Custom Cars in Texas: A Look at Our '57 Bel Air Project

The Chevy Bel Air is such an American car icon that even non-car enthusiasts have heard of it thanks to the Beach Boys. Even those born decades later know the words to the classic tune: Gonna save my pennies and save my dimes. Gonna buy me a 409, 409, 409.

That song references the 1962 Bel Air two-door hardtop, outfitted with a 409-horsepower engine that propelled the Chevy to an unprecedented 150 miles per hour. It's an excellent model -- but here at CHRA, one of our favorite work-in-progress at our hot rod shop restoring custom cars in Texas is an earlier model: a 1957 Bel Air convertible.

One of the beautiful things about the '57 Bel Air is how many are still on the market. Over 1.5 million models were built, with a whopping 460 trim and color combinations. You've likely seen these before at car shows -- or even in a friend or family member's garage. As with many classic cars, certain specialized models are worth more than others -- for example, those that feature the first-year Rochester fuel injection are particularly rare and valuable.

But in general, there are plenty of Bel Airs still out there, and not only is there demand for restored and customized models, but their parts are easy to find. This makes them outstanding candidates to restore and rebuild into classic custom cars in Texas -- which is exactly what our team at Customs & Hot Rods of Andice loves to do.

For the our in-shop 1957 Bel Air convertible, we started our project by stripping it down completely so we could start with more of a blank slate. Then we added a Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis to transform this model into a modern touring vehicle with cutting-edge driving and handling. To complement this new chassis, we swapped in a powerful 435 cubic in. engine, capable of delivering optimum performance. With the suspension and engine swap complete, we are now building this custom model back up to outfit it with upholstery and a stunning paint job. It will leave our hot rod shop as one of the best custom cars in Texas.

Have a Classic Car You Want to Restore with a Customized Approach? Contact CHRA.

You'd be surprised by how many low-mileage Bel Airs are sitting in garages across the country. If you're looking for a stellar classic car to restore and customize, this is a perfect model to jump into the hobby with. Should you need help along the way, contact our hot rod shop... our experts are here to assist!