In 1977, during my senior year of high school , I purchased a two door '57 Chevy 150 sedan for $500 in Walthill, NE. ? It seemed a bargain with a 396 big block and turbo 400 tranny! ? I quickly emptied my meager savings and bought a set of 14" Keystone Klassics.
?I also found out that the stock 10 bolt rearend was no match for the power of the big block. ?My first experience in auto mechanics was replacing the 10 bolt pumpkin with a new set of gears. ?
During the next four years, a tour with the Marine Corps resulted in a steady paycheck and some much needed improvements to the Chevy...
In typical 1970's hot rod style, the '57 was soon sporting a front end lift kit and air shocks. Although these modifications gave the Chevy that "hopped up" look, they sacrificed drivability.
The air shocks caused cracks in the floor of the trunk! What a dumb design General Motors! ?Orginially, the shocks mount directly into holes in the floor of the trunk. ?The thin sheet metal typically cracks under the stress of normal shocks. The firm air shocks guarantee a cracked floor...!!
.....yikes! skinny tires...
...notice the white
headers sticking out!
Photo taken with starburst filter...
Other improvements included replacing the 396 with a stock 283 Chevy engine and bolting on a Weiand intake, Carter AFB 750 cfm carb, and ACCEL SuperCoil with "yellowjacket" wires. Exhaust duties were handled with Hedman headers and a custom dual exhaust featuring cross-over tubes and Flowmaster mufflers. Power was supplied to a new 12 bolt posi-traction rear end (from a '69 Chevelle) through a TH-350 tranny complete with B&M shiftkit and Starshifter.
....another photo with star filter, notice the bare foot gas pedal ....and 12" steering wheel (no power steering either!), you can also see the B&M ratchet shifter.
Following my enlistment in the Corps, a meager cash flow during college resulted in reduced funds for Chevy maintenance and improvements. It took a beating and looked it!
The college years weren't a total waste for the chevy though. I bought a '73 Chevy Caprice for $100, yanked the .400 small block, and conducted my first engine rebuild. NAPA provide the Competition Cams bumpstick and rebuild kit. Features of the rebuild included 11.5:1 pistons, double roller timing chain, a machine shop balance job, and a Moroso 7 quart oil pan. I learned a lot of lessons during this rebuild. First, you need to double and triple check the position of the flexplate before you bolt the engine and tranny together. Second, don't just use any small block Chevy head gaskets on a .400 engine. The .400 cylinders are squeezed very close into the block creating a challenge to ensure proper cooling. Insist on the unique .400 gaskets when you order your rebuild kit.
Another sign-up with the Corps found the Chevy parked at the family homestead in the great state of South Dakota for the next ten years. The long cold winters took its toll on the old Chevy.
