1957 Chevrolet 150 not a 210 or a Bel Air/Belair

Many people can't tell this car from a 55 Chevy because she does not have the arrows on the side of the car like the Bel Air or the 210. But the Dagmars on the front give it away.

I live in N. Texas.

When I bought the car, I was told the engine was a V8-383. It was originally a 6 cylinder. The radiator was in the V8 position when I first got the old girl. Due to overheating problems in the Texas heat I moved then replaced the radiator with a larger aluminum model. I looked on the back of the engine block and could only see a part of the engine’s number. From the few numbers I could read I found out the block was a 350 from the mid 70's. While replacing the motor mounts, I dented the oil pan causing me to take it off to fix it. While it was off, I noticed the engine had 4 bolt mains. I wish I knew at that time to look for machine work on the front main bearings to prove it is a 383. The engine is equipped with an Edelbrock Performance RPM intake, topped with a Holly 750 double pumper. She has headers of unknown origin connected to Flow Master type mufflers. The distributor has been converted from points to MSD electronic points with a MSD Blaster 2 coil sending the juice.

The transmission is a 4 speed ST-10 Borg Warner with a 1975 casting date.

The gears are changed with a Hurst shifter. The whole thing is connected to the engine by an Ansen NHRA approved scatter shield.

At the rear, a 10 bolt rear end out of a 1990 4x4 S-10 Blazer with a 3.41 rear gear has been installed.

The body is connected to the axles by KYB shocks and original springs. The shoes are P225/60 R15 on the front and P265/50 R15 on the back all mounted on Rally Wheels.

My web site has changed from a web site with pictures of my 57 into my journal of exploits, trials and tribulations or what I call my hobby. I like driving my 57 the most but I also enjoy researching and making repairs on her. She is an odd companion. She is very needy in terms of time and money. And, after I do so much for her she knocks me in the head or cuts my hand with some part of her. Even though there is pain, trials and tribulations in our one sided relationship I lover her just the same.

This picture was taken at the Texas Motor Speed Way entering the beginning of the tri-oval. We were not supposed to pass but I could not stand to be behind a truck on the way to the finish line. As you look to the left a 68 Camaro was just about to pass me. I tucked in behind him.

Side view. My first attemp to use a photo shop type photo manager. Pretty sad.

You gotta love those fins.

Car show in Plano July 2004

Through research I found out some of my 57's history. I bought her in October 2000 from Pat’s Auto Sales in The Colony, Texas. Before me, she was owned by another guy in the same town I live in. He had her for only a couple of months in the year 2000. He bought her from and sold her back to Pat's. She was brought to Texas from Kansas by a transplanted Texan from Wichita, Kansas who owned her from 1998 to 2000 and sold her to Pat’s. Another man from Wichita, Kansas owned her from 1992 to 1998. He bought her from a man from Rose Hill, Kansas that owned her from 1991 to 1992. She was owned by L & M Marine and Hofmeir Chevy-Olds-Pontiac from 1988 to 1991. She was then owned by a man and his wife that also resided in Wichita, Kansas from 1987 to 1988. For a few months in 1987 she was owned by a man from Wichita, Kansas. From 1985 to 1987 two men from Goddard, Kansas owned her. They bought her from a man from Viola, Kansas who owned her from 1984 to 1985 and during that year changed the title over to his son. He bought the car from Class Act Cars who bought her from CJ’s Used Cars both in Wichita, Kansas that had her on their lots for 2 months in 1984. The man who sold her to the used car lot owned her from 1981 to 1984 and hailed from McLoud, Oklahoma. Before that a man owned her for one day in 1981 that lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From 1978 to 1981 another man from Tulsa, Oklahoma owned her. He bought her from, in my mind, a little old lady from Claremore, Oklahoma who was the orginal owner that moved from Monroe, Oklahoma and owned her from 1957 to 1978. The factory dealer price was $1,996 and was bought at the total delivered new price of $2000. I am the 18th owner. So much for buying a “1 owner”.

I did a search on the internet and found addresses of just a handful of the previous owners. I sent them letters asking for any history of the car but only got one response. The response came from CJ Used Cars. The owner wrote that the car had the paint job it does now when he had it in the early 80’s. So the old girl is like a stray dog that comes to your house and you adopt her. You wonder what her life was like before you adopted her and most likely will never know. If only she could talk and tell her tale.

Check out my Tri-Five Group at: Tri-Five Chevy Group

Wanna read a story written in the spirit of the movies “American Graffiti”, “Dazed and Confused” and “Super Bad.” An action/ comedy/novel about a group of Midwestern teens during a cold winter’s night in 1976. The story contains cruising, hot rodding, drag racing, romance, conflict between groups, fights, train wreck, car crashes, and life changing decisions. I even threw in some police work for the fun of it.
Please check out my book at:
http://www.booksie.com/action_and_adventure/novel/alexander_arnell/dawdling-ducks

Index
Page------Title
2.....605 Steering Gear Box
3.....Junk in the Trunk
4.....10 Bolt
5.....Gas Tank Straps
6.....Chevy Citation
7.....Favorite Photos and My Old Cars
8.....KLR 650
9.....Dagmar
10....Carl Root/American Graffitte/Bud&Wally Satterfield
11....Back Seat Pan
12....Shocks
13....Transmission Seals, Spedo Gear & Cable
14....Bellhousing Mounts.
15....Photos Super Chevy Show Texas 2005
16....A Day at the Dyno
17....Hall of Shame & Drag Racing
18....Water Pump & Exhaust Jackets, Texoma Cruse and TMCC
20....Carb Fix 750 Holey
21....Diary Update TMCC Kennidale New Ball Joints & Bushings
22....Tie Rod Ends
23....Athens Bug Killing Tour
24....Lone Star Classic Chevy Convention, TMCC, rear axle,
Radiator removal
25....Pullies, Clutch Fan and Fan Belt Hell!
26....Sway Bar
27....Racing and Breaking, Redline, Chip Foose Car Show, Ennis, Drag Racing Videos
28....Winter project new floor
29....2007 Summer Activities, Car Shows, Drag racing, fuel pump, front brake shoes, radiator & fan shroud
30....Reliable/121 car shows, New Tach, TMCC Ennis/Kennadale, DACC Annual Meeting, a current loss, Posi install the beginning
31...Posi part II, cylinder head info
32...Dallas Autorama, Pricing for A/C, Texas Thaw Race and Car Show, Reliable Car Show Spring, TMCC Kennedale,Video of me racing John & of Jimmy O'Neal,New fan belts and pully
33...Fan Belts, Ignition Wires, Painting Recommendation

Tri-Five Chevy Group
http://www.booksie.com/action_and_adventure/novel/alexander_arnell/dawdling-ducks