1957 Chevrolet 150 - Ready to Roll - 59

People build and own V8s for various reasons. Some like the challenge of an intense, full-time build. Some like to tinker away in the garage on a 10-year-long project in an effort to hide from the missus. Others, like Southlander John Abbott, don’t mind skipping that part out altogether. As the owner of Charlton Auto Imports, John has been importing cars and car parts from the States for quite a while now. His main trade involves on-selling those goods to waiting New Zealanders, but occasionally he stumbles across something special, something that tickles his fancy just enough that he has to keep it for himself. This 1957 Chevrolet 150 coupe, in brilliant yellow, is one of those. Classic, American Graffiti rod looks, a five-speed manual and a whole lot of supercharged small block Chevy power at a fair price — that was just too good to pass up.
Running a 427 cubic-inch Chev Motown block sitting inside a smoothed and de-loomed engine bay, the big Chevy coupe snarls up an angry 650hp at the crank, which is more than enough to get the old girl moving. Internally, the motor runs a Scatt crank, pumping tough H-beam rods and forged pistons. Up above, Edelbrock has supplied a pair of high-flowing Victor JNR heads and thirsty twin carbs, which have a healthy dose of air sucked through them thanks to a whining 6/71 supercharger. A big Holley pump matches the large amounts of force-fed air with the right amount of fuel before an MSD 6 ignition system ignites the mix. Finally, a set of free-flowing Doug headers feed waste gases out into a simple exhaust system travelling out to the rear of the car.
Blower ’n’ Stick
It’s not too often you see a manual gearbox in an old rod these days, so it is a pleasant surprise to find a super-tough late model Tremec TKO600 five-speed backing up the blown Chev motor. It has to deal with a hefty power figure, but the Tremec box is well-known for its strength and should see John right for a few years yet, especially when combined with a meaty Centreforce clutch and a big Ford nine-inch diff.
The limited slip diff spins a set of 15×10-inch Centreline rims bolted to custom-made narrowed axles. The lightweight wheels are shod in big Mickey Thompson 26x8x15 street rubber, which although not full race slicks, provide a good compromise between traction and wear. Up front, much narrower 15×6-inch Centrelines hide a set of big Camaro discs and callipers, while the rear drums have been upsized to 11-inch items.
Keeping the old coupe both low to the ground and squat off the line is a reasonably simple suspension system, consisting of tubular A-arms sprung with lowered coils, while the rear springs have been relocated in-board to allow for the big treads. Bilstein shocks on all four corners dampen the car.
Classic Style, Modern Twist
When it came to the Chev’s exterior, the original builder was clearly after the clean and simple pro-street aura. A bright yellow hue coats the shaved and smoothed body, which has been freed of obtrusive extras like door handles and side mouldings.
The same theme carries through to the interior, which has been simply and tastefully reconditioned and re-trimmed, but also enhanced with the replacement of the standard dash by a digital unit — a little bit of late-model technology to liven up a half-century-old machine.
Put aside the fact that this 50-year-old piece of tin is a pleasure to look at, it’s also — as you could probably tell by viewing the specs box — a whole lot of fun to drive. Classic ’50s street class, simplicity and one hell of a thump under your right foot — it’s a Chev enthusiast’s whining, roaring wet dream. Sure, this rumbling monster of a machine wasn’t built here in New Zealand, but is that really a problem? There is nothing wrong with letting someone else do all the hard work, then taking it off their hands for a fraction of what it would cost to build yourself. That, folks, is what we call smart rodding…

1957 Chevrolet 150 – Specifications

Engine: 427ci (6997cc) small block Chev Motown block, Scatt crank, H-Beam rods, forged pistons, ported and polished Edelbrock Victor JNR heads, 6/71 supercharger, twin Edelbrock carbs, Holley fuel pump, MSD 6 ignition system, Doug headers, custom alloy radiator, electric cooling fan, twin custom catch cans, custom firewall
Driveline: Tremec TKO600 five-speed manual gearbox, Centreforce clutch, Ford nine-inch LSD diff, 3.25:1 gears, narrowed custom axles
Brakes: Camaro front discs and rotors, 11-inch rear drums
Suspension: Bilstein shocks, lowered coils, tubular A-arms, relocated rear springs
Wheels/tyres: 15×10-inch Centreline rear rims, 15×6-inch Centreline front rims, Mickey Thompson 26x8x15 rear tyres, BFG 275x60R15 front tyres
Exterior: Shaved door handles, shaved side chrome, custom yellow paint
Interior: Custom retrim, digital dash, Lacara steering wheel
Performance: 650hp (485kW) at the crank