Boy do I love being a Speedhunter. Where else can I be writing about American LeMans series one moment, and writing about a '57 Chevy from hell the next moment.
I spotted this beast at Viva Las Vegas earlier this month, and just knew it deserved a spotlight here.
The '57 Chevy is known as one the quintessential American classics, and is a favorite of restorers and old guy street rodders around the world. This '57 though, comes from a completely different universe.
Built by an outfit known as REK Kustoms out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the aptly named "Helair" started out as a '57 Bel Air four-door hardtop.
A lot of purists might cringe seeing a '57 Chevy hacked up like this, but I don't think many restorers would have wanted to touch this thing.
A glance inside reveals a totally custom airbagged chassis, with a complete lack of a backseat or any other sort of interior.
And a view of the front showing a one-off transmission tunnel, and one of the craziest shifters I've ever seen.
Some interesting metal artwork on the heavily chopped roof.
Surely this passes the slammed test.
I think my favorite part about this car is that as radical as it is, the builder wanted to keep much of the original styling intact. There's no mistaking this car for anything but a '57 Chevy.
Much respect for taking one of the most well-known models out there, and turning it into one of most unorthodox, yet coolest sleds I've ever seen.
-Mike Garrett
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
LOVE the shifter...sooo cool and the whole ride is top notch!
that is one sick shoebox...bel air... love the custom work on it... big ups to speedhunter for showcasing this. thats what i love about speedhunter... you guys show everything..
This thing real needs to be in the new Mad Max!
first or last pic...WALLPAPER!!! please...one awsome looking '57
I could deffinately picture satan crusing around in that.
That's crazy cool. Very old school and uncompromising by the looks of things.
That rear end scares me a little, exposed tailshaft and diff assy? Can't tell for sure, but it looks like the inner guard isn't finish either, please tell me that's not the inside of the wheel I can see peeking through the hole!
Love the overall look though, spiderweb gussets are very clever and that roof looks very unique.
x2 for Wallpaper!
Roof is done like that as when you chop a roof that hard it becomes short so you need to extend it in places. Its a required art i guess you could say in your observation. Still one hell of a 57 i love it!
That's crazy cool. Very old school and uncompromising by the looks of things.
That rear end scares me a little, exposed tailshaft and diff assy? Can't tell for sure, but it looks like the inner guard isn't finish either, please tell me that's not the inside of the wheel I can see peeking through the hole!
Love the overall look though, spiderweb gussets are very clever and that roof looks very unique.
x2 for Wallpaper!
Very cool, some of the autophile circles I travel in would cringe at this, but I dig it
The rook "artwork" are actually pieces of medal needed to make sure the pillers line up.
I'm not sure what to think about this car. I mean I like ratters and all but raping and rotting a 57' isn't one of the things I like to see. But hey, to everyone their own.
it looks like the Devils weekend car.. or his incognito daily driver.. nice..
Love it. I kinda wish the '57 Bel Air my grandfather owned was still in the family, maybe i'd do something similar to it :0
I think they've gone a bit too far with this one. I'm not liking it unfortunately
I love the idea but some of the fab work looks a little sketchy. check out the welds on the c-notch and the trans tunnel...
never seem so much rust in my life
Desktop plz!
DESKTOPS! Please and thanks.
It's a 4 door, no loss
Wallpaper please! Thanks Mike
This is absolutely awesome.
Yet one more car that makes me want to sell my S13 and build a 54 Bel Air.
HOLY SHIT!!!! My buddy and I were driving from SoCal to Colorado a couple weeks ago and saw this dude and a couple other oldies driving down the highway between flagstaff,AZ and New Mexico, these guys passed us and headed right into a crazy dust storm with the fucking windows down. Sick. Sick. Sick.