Dad surprised with a completely restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air on his birthday after countless hours and cash
- Two sons gifted their dad a restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air
- They’d given it a glow-up – inside and out
- It was a labor of love that took nine months
Published on Jan 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 07, 2025 at 8:02 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
It was an emotional day when this family gifted a restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air to their dad as a sentimental surprise.
The chrome paintwork was stripped and triple nickel plated and the stainless steel was taken off and polished.
Under the hood, meanwhile, the brothers installed a brand new 57 Chevy Crate Engine.
It was a labor of love that took nine months in total.
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1957 Chevy Bel Air body restored
Without a word to their dad, content creator Tony Pinto and his brother completed the nine-month restoration of his ‘dream’ car.
Sid’s Auto Body in San Diego did all of the paint and bodywork, and it was no small task.
As well as a repaint and bodywork, all the chrome was stripped and triple nickel plated.
Last but not least, the pot metal was repaired and chromed, meaning the 1957 Chevy Bel Air still had its original trim.
Under the hood
Going deeper than aesthetics, a brand new 1957 Chevy crate 350 Vortec engine was installed.
It packed 330 horsepower and 380 foot-pound torque – not unlike this burnt model that hid something unexpected under the hood.
In addition, a brand new EnduraShine Edelbrock manifold was installed that’s fuel injected.
Everything – even what you can’t see – was aluminum chromed to eliminate the need to polish.
They weren’t done yet: they rebuilt the steering box and water pump, as well as the entire front suspension.
New A-arm shaft kits with polyurethane bushings, upper and lower ball joints, and tie rod end caps were also put on with upper and lower tie control arms, and springs powder coated.
The surprise and emotion on the father’s face were impossible to hide upon receiving his ‘dream car’ back in 2011- and that’s seriously sought after.
Cars are often snapped up on Facebook Marketplace, but if you’re thinking about buying one, make sure you do your due diligence, because some, like this one garaged for 40 years, are hiding a secret.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
