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"Why I Built This Car"
By Tony Adsley
Why did I build this car?
This car originated as a result of four guys from my
hometown: Ted Jensen, Ralph Penny, Roy Vidone, and Ted Martin. Each bought a
’57 hardtop between 1957 and 1960, when we were all in our late teens. I wanted
one badly, but could not afford to have a newer car and pay my way to college at
the same time. I settled for a much older one-owner, ’39 Buick Century Coupe at
the affordable price of $150.00. Used ’57 2 Dr. hardtops were going for $1,700
and up in 1960. My monthly income at the time was around $200-$300.
All four guys altered their Chevy’s to make them faster and more
distinctive. They were typically lowered, some chrome removed, chrome rims,
stick shifts installed and usually solid lifters and dual fours made the package
complete. Oh, how I lusted after those 57’s! I especially remember Ralph
Penny’s ’57 210 two door hardtop convertible (as they were referred to back
then). Ralph bought it new from the local dealer and slammed it the first week
he owned it. It was way too Kool man! I can remember him cruising our little
town of 8,700 every minute he was not working at his Dad’s Mobile station. It
was always clean and always sporting some new “modification” such as “T” pipes,
new mufflers or removal of some stainless.
Fast forward 40 years and it was now time to deliver the dream. I have owned a
ton of cars, but all of the fun cars have been conventional convertibles,
Corvettes, Porches’, Triumphs and even a 300ZX twin turbo. It was now time to
have a classic street rod (or several) built to look much like those I lusted
after, but with more modern, reliable running gear.
In 1997, I started looking for a ’57 to call my own. I started with the idea
that I had to have a convertible. I abandoned that goal when a ’57 hardtop
appeared in the local classifieds at a somewhat reasonable price of $5,000. It
was January 31st, 1998, a rainy Saturday morning and I knew no one
would go out looking at “project ‘57s” in bad weather, so I made the call and
showed up. I took a friend and we liked what we saw. She was pretty much all
there. After going over it with a magnet, she had no unusual bondo spots and
the rust we found was minimal. We agreed upon a reasonable price, put a charge
on the battery and I drove her home. Once I got home, I knew I would not drive
her again in that condition! She had a 327 and a 4-speed with no flooring
around the transmission. The steering had about 8” of play and she burned oil.
The nicest part about her was the price and the new American torque thrust II
wheels and tires. The interior looked like it had been home to a few rat
families over the past few years! I sold the wheels and tires and that netted
my going-in price for the project ’57 at around $3,500. Little did I know what
it would really cost in the long run…
I am not a mechanical kind of guy that has neither the necessary skills nor the
time to do the quality work I wanted done on this car. Therefore, I took a
month to find a shop that would work well with me to restore the car to my “High
School Memory” status. I was willing to take it anywhere I needed in the
country, just to get the right skills to do an excellent job. I subsequently
attended a local car show and found a ’57 that had been restored to original and
looked really great. The Stainless Shoppe right here in Austin had restored
it! I contacted the shop owner, Michael Domoracki, and found out that he only
does Tri-Five Chevys! After I contacted several of his former and present
customers for references, we agreed to go forward on the project. It was
delivered to Michael March 1st. of ’98 and the usual and sometimes
unusual steps to accomplish a complete, nut and bolt, frame-off restoration and
custom began.
We all know the drill…disassemble, clean, bag the parts, toss the bad parts,
make notes, begin ordering what is needed, bead blast the body, remove it from
the frame, mount it on a rotisserie and begin the long, long, long process of
straighten the body panels, doors, roof, quarters, rockers, firewall, fenders,
grill shell, hood, trunk, floor pan, etc., etc., etc. The body stayed there for
every conceivable manipulation for the next three years! It came off the
rotisserie jig only one time to be fitted to the chassis prior to final paint.
Once Michael had the body repaired, and straightened, he shot it initially with
an etching preservative to prevent any future moisture penetration. Next came
the long process of primer, sand, straighten, primer, sand, straighten, primer,
sand, etc, etc, etc. Michael used Glasurit paint products throughout the
process. He averaged seven or more separate colored coats of primer with much
sanding between coats on each and every panel including the undercarriage and
wheel wells!! The bodywork necessary to get a mirror-straight final product was
extensive to say the very least. This was a solid body to start with, but had
been in service for 42 years before we started. It was certainly not
manufactured to our tolerance expectations of today. Once the final coat of
primer had been sanded with 2000 grit sandpaper, the body and all panels were
assembled on the frame to insure an excellent fit could be achieved prior to
painting. Several areas were then modified to achieve the high level of fit and
finish we were striving for.
