57 Chevy BelAir Gasser Build

X2 what @427 sleeper said! Search out a pair of old 15x4" 5-spokes, or slots, or Cragar SS's or even narrow steelies.

 

So that's a no from you on the Sprints too.....? I kinda dig those Halibrands. I know they're not mag, but pretty nice looking setup.

 

I'm going to be on the lookout this Saturday at the swap meet for some wheels and several other things, we'll see what I can come up with. Now I need a Nomad door too, so that promises to be a challenging hunt.....

 

Here's a different combinations of wheels on a friend's 57

 

Oh yea, now we're talkin, cool shots!!! Thanks for revealing those, badass car! I like them all...

 

For a place that is in the deep freeze for 6 months we do have a ton of cars and car stuff to do.
I don't have many hardtop photos, but lots of posts.

 

Slot's, 5 spoke's, chrome reverse, or any combination thereof, should work for a HAMB era gasser build.
Whoever designed those goddammed 10 spoke, bolt-on P.O.S's should be kicked in the nutz... Hard and repeatedly!!! JMHO...

 

Think "Bubba" with his 'front teef ' knocked out !
6sally6
Front with JUST the bumper gone looks period correct gasser .

 

Why not just narrow the rear end you have?!
I would go with the tallest and widest rear tires possible. (my recommendation)
Head scratching why......you want a 3 speed anything?! Maybe save the cable pull OD for highway cruis'in?!
6sally6

 

Hahaha, that paints a good picture of your position on the matter for sure......noted.

Something tells me HAMBers aren't fans of the 10 spoke bolt ons.... Do I have that right? Haha....

 

You are a fast learn Grasshopper...

 

You’ve got it bad, don’t ya? lol

 

On the right car they aren't bad, like a t-bucket, fenderless 30's coupe in the right build style, they just look too spindly and too light on a big boxy car.

 

What's your opinion on the durability of this rear end vs swapping out? It needs to be rebuilt anyway so there will be a cost regardless... I've heard these are weak. Is that not true?

I want a floor shift setup and a stronger transmission. I have a couple I can use, and thought the Dearborn would be a fun option since you don't see them much and I understand their tough.

 

Ha! Yep.... Big big problems over here alright...

 

Definitely don't use that stock rear if you plan on any kind of power, especially with a stick !
They are notorious for breaking, it would really be a waste of time and money, but if you want to do it all over repeatedly then you can keep it lol
Any kind of google search will point that out, they even break when used in lightweight cars, they were designed when cars only had 150 hp and there's a reason the factory dropped the design.

 

Thanks!....I'll scout around for something. Maybe I'll find one at the swap meet Saturday.

 

I would hate to build a car based on the general consensus of this or any other forum.

 

What do you mean?

 

Looks like the man is doing it his way....

 

I don’t know if I meant anything in particular, just reading the comments on wheels where the opinions are so strong when back in the late fifties and early sixties racers would have used the best they could get ahold of, whatever it was…. It’s the same thing today.
Drag cars where always evolving also and rarely looked the same from the start of the year to the end of the year as parts and trends changed. You could pick a year and then weather it was an early or late year car, this could define your engine choice, stance, wheels and tires etc..
Good luck with your project

 

I agree! I hate those. Rather find an old set old Ansens.

 

Yea racing and home-built hot rods is all about getting it done the best you can with what you got (or can afford?) in both parts/materials and skills! I do get a kick out of hearing people out on the opinions. It's interesting. This forum definitely tries to maintain a flavor and I get that. I'm over on Tri-Five's forum too and it's an entirely different set of feedback so it's fun to blend it all together. Don't get me wrong, I'll build it how I build it, but I'll always respect feedback and undoubtedly have questions that I trust will be answered passionately here on HAMB! I don't think I have it in me to do the dedicated studies to pick a month/year and build a perfect period correct gasser car to fit that bill. It'll be more of a tribute to gasser era (ish?) / street freak style build I'm sure but I don't even know where I'll wind up yet. Taking it all in and working the things I know I'll have to do anyway, frame stuff, floor pans, front axle....etc. I'll be widening my wheel housings too which is unfavorable by some opinions I'm sure. I'm also interested in building a blown small block which has mixed reviews. I dunno.....we'll see. I do know it'll be a fun project and I'll have fun slammin' doors and bangin' gears with it when it's done!!! Thanks for the support on the project!

 

Just for perspective...I have these cars as well that dad and I share. The 65 El Camino was my first car, I bought at 17 years old for $650. Had a 327 with an M21 Muncie at the time (originally a 6 with 3 on the tree) Dad and I restored it from the ground up, frame off, and had it professionally painted. It has a 454 big block and a tremec TKO toploader 5-speed with a hydraulic clutch setup that we built. 4" cowl hood with ghost flames, 12-bolt posi, bitchin loud modern stereo....ya know, all the "stuff". The 64 Impala he and I restored when I was in high school. I painted it at 15 years old (26 years ago) and that's the paint still on it today. This was taken two summers back at a local show. We did that car back to pretty much factory, but brightened the white, and changed from factory blue to factory black interior. Chrome reverse wheels with baby moons, 327/Powerglide column shift cruiser. Not an SS, just a hardtop impala.

 

Ok... time for me to speak up ..... PLEASE DO NOT put any brand of those goofy-spoke wheels on that car of yours, it will totally kill it.
A pair of 15x5 Wheelsmith Chrome steelies, yes .... or Ansen slots, yes ... even the overly done American early style 5-spokes, yes.

One more thing .... let the rear tire hang out some, like we did back then. We had no narrowed rear ends. A G-60-15 was the biggest tire .....

 

Nice looking 55! I'd have to cut open the rear wheel openings on the 57 to let the rear tires hang out, and I don't want to radius the wheel openings. If I had a 55 with factory radius openings I would definitely do that.

I see a lot of them that have been radiused up to the trim line or even into the trim but I'm not convinced that looks good on a 57, I have mixed feelings on that. If mine was rotten in that area I probably would but she's pretty solid.

 

Kruck, I submit exhibit ''X'' for the wheelwell discussion.

 

Something else to consider... American Rebel Manufacturing for USA made wheel's. You might like them...

 

55 didn't have the radius rear wheel opening, think that was a Nomad thing.

 

Yeah you're right. I thought about that after I posted it and was just going to correct myself haha. I have a 55 nomad as well and I was thinking about the rear quarters on that car.