Resurrection
1957 Bel Air · Full Restoration · Currently In The Shop
The Story
Back From The Dead
Some cars earn their name. This 1957 Bel Air sat in a Leelanau County pole barn for over thirty years — floors gone, quarters gone, mice in everything. Most shops would have called it a parts car. Its owner called us.
RESURRECTION is exactly what it sounds like: a ground-up revival of one of the most iconic American cars ever built. We're deep in the metalwork now — fabricating what can't be saved, preserving every panel that can, and documenting each step for the owner along the way.
This page is a living build journal. We update it as the car moves through the shop, so check back — the next entry might be color in the booth.
Build Plan
The Scope
- ✓Full Rotisserie RestorationBody off, every system rebuilt from the frame up.
- ✓Extensive Metal FabricationFloors, quarters, and trunk pan fabricated and welded in-house.
- ✓Factory-Style Two-Tone FinishClassic '57 Bel Air color scheme, refinished to show standard.
- ✓Rebuilt V8 DrivetrainCurrently in mockup — engine, transmission, and rear end going through now.
- ✓Photo-Documented JournalEvery stage below, updated as the build progresses.
The Journal
Build Log
Feb 2026
Teardown & Rust Assessment
Full disassembly and cataloguing. Media-blasted the shell to see what thirty years in a barn really left us — floors and lower quarters are gone, but the roof, doors, and iconic trim lines are savable.
Apr 2026
Metal Fabrication
New floor pans, trunk pan, and inner quarters fabricated and welded in. Where reproduction panels didn't fit our standard, we made our own. The shell is structurally whole again for the first time in decades.
Jun 2026
Bodywork & Panel Fit
Hundreds of hours of hammer-and-dolly work, skim coats, and block sanding. Doors, hood, and trunk hung and gapped — tighter than Flint managed in 1957. The famous fins are laser straight.
Jul 2026
In Primer, Drivetrain Mockup
The body is sealed in primer and blocked for paint. Meanwhile the rebuilt V8 and transmission are in mockup — checking clearances and fitment before final assembly. Color is next. Stay tuned.