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Dualfours-57 210 Sedan

10K views 48 replies 17 participants last post by  57R’villeHT 
#1 ·
Have been on here for some time and never really posted any pics of my '57 so guess it is about time to do so. I bought it in 1975, raced it for about 2 1/2 years and parked it cause with a wife, 3 kids, mortgage, job requirements and life in general it just wasn't working out. Always was going to "get back to it" over the years but sure took more years than I had planned on. Retired now and at 70 years young want to finish my first "big boys toy" LOL

A little back ground on the car. '64 Chevelle 283 with .030 bore, '57 GM aluminum dual four intake with Carter WCFB carbs, flat top pistons, Melling "Super Street" hyd. cam, Power Pack heads, Appliance long tube headers, old school Thrush mufflers on true dual pipes. Muncie M-21 4 spd, 3:55 posi rear gears, Gasket traction bars, 15 x 7 rally wheels. '67 GTO buckets bought out of a salvage yard for $50 when I was racing it.

Parked in the garage for longer than I like to think about but still have it. With no time or money came VERY close to selling it a couple times but my wife talked me out of it with her knowing for sure I would kick my a** down the road for doing such.

Just got it out of paint last Weds. and am SO pleased with the outcome. 2018 Chevrolet Silverado pickup Shadow Gray Mettalic BC/CC. A few pics from digging it out of the garage to where it is now. Long journey but closer than it was when started the trek.
 

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#2 ·
A few more pics, time to go back together. Full interior next. Plan is a two tone medium and darker gray cloth on buckets. Need to re-chrome both the front and rear bumpers. Looking into that process now.
 

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#6 ·
Thanks for the replies and the kind words. Wish I could lay claim to the work so far but body and paint magic is just not in my expertise. The body work has all been done by a friend of mine who retired from the same company, Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, Ks. Paint was done by Service Body Shop in Wichita. VERY pleased with the outcome and itching to "getter done" LOL.

Hope to have it fully completed by next summer and plan is to enter my restored '71 4x4 pickup, restored '71 Chevelle and the '57 all together side by side in our local car show. Want to do that at least just ONE time. Really getting anxious after all these years to see the '57 finally completed!
 
#8 ·
Your story and mine are very similar, I purchased mine February 22 1975 from a junk yard saving it from a crusher, and five years later it was my family car/daily driver in primer and different wheels and tires on each corner. three years after I finally painted it, It was wrecked twice in the same day and had to be put away because we were raising a family and had no money. Well after 22 years of storage and the kids raised in basically through college it was dug out and started a frame off repair and complete go over. being a body tech the work on the body was the easy part but still took me 4 years.
We now take it out for trips and enjoy a show or two when we can and have been doing this for 13 years now.

Our Son and Daughter in law are engineers at Cessna and we make it to Wichita a few times a year. Our Son wants us to bring the 57, when we do we will have to meet up and exchange a story or two.

until then enjoy the build and the car,

Gary Sanger bowtie-trifive
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the replies, am really looking forward to at last being able to enjoy the 57 after all these years. So glad that my wife (who is a keeper of 48 years, LOL) helped me to see the light in keeping it even when had no time or money to work on it. Can't wait to get it finished and next years driving season. Gonna be a LOONNNGGG winter, LOL.

Buckshot, would be great to meet up at some point to compare cars and stories. :shakehands:
 
#11 · (Edited)
Thought would bring this up to date with recent developments. Getting very close to bringing the 57 home. Well, not actually home. When it leaves the body guy's shop it heads straight to the interior shop. Head liner, door panels, seats and then carpet for the interior and trunk. Still thinking cloth interior in a medium and darker contrasting shade of gray. 80/20 loop style carpet for trunk and interior both. Running 70 series tires so spare will not fit the skinny spare tire well. Moved the mount for the spare up against the back seat frame ala later cars did in mid 80s on slight angle. Should leave a good amount of room for cooler, chairs, pop up awning, etc. for the car shows. Really getting pumped to get her back and on the road. Looking forward to running thru the gears again.
 

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#14 ·
Me still having the 57 after all these years is due to my wife knowing me, LOL. IF I had sold it years ago when I was working and no time for it I am sure I would have kicked my self down the road for letting it go. I've been doing that ever since I sold my '65 Impala SS, 300 HP /327, 4 spd, buckets, console, factory tach and 12 bolt posi. Regret it to this day so the thanks for me still having the 57 goes to the little woman, aka Chief Financial Officer, who is totally on-board with the restore now.
 
#16 ·
Mucho thanks to all for the kind words towards the 57.

Al, I love the look of that 150, and FI to boot! Wow. I had wanted to paint my 57 in the 150 2 door trim style, somewhat like the Black Widow paint scheme. Found out it would not be an easy task to convert my 210 to a 150. And add in trying to find 150 stainless would be no easy task either. So decided to go with the solid Shadow Gray Metallic. Very pleased with the look so far.

