Here’s something you don’t see every day – a super-trick Sixties-style custom ’57 Chevy! Sadly the listing here on craigslist in St. Louis, Missouri provides less information than given for a typical $125 chainsaw, but hey the seller is only asking $33 so who can complain? Actually, the asking price of this 1957 Chevrolet BelAir might be $33,000, but let’s set that aside for now. Thanks to reader Shane R. who spotted this curious craigslist classic.
No explanation is offered for this picture leaving us to invent one… A. Another cool ’57 custom that inspired this one, B. This car “back in the day,” or C. Someone’s Photoshop experiment. The seller does divulge some secrets, though, including the fact that it’s been garage kept for 40 years, and had only one owner since 1960. During that time the owner would have seen the value of this ’57 rise and rise to a point where owning *any* 1957 Chevy equaled a license to print money. However, the Internet made finding them easier, and many buyers who wanted the dream car of their youth have accelerated into the great street race in the sky. Much like the high-dollar ’30s and ’40s customs before them, the mighty Tri-Five Chevies have seen their day in the sun come and go. A brilliantly crafted car from any era can be worth six-digits, but the sweet spot occurs when people who want the cars of their youth have money. Someday after they peak, Muscle Cars will be a novelty, and that rare highly-optioned sports version of the Toyota Camry will bring the big bucks. Just shoot me now.
Sadly the seller ran out of film before shooting the 283, but the car “runs and drives,” so that’s good news. While the car looks like it may have hosted a family of… something, I must praise the seller’s use of the phrase “needs paint” instead of “awesome patina!” I might question the phrase “body work done in lead,” as I would have guessed that swoopy front end would have been done Barris-style in fiberglass. How do you value this interesting custom?
More pics dammit. Very nice look, but book make it look like chevy buick love child.
Ruined a great car.
Someone on Facebook already commented that it needs a “stock front clip.” (sigh) Right, because we all need to see another perfect 1957 Chevy. “Fred – it’s the Smithsonian Museum asking if you still have that perfect ’57. What luck!”
Ha!
Hey, fantastic write-up, Todd!
The car looks like it is smiling.
Why did these people think they could improve on what was already there.
They certainly did not improve on anything in this case.
Ugly and sad. Why did they not use a Gremlin rather than one of the most sought after cars of the 50’s?
I would take the Buick diesel dually over this creation.
in the ad it states $34K or best headline got ya interested, huh?
Quite frankly, I like this better than the stock ’57. Always liked canted headlights over plain stacked. I think the ship has sailed on these kinds of customs, as more and more of the people from this era die off, who can appreciate it. At this price, ( and not even done) it will be a tough sell.
The guy that customized this car had great skill and was a good craftsman, unfortunately he had really bad taste.
We can rest in peace knowing that he didn’t become a cosmetic surgeon with a breast fetish. If so every time a beautiful woman went to him seeking a boob job, he would have added two more headlights and canted those puppies and put little hoods over them to up the wow factor.
Looks like asking price is $34,000, it may do that on Ebay, I like it! But then, I was made in 1957 also. You will have the only one like it at the car show, and it’s a convertible as well. I think the grille needs more teeth to it. I also think it will sell quick.
Ray
If you check the link to the car when it was built it did have a lot more “teeth” in the grille, and it does look better like that.
Wow the B F readers sure seem to have missed what a CUSTOMIZED car is all about. If you want a stock 57 go buy one, if you like someones vision of something different then thats where a custom car comes into play. Not everyone is going to like this car, I realize that, but back when these were a dime a dozen, someone (who should get credit for a cool custom) spent many man hours and money creating something unique. Just because it doesnt carry the George Barris name doesnt make it less interesting to the right buyer. Ofcourse to each their own.
at first I was thinking something along the lines of a ” stock” color, the more I think about it some sort of a loud/neon type color , white interior goes w/ anything and.. there wouldn’t be another one at a car show . a loud color would almost be ” expected” from a custom car .. and.. for flair.. a “Contental” (sp?) Kit
Beauty is in the eye………. However, I’ve seen customs that were breath taking beautiful, but to me, not this one.
The front clip sucks. I do not think that was a Barris design.
I like these period customs. Nowadays customs pretty much mean installing 20″ (or bigger) rims, and slamming the body. Yuck.
This car was built in Louisville, Kentucky in 1958-59 by a local builder by the name of Marion “Shorty” Coffey. This 1957 Chevy was a national top 10 car for one of the big Magazines in 1960.
