By Fuelish Media – Images by the Author
When it comes to the timeless, muscle-minded aesthetic that is known as “gasser” style, there are quite a few “OGs” still building them properly to this day. Bill Shepherd of Ridgeley, West Virginia, is one of those guys who has been into custom cars for just over 60 years now, and he still can’t seem to get enough of them. Bill has been part of multiple car clubs in his time and is never not looking for cars in desperate need of an overhaul. As a member of The Clockers Car Club in Cumberland, Maryland, from 1957-1972, and now a proud member of The Right Coast Gassers, Bill has remained active in the scene he loves for decades with no signs of slowing down.
“In the past 10 years, gassers have become popular in our area,” Bill says. “I found this 1957 Bel Air sitting behind an Advance Auto Parts store in Kingwood, West Virginia. The owner was a teenager who bit off more than he could handle, as the car needed a lot of work. I offered him $7,000 for it, which was probably too much, but he was happy with it and so was I.”
Now, Bill had his work cut out for him as the Bel Air immediately needed new floorpans, body mounts, and the engine needed to be rebuilt. Luckily for Bill, his son Richard owns and operates Shepherd Speed Shop, so the car found its way to the right place while also having help from friend Jim Frost of Frosty’s Speed Shop. To reach the trademark nose-high stance that is emblematic of the gasser class, a 1938 Chevy I-beam axle with drilled-out holes to save on weight was bolted onto the Bel Air along with a set of leaf springs. Then, for extra traction under load, custom ladder bars were made and attached.
GM disc brakes up front, and rear drums were then added, along with a 1978 Pontiac Firebird master cylinder and factory GM pedal assembly to build upon the refreshed chassis system. “I got really lucky when it came to finding wheels for this car,” Bill admits. “While out at an auto flea market, I found a complete set of real-deal 1960s Cragar wheels in excellent shape. And for tires, I went with rear 7-inch slicks.”
Instead of trying to salvage the 350 engine, he figured it best to reach out to Rhodes Performance Machine in Somerset, Pennsylvania, for a refreshed 1970 454ci mill that was bored to 460 ci. From there, the engine was assembled with help from Mike “Coin” Leasure and received a healthy dose of performance goods from the likes Speed Pros TRW forged pistons, Lunati Voodoo camshaft, and Hedman headers, among many other additions, but it’s the Weiand Tunnel Ram intake manifold and the velocity stack air cleaners that make the strongest first impression. Oh, and let’s not forget the tall Mickey Thompson valve covers are damn cool as well.
After a bit of bodywork by Triple S Auto Care, Bill lined up his car to be freshly repainted in the same Matador Red color. Aside from treating some of the factory parts to a refreshing chrome bath courtesy of East Tennessee Chrome Plating, the car was purposely kept largely original with a few minor mods, like cutting holes in the rear bumper and even the hood to accommodate the Weiand intake. But the addition that hits close to Bill’s heart is the Mickey Thompson water-transfer decal on the window as he mailed it in a love letter to his girlfriend who later became his wife. Bill included it for her to save back in 1966 while he was serving in the army. Over time he forgot about it but recently discovered it in his attic and knew there was a place for it on the window of this car.
Having solidified the exterior, Bill enlisted the assistance of Hot Rod Upholstery in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to upholster the factory bench seat, door panels, and headliner in white vinyl. The rear seating row was removed to lighten the Bel Air’s footstep, so if you’re looking to hitch a ride with Bill, be sure to plan accordingly. Next, the factory dash insert was polished up nicely, as were the factory pedals that were also drilled out in the same fashion found elsewhere on the car to shave even more weight. “Hey, every little bit helps,” Bill laughingly says.
While Bill was easily sold on the factory roof option and color of the Bel Air, he did have another reason for buying the car off that kid years ago. “The fact that I owned two 1957 Chevy cars in the ’60s helped make my decision,” he adds. “It’s great to be driving another one.” And rest assured, that Bill along with his friends in the Right Coast Gassers drive their cars to every event they attend. This is a top priority within the club, and Bill insisted on making that point clear as crystal. “Nothing beats cruising while surrounded by six other gasser cars. We drive our vehicles around here. They are never trailered.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
Tech Check
Owner: Bill Shepherd, Ridgeley, West Virginia
Vehicle: 1957 Chevy Bel Air
Engine
Type: 1970 Chevy 454
Displacement: Bored to 460 ci by Rhodes Performance Machine (Somerset, PA)
Cylinder Heads: Air Flow Research aluminum heads
Camshaft: Lunati Voodoo
Induction: Weiand Tunnel Ram intake manifold
Ignition: MSD Pro-Billet distributor, Accel 8mm wires
Assembly: Mike “Coin” Leasure
Cooling: Edelbrock water pump, Champion aluminum radiator
Exhaust: Hedman headers with block-off caps, 3-inch exhaust system with Flowmaster Flow FX mufflers
Dress Up: Velocity stacks with Fram filters
Fuel Tank: Factory 16-gallon steel GM tank, Holley high-volume fuel pump
Drivetrain
Transmission: TREMEC Magnum six-speed assembled by Hanlon Motorsport
Clutch: Ram HD Powergrip with billet flywheel
Driveshaft: Shortened original, 1350 U-joints
Rear Axle: 1958 Oldsmobile 9.3 housing with Fabcraft 4.56 gears and limited-slip differential
Chassis
Chassis: Stock GM steel frame
Front Suspension: 1938 Chevy I-beam axle with holes drilled, early Chevy spindles, leaf springs, reconditioned factory steering box with steering damper from SO-CAL Speed Shop, Monroe-Matic Plus shocks
Rear Suspension: Leaf springs, Custom ladder bars, Monroe-Matic Plus shocks
Brakes: GM 11-inch brakes (front), GM drums (rear)
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: 15×6 and 15×8 1960s Cragar
Tires: 6.70-15 Coker bias-ply (front), 8.20-15 Radir 7-inch slicks (rear)
Interior
Upholstery: White vinyl by Hot Rod Upholstery (Altoona, PA)
Seats: Factory GM bench seat
Seat Belts: Aftermarket
Steering: Factory GM column, Grant three-spoke steering wheel
Instrumentation: Stewart-Warner Green Line gauges
Pedals: Factory pedals with holes drilled by owner
Shifter: Hurst
Safety: Lakewood three-point rollbar
Exterior
Bodywork & Paint: Bodywork by Triple S Auto Care (Paw Paw, WV), Matador Red (factory color) by Dave Barnes (buffed by Barry Levin of Jenkins Automotive (Clarysville, MD)
Hood: Factory GM steel
Grille: Factory with 2-gallon Moon tank (for race gas) placed in front of grille
Bumper: Factory rear bumper with aluminum inserts
