Endless Summer
To Roamin Angels, cars are not merely transportation.  To some, they might represent moments of time when they were young, responsibilities were light and the days pleasurable. There’s some of that in Ted C.’s ‘57 Chevy Bel Air.  In the summer of 1962, not long after his high school graduation, Ted splurged on a ‘57 Chevy.  At the time, he was single, living on the beach in Alameda and living the California dream of a carefree existence.  After eighteen months of this idyllic life, he entered the army and sold his car.  Then he entered the world of marriage, business and all the concerns of adulthood.  When he finally reached the point in life that he could relax and enjoy himself, his wife Dottie urged him to replace that car he so fondly remembered.  So a little over a year ago he found this gem on a Rancho Cordova car lot.  It seemed in good shape, with a solid body and a GM 350 CID crate motor.  But looks can be deceiving.  Soon he found himself replacing the suspension, wiring, radiator, gas tank, brakes, steering column, dash, interior, wheels, tires and more, with air conditioning added for comfort.  He finished it in time to cruise with fellow Roamin Angels to Coeur d’Alene, ID, without a problem.  Now, even if it’s raining outside, Ted can just look at his Chevy and it’s the summer of ‘62 all over again.       
 
 The clean, classic lines of the ‘57 Chevy show nicely in a root beer brown that was originally found on the ‘53 Corvette S/W concept car.  Front disc brakes provide much better stopping power than the original drums.

 
The 350 CID engine has 325 HP and plenty of sparkle from the chrome accessories.  A Be-Cool aluminum radiator performs up to its name.
 
The custom instrument cluster is informative and easy to read.  The interior of Mercedes leather and the stock-type steering wheel that has been cut 2" in diameter make driving a pleasure.