Finding a classic Chevrolet Bel Air buried up to its eyes in debris, shoved in the rear of a dilapidated Midwest barn is every resto-pro's dream. But sometimes the bite is just as bad as the bark. What started as a restoration project in the early 90s, quickly turned into a "store it and wait" project as the owner fell on hard times. Now over 30 years later, and a LOT of rust, Brent, on his YouTube channel; WD Detailing pulls this beauty from the depths of a collapsed Ohio barn to see what the team has to do to restore this classic car back to show-quality. Needless to say this project will test Brent and his team's abilities and stay tuned for a sneak-peak at a collaboration between two of YouTube's hottest restoration channels.
Will This 1957 Chevy Bel Air Stay Buried?
Barn finds can be a daunting undertaking. Long before the restoration begins, the team works hard (and dangerously) to recover the car from the collapsing structure. Using a chainsaw in an attempt to free the Bel Air from its fate, Matt has several close calls in the collapsing barn. First a roof joist snapped free and the remaining structure falls and almost takes out the team. Then, whilst cutting the wooden beam to dislodge the car, the saw binds and bucks back. Luckily he (Matt) was wearing multiple layers which somewhat shielded him from the chainsaw, leaving him with minor scratches.
A fair reminder to NEVER hold a chainsaw above waist level. Even Brent couldn't come out unscathed. While attempting to remove the garage door, one of the rollers managed to dislodge from the track and the top panel swung down and kissed him on the top of the head. We all expect to bust a knuckle here and there, but this restoration is getting its hits in early.
The Bel Air Gets A Professional Detail And Restoration
After spending an afternoon removing three decades' worth of detritus and rust from the car, the team begins the long haul of hand-sanding the remaining paint to see what good bones still hide underneath. As stated in the video, sometimes a wash and clay bar isn't enough remove the grit and grime that has worked its way into the clear-coat. The only remaining option is to pull out the trusty 3000 grit wet-sand supplies and work the paint until smooth like you're in the Karate Kid - "Wax on-Wax off, Daniel son". The team was also able to try out Rust-Oleum's Rust Dissolver, which in fairness seemed to do a fantastic job at restoring the rims on this classic beauty. Watch the full video below.
Too Much Rust On This Barn Find Bel Air?
Once the exterior had been cleaned and as much pitting and rust removed as possible, the team ran into another issue - the doors were seized shut. After spending nearly an entire afternoon trying to get the doors to function, Brent realized that the internal components within the door panel were totally rusted beyond use. The only option left was to cut, smash, and pry at the latch until they were able to kick the door open from the inside out.
Finally, after gaining access to the interior they noticed previous attempts at restoring this Bel Air left it with many non-original parts such as seats and mounting hardware. This left the team with the only option - to cut away what was no longer needed. A clear view of the shop floor can be seen through the floorboard. Whoever takes on this restoration certainly has their work cut out for them!
YouTube Collaboration Needed To Restore This Chevy Bel Air.
In part-2 of the series, Brent reveals a fan-favorite collaboration with Robby Layton and both teams are very excited to bring this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air back to life. Much of the episode is centered around gaining access to the interior of the car. As stated earlier they had to grind, cut, punch and kick their way in, or out seeing as Brent had to climb through the passenger window to kick his way back out. Luckily once the doors were opened, all that was left was to remove the rotted seats and torn upholstery. Making the most out of a trusty Shop-Vac, the team quickly cleaned all the loose debris from the interior. Considering the lack of original parts, not much was salvageable from this interior. Sometimes it's best to start new vs trying to make the best of a bad situation. This project is a perfect example of "Clean it out and ship it". Regardless of the car's current condition, fans are eager to see how Robby approaches this project. You can follow the story in Part 2 video of the build.