1957 chevy belair Pro Touring, 509 CI Big Block, 620 HP, 650 ft .lbs, 350 miles!

509 CI, 620 HP, 650 ft lbs, FULL ROLLER BIG BLOCK, PS, PB, AC, BODY OFF NUT/BOLT RESTOMOD/PRO TOURING CAR. This brilliantly done 57 Chevy Bel Air Pro Touring car is the product of a 12 year labor of love undertaken by a father/son team that owns body shops and has done numerous classic car restorations and hot rod projects over the last four decades. The car was built for the father's personal use and it shows in the attention to detail in this body off, stripped to bare metal, nut and bolt project with over 1500 hours invested in perfecting every aspect of the vehicle. As he reached 70 years of age, the car's power and overall capability were deemed too much and I was lucky enough to be able to buy it with only 50 test miles on the finished build. I am only selling because a move enables me to keep a boat in front of my home and I need to raise money for that purpose. The car currently has about 350 miles on it, just enough to shake it down and break it in.

In addition to having the best fitted and aligned body panels I and many others have seen in a classic car, all painted in multiple coats of super-smooth Viper Red revealing countless hours of paint prep, this 57 has everything one could want in a pro touring car. All chrome parts, trim pieces and bumpers are new, as is all the glass and weather stripping. The interior, clad entirely in white leather, is designed to maintain a near stock look. A custom-fabricated all steel center console contains a B & M Megashifter with reverse lockout and new Sunpro gauges. The white leather upholstery contrasts perfectly with the Viper Red paint applied to the non-upholstered surfaces. The Billet Specialties mahogany steering wheel mounted on a tilting Ididit steering column sets off the dash. The trunk and entire underside have been Rhino Lined to protect the surfaces against wear and provide sound deadening in a car that was built to be driven. The battery is located in the trunk. Custom wheels are by American Racing.

Mechanical and electrical systems are all completely modernized and include: Unisteer big block power rack and pinion steering, power disc brakes, Vintage Air and heat, external vacuum pump system, vintage look Retro Classic stereo with custom speaker installation by DSI Mobile Electronics, fully rewired using American Auto Wire, Lokar Performance pedals, Ride Tech adjustable four link coil over suspension with tubular control arms, traction bars, sway bars, drop spindles, etc. Integrating the steering rack with the upgraded suspension, big block engine, headers, water pump, etc. required significant customization in and under the engine compartment. These fully modern suspension, braking and steering systems give the car a remarkably smooth and comfortable ride. The car also has a true fuel cell located under the trunk area.

The transmission is a smooth shifting Turbo 400 with a 3100 stall converter and 3.90 rear end. The rear wheel wells have been mini-tubed to get more rubber on the back of the car. This combined with large Nitto drag radials and custom big block power allow the car to hook up and really put down power. The acceleration is startling strong and immediate and really snaps you back into the seat.

The engine is a custom 509 cubic inch big block. It was bored, stroked, decked, balanced and built from the ground up as a full roller motor with the best internals by a high-performance specialty machine shop. The build includes Scorpion roller rockers, Lunati roller cam, Eagle 5140 steel I-beam connection rods, 781 open chamber oval port high flow heads, Edelbrock Aluminum intake, Holley 950 cfm carb, Holley 950 HP electric fuel pump, Mallory HEI performance electronic ignition, aircraft quality fittings and stainless steel hoses, custom headers, exhaust and Dyna Flow mufflers, and a full March pulley set up. This engine produces 620 HP and 650 foot pounds of torque at 10.5 to 1 compression. The cam gives it an aggressive lope at idle and it screams at WOT.

Special attention has been paid to the cooling system given the size and performance of the motor and the Vintage Air. This system includes a massive aluminum radiator, dual electric high-efficiency cooling fans, and a large oil cooler. The oil cooler is crucial to keeping the temperature of these engines down in stop and go traffic on 90+ degree days with AC running. This car does not overheat.

The builders estimate spending $80k on parts and adding another $150k in labor over the 12 year build. This car represents a great value in a truly turnkey big block pro touring 57 Chevy that turns heads everywhere it goes, rides and handles brilliantly, sounds great, and is a beast in straight line acceleration.