This 1957 Chevrolet 210 is in my opinion one of the most detailed and beautifully executed restorations to come to the shop. Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. It has 4-Doors, no Power Steering and no Air Conditioning but it is an amazing build by an individual in a disappearing world of fabricators and craftsman who built to a higher standard set by themselves, for themselves.

Norm was a High School Industrial Arts teacher in CA starting in the 1960’s who was a legend amongst his students and fellow employees. Talking with one of his past students, he set an example in the day of doing things correctly as a matter of pride rather then just getting it done. Retirement brought Norm to Southern Oregon along with the time and a great shop to continue his love of fabricating for his own pleasure. A 1955 Chevrolet was built and sold, a 1956 Bel Air found, restored and then sold and the search for his next car, a 1957 started in 2010. He was a bit late to the party as everyone was restoring 57’s and though he looked all over the country he could not find a suitable donor. Crazy enough, in 2012 Norm found this 57 sitting behind a fence here in Grants Pass after all of that nationwide searching. He did not care how many doors it had, he needed a solid 57 to restore. After all, it was the restoration not the doors that was important.

A ton of pictures have been taken top and bottom showing the detail and expertise of the work. There is a 2” thick folder of receipts from Danchuk Chevrolet parts. Peckham Precision Engines, the best machine shop in Grants Pass, did the short block which Norm then assembled. There is a second folder about an inch thick with miscellaneous invoices mostly from Eckler’s. Then there is a third binder, one that gives you insight into the method of the restoration.

This notebook has chapter tags on it. Each chapter depicted a specific room in the house where individual parts were stored, each with an assigned part number. Old parts, new parts, parts taken off of the car and put aside, each with a number and cataloged where it was kept until it was needed for assembly. 100’s pages, every part identified and located. I will never, ever be this organized.

Norm showed the car at all of the events here in the Valley and is a well known figurehead in our car community. In his 80’s his health took a turn and he passed about two years ago. What he left behind is his work, the integrity of his craftsmanship, his legacy of attention to detail. This 210 is more about the quality of a man’s abilities then it is about the number of doors or the luxuries that are missing. It is a reflection of Norm and the style of work that is rapidly disappearing rapidly in today’s world. That a normal guy can have the expertise and experience to create excellence in his work.


Miles are 2,398 and the VIN# is VB57L211808. The selling price is $29,995. For other interesting bikes and collectable vehicles, visit our web site http://www.automaniagp.com 541 479 8888 or come by and see us at 895 SE Gladiola Drive, Grants Pass, Oregon, 97526. Oregon Dealer DA1287.

Automania is a Consignment Oregon Dealer selling quality, privately owned vehicles including Aprilia, Buell, BMW, Citroen, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Honda, Hummer, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Nissan, Ossa, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Vespa, Classic Hot Rods, Buick, Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, MG, Packard, Porsche, Rover, Shelby, Toyota, Triumph, Volkswagen and any other vehicle of interest