CHRA Metal Fabrication & The '57 Chevrolet

When speaking of the classic cars of the 1950s, no list would be complete without the 1957 Chevrolet. The '57 Chevrolet was a whole-package kind of car. It featured a generous engine that offered ample horsepower and stellar driving manners, attractive pricing with ready availability in dealerships across the country, and innovative design with racing fins and a curvaceous shape imitating things like couches and guitars, not stereotypical sedans of the days. It was a classic car then and it's a classic car now, with the added benefit of there being over a million sold -- meaning there are plenty out there waiting for restoration and quality metal fabrication work to bring them back to life. In fact, we are doing just that right now at our shop, Customs & Hot Rods of Andice.

CHRA Metal Fabrication & the '57 Chevrolet's Trunk

When it comes to restoration, there are a lot of things to consider, plan for, and complete, with perhaps one of the biggest jobs being metal fabrication. Metal fabrication is the creation of new metal components and structures by cutting, bending, and assembling processes. Because cars and hot rods of yester-year are comprised primarily of heavy metals that are prone to rusting over time, much of what we do is strip vehicles of poor condition metal and fabricate new pieces to replace what we've taken out and one of the more common places where we find rust and poor condition metal that needs to be replaced is in the trunk.

Trunks, especially the trunks in older vehicles like the '57 Chevrolet, used thin rubber to seal around the crease where the trunk is lifted and lowered down. Unfortunately, while this weather seal may have worked outstandingly for the first decade or so of the vehicle's life, many vehicles of the '50s weren't properly cared for and this weather seal quickly became tattered and crumbling rubber allowed in plenty of water intrusion. That water intrusion combined with the poor air circulation and no air conditioning in the trunk is what makes the trunk floor frequently one of the rustiest parts of an older vehicle. This is especially true in coastal regions and areas prone to long wet or winter seasons.

So, with our current projects, once we've completed our disassembly process, we most often find that the trunk floor is always in need of some serious metal fabrication. With an in-progress 1957 Chevrolet hardtop, such was exactly the case and, thanks to our crewman Travis and his outstanding metal fabrication capabilities, this gorgeous new trunk floor was made and installed. In addition to giving this area a sleek new look, this fabricated trunk also serves a new utility purpose as it boasts a custom fuel pump access door that allows the to-be-installed Ricks Tanks fuel tank to be accessed via the top makin fuel pump swaps easy.

Need Metal Fabrication Work? Contact CHRA

If you're in need of fabrication work, whether in the trunk or elsewhere, our team is here to help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.