A 1957 Chevy Bel Air As Only A ’60s Hot Rodder Could Build It

We had only been in Reno for a few hours when we ran across this ’60s-inspired 1957 Chevy Bel Air. There’s nothing quite like a jet-black 1957 Chevy built the way a hot rodder in the ’60s would have done it.
The occasion was Hot August Nights and the Chevy was displayed with an explanatory sign in the open trunk. The last paragraph read, “I built Midnight with memories of my first car and those days gone by. This is the way I would have finished my original 1957 back in the day, had there been the time, money, and resources available. It’s built to drive and drag. But, like most of us, I’ll use this car to cruise back in time and relive those warm summer nights some 50 years in the past.”

Jim Manley is the owner, builder, and driver of the Bel Air—and was a hot rodder in the ’60s. His purpose in building this car was, “to grab a piece of history from my past, use it in the present, and preserve it for the future.”

The past Jim refers to starts in 1965, when, as a teenager, he bought his first car—a 1957 Bel Air hardtop. Like many young guys, he ended up selling his first car, and like many older guys, he always regretted that move. “So in 2010, when I found myself in possession of another 1957, the wheels started turning,” he said. “my plan was to build a new, late-’60s muscle car with modern hot rod equipment and a 1957 body.”
Jim bought the car from the widow of the previous owner. Built in California, the Bel Air has spent its entire life around Sisters, Oregon, (Jim’s home), and had been restored to stock about 40 years ago. It was complete, rust-free, and had never been wrecked—and was about to be transformed into a hot rod.

He decided to tackle the job himself, recruiting his friend Dave Reiss for advice and assistance. The first step was to tear the car completely apart and start as a frame-off rebuild. The original Chevy framerails were kept but shaved of unnecessary brackets and other components. He went to Classic Performance Products for many of the Chevy’s frontend components, including the tubular A-arms and 2-inch dropped spindles. CPP also provided the 14:1 power steering box. The rearend is a narrowed Ford 9-inch with 3.89:1 gears and Truetrac limited slip. New stock coil springs and Bilstein shocks in front and heavy-duty GM five-leaf springs and Monroe shocks in the rear smooth out the ride.

Being a perfectionist, Jim worked hard to ensure that the Bel Air’s body panels, gaps, and angles were as perfect as they could be, exceeding original standards. Hood and decklid emblems were shaved, but other trim pieces and hardware were repaired, repolished, and rechromed. A smoothie front bumper from Danchuk replaces the stock piece. The wheel openings have been reshaped to accommodate the larger tires and wheels, and the hood rockets have been trimmed. The body and chassis were delivered to Bob Twigger in Redmond, Oregon, for paint. Midnight’s perfect black exterior is the result of a custom paint mix from House Of Kolor with a bit of metallic added to make it come alive.

In keeping with its ’60s muscle car personality, Midnight rolls on 15-inch Cragar SS wheels wrapped in blackwall rubber. The five-spokes are paired with 225/70R15 and 275/60R15 BFGoodrich Radial T/As. Front disc brakes from CPP feature 11-inch drilled and slotted rotors. The rear brakes are Dutchman drums. The master cylinder and booster are CPP parts.

Jim’s first 1957 Chevy ran an early small-block. It’s fitting that his new 1957 Chevy runs a new small-block. The 2012 Chevy 383 stroker was machined and assembled by White Performance & Machine in Kingsport, Tennessee. Probe FPS 10.6:1 compression flat-top pistons and White Performance rods spin an Engle cam to help produce 461 hp and 482 lb-ft of torque. A Top Street Performance Ready-To-Run ignition fires the fuel/air mix provided by the Pro Comp high-rise cross flow intake and Quick Fuel 750-cfm carburetor. Gases exit via powdercoated Doug’s Headers, custom exhaust pipes, and Flowmax mufflers—or uncorked through Quick Time electric cutouts. A Hurst shifter operates the Tremec TKO-600 equipped with a ram clutch and flywheel.

In preparation for the interior, Dave Reiss constructed a custom console for the shifter, and Auto Meter voltmeter and oil pressure gauge. The console’s authentic cherry veneer continues on the dash.

Jim and upholsterer Andy Smith of Larry’s Upholstery in Albany, Oregon, came up with an interior design incorporating the original stainless trim and new black leather. New front seats were constructed using Glide Engineering frame. Mercedes plush carpet covers the floor. The steering wheel is a 15-inch replica on an ididit tilt column.

Continuing the vintage appearance, a 1957 Chevy Wonderbar audio head unit from Antique Automobile Radio is backed by an amplifier and speakers from Kenwood. Concealed vents provide fresh air from a Vintage Air A/C system with a Sanderson compressor.

The Chevy was finished in the fall of 2014 and had to wait for spring to hit the road. Since then, the Bel Air has been accumulating miles and car show awards. Jim likes winning all the honors the Chevy has earned, but he says that the most fun is visiting with car show participants and spectators—not to mention driving the car.

There are a couple of surviving components from Jim’s first 1957 on this one. One is the Dixco tach on the dash, which had saved in a dresser drawer for 50 years, waiting to re-emerge and monitor engine rpm once again. The other surviving component from the first 1957 is Jim himself. He says that driving Midnight is a trip back to “those warm summer nights some 50 years in the past.”