Bel OF THE BALL

CHARLIE HARLEY TAKES HIS ’57 CHEV BEL AIR FROM BARE-METAL BEAUTY TO SUMMERNATS TOP JUDGED ELITE IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS

- BORIS VISKOVIC

IF YOU dig through your collection of Street Machine magazines and pull out the February 2019 issue, you’ll be able to see this beauty in all of its naked glory. At the time of writing that story a little over a year ago, this 1957 Chevrolet was in the process of being stripped so it could be sent off to the paint shop. The owner, Charlie Harley, was confident that the car would be unveiled at Street Machine Summernats 33, and, true to his word, the silk covers came off as scheduled to the sound of many oohs and aahs from the crowd.

While the car was very complete in its baremetal form, there was still plenty of work to do and less than 12 months to do it, so it’s a real testament to the organisational skills of Charlie and the talented craftsmen at BMV Engineering, Creative Bodyworks and North Coast Custom Trim to finish the car to such a high standard.

How high a standard? Good enough for a spot in the Top 10, the Top Pro Touring award, and the big one: Top Judged Elite. The car also placed in Paint, Undercarriage/Driveline and Bodywork amongst a very tough field this year.