NOVEMBER 3, 2010: 1957 CHEVY BEL AIR-OUT OF TRAGEDY COMES TRIUMPH

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The 1957 Chevy is much more than a 50’s car-it wears the label of “cultural icon“.

 

 

Rick Feth realized that decades ago when he owned his first ’57 Chevy at the naïve age of 18 years old. He loved that car.

 

 

“That still didn’t stop a young and foolish Rick from selling the car in a period correct transaction-200 bucks and a case of beer-he had an immediate case of “seller’s remorse”.

 

 

There was no going back, but like the saying goes, “out of tragedy come triumph”.

 

The tragedy came when, as Rick says,“it was rolled about 2 ½ times a month later. I just about cried when I saw it. All that was left was the floor pan and firewall”. That was one of Rick’s earliest life lessons -it took for life but the urge to own another ’57 Bel Air 2-door hardtop never left him.

 

 

 

Flash-forward several decades-Rick was in a much better position to own a ’57 Chevy again and he found the perfect car. It was a local car literally owned by the legendary “little old lady” and it had been parked for 18 years. A buddy of Rick’s had put this car together and it was for sale. By now it was light years away from being the mild mannered car of the “little old lady days“-this car was built to a high level.

 

 

 

It’s a 350 now, disc brakes, upgraded suspension, 700R4 transmission-a far cry from the technology of Rick’s beloved car from his past and it shows. Thanks to that new tech, this car is far less apt to be rolled 2 ½ times and Rick is very comfortable driving the car.

 

 

 

 

He’s pushed it to a point where he may not have been as comfortable in his original car I’ve had it up to 105 and it’s as smooth as glass, I was running out of road”. Given the history of his first ’57 Chevy, that is high praise for this build because…

 

 

 

Rick doesn’t need another tragic ending to a classic car like a 57 Chevy.

 

Jerry Sutherland @mystarcollectorcar.com

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