57 Bel air resto

[mike]

car was ok but needed a tidy up .......

cars back in my shed and looking for another workshop to finish the job

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[usautomotives]

Looks like it's gonna be a real nice car. What color have you got planned for it?

Contact me if you need parts for it. www.usautomotives.com.au

Cheers

Jesse @ U.S.Automotives

[EAT-30T]

Cool... good to see another build up!!

My wife loves these cars...so I can s myself restoring something similar one day :)

[mike]

found another guy to finish resto and thanks to Jesse at www.usautomotives.com.au new door skins and quarter panel etc to get things happening. Still haven't decided on a color.......

[usautomotives]

No problem Mike & Leanne, let me know when you require the other gear. I'm itchin to give away a few bits to your car, so just give us a call!

[mike]

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1541at long last its getiing there, finally painted and getting the chrome etc put back on

[Nev68]

1539

1540

1541at long last its getiing there, finally painted and getting the chrome etc put back on

Mike,
Love the colour, it goes with the classic lines of the legendary 57 Chevy.
Nice to see you have'nt messed with it too much like the 57 with the roof chopped off in the last Super Chevy mag

Got anymore info, like motor, interior etc?

Nev

[67cammy]

I agree. That thing looks gorgeous. Well done .

[mike]

my wife picked the color, its silver based with green/gold reflection It's just going to be a cruiser 350 chev with a mild cam and a T400 gearbox I think I'll go a dark gray interior not 100% sure yet

[CI-1968]

I think A nice Burgandy coloured trim will suit that colour well in my opinnion. A real old school look. All in all though it looks amazing where its at now, good luck with the rest of it.

[TUFF68]

Looking very nice there Mike. Do you have all new stainless body and glass mouldings or did you polish up the old ones ?

[mike]

I replaced a few of the fin mouldings and the flashes, all the rest has been polished

[TUFF68]

Did you polish them yourself or pay someone to do it. Have read that it's a tedious, time consuming messy job to polish stainless, and very expensive if farmed out to a pro. Just trying to figure out if it's a job i could tackle myself one day when the time comes to do mine or just by new ones

[WILD68]

its easy to get little bits caught in the buff and stuff a perfectly good piece.. bit of skill and concentration and ya can do it. lol i did on my old torrie but ruined a couple of bits...

[Nev68]

my wife picked the color, its silver based with green/gold reflection It's just going to be a cruiser 350 chev with a mild cam and a T400 gearbox I think I'll go a dark gray interior not 100% sure yet

Are you going for vinyl, leather or other for the interior?

Nev

[67cammy]

Did you polish them yourself or pay someone to do it

Entirely possible to do it yourself. I did mine and they came out perfect. Just takes time and patience. Just get various grades of wet and dry, working your way up to the finest and finish off with compound on a buff attached to a drill ( if thats all you have like me ). You can even remove quite large file marks if you've hammered out a dent and filed it smooth. The results are just as good as a proffessional job and you have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. If you have a personality like Basil ( Faulty Towers ) I wouldnt attempt it though.:D

[AUSCAMARO]

I have a buff wheel on my bench grinder with various compounds that can be applied.

You have to get heat into the metal to get a good shine.

Mitch

[RSZ28]

car was ok but needed a tidy up .......

cars back in my shed and looking for another workshop to finish the job

650



Very nice. 57 pillarless coupe. The best of the tri 5's. Where were you in '62 as the Wolfman would say?

:cool:

[usautomotives]

Looks awesome guys! Can't wait to see it all finished and on the road.

[mike]

Did you polish them yourself or pay someone to do it. Have read that it's a tedious, time consuming messy job to polish stainless, and very expensive if farmed out to a pro. Just trying to figure out if it's a job i could tackle myself one day when the time comes to do mine or just by new ones

It cost a few $$$ but I got the guys at the workshop that have done all the body work etc to polish the stainless. Tomorrow the bumpers go back on and then next week the guys are fitting the windscreen and new side windows

[mike]

Are you going for vinyl, leather or other for the interior?

Nev

I'm getting a price to have it done in leather, but for now waiting on the roof lining so the windscreen can be fitted

http://camaro-firebird.org/forum/files/photo0001a_141.jpg
http://camaro-firebird.org/forum/files/photo0006_196.jpg
http://camaro-firebird.org/forum/files/photo0003_995.jpg

[AUSCAMARO]

This thing is amazing. Are they original gauges?

