1957 Chevrolet Bel Air restored after 40 years

It takes a lot of time and money to get a car from “scrap metal” to “sit down and go.” However, there are some things that people will not do in order to protect a loved one. Another person who restored a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air for his grandfather did the same.

American Cam Dedman first heard his adored grandfather Fred Lamar joke about restoring a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air when he was a little boy. He hadn’t driven that particular car in a very long time.

Nearly every member of the Kentucky-based Deadmen family enjoys driving. The father and grandparents of Cam frequently went to auto events, participated in races, and built hot rods themselves. Cam also grew to enjoy vehicles along with them. So when he was older, he started working on Bel Air’s restoration. For his 81st birthday, Cam wanted to not only restore but also significantly upgrade his grandfather’s Chevrolet.

The grandpa of Cam Deadman received this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. The vehicle was utilized on a daily basis up to 1976. Bel Air remained at the garage for the subsequent forty years.

Cam transported the ancient car to his garage at the end of 2016 to “fix” it. The grandson always responded that “it’s really busy now, but he will definitely start repairs” to the grandfather’s inquiries regarding the car. Everything was planned to be unexpected.

Cam claims that his grandfather is his closest buddy, and they speak frequently. He clearly recalls how, as a child, his grandfather frequently promised to fix the car. He, however, “never had time to accomplish it because the family was always more important to him.” The grandson opted not to save money as a result. Even one of his own cars had to be sold. Cam Deadman invested a total of $20,000 in the vehicle, not including the labor costs.

The car from the garage had to be totally disassembled because it was in a terrible state. The body and frame were meticulously restored. The Chevrolet Bel Air from the 1950s is a luxurious vehicle, and parts are pricey.

Cam put a fresh engine on the frame that had been repaired. The original 4.6-liter engine was discovered to be too worn out, thus a 5.7-liter V8 engine was found as a replacement and wasted to 5.9 liters. Aluminum cylinder heads, an Edelbrock intake manifold, and Thumpr camshafts were installed on this cylinder block.

The original gearbox, a 3-speed “automatic” with a grip on the transmission tunnel, was still in place.

Cam repainted the car in a different color on his father’s instruction. The vivid crimson color with the white lines on the back was a favorite of grandfather’s. Along with new seats, the interior fabric was changed, and a new dashboard was installed. Air conditioning and alloy wheels were two extra choices added to the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air that weren’t on the original model. The car needed to be restored for more than a year in total.

Fred Lamar finally got the present he had been longing for on his 81st birthday. He and his wife were being followed by their grandson, who had blindfolded them both and put them in his car. To mislead his grandparents, Cam Deadman drove around the neighborhood before pulling up to his sister’s house. There stood a ruby-red Bel Air, gleaming.

Fred Lamar is shown by Cam Dedman the finer points of his recently refurbished automobile. When Lamar saw the car, he broke down in tears. He proclaimed it to be the greatest gift he had ever received.


Source : tvn24.pl | Please dm for removals


Read more from us : 1956 Leningrad Sport Car is now Restored

Leave a Comment