| As most of you know, I have had my “Bad Banana” 1957 Chevy Sedan Delivery (our company car) apart for some time now. It has been undergoing a complete body off restoration. Wayne Thompson, who owns Master Blaster of Orlando (407-295-7796) has been helping me with the project. We started it around the time Florida was hit by multiple hurricanes a couple of years ago. As a result of the hurricanes, Wayne lost his house. This set the project back about one year, as he had to work through the headache of trying to get his life and property back together, plus running his business as well. While he was working through all of the hurricane problems, I became complacent and I did not do anything for quite a while on the car. I want everybody to understand this one year delay was totally my fault, and not Wayne’s of Master Blaster.
Since then I have been working on the car at his shop three nights a week, with his assistance, and the car is coming along quite well now. It will be painted bright yellow again, as everyone around the state recognizes the car from when I drove it to lots of events for approximately 12 years....plus I like the bright yellow!
Wayne Thompson stripped the car inside and out, and has done all the bodywork and modifications at his Master Blaster shop in Orlando. This also includes installing the LS1 all aluminum ‘99 Corvette engine, donated to me by a good friend, Ron Hassel. Ron has put together a few high dollar cars in the past few years, including two ‘37 Ford Cabriolets, and also a 1932 Muroc Roadster, which has one of only ten custom all steel bodies hand built by Marcel DeLay and sons. Ron had this LS1 engine to put into his ‘32 Muroc Roadster, but by the time the car was about to be finished by Mike Blewett of Blewett’s Rod Shop, Chevrolet had brought out their LS-6 engines. So Ron acquired one of the LS-6’s for the Muroc, and the LS1 that will be in my ‘57 Chevy Sedan Delivery became available. Thanks Ron for the great upgrade to my car! Backing up the LS1 will be a custom built 700R4 supplied by Don Marcone, who owns Fourth Gear Transmissions in Eustis (407-880-2882). When I say custom built, the LS1 usually uses an electronically shifted 4L60E transmission, but I didn’t want a computer to shift gears for me - so putting a 700R4 is unusual as not many people go that route. Don will also build in lots of upgrades to the 700R4 to make it tough and very reliable.
When putting the LS1 in the ‘57, Wayne and one of his employees at the time, Dirk Hilles, modified and smoothed the firewall to make this installation look super smooth under the hood. We also did some custom touches to the dash as well. That included molding in original ‘57 Chevy A/C vent outlets into the dash corners, and also molding the billet bezel for the A/C controls into the dash. Both modifications are ones I haven’t personally seen done before on a ‘57 Chevy.
As we go to press the frame is about ready to be sent over to Steve Bronovitsky’s new powder coating shop, which is called B ‘n J Powder Coating, in Orlando (407-999-8448). Steve has over 12 years experience applying powder coating, and will handle all the powder coating of various pieces throughout the entire car for me. When the car is together and running, Howard Krusey of Complete Auto Upholstery in Altamonte Spring (407-869-1340) will finish up the project by installing one of his cool custom interiors.
As progress continues I will run additional photos on the progress, which will also give people a glimpse into some of the behind the scenes work it takes to put together a custom car. I want to thank everybody involved so far for their help, because without them this project would not be possible! CN
Sources:
Sikkens Paint Products • www.sikkens.com
Master Blaster of Orlando • 407-295-7796
Complete Auto Upholstery by Howard Krusey • 407-869-1340
Fourth Gear Transmissions • 407-880-2882 • www.fourthgearinc.com
B 'n J Powder Coating • 407-999-8448
If you are an advertiser and would like to get involved in our project and articles about the redo contact us at 407-290-3026 so we can discuss the details. This can be a great way for us to spotlight some of the great shops and businesses around the state, and show the readers the results of their parts and labor in the articles, then see the finished vehicle at the shows.
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