LONG WAIT

TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING, THIS WILD '57 IS BACK ON THE STREET

- TIM BERNSAU

A lot of us had our taste in cars influenced by the first car we worked on or drove when we were young. Dean Settje, from Raymond, Nebraska, said that for him the influential car was a 1957 Chevy. It wasn't his own car, but it belonged to a high school friend, and he helped with the build as much as he could. That's all it took to hook him for life.

It didn't take long before Dean started owning his own cars and trucks, but it would be a couple of decades before he found a ²57 of his own. That day came about 20 years ago. The car—the deep red Bel Air hardtop featured here—had been owned by a car collector and was being sold at an estate auction. It was mostly stock. The body was in excellent condition, but repainted (poorly) at some point in its past. The stock drivetrain was operational enough for Dean to drive the car home with his 5-year-old son, Zach, along to share the first ride.

How would you build a '57 Chevy Bel Air? That's the million-dollar question. The consistent popularity of 1957 Chevys is due to the iconic design. Even though their style is anchored in the '50s, somehow they have managed to last almost 65 years without ever looking out of date. And very few other cars lend themselves so well to so many build styles-street rod, Pro Streeter, Gasser, custom, cruiser, restomod, or stocker. It's virtually impossible to build one in a way that isn't great. So, when Dean was ready to treat this one to a professional rebuild, he went around and around trying to decide whether to keep it stock or treat it to some mild mods. "I subscribe to HOT ROD, so that's what won out," he told us. “I wanted the car to be something that would drive well and be fun, whether it was every day or a Sunday drive around the lake.”