1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.The car is Classic Chevrolet Bel Air Project X, the most famous 1957 Chevyever built – and rebuilt. Since its debut in PopularHot Rodding (PHR) more than 40 years ago, Project X has served as a rolling, evolving test bed of high-performance parts and a bell weather of automotive culture trends. But while this perpetual project car has never absolutely been finished, it has undergone several complete rebuilds – transformations that have contemporized its performance and styling. General Motors and PHR collaborated during the past year to redesign, restore and re-power the iconic yellow shoebox, including the first of a limited number of Anniversary 427 crate engines.
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.Enhanced structure. The Corvette suspension provides Project X with vastly improved ride and handling characteristics – attributes that were enhanced with a strengthened front-end structure. Like so many of the details throughout the car, the body and paint work look simple enough at a glance, but represent untold hours of planning, execution and attention to detail. The body was removed from the frame during the restoration and completely reworked. At the front, the iconic bumper/grille was re-done with a custom, billet aluminum grille bar – outfitted with a “427” emblem – while the grille has a unique mesh pattern.
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.As with the exterior, Project X’s cabin was completely dismantled and rebuilt – with plenty of subtle details and tricks. The dashboard, for example, was custom-built with billet aluminum inserts that carry the same “X” logos as the exterior Bel Air trim panel. A full set of Custom Rod Gauges instruments – built specifically for Project X – fills the panel in front of the driver. The dashboard also houses factory air conditioning vents that serve as outlets for the aftermarket Vintage Air climate system.