“Project X”, the bright yellow 1957 Chevrolet that has been a staple of automotive project builds for decades, has returned. It needs no introduction, but it might need a little bit of a reinvention. Here’s the deal: Popular Hot Rodding’s infamous Chevy is best known for the condition it was in when the car starred in the movie “Hollywood Knights”…which is to say, on Cragars, with a slight rake, with no hood and a blower sticking out of the open hole on top of a pissed-off big-block. But about a decade ago, the car was built up by General Motors to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the car and to show off a new, all-aluminium big-block crate motor, and things were changed…and not necessarily for the better. Project X wound up with a Pro Touring look that, at least from this writer’s perspective, tried to ape the classic mag wheel look and failed, and the double fail was that the Roots blower and scoop were binned for a closed hood. There was genuine furor over the changes and the car disappeared out of sight. When PHR slid below the waves in 2014, many wondered what would happen to the iconic Chevy. Wonder no more…because Tony and Lucky have it inside of the Hot Rod Garage. I’m not spoiling any surprise for you, except to say that some wrongs are righted. And that Project X is just as nasty now as it ever was.
Good grief, I remember the PHR issue when they started out looking for this car.
I love this car and am glad to see them returning it back to its roots (blower that is). Now go back to some better wheels and tires and get rid of the 427 emblems, billet trim, etc. (basically undo all that Chevy did to it 10 years ago) and it will be perfect.
Oh- I thought that during Hollywood Knights it had a blown 350, not a big block. I remember the issue of PHR where they built a new 350 to replace the one that blew during HK filming. Very cool car!
Good… it’s about time they atone for screwing it up so bad they had to hide from the world for about 10 years. I agreed with the frame change as I’m sure the original was bent and mutilated but the whole pro-touring thing was a joke.
Bring it back to the hard core test bed that it was back in the 70’s then go match bash Finnegan’s gasser…
Only in the world of Hot Rod would they consider moving from an aluminum big block to an iron small block “an upgrade”.
That said – I really do have to agree that the Roots blower and a couple of carbs are more in tune with what a ’57 Chevy is all about.
what….no wheelies on the street???
First, I am very happy they are finally getting the car back out on the street at all. I saw it a few times in a warehouse near the HR offices in El Segundo collecting dust. The whiny excuse that it was insured for so much money that the lawyers would let anyone drive it. That so called million dollar value is subject to debate. It is only worth was someone is willing to pay for it.
They advertised they are sticking a blown “small block” in it, when it’s actually an LS engine. No way Craig would let an actual small block in it. They could have added a blower to that GM 427 with nothing more than a piston and cam change.
I was not terribly impressed with the redo back in ’09. I remember PHR did an article about the first roadtrip after it was built by GM, and the suspension was completely jacked up: The shock bodies were too long and would bottom out internally before the suspension would, they crutched that by putting in massive bumpstops to prevent that and in the process only gave the car 1/2″ of travel before it hit the bumpstops, the springs were completely the wrong rate and were in full coil bind when at the installed height. You think with all the resources GM had, they would actually be able to build a chassis that worked. Brett Voekel at Air Ride Technologies ended up going through the chassis completely and fixing all the stuff.
You can watch the engine going away in Hollywood Knights. Smoke rolls over the roof as it expires.
I hated everything about the redo in 09. To my eye is was chasing trends and got away from everything the car was supposed to be. even with that stupid interior and fender exhaust the car looks 100% better without a hood and that roots blower…..I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with it from here…..
Thank goodness they unpussified the beast.
Up next: Tighten the bolts inside the tilt column. That thing was bouncing around all over the place as they drove down the street.
I saw that also. Cool car that’s been thru a lot thrashing