1. Motor Mouth: Bow-tie beast tops hot rodder’s collection
By Mike McMillan
Independent Mail
When it comes to hot rods, James Whiten doesn’t mess around. In fact, he’s had his pedal to
the metal for as long as he could drive a car.
In fact, his first daily driver was a 1957 Chevy, so it made sense that he would chose this model
for a hot rod.
Still, this is no ordinary '57. From the front to the rear, this is an entirely reworked, street-rodded
Bow-tie that would likely embarrass even the most expensive supercars in acceleration.
“It’s built like you’re gonna drag race the car,” Whiten said. “This ain’t for someone who has no
sense.”
The wildest engine available in 1957 was a fuel-injected 283 V-8 making 283 horsepower. This
Chevy packs a 572-cubic-inch crate motor with what Whiten estimates as 650 horsepower and
650 pound-feet of torque. It’s backed by a five-speed manual transmission — two more cogs
than were available in the original.
The interior is bare-bones, and the speedometer has been replaced with a tachometer. The
steering wheel is from a '57 Corvette. The headliner and door panels have been replaced with
aluminum panels, and the floor is entirely rubber mats. The front seats are sport buckets from
what looks like an ‘80s performance car, and the rear seat came from a Mercedes. At the
moment, there’s no seat-back for the rear. And don’t bother asking for a radio — you couldn’t
hear it anyway.
There are no side windows, and the only way to get into the car is by reaching in and grabbing
the interior door handle. The doors close with a hollow, metallic "clang." Getting into the front
seats isn’t difficult, but plan on limbering up before climbing back to the rear bench seat. Just
popping the hood is an ordeal, as Whiten has to undo a couple of bolts and slide the entire front
end out as one piece.
The '57’s roof has been chopped and replaced by the “bubble top” style from a 1960 full-size
Chevy. Whiten has always been a fan of that model, so the swap made sense.
The wheels are known as “chrome reverse wheels” and look a bit like standard steel wheels
covered in chrome. They were popular with hot rodders years ago, and they look fantastic on
this ride. The chrome panels on the rear fins are much wider than the stock versions, which he
had to buy from a supplier in California.

2. There are Wilwood brakes at all four wheels, and everything underneath is beefed up. The rear
axle and springs can be accessed by a trap door in the trunk.
Riding shotgun with Whiten highlights just how visceral the car can be. Without windows, the car
gets chilly, but the heat coming from the engine actually keeps things tolerable. It's nearly
impossible to carry on a conversation with the din coming from the engine, road and various
rattles. Still, the real fun doesn’t begin until the fun pedal is depressed.
The acceleration is surreal and can lift the front tires off the ground if Whiten isn’t careful to
moderate the RPMs. The growl of the 572 becomes an eruption at just a few thousand RPMs,
and it’s likely the car can be heard from several blocks away as exhaust exits through the side
NASCAR-style exhaust pipes.
The ride itself is on the firm side but surprisingly comfortable considering the extreme nature of
the car. Once you exit the car, the smell of gas and burned hydrocarbons covers every piece of
clothing, but the excitement it produces runs deeper.
Under the hood, he has a collection of signatures from all the folks who’ve helped build the car.
One friend, Jeff Herbert, helped with the build. As you might remember, he owns the Paw
Bearer hearse featured in a 2013 column.
The hardest part of the build was the fabrication. There was lots of careful planning and
experimentation trying to get everything to line up properly.
“We had to make stuff to make stuff,” Herbert said.
There are still a few rough edges Whiten wants to shave off, but it's mostly finishing touches like
molding and trim.
Whiten’s not one to leave this '57 in the garage all the time; on many weekends, he’ll be out in
full force with the Chevy.
This isn’t the only Bow-tie in the family. He built or restored three other Chevys — a pair of 1965
Corvette ragtops and a 1967 Nova — for his adult children, Rebekah and Andrew.
The Corvettes have been nicely restored, with Rebekah’s car sporting a bright-red paint job and
a 307 V-8 (an engine not available on any Corvette) and Andrew’s is a light blue example with
the 327/365 horsepower V-8.
Whiten owned the blue Corvette for years and gave it a new paint job, side pipes and hood. The
engine also received an overhaul.
“It’s a nice driver,” Whiten said.

3. The Nova, also known as “Phantom,” got a rotisserie restoration and was upgraded with many
newer parts — what some might call a “restification.”
Most noticeably, the wheels were replaced with specially made units. There are disc brakes at
all four corners, replacing what were likely four-wheel drums. The engine is a 327 unit very
similar to the one powering the Corvette.
At one point, Whiten wanted to give it to Rebekah, but Andrew — at a young age — protested,
saying, “I don’t want her driving my car.”
Neither of Whiten’s kids takes the cars out very often, but there’s plenty of sentimental value.
“I get nervous about it,” Andrew said. “They’re both priceless to me.”
1957 CHEVROLET FACTS
Prices: $1,885 (base 150 series) to $2,757 (Bel Air Nomad wagon) ($15,880 to $23,227 today)
Engines: 235-cubic-inch inline six, 265- and 283-cubic-inch V-8s
Output: 140 horsepower to 283 horsepower
Torque: 210 lb./ft. to 290 lb./ft.
Wheelbase: 115 inches
Curb weight: 3,370 pounds
0-60 mph: 7.5 to 17.6 seconds
Fuel economy: 11.2 to 15.6 mpg
Transmissions: Three-speed manual, two- and three-speed automatics
Source: Automotive-catalog.com