Sooo... Here is the deal. For as long as I can remember my dad has raved and dreamed and talked about owning a 1957 chevy belair 4 door. And for a long time my brother and I have talked about surprising him with one for Fathers day. Well we jumped off that talked about cliff and bought one to restore for him. Lol and now we are looking for any and all help for a step by step guide On restoring a 57 chevy for dummies lol. Any suggestions on what is a must have for newbies and a step by step guide would be awesome. I am super excited about this and am 110% aware of how much work it is going to be. But It will be worth every bloody knuckle and oh crap moments to come. And yes I. The last two days I have broken three nails and have gushing bloody fingers. Haha so much for my dreams of being a top hand model. (just kidding) but seriously any and all help will make this girls day!
:sign0016:
some of us are more experienced ( that means old, even if we don't admit it)
there are so many here with vast experience, so please ask away,
were all here for the same reason. the love of old cars.
and.............
WE LIKE PICTURES!!!!!!
How do I post a picture lol. And I am not going to lie I am super excited about this. But I'm afraid that by knowing nothing about where to start I'm going to do more damage than good. So far day one I have basically gutted the inside and trunk and vacuumed out and cleaned it all. Yes I removed one large dead rat and an equally dead mouse lol. And 700 hornet nests lol. Thank god it is cold and they were also dead. I have saved everything so afraid to throw away anything lol. This is how lost in the where to start process I am. Ok I lied I Threw away the speaker wires lol.
What you and your brother are attempting is very doable. The biggest bit of wisdom i can give you is to be very organized. The first thing i would purchase is a load of various sized Ziploc bags and a couple of sharpie markers. As you dismantle something put all small parts in a baggie and label it immediately. then put the baggies into boxes labeled like interior, dash,engine compartment etc. I helped a friend completely assemble a 55 Nomad that he bought in boxes with a large wooden crate full of all the hardware which was not labelled. It was a nightmare and caused a ton of redo. It is amazing how many small parts all look alike when just dumped in a large box.
Welcome to the trifive family and you will find that there are a bunch of us that have been there and done that and are very willing to help out. Good luck with your project and I am sure you Dad will truly appreciate your efforts.
So what is the overall shape of the 57? are the floors and trunk pan solid? That is where you can get bogged down if you need to replace a bunch of the floor and bracing, especially if you can't weld. BTW it is sometimes cheaper to replace the original motor/transmission with a later model package that will bolt right in. You said it was a four door, is it a four door post or a hardtop? The made both in 57.
It is a hardtop. The floors are in better shape than I expected. There is rust rot thru two places one on the drivers side and one on the passengers side front seats about 3 inches by 5 inches. We re planning on replacing the engine and trany from a el camino. Rumor has it most small block engines will pop right in????????
for reference, so you can see how it went together.
box things together ( heater, radio, etc)
to post a pic.........
hit reply......
type in your reply.
then drop down and click "manage attachments"
a drop down will show, click the "Browse"
you will then need to locate your picture in a file in the
computer, double click the pic,
then down load in the drop down menu.
at least thats how I do it
for reference, so you can see how it went together.
box things together ( heater, radio, etc)
to post a pic.........
hit reply......
type in your reply.
then drop down and click "manage attachments"
a drop down will show, click the "Browse"
you will then need to locate your picture in a file in the
computer, double click the pic,
then down load in the drop down menu.
at least thats how I do it
The biggest concern for 4 door hardtops is the brace underneath that supports the two rear doors. As long as that is sound you are in good shape because that is one item that no one reproduces.
The best way is to check the action of opening the back doors. Do they open and close smoothly without dropping as they open? It is easy enough t crawl under or better yet let your brother crawl underneath and look for the big brace directly under the post that the front doors close on and the back doors hinge from.That brace will be the deal breaker if it is rotten. I have heard rumors that somebody is making replacements but it has never been comfirmed by a trifive member.
There is a member on here that goes by "SNTAuto" his name is Shawn. He has had a number of four door hardtop cars both 56 and 57. You could possibly PM (private message) him and have him tell you the skinny on the brace. He has been sick lately so he may not reply right away.
I only wish this forum existed when I got my Nomad 44 years ago. it would have saved me countless hours of "learning curve"
good info so far ( BAG, TAG & PICS as you go).very cool thing to be doing for your dad. might want to get a shop and assembly manuals. can latter wrap them up and give them to your dad. :anim_25:
I don't think you will ever have to worry about anyone here laughing AT you. We will laugh (and sometimes cry) WITH you but never at you. Good luck with the build, can't wait to see those pics.
Take VIDEO from start to finish of tear down & rebuilding the car. Plus photos.
Not only is this very helpful but makes a great cd/dvd gift along with the car for your Dad. Laugh at you, no not on this site. We might laugh with you as you restore the car.
There are two listing of Utah members on the members map, I don't know if they are close to you or not. They are: bbj in Monticello, Utah and TheXringHunt in Northern Utah.
By the way Welcome to the Trifive.com family. I've never owned a 57 Chevy so I wouldn't be much help to you. Owned both 55's & 56's only so far.
Just so you know, that is a four door sedan or post car. It is not a four door hardtop so all discussion about the brace is moot. The four door sedan doesn't require the brace at all.
Pics, pics and more pics. Can never have enough. Also make little diagrams or schematics as you go along; especially if something is a little more involved.
like carmine said pic pic pic and get a Assembly manual its a real big help. set goals and work to that one goal. then move to the next thing trust me thats what i am doing to my dads car if you need to ask any questions the guys on bowtie-trifive is the best:anim_25:
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