It's a warm summer's night and Faron Young is coming through loud and strong on the radio. The windows are rolled down; one arm is draped over the steering wheel, while the other is securely resting on the window jamb. With a cool breeze blowing through the cab and a heavy foot resting on the loud pedal, can it get any better than cruising in this fine 1957 Chevy?
Ray Rodriguez would be the most qualified man to answer this question. It's his fine California cruiser that we are gazing at. Like most red-blooded, male Americans, Ray has always nurtured a love for the classic style lines of the Tri-five Chevys. When Ray decided to retire from his welding job and live the good life, sitting on a front porch and whittling away the hours was not what he had in mind.
There is no rest for the wicked, so the wicked went to work and he quickly located a rust-free '57, and set his sights and time on his new project. For months Ray literally lived in his garage. At one point, Ray's wife wandered into the garage and wondered out loud if he loved "that car" more than her. It was time for some quick thinking on Ray's part. After informing his wife that the car was second only to her love, there was peace in the valley, and his automotive obsession could continue (at least for the time being).
During his four-year courtship with the Bel-Air, it was transformed into the fine-looking street machine you see in these pages. Ray's approach was to keep the exterior stock in appearance, while the underpinnings received all the advantages of today's technology. Between Ray Jr. and John Parthemore, the 2000 ZZ4 small-block was safely tucked away in its newfound home. Being an accomplished welder certainly was an advantage for a determined do-it-yourselfer like Ray. After four years of build time, and countless hours of cruising time, what's next on the list? Why not build another one, of course? This time Ray plans on building a convertible. When he does, we'll be there with our camera clicking away.