The 1957 Chevrolet “One-Fifty” utility sedan was the most basic model offered that year. The utility sedan was even more Spartan than the 150 two-door sedan, because it didn’t have a back seat and it only came with a single sun visor. The utility sedan was often considered a salesman’s sedan, because it had so much cargo space. It was also the lightest 1957 Chevy, so many achieved successes on racetracks both oval and quarter-mile. This 1957 Chevrolet 150 utility sedan was originally equipped with a six-cylinder engine and a three-speed manual transmission but was turned into a street rod with the addition of a 454-cu.in. big-block, four-speed manual, and disc brakes. This 1957 as a good “driver-quality” car with an older frame-on restoration. The engine in this example is a Chevrolet 454-cu.in. big-block V-8 that was rebuilt in 2007 and has approximately 10,000 miles on it since. The marking on the engine indicates that it came from a 1992 Chevrolet truck. The engine has long tube headers and a low-restriction air filter, and an aluminum radiator handles the cooling chores. The manual choke on the Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor helps the engine “start readily,” with no smoke. The rebuilt Muncie M22 close-ratio four-speed manual transmission has ID numbers that indicate it came from a 1971 Chevrolet. The floor shifter is a Hurst product. The transmission “shifts smoothly,”, neither the engine nor transmission leak, although there is “a weep” from the differential. The differential contains 3.50:1 Positraction gears. This 1957 Chevrolet 150 utility sedan received a frame-on restoration/modification in 2007, who notes the trunk floor, part of the floor under the heater, and the trunk lid all had rust issues fixed at the time. The paint was redone in the original colors Colonial Cream (yellow) and India Ivory (white), code “816” on the trim tag. The paint condition as “fair, with several paint chips, a couple of spiderweb spots on the front fenders, and some bubble spots, but no dents.” The windshield and tinted glass are all reported as being in good condition, with no scratches or cracks. The seals are all good, as well, with no evidence of water leaks. New inner sections for both bumpers were added by the seller. The bench seat has gray cloth upholstery with black vinyl borders that the seller rates as “fair” quality. The trim tag “650” indicates the same color combination, although different materials. The carpet is also black and the door panels match the seat. The main part of the dashboard is silver as is the original steering wheel. The top of the dash is black and the dash has the correct radio and clock block-off plates. Originally, the utility sedans didn’t have a rear seat, just an open cargo area. The floor is now carpeted, and the upper back area was upholstered to match the front seat. The headliner quality is “fair, with very little sag,” according to the seller. All the interior trim pieces appear to be intact. I replaced the original gauge cluster with new gauges from Dakota Digital that include a tachometer. The suspension was rebuilt in 2007, and the shocks, bushings, and brakes replaced, about 10,000 miles ago. Front disc brakes were added, but they are unassisted so “hard pushing is required to lock up the brakes,”. Traction bars were added to the rear suspension. The steering is manual, so the steering wheel action is “very heavy,” but he notes there isn’t any play, and the car drives straight down the road. New Hankook tires were mounted on the American Racing Torq Thrust wheels in October 2015.