Body Modifications:
Beyond straightening and sometimes “remanufacturing” the body panel details, several modifications were made. Starting from the ends, the front three-piece bumper was replaced with a California one-piece that had been “show chromed” by Lemon Grove in CA. Both front and rear bumpers were smoothed and filled on the backs, finished in body color Viper Red, then clear-coated. The valence and brace beneath the radiator were re-formed to accept the enlarged, polished Griffin radiator. The firewall was smoothed and filled where openings and mounts were no longer necessary. A new heater/A/C panel was fabricated as a miniature to the original one to accept the much smaller Vintage Air A/C and heater plumbing. The battery platform was removed and repositioned in the trunk. The transmission floor tunnel was enlarged to clear the 700R4 once the car was slammed. The trunk floor panel was enlarged to clear the Currie 9” rear end given the five-inch rear drop. One side of the car was .25” shorter than the other and had to be lengthened to match the other side. The roof was found to have some non-repairable rotted seams and was replaced with a suitable donor. The trunk lid frame was separated from the exterior skin to eliminate any potential interior corrosion and to install a flush-fit LED third brake light in a “Bow Tie” shape. The license plate opening was recessed or “frenched” as we used to call it. Many hours were spent on a 2.50” mini-tub of each rear wheel well that left the wheel wells hardly distinguishable from the stock version. The Spare tire well was removed and filled to match the trunk floor and to make room for a low-profile Rock Valley custom-built stainless steel 22-gallon gas tank with submersed electrical fuel pump and in-trunk rear access panel. The wheel wells were painted flat black to make the 17” polished American Torque Thrust wheels and polished Willwood disk brakes stand out. The grill mesh was also painted black to give the grill a “floating” look like we did in the 50s. The front and rear Chevy script and “V” were removed and filled with lead. The door handles, locks and rocker stainless trim was also removed and filled. The doors and trunk lid were fitted with solenoids to provide remote electronic opening. An exterior hidden key was installed to lock the electrical system. An additional hidden access was provided to allow manual entrance to the car should the electrical system fail. Hidden remote battery posts were installed to allow convenient, exterior battery charging when necessary. A computer programming receptacle and status indicator was installed in a convenient place under the dash for on-board programming. A mere 3000+ hours and 3.5 years later, Michael had the car ready to go to the assembly shop.
Chassis:
Once Michael Domoracki removed the body, the frame was sent off to Cam Bierman,
owner of Radical Rides and Race Cars, Austin, TX. Cam has done work on lots of
professional racecars and knows the custom chassis business inside and out. Cam
proceeded to strip the frame of all components and suspension items. He then
installed a Jim Meyer Racing Products Stage II IFS system complete with GM rack
and pinion, tubular A-arms; matching spindles, coil over QA-1 shocks, anti-sway
bar and disc brakes. A transmission support bracket, a rear shock tower and a
Williams Classic Chevy rear suspension kit was installed to move the rear
suspension inboard (mini tub). Three sets of springs later, it was determined
that a Williams front reversed eye leaf spring with stock rear eye would give
the car the clearance it needed at the rear frame mount area while adding 1.5”
to the rear springs drop in addition to the 3.5” lowering blocks that were made
from aluminum. A Williams’s traction bar kit was installed along with a
shortened and polished Currie 9” Ford rear end. 11” four-piston Willwood disk
brakes with polished calipers were installed on all four corners with matching
E-brake calipers on the rears. Cam welded up the transmission cross brace,
shock mount and altered the rack and pinion mounts to give the car more ground
clearance (now about 4”). Polished 17” X 7” American Torque Thrust IIs were
installed in the front with 205X50X17 BFG TA Radials. 17”X9.5” matching
Americans were placed on the rear with 285X60X17 TA s. A 1996 Corvette Grand
Sport LT-4 crate engine was hooked up to the 1993 rebuilt and polished street
and strip 700R4 with a 3000-stall converter and Lokar kick-down linkage and
shifter. All brake and fuel lines were run out of temporary steel to insure a
good fit before fabricating the stainless lines.
