[FWDLK] 57 Belvedere

["Bill K." <pontiac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I finally was able to get the '57 Belvedere 2-door hardtop I bought to
re-sell out today.   It's definately not going to break in two, we had to
take it with a chain through the rear spring perches that I hung on the car
myself.   So it got dragged out backwards about 1/2 a mile before being
loaded up to come home.


Underneath, the frame is weak in the rear and pulling it cracked a section
of the right rail near the spring perch.  The left side has a huge gaping
hole at the kickup ahead of the axle.   Nothing that can't be fixed, but
more work than I had initially hoped it needed.  I should note there is a
'59 upside down up there that has a perfect frame (and not much else) which
could probably be used for a patch or re-framing.  The driver's side door
still opens and closes fine, though - the passenger side showed a bit of sag
before we moved it and with the window rolled up I can't get to the inside
handle easily to try an open and close.  Trunk floor looks good, but the gas
tank had a hole in the bottom where it had sat in the dirt.


The most amusing thing as I walked behind the car getting pulled out was
watching the front sheetmetal kind of shake a bit (fenders have the usual
eyebrow rot and the hood hinges are messed up so it's kind of loose up
there).   The first thing I thought of was some of the scenes towards the
end of Christine where the car is trying to put itself back together and
shaking.    I was hoping it might start healing itself and stitch up some
wheels out of thin air, but no such luck (she was chained onto the tractor
but good, she couldn't have got loose to run me over...lol).


Anyways I have over 20 pictures of this car, and if I can't get ahold of one
guy who I showed it to already I will probably list it on eBay and see what
happens.  I imagine someone out there will have the ambition to put this one
together, and there was a Savoy 4dr up there with a 301, better fenders,
better bumpers, and a complete dash that would make a good parts car for it,
plus that other frame - some repro pans and quarters and the rest and you'd
be in business.



There was a small tag on the cowl, in the same place as the VIN tag on the
'59 convertible, with some numbers on it.  It seemed to be stamped steel and
was painted body color.  Would that be the body tag?  Are the numbers on it
decodable if I were to post them?


Thanks

Bill K.




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