The car was born with a IL6 on 3OTT. Now it has a 283 bored .030 over with '57 GM dual four intake, pair Carter WCFB carbs, Melling hyd. cam, Muncie M-21, long tube headers, old school Thrush mufflers, true duals with 3:55 posi.
 
#18 ·
Yes, the Thrush mufflers are the old school round mufflers. They have been on the car since mid 70s. Car has always been garaged under cover, never sat outside since I have had it. There is some very light surface rust spots on the mufflers but still very solid and intact. Have another NOS Thrush I found at a swap meet and am on the look out for it's twin. Figure another pair of NOS mufflers will most likely last me until I'm too mature to push a clutch pedal. Hope is a long ways off tho. Love the sound of Thrush mufflers, they do TALK to ya.

The old school engine look is just me all over, I'm so old school in my love of cars, LOL. I get the LS fever that I see at car shows and such. Great power and performance, long lasting and such. BUT, just not for me. Give me a three deuce, dual carbs, single 4BBL, MT valve covers, headers engine look and I'm a kid again.
 
#19 ·
Finally brought the car home from the paint/body process. Was rather cloudy and rain in the forecast, hoping would not happen. As we were winching the car out of the covered trailer it started a light rain! Naturally! First time that car has EVER been rained on since I have had it that I can remember. Rain drops really beaded up on the new paint. Pumped the gas several times and turned the key and that little small block came to life. Let it idle for a bit to warm up, gotta' love carbed engine, which I do, LOL. Put her in gear and pulled her into the shop. Jacked it up and put shop skates under her. Got out the McGuire's Quik Spray n Wipe Detailer using micro-fiber towels and wiped it down. Covered with a Car Covers indoor/outdoor cover to "sleep" until make the decision on the cloth/vinyl combo stitch pattern and colors. Getting much closer and can not wait for the maiden voyage all gussied up in her new finery.
 

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#22 ·
I really like your car Dualfours, the 210's are next to my favorites, the 150's.
You have done a remarkable job on the restoration. I particularly like it that you have retained a 283 in it with of course you signature Dualfours.

I've included a picture of a friends 57 Belair, it also is a dual quad 283 numbers car. He raced it in the 60's and 70's and parked it, From the picture somewhat unprotected, in a barn, I think. For a while it was a national points winner at the drags with ET's in the high 12's in a stock class.

Your beautiful 210 will do very well with it's 283, one of the best engines Chevrolet made... Al
 

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#21 ·
Dual Fours,
Many thanks for the pics and details of your 57 project, it sure is a beauty.
Seeing the pic of your dual fours and valve covers almost brought tears, I once had a set just like those, oh how I wish I still did.
I love your color selections for the interior and body, I almost painted my black over white 55 DelRay that same color many years ago
The rally wheels are another choice I was going to use, never got them, they look awesome on your 57.
I'm anxious, as I bet you are, to see this machine out on the avenue, I can hear the sound of the dual quads now.
Thanks again for the nice pics, I do enjoy them.

Later,
Jim
Good for you for saving it and now bringing it back to full glory.
 
#24 ·
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, been a long trail to get to this point for sure. As mentioned in my first posting, I came very close to selling this car several times while I was working before retirement. Sooo glad my wife knows me and how I would have reacted down the road if I had sold it. At almost 71 years young with arthritis and back issues I can't take a lot of the credit getting to this point but I like to do what I can. Brings out the 19 year old in me again.

Color selection was a challenge for sure, expect the same for the interior. Wanted a 150 two tone paint scheme but the 210 trim does not lend itself well for that. After we made the color choice kinda a pins and needles time until we seen the car when picked it up from the paint shop. Really liking it, altho my upholstery guy thought I should have stayed with the original Tropical Turquoise and India Ivory. He also thought I should loose the Mr. Gasket traction bars. Nice color but not doing an original restore. More 60's high school kid style hot rod. Traction bars are staying also for the 60s build look.

Have always been a fan of the 283 and 327. Maybe leaning to the 327 mostly because of the larger bore. Short stroke builds R's really quick and plentiful parts and interchange. Like the pic of your friend's Bel Air. Best I every turned with my 210 was a 14.32 at 93.6 mph 1/4 time. Same engine but single Holley double pumper and Weiand intake.

At some point this summer will pull the rally wheels and put them in storage. Won't get rid of them for sure. Have a set of black, factory steel 15 x 7s wheels and set of the early COPO or dog dish hubcaps used on low end Camaros or Novas.
 
#25 ·
57R’villeHT;2375934 said:
I love the color. I don’t think you will see another like it.
That's what I'm hoping to happen. We have our local car show in July providing this CV has settled down by then. Hoping have completely done by then. Re-plate on bumpers is also planned. Want to enter my restored '71 4x4 pickup, '71 Chevelle and the '57 all together, side by side. One time for sure.
 

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