Once Cam was finished, the chassis was sent back to Michael Domoracki at the
Stainless Shoppe. Michael removed all components, had the frame sand blasted,
smoothed the frame, eliminating all unnecessary gizmos put there for other
models. Michael also removed the steel bottom plate from the front cross
member, straightened and smoothed it, primered and painted the inside of the
cross member, re-welded the now straight cross member plate and finished the
chassis off in high gloss Glasurit Black with clear coat.
The chassis then went to Billy the “Roach” Cockrell for further fine
workmanship. Roach started by welding up pieces of mandrel bent 2.25” 304
stainless steel tubing to fit even with the frame rails and around the Rock
Valley Stainless gas tank. A cross pipe was also installed just behind the
transmission. The newly custom-welded stainless exhaust was sent to Mike’s
Metal Polishing in Austin, along with the Denny’s custom aluminum drive shaft
for final polishing. Once the exhaust system was welded, Mike showed up to
polish the welds. Roach also ran and secured the stainless steel brake, A/C and
fuel lines in the most sanitary manner possible. The finishing touches were
“Megs” stainless oval tips and some very slick custom exhaust hangers made of
polished stainless with adjustment slots and rubber mounts for each one. The
polished expansion tank, power steering reservoir, oil pan skid plate and A/C
dryer were also installed and plumed in stainless. “Mercury” Charlie polished
the 700R4 (from scratch!) as well as, the Rock Valley Gas Tank and the Griffin
radiator to a high gloss. All parts that were not painted or polished were then
sent to HPC in Phoenix where Rick Simmons at High Performance Coatings did an
excellent job with all the miscellaneous parts and pieces. They even did the
edges of the dual sided Willwood rotors.
INTERIOR:
The interior was intended to be a significant feature of the car. It was to
reflect the appearance of a “resto” but upgraded 50’s and 60’s car. To get it
really right, Gary Constable of Mutant Art, Louisville, KY, was engaged to do
renderings of descriptions furnished from favorite 50’s and 60’s interiors.
Gary understands all about custom cars and stock interiors. He brought a
tremendous amount of insight to this project. We were also fortunate to find an
interiors shop (Dan at Kirkpatrick interiors, Chouteau, OK), an aircraft
components manufacturing shop (Excel Mfg., Wichita, KS), a leather supplier
(Townsend leather, Johnstown, NY), a carpet manufacturing company and a
finishing shop (Metal Processing, Wichita, KS) that were all excited about going
that extra distance to make this interior something special. The Stainless
Shoppe in Austin, TX also did the interior paint and stainless window trim
restoration.
Dan Kirkpatrick of Kirkpatrick Interiors did 100% of the interior fabrication
and sewing himself. He is a very particular craftsman and proceeded to give
this project his best. He added his own headliner and trunk designs to match
Mutant Art’s drawings of the interior. Dan vowed to keep the interior “specific
to the drawings”. I don’t think it could have been done any better! Dan
fabricated the back seats entirely. He personally took his patterns of the trim
pieces to Wichita to discuss each one with Allen at Excel. The front seat
frames and electronics started life in a Toyota Cressida. They filled the bill
for the necessary low profile, smaller seat and needed 6-way controls. Dan
fabricated the seats using his favorite foams and the design drawings. The
console handles two speakers, a Lokar shifter, the original electric window
controls for both front and back seat locations, the stereo receiver and control
unit, has room for storage, engine computer harness, stereo receiver, electric
harnesses and the inside arm rest for driver and passenger. Every surface in
the car has sound and vibration/dampening materials plus insulation installed.
A supplier provided the instruments to Classic Chevy International who supplied
them to us. They were designed to fit in the original dash openings, but
combined a tachometer, oil pressure and voltmeter with the original gauges.
After they sent the faces to us, they were painted the car color and returned
for lettering. The same sort of thing was done with the steering wheel. The
new interior justified a special wheel, so the original wheel frame was sent off
to Steering Wheel Restorations and reduced by 2.5 inches to a comfortable 15.5”
size. A new horn ring was then poured to match the smaller circumference of the
wheel. Paint for the car was mixed with the plastic when the wheel and shift
knob were poured. Dennis Crooks owner of Steering Wheel Restorations in Poway,
California did the wheel, horn ring and knob to perfection.
