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Will DD Speed Shop Survive the 2022 Power Tour In A 65 Year Old Chevy?

1957 Chevrolet

Dan at DD Speed Shop is prepping his 1957 Chevy for it’s longest road trip in many, many years. The 2022 Hot Rod Power Tour is coming up in the middle of June and he needs to do a full nut and bolt check on this hotrod.

Simplicity is the key to long term maintenance free miles. This car has a bullet proof LS mill, rebuilt TH400 automatic transmission, all new suspension and brakes, and more.

His main concern for this old car is the original rear end. Parts are hard to find, but it still has to be pulled apart and inspected. Once the rear end was apart, Dan discovered that he had some fairly major problems. This rear end would not have made the trip, guaranteed…

Hot Rod Power Tour or Bust!

Dan continues preparation of his ’57 Chevy for the Ho Rod Power Tour.

He’s really knocking items off the list!

  • Wipers? Check!
  • Wiring? Check!
  • Fuel Gauge? Check!

While under the car he noticed a lot of salt and road grime left over from winter driving. A quick under carriage wash followed by a liberal application of undercoating that had this old girl looking brand new again. Also, Dan’s ’57 Chevy convertible also gets a little love while the black car was drying…

NASCAR Inspired 1957 Chevy Gets Custom Hand Lettering and Interior Install

Big Day! Dan’s 1957 Chevy gets her NASCAR inspired hand lettering.

Way back in 1957, the base model of the full size Chevrolets were the best racing platform — Equipped with over sized brakes and Corvette fuel injection, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Every old school race car was hand lettered with sponsors and team ownership, and Dan’s car will be no different, but of course it’s getting the DD Speed Shop twist!

While the car was getting lettered, Dan focused on assembling the interior. He made door panels, kick panels, and refinished the old bucket seats. Naturally, the interior material he chose was “out of this world”…

NASCAR 1957 Chevy Is “Ready” For A Long Haul Road Trip

All the final pieces have come together on Dan’s 1957 base model Chevrolet. Every nut and bolt has been checked, new parts have been installed and a liberal application of zip ties for good measure.

He’s as confident in this car as he’s going to be. The first test will be this weekend when he takes it on a 1,000 mile round trip to test out all the systems. That should shake out any last bugs, or fail in epic fashion.

With the nut and bolt check completed I had some last minute lettering added to the car. Every vintage race car needs vintage sponsors right?

Will It Shine? Bringing Back the Original 65 Year Old Paint on the 1957 Chevy

To feel GOOD, you must look GOOD, or something like that…

With all the lettering done on the car it was time to pull out the buffer and Dan’s secret weapon… Mur!

With a little wet sanding, buffing, polishing, and swearing, Dan and Mur bring the horrible finish up to a mediocre shine. This is the EXACTLY the look Dan had in his head when he first saw this 1957 Chevy 150 — Simple, understated, and strictly business…

Tow Bar On a NASCAR Themed 1957 Chevy

All Dan wanted to do was mount a tow bar on my 1957 Chevy and see how it would tow before a 1500 Mile road trip. Power Tour is coming up in a little under a week. His plan was to tow the Chevy down to Memphis Tennessee to save a little fuel and enjoy some air conditioning on the way.

So he an Dani either had to rent a trailer or tow dolly to make the trek. Well, then a Tow Bar gets suggested. So they went down the tow bar path hitting every speed bump on the way.

Differential leaks, Brake problems, failed water pump — not much else could have gone wrong in this video! They kept moving forward and think the car is as ready as it’s going to be!

Time to put some miles on the car and see how it goes!

Road-Tripping a 1957 Chevy 1000 Miles To Buy A Couple Junkers

Well it’s time to put up or shut up.

Dan has been working through all the build gremlins on his LS swapped 1957 Chevy. Plagued with electrical, cooling and braking problems all week that has really put him though the ringer. But now, everything has been checked and he and Dani ready to hit the road.

He figured a weekend road trip would be the best “Power Tour Test” there is. So Dan set off on a 1,000 mile road trip west.

The car did pretty well on the highway, a few wind whistles and rattles along the way. Once he was out in Saskatoon he helped his buddy Josh test fit a new mill in his straight axle 1955 Chevy Gasser.

With that all done, he preps his 40 foot trailer and head out to drag home a the next DD Speed Shop project car. Lots of wrenching and driving this weekend!

Everything That Went Wrong With Dan’s 1957 Chevy On A 1000 Mile Road Trip

This past weekend Dan booked it to Saskatoon and back to pressure test the old 1957 Chevy. Honestly she did pretty darn good! Only a few issues he wanted to address before he and Dani head out on Power Tour.

As the trip went on, the rear suspension kept sinking lower and lower. Adding an extra person and their gear was NOT going to help the situation. Air shocks or new springs were going to be needed on this long haul. Dan had neither in stock, so naturally he started pillaging parts off another car.

His main worry of the entire car was the cooling system. He was concerned that the stock replacement radiator would not be able to keep up with the demand needed during stop and go traffic. He pressure tested the cooling system and it failed big time. Other wise, the ride home was a great success!

1957 Chevy Is Power Tour Ready! 3,800 Miles To Go. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

This is the last push to be fully prepped for power tour. Cooling system was a absolute must to be upgraded, and the suspension was riding dirty.

Up front, Dan picked up the biggest aluminum radiator he could find, then modified it to fit the application. 25% bigger than the stock tri-5 radiator, dual electric fans and a crossflow design should solve all of the cooling problems.

With the radiator all situated, Dan opened the seal on the rear leaf springs. Honestly the car rode so nicely, it was hard to start changing parts. Unfortunately, with all the added weight in the trunk the rear suspension was hanging low and bottoming out over bumps. Dan committed the ultimate sin and “borrowed” more parts off my 1955 Chevy Nomad.

Time to start tinkering and just start driving! Next stop, Tennessee!

Stay Tuned!