One of the most iconic cars in the hobby is the 1957 Chevy, arguably the most popular model in the famous Tri-Five (1955-57) Chevy clan.
The ’57 Chevy has become a legend over the years and has even been immortalized in numerous songs, ranging from country music’s Billy Jo Spears to rock’s Eric Clapton.
Jim Sutherland
Greg Garson is a huge ’57 Chevy fan, plus he is a dyed-in-the-wool car guy who possesses a generous array of automotive skills and a deep interest in the hobby. Greg can restore a vintage vehicle back to its factory condition, or he can build a pro street monster, because he possesses the right mechanical chops.
A mixed bag of automotive talent is a huge asset because Greg found a 1957 Chevy Bel Air 2-door hardtop that had been off the road for the past 45 years and banished to a storage facility. The 68-year-old Chevy was originally sold in California and eventually wended its way to Olds, Alberta Canada.
The previous owner bought the car and freed it from long storage but felt he was too old to tackle the restoration process, so the man sold it to Greg.
As mentioned earlier, Greg could have transformed the ’57 Chevy into a beast but chose to honor its legacy as a small block car. The Chevy left the factory with a 283 small block coupled to a 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, but the original engine was replaced by a 350, although Greg told MyStarCollectorCar he was given a period-correct 283 as part of the sales deal.
The 283 runs smoothly but drops oil pressure when it gets warmed up, so Greg will have to deal with that issue before he can put it back in his vintage Chevy.
Fortunately, the 350 runs like a top and provides dependability so Greg has decided to enjoy the car in its present configuration for the foreseeable future. In fact, he wants to preserve as much of the Chevy’s originality as possible, so he has no plans to hot rod it, or do a full restoration on his classic Chevy.
The ’57 Chevy was able to avoid a major mouse infestation while in storage, although it did require some very minor interior metal repair, according to Greg. He also noted the trunk was replaced at some point in the car’s past, but the rest of the Chevy is original, including the front of the hood when it was exposed to water leaking through the building over the years.
Greg likes the history of the ’57 Chevy found on its exterior surface and will not erase it with a complete restoration. Instead, he will search out replacement parts in better condition from swap meets and donor cars if they are original pieces and not knockoffs.
The classic Chevy is a pleasure to drive and “goes straight down the road at 65 mph (105 km/h)”, according to Greg, so he intends to enjoy the ride for the foreseeable future.
Who can really blame him? Greg is having a ton of fun with his ’57 Chevy.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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