Here is a link to more info:
https://www.customcarchronicle.com/news-flash/kentucky-kustom-found/
Fordguy1972, I looked at that car also, doesn’t even look the same as the one on barn find, although they say it is. I guess getting older as the years go by would cause you to loose some teeth.
The grill and headlights rings were rechromed and boxed up while my dad was working on the car. The custom work was all done in lead and metal in the between 1958 and 1960.Only the flares are glass. My dad pasted away he has owned it since 1961. The old pics are from 1963 car craft magazine.
Thanks for the link Fordguy1972, It was nice to see the car when it was first done. I think I prefer it that way better then now. Don’t care for the wheel well lip or them really tall front seats.
I have never been a fan of customs. That is one kooky toothy grin comin’ atcha down the road.
As San afficianado of lead sleds, maybe breathed to nuch, I care not if fiberglass or any other conception as long as not chicken or rabbit wire and spackling compound.
Yup we used just that to get general idea for final look. One that no one else had especially when these 50’s era autos were in huge numbers mainly by mom and dad types.
The Chevs and Fords when new were family vehicles, not many teens could afford new so when they began hitting used markets were bought and modified for individual taste by the first full time job guys.
Want individual today go buy one just like thousands of color only choices, that look like millions of other brands choices.
I may not of exactly used same style treatment, just never got to afford but a couple of my oddball customizations.
One looked around wrecking yards to get a piece off this wreck and a different piece off another and put them all together in one auto.
For that kind of money, maybe clean the “lived in” look up a tad…
Throw some metal flake Blue/silver paint on the outside, pearl white naugahyde inside with green shag carpet and this car will speak to me. I love 1960.
These cars had the right look ,straight from the factory. This alteration ,wasn’t a good idea.
Style or not, I’d think twice about adding a sharp point to the leading edge of the hood….
How many folks have whacked their head on that checking the oil?!?
( x ^ x )
Good “point” Derek. The hood latch on my ’66 Coronet was like a six inch metal spike on the underside of the hood. I probably knocked my scalp on that thing about 1000 times, and drew blood at least twice. I remember cussing out the genius designer. Someone drew up that part, and other engineers, etc. talked about how it works, how it interfaced with the latch, etc. and no one ever said “You know, people might knock their head on that thing. Maybe it shouldn’t be shaped like a giant spike.” Sheesh.
Like it.
Would paint it…put retro-modern fat wheels…new interior.
Not sorry.
Thanks fordguy1972 for the link to see what this car looked like in 1960, and to learn the name of the person who created this car. Would love to see pictures of it when restored. Customizing cars the old way is a lost art. Just like that unfortunite caddilac custom, even if it could be restored it would never be the same.
11,000 original miles is very low.
Reminds me of an appropriate decal I saw on a hot rod once,” I didn’t build this hoping for your approval, I built it because it meets mine.”
Some customs I do like, some I don’t. With this one, I’d replace all the outer sheet metal with stock parts.
What kind of a complete MORON does this to a beautiful car. They should have their face rearranged so it’s almost as unrecognizable as this poor car. I’m dumbfounded by this atrocity.
Steve A. Your comment reminds me of “the pot calling the kettle black”.
Well I was born uglier than a Maine bull Moose, had my face rearranged a few times that improved my looks, but never by a customers wants or needs, wether reshaping metal or my own custom touches.
History of some customs may have to do with condition of auto, cost to replace original parts, what ya got laying around and modifying them to fit or relace.
Then too sometimes ideas spring from a bunch of ugly suckers who imbibed a wee bit to much sipping whiskey or beer in the wee morning hours after working on friends auto the day before.
NOT BRIGHTEST BULB ON THIS SITE, NOR EVER CLAIMED TO BE, BUT NOT BOTHERED BY BEING CALLED A MORON FOR LIKING ORIGINALITY AND INDIVIDUALITY BEHIND THIS WORK.
As to those who think the 57 is a work of art: Art is in eye of beholder
It’s interesting how ’50s and early 1960s customs languished in barns, garages and fields when enthusiasts moved on to the likes of muscle cars, et al. It wasn’t until the late 1970s-early’80s that a lot of these cars were resurrected.
Steve A, a lot of people took what might be viewed as icons and ‘personalised’ them. Some old customs would appeal to a 21st Century aesthetic (e.g. the Hirohita Merc) and some would give you nightmares (http://i77.servimg.com/u/f77/17/91/41/66/jerrya10.jpg).
