column wears a late-model Chevy steering wheel for a consistent look and yes, you’ll find power windows and an updated stereo to make this a more comfortable cruiser. That button on the billet shifter is a line lock, but the remainder of the controls are 1957 Chevrolet and work as they did originally, although there are no wipers or heater today. The cage was painted to match the body, yet they also managed to tuck in an original-style headliner that fits remarkably well considering the modifications. There is a gigantic trunk with custom wheel wells and a raised floor to cover the 4-link rear suspension and fuel cell, and you fill it up through a trick trap door in the trunk floor.

You’ve been patient, so I’ll reward you with details about the horsepower factory living under that lift-off hood. We know this engine in intimate detail because there’s a huge stack of receipts plus a neat little book with every part number, specification, supplier, and even phone numbers of the guys who laid hands on it. The block is a 71 or 72 454 “seasoned” casting filled with a forged steel crank, Ross forged aluminum pistons with 10.08:1 compression ratio, Chevy rods with full floating wrist pins, all topped by a set of open chamber Brodix aluminum heads. The carburetor is a dual-feed Holley Dominator on a Weiand hi-rise intake manifold and there’s Comp Cams hydraulic lifter bumpstick in the middle, just for good street manners. It’s also got Crane roller rockers, titanium valve retainers, and oversized stainless valves. A GM HEI ignition system lights it up, and the sucker is properly tuned, because it springs to life almost instantly and idles well even when it’s cold. No it’s not Cadillac smooth, there’s no doubt there’s one hell of a motor in there, but if you want good street manners and more than 500 horsepower, this engine totally nails it. Ancillary parts include a custom serpentine belt drive system for the accessories, including a Power Master alternator and a heavy-duty water pump, and there’s a Griffin aluminum radiator up front, complete with an electric fan for low-speed work. The block was color-matched to the bodywork, there are beautifully made custom inner panels that frame the engine like a piece of art, and the rest was either polished or chrome plated. This sucker looks as good as it runs!

The chassis was suitably beefed up for duty, too, starting with a custom tubular subframe welded into the original C-section frame rails. There’s a removable crossmember for the TH400 3-speed automatic transmission, which also has a high-stall torque converter and a shift kit inside, but retains full automatic operation. The front suspension is from Martz Chassis, and includes adjustable coil-over shocks, tubular A-arms, and rack-and-pinion steering, plus a good-sized disc brake at each end. A custom driveshaft spins a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear with street-friendly 3.50 gears inside and with all that motor, you really don’t need a lot of gear to get things going. A 5-link with another set of coil-overs manages the rear end. Long-tube headers feature 2-1/8 inch primaries and a 4-inch collector leading to a set of race mufflers with polished tips exiting just ahead of the rear tires. Yes, it’s loud but it’s not abusive and on the street, it just burbles along with a fantastic V8 soundtrack. Custom Weld aluminum wheels are fitted and carry appropriately staggered 215/70/15 front and 31x18.50-15 rear radials.

This car cost far, far more than the asking price to build. It’s just beautiful in every way, and you can see the attention to detail throughout. There’s lots of firepower on tap, but it’s docile enough to drive to the car show and it runs on pump gas. We have extensive receipts, photos, and that little book of specifications I mentioned, so this is one big-bore hot rod you can buy with confidence, knowing that you’ll always be able to maintain it properly. Please spend some time with this car—we’re sure you’ll fall for it just like we did.