[mike]

all new gauges from classic instruments and the two higher set ones are extensions that we found at east coast chevy in the states

[TUFF68]

Any updates or progress pics for us Mike, car must be nearing completion by now :cool:

[mike]

slowly getting there, new glass side and front, lights, number plates. roof lining and electrical wiring..... still heaps more work and $$$

http://camaro-firebird.org/forum/files/photo011_119.jpg

http://http://camaro-firebird.org/forum/files/photo013_196.jpg

http://camaro-firebird.org/forum/files/photo015_104.jpg

[mike]

seats done just waiting on carpet and door panels :)

[AUSCAMARO]

Thats an awesome trim job Mike.. Major props to whoever did that for you??!!

Ultra Nice!

[cluxford]

Mike, I love those interior colours they really suit the colour of the car, love the smooth leather interiors.

[mike]

after long wait carpet and seats are in, the front door trims should be on this afternoon...... another step closer to be finished
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[blackoutsteve]

Sorry if I missed it, but is that a GM Color? I really like it. Looks a bit like Champagne that some Camaros had. Rare but quite nice.

Looks great.;)

[mike]

Sorry if I missed it, but is that a GM Color? I really like it. Looks a bit like Champagne that some Camaros had. Rare but quite nice.

Looks great.;)

To be honest I'm not sure what the color is, my wife picked it off the colour chart. It's silver based with gold and green reflection, silver for the chrome, gold for the grille and badges and green for the slight tint in the glass. Thats her reasoning but somehow I think she fluked it lol. It's covered in dust on the last pic and it still looks great.

[blackoutsteve]

..It's silver based with gold and green reflection, silver for the chrome, gold for the grille and badges and green for the slight tint in the glass. Thats her reasoning but somehow I think she fluked it lol.

Chicks.. :p :D

[mike]

pics of new manifold, carby, fuel pump and starter motor
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next on the list is 9" diff, new mags and tyres, suspension.............

[Nev68]

pics of new manifold, carby, fuel pump and starter motor
]

next on the list is 9" diff, new mags and tyres, suspension.............

Lookin' good, how long 'til she hit's the road?

[anychevy]

WOW that's a nice car, colour looks a little like "silver mink" you and your wife have good taste :D

[mike]

.....stilll not finished but getting ever so closer 9" diff, spring relocation and brakes are now done. The boat decided to get alittle attention two 454 mercruisers need I say more :eek:$$$$$$$

[mike]

9"diff is in, new brakes,booster and master cyliner and rack and pinion. Mags and tryes should be here by the end of this month
Billet spec 18 x 12 on the back
6921

[mike]

still not finished....but getting there :)

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[chevguy]

Really nice, with that colour and wheels it doesn't look like most of the other 57's I've seen. Great combination.

[18htan]

Mike I am loving your work!

Whats the ETA now? Can't be far.

[69SS]

Absolutely stuning, great combo Mike!

[mike]

Mike I am loving your work!

Whats the ETA now? Can't be far.

Just waiting on some more parts ....... should be on the road by the end of March hmmm I remember saying that last year lol

[68ls1]

Beeauuuutiful :)

[mike]

finally....... registered and back on the road :D http://www.youtube.com/user/MrMjbair

just getting a couple bugs ironed out nothing too serious except for this :- got the 9"diff, steering and brakes supplied and fitted at *##* here in Brissy and the car has been back to this workshop over the months getting other stuff done (pushed in and out) I get under the car to check the diff oil and the phone goes off work blah blah blah and forgets to check it. The wife takes the 57 out to fuel it up and the diff locks up, luckily she just got it off to the side of the M1 and out of the traffic.... short story the diff is bone dry... not a drop of oil. No mention of this on the invoice or verbal and I'm kicking myself for not remembering to do it. I ring the guy up and let him know and offer to go half's in the cost of repair. His reply "not my problem"

A big ** THANKYOU TO MARK AT AUSSIE DIFFS** all fixed.

#**# will be named at the later date but for now taking legal action

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[68 GTO]

Good luck with the legal action....bloody shoddy work in my opinion

[18htan]

Hey Mike...

Bloody unreal to see it on the road! Looks fantastic!

Shame about the diff, and good luck with it... However, at least you can drive it!

[jaywildone57]

Nice one Mike, I think you need a mechanic like Tony Basonis.....
spoto a 57 chev.......:D

[Detailed]

beautiful colour.

[69 RS]

Nice one Mike, I think you need a mechanic like Tony Basonis.....
spoto a 57 chev.......:D

A blown 57 two door, hate ta think of how many times I watched that 57 do that donut before the final race.