As a piece of custom car history, this one should be ‘restored’ and enjoyed.
Nice car, nice job. Wish there were more pics.
Every time I see someone do this…this is what I see.
The link is very interesting and provides the history of the car. For you people that made all the stupid comments about the front clip, and ruining a 57 convertible read the link. It was built to be a serious custom at the time it was built. Did it make the grade of one the truly note worthy cars of the era, maybe not, but it was a very serious and probably an expensive build in 1960. I don’t know that I remember the exact car, I was in High School then, and Barris and Bailon, Winfield and many others were building this style of custom cars, and it was a big deal. It has nothing to do with 57 Chevy convertibles today and what they are and what you would do with one. This is a history lesson , and you can’t change it or argue with it, it just is!
I imagine customizers had enough ingenuity and imagination to search out a car that had a damaged front clip,
to begin with.
Your right
This car was built over several years and selected as the top 10 custom car in the U.S. by Car Caft magazine editors and won first place in very show it was entered.
Till you have owned and driven a customized car to a cruise in or show you no idea what it like or how much attention it gets. It is 10 to 1 over a stock 57 chevy. Remember they made a million of them and anybody can buy one 30 people in your town can have the same color too.
If it is not your thing , no big deal
This one runs and drives with original floors in good shape.
Looks like something zoomorphic from Star Trek!
The fact this car was customized only a few years after it was manufactured attests to the fact that the customizer had the resources (money and time) and maybe a tad bit of vision! I’m torn between the radiused wheel arches now and the way it was in the 60s. Kind of looks like a Diamler on steroids now.
From the rear….
The car from the rear…
I’m old enough to remember new ‘57 Chevy’s… I’ve also been a lifelong fan of George Barris’s work….
But: This isn’t comparable to a Barris creation.
There’s always been good looking customs and hideous customs.
11,000 miles + 61 years = too ugly to be seen in.
@ Todd…….”that rare highly-optioned sports version of the Toyota Camry will bring the big bucks”.”Just shoot me now” LOL So true…..on the other hand I want to live long enough to ca
tch the breaking wave and buy a ’56 Chevy again…
Looks like it needs the Joker behind the wheel from the old Batman cartoons.
His grin matches the grill.
The black and white pictures look like they are from an old Car Craft magazine. Don’ t forget when this car was costomizied that was cool and the car was not worth much money. Old guys like me love the work
I can see by the comments that so many were not around when I was growing up… Stock chevys were a dime a dozen.. I WAS ALWAYS EXCITED TO GO TO THE PORTLAND ROADSTER SHOW TO SEE WHAT WAS THERE. So many have not the skills to do anything but gasp at someones work..I have to tell you that I bought a one owner 55 chevy from Westlake Chevrolet in 1970 off the streets of Seattle for $50, and it became my show car. I look at the workmanship that was put into this and just smile..Now all you get is people with money buying things..oh well…
I remember this car and it was second to Art Carr’s Aztec as my all time favorite. I recall seeing the Aztec in the back row of a used car lot in L.a. in 1963 or 4 for 500 bucks. The Aztec went to Sam Barris in 1955 directly from the dealership to be done.
Never will understand how people judge a 50 plus year old custom or hot rod by todays so called standards.
Looks like a typical ’50s/’60s custom job, during the times of chopping and channeling ’50 Mercs. I had dozens of magazines filled with cars like this.
This is definitely a polarizing creation and hopefully will be purchased by someone willing to appreciate it for what it is rather than converting it back into what it was from the factory. Personally it’s not exactly my cup of tea either but I would be more inclined to change some of the body modifications to my own taste (skirts and dragging on the ground!) rather than go back to stock. As the lady said when she kissed the cow,”It’s all a matter of taste!”
The person who bought it sadly sold the front end on craigslist for $1,000
Barf……..
Car was built in Louisville, Ky by some very talented customizers of the 50s and 60s. Built, upholstered and owned by Ed Couch who was a noted custom interior man at the time. Car won many awards and was in all the pertinent magazines of that era. Was tucked away for many years and brought back to life a couple of years ago. I was it after its nap of 40 years at the Beatersville Run in Louisville about 3 years ago
It’s just another 57 Chevy. They have been done to death for years. Just make it go away.
“…many buyers who wanted the dream car of their youth have accelerated into the great street race in the sky.”
Beautifully worded!