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.