44 Years with Emily a Chevrolet Bel Air
As Told by John Anderson
This is a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan. She was built in Baltimore, Maryland and came from the factory with the 220 horsepower “Power Pack” 283 V-8 with dual exhaust and Powerglide transmission.
I bought this car in 1976 when I was 16. She was my first car and I have kept her for 44 years.
The car was re-painted and re-upholstered in 1976 and she was my daily driver for the next eleven years. By that time she had a 350 V-8, but still the same Powerglide transmission. The car saw me through high school, college, my early working years, and several road trips before being semi-retired in 1987. Between 1987 and 2010 I drove her on weekends and car club tours.
In 2010 my Bel Air was restored again with a lot of help from Orinda Motors. She got a new 283 V-8 rebuilt to the original 220 horsepower specifications which was bolted up to the same Powerglide transmission that she had when I bought her. She was re-painted in the stock Adobe Beige over Sierra Gold metallic colors and re-upholstered to match. The car is 95% stock with only a few modifications. “Vintage Air” air conditioning was added for comfort while touring and the carburetor, master cylinder, and radiator have been upgraded.
Most people would not waste money restoring a sedan – twice, but this car has always been there for me and she deserves it. Her name is Emily.
