NO HAND SIGNALS
December 13, 2022
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Golden Anniversary Special
Just about any gearhead would be thrilled by the opportunity to work with legendary automotive collector and all-around funny guy Jay Leno. Dave Killackey, owner of Performance Transmissions in Azusa, California, not only had the opportunity to work on a number of Leno’s projects, but along the way he’s developed a friendship with the late-night TV host. It’s a close enough friendship that Leno teamed with automotive designer Chip Foose and his “Overhaulin’” TV show to completely transform his rusted-out ’56 Chevrolet Nomad. So yes, you did read this correctly; Dave Killackey is indeed one of the luckiest car guys on the planet—he’s friends with Jay Leno, and he owns a ’56 Nomad that has been overhauled by Chip Foose and the rest of his team.
Best Of Show
When Hot Import Nights strolls into Seattle, typically two cars end up battling it out for Best of Show honors. Earlier in the year, Kelly Williams, one of the two competitors, took home the Best of Show honors when HIN first rolled into town. His Civic has been cleaning house for several years up in the Northwest and there hasn’t been a Honda to touch what he has built. Until Dara Sordano showed up and surprised them all— including Williams.
Project BRONCAROO
Today’s 4x4s have become extremely specialized. At one end of the spectrum are one-off, purpose-built, non-street-legal rock buggies. These are the cream of the rock crop. Most have tube chassis with what seems like nearly 360 degrees of axle articulation. Often the transfer cases are doubled up to produce crawl ratios way beyond the once magical 100:1. They’re obviously awesome, and capable of handling boulders as if they were speed bumps.
Spotlighter
BUTCH
Building a True-to-Form ’57 D/Stock Chevy 150
Back in the ’60s, a youthful Barry Wallner was well known in and around Illinois for his modified ’57 sedan delivery. It was a tough competitor at the local dragstrips, but time took its toll, and most of the dragstrips have disappeared, giving way to housing and shopping-center developments and industrial complexes. But this hasn’t stopped Wallner, who was an adept restorer. So, from the late-’60s through the mid-’90s, he has gone on with other ’57 Chevys to win top show awards.
Author
Doug Marion
Photography & Words
The Story of Barry and Nancy Wallner’s 1957 Chevy 150
We originally met up with Wallner back in the late-’80s, when his 270hp three-speed Sierra Gold Nomad was a top show car example, having won Best Original Restored at the National Nomad convention—twice.
A Car with History
Nicknamed “Butch,” Wallner’s white ’57 150 grew up in central California near Bakersfield. It was a heater-delete car that moved in with Wallner and his wife, Nancy, when it was just a lad of 20. Evidently, Butch was a seasoned drag car that they purchased without engine and transmission. On the upside, it had the very rare California one-piece front and rear bumpers and a seamless (lighter) frame. It was restored at home with assistance from friend Butch McDow. The chassis features all-new suspension, brake components, fuel and brake lines and body mounts.
Power and Performance
A legitimate ’57 283 Power-Pack V-8 engine was machined and bored out 0.060 inch for 292 ci at Gillespie Machine in Roodhouse, Illinois. Carlinville, Illinois’ Casey Boyett did the assembly. The compression ratio is about 9.5:1. A Duntov 270hp solid-lifter camshaft, otherwise known as an “098,” lets the engine make power to 6,000 rpm. The induction consists of a factory 270hp dual-quad setup. A pair of 350cfm Carter WCFB four-barrel carbs sits on the Chevy aluminum intake manifold. A Mallory electronic ignition system fires the cylinders, while highly sought-after Stahl fenderwell headers scavenge the exhaust to a pair of Purple Hornie glass-pack mufflers, with full tailpipes exiting at the rear.
Transmission and Drivetrain
Chevy’s first four-speed, the Borg-Warner T10, became available in May 1957. Butch has a four-speed, but it is a heavy-duty Muncie unit produced in the ’60s. It is actuated by a Hurst Competition Plus shifter. The clutch pedal actuates a heavy-duty GM truck clutch—just like the good ol’ days! Covering the clutch assembly is a vintage Ansen scattershield.
Restoration and Aesthetic Details
In the looks department, Wallner performed most of the body prep and then McDow applied many coats of the car’s original color, Imperial Ivory. The 150’s interior was renewed at Bill’s Custom in Bethalto, Illinois. All of the same silver and black fabric was purchased at C.A.R.S. in Detroit. Butch also has an exact-reproduction rubber floor covering, since 150 models usually had no carpet. If one did, it was an extra-cost option.
Rear End and Suspension
The original differential now packs a 4.11:1 positraction thirdmember. The leaf springs are held in check by a pair of traction bars. While the car is generally not raced, the Wallners uncovered a very rare set of J.C. Penney-brand 800/850×14 cheater slicks.
On the Road and at Shows
Butch is driven all over rural western Illinois, but for car shows a few hours or longer from home, Butch rides inside an enclosed trailer so that Barry and Nancy can survive humid summers in their air-conditioned Chevy pickup tow vehicle. Sitting in front of Butch in the Wallner garage is a rust-free ’57 Bel Air two-door hardtop with a numbers-matching 283 Power-Pack, Powerglide transmission, tinted glass, dual rear antennas and skirts, and in the final stages of a full restoration.
A Crowd Favorite
At the 2003 Fred Gibb Memorial Car Show in La Harpe, Illinois, last August, ol’ Butch was like a magnet. Droves of onlookers crowded around staring at its antiquity. All then gave Wallner a smile and a thumbs-up! Multiple questions then usually followed. If there were a Most Popular Chevy award, Butch certainly would have been a top candidate.
A Legacy of Classic Chevys
In all, the Wallners have owned 10 ’57 Chevys and a pair of Cameo pickup trucks. While their Sierra Gold ’57 Nomad was a flawless two-time national show winner, we believe “Butch” will be how folks best remember Barry and Nancy Wallner.
The 270hp 283 engine features 9.5:1 compression, a Duntov 098 solid-lifter camshaft, 1.72 and 1.50 valve heads and a pair of Carter WCFB 380cfm carbs. For better overall electricals, a 65-amp alternator replaces the original generator. Note the heater delete.
Note the heater delete.
Being NHRA drag racing fans, the Wallners have gotten some famous racers to autograph Butch’s dash: ’03 Indy F/C winner Tim Wilkerson; feared hot shoe Larry Dixon, Jr.; and “Swamp Rat” veteran dragster driver/builder Don Garlits.
