1962 Chevy Bel Air Factory Paint Color
When he set out to anatomy his 1957 Chevrolet 210, Skip Gallagher looked aback to amalgamate some of his aboriginal motoring memories.
"During the backward '60s, my brother and I drag-raced a two-door 1955 Chevy base wagon," the Palatine citizen said. "Since we let that car go, I've consistently capital another. I aloof adulation the attending of the tri-five (1955-57) wagons."
Another yesteryear agent abutting to Gallagher's affection is a chic Bel Air sedan. Afterwards their bare-bones wagon was complex in an blow while abiding from a chase in Nebraska, the guys replaced their admired go-fast able-bodied with a decked out 1957 Bel Air. Alike afterwards several decades, the appropriate '57 Chevy is still with the family. "My brother still has it in Colorado; he aloof can't allotment with it."
When it came time for Gallagher to access a new archetypal machine, he approved to alloy the best of both of those Rocky Mountain-high cartage -- a two-door wagon, accepting the arrant Bel Air options. He bound accomplished a blessed average was not available, or at atomic not from the Chevrolet factory. For the 1955-57 archetypal years, an buyer could pony up for the raked roofline Nomad or its four-door variant. However, a two-door wagon couldn't be had in the Bel Air trim.
"I capital to actualize a two-door, non-Nomad wagon aloof like Chevrolet should accept offered, accepting all of the accretion and whistles."
He went on the coursing in November of 2008, catastrophe up abiding to his home accompaniment of Colorado, analysis a midlevel Chevy 210 two-door wagon in Denver. Eerily in tune with Gallagher's antecedent straight-line past, the anew acquired archetypal alike arranged some quarter-mile lineage.
"The car had a history of annoyance antagonism in the banal chic all forth California, and had alike been adapted with nitrous oxide. Since it was out West for the majority of its life, the anatomy had basal blight and was in abundant shape," he said.
Once the adorableness was transported aback to Illinois, Gallagher began abounding disassembly. From the factory, this hauler came able with a middling 283-cubic-inch V-8 that lead-foot Gallagher larboard out in favor of a added able-bodied ZZ4 crate 350 c.i. V-8 engine. That 385 application powerplant breathes easier, acknowledgment to dual, four-barrel carburetors. A 700R transmission, with highway-friendly overdrive, accouterment the apparatus while disc brakes, hidden abaft 18 inch Torq Thurst wheels, accompany the bow-tie to a halt.
The car's aboriginal acrylic blush was Tropical Turquoise and was one of the above factors in affective Gallagher to accomplish the purchase. As such, he autonomous to absorb that mild and clear hue. Forrest Auto Anatomy in Elgin was amenable for straightening the breadth metal and spraying on the new covering of the paint.
In befitting with Gallagher's admiration for the Bel Air theme, the audible ancillary console was installed on the rear division panels, forth with a abounding Nomad interior.
One of the cool, custom touches on the admirable Chevy conception is a abstruse begin about back. "After installing air conditioning components, there wasn't a lot of allowance larboard underhood for the battery." Faced with relocating it to the additional annoy able-bodied or abrogation it apparent in the burden area, Gallagher begin a aeon 1950s Coca Cola ice chest, adequate it and abode the cruddy array inside. "The best acknowledgment goes with the affair of the car and assemblage never apperceive what's hidden inside," he said
The activity was aloof captivated up the spring, aloof in time for canoeing season. "The car rides and drives like a dream. It performs acutely able-bodied and is the best of both worlds; I get my wagon and my Bel Air add-ons."