A friend, George Kalogridis, of Kalogridis Carpets, dyed imported wool to match
the exterior paint sample, and then manufactured the carpet to exacting 82-ounce
specifications. The leather also came from an aircraft supplier and was dyed to
match the carpet. Note the stainless trim pieces on the interior. Each and
every piece of trim is a “one-off” and was originated by Dan Kirkpatrick who
produced patterns from Gary Constable’s drawings then turned over to Allen
Oakleaf, a friend who owns Excel Mfg. in Wichita. Allan had the patterns
digitized and downloaded into a water jet cutting machine to get exacting
original pieces in stainless steel. Excel then put the attachment posts on the
back of each piece. Bob Babst at Metal Finishing put all the pieces through his
finishing processes for a beautiful finished product.
ENGINE:
The engine is a stock GM crate 1996 Corvette Grand Sport LT-4 with a 94/95 GM
rear-mounted computer. The engine is a 2 bolt main with aluminum heads, roller
cam assembly, 194 intake and 150 exhaust valves. An LT-4 injection system was
used with Grand Sport 27 lb. Injectors. Street and Performance supplied the
custom-fit (tacked up at S&P, sent to us for re-fit, finish welded back at S&P),
then ceramic-coated headers. The 3” collector boxes connect to 2.25” polished
stainless mandrel bent tubing and mufflers from Stainless Specialties. S&P also
furnished all the engine trim in full polished form to include: Valve covers,
air cleaner, pulleys, pulley covers, water pump, compressor, alternator,
transmission pan together with all matching brackets, bolts.
Further engine bay polished or chromed accessories include: A/C Dryer, coolant
overflow chamber, power steering reservoir, Griffin 1.5” tube aluminum radiator,
stainless a/c, p/s, p/b lines and connectors, chromed 7” dual master cylinder
and booster, re-manufactured and chromed hood hinges and latches. Filled and
painted Corvette fuel rail covers with mounted ’57 Fuel Injection insignias.
TRANSMISSION/REAREND:
The transmission is a 1993 polished 700R4 unit that has been rebuilt to street
and strip specs with a 3000-stall converter. A Lokar kick-down unit is utilized
along with a Denny’s aluminum driveline custom fit to match up with a polished
Currie 9” 3.70 rear end.
INCIDENTALS:
The car has a “RainGear” electric intermittent wiper system complete with graduated speeds. It is designed to go under the dash while leaving room for the a/c. Hi/low beam switches at the column, an ididit! Chrome Steering column, stock window electronics and dash controls, chromed windowsills and a shortened glove box for air conditioning space. The interior door releases are manual and hidden inside the door panel armrests to avoid hardware exposure as well as safely let occupants out if there is an electrical malfunction. The wing windows are manual as well. There are four hidden interior lights, all mounted low to illuminate the front and rear carpet for ease of entry. The doors and trunk open with remote electronic solenoid latch releases by Hotronics. Seat belts and fasteners were provided by Ssnake-Oyl Products, Tyler, TX. Pedals and shifter are from Lokar. Lamberts supplied the blue-dot LED tail light units. The headlights are three-bar, Jaguar-style sealbeams. The working stereo components are hidden in the console and trunk. It sports all the right components: 6 speakers, 12” woofer, 600-watt amplifier and it rocks! The stock dash radio is for nostalgia looks only and is a correct “Wonderbar”. The original air conditioning ducts were used, but the unit itself comes from Vintage Air in San Antonio Texas. It is operated from the original dash controls furnished with the original equipment air conditioning option for ‘57.
COMPLETION:
When all the craftsmen and vendors have done their thing, you still may not have a complete car. In my case, I had all the bodywork done, modifications made, paint completed, frame modified and finished, interior sewed together, trim polished and engine/transmission modified, plumbing run to almost everything and installed. What I didn’t have was a completed ’57 that I could drive. To the rescue came a very competent and understanding shop and the excellent staff at The Car Connection in Waco, TX. Cotton tanner and his most competent craftsman, Todd, took the car in when it needed all the “little” things done that are really not very little. They assembled the body parts, aligned the doors, hood, bumpers, windows, and hooked up all the connections and accessories that had been purchased for the car but not put on the car. They reworked damaged or flawed paint, they wired all the gauges, accessories, windows, doors, trunk, etc, etc. They did what no one else could do and that was finishing the car!!! They exhibited great workmanship and took ownership of getting the car “on the road”. No wasted time, no misunderstandings, no excuses, just a straight path to get the car FINISHED and finished right in a reasonable amount of time!
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