This Drop Top Tri-Five Will Be A Show Stopper

The American dream is one of those things that everybody is chasing, and fortunately, we’re not all chasing the same one. It’s a good thing that most everyone wants different things out of life, and since there are many different ways for each of us to get what you want, we aren’t in each other’s way. When it comes to the car hobby, while many might think that the choices are limited, it’s what you do after you make your choice that counts.

Let’s take for instance the 1957 Chevy. The car is a staple at any car show, and unless you are looking at a restored gem, the personal tastes of the car owner are truly what sets each car apart. You can look at a row of restomodded cars, and no matter how hard you try, no two will be built exactly the same.

Image/s missing.

It’s the nostalgia and the options available when building the iconic Tri-Five that lured Kim March, President of March Performance into finally building one for himself. In his words, “The 1957 Chevy represents an era when America was on top of the world. They were truly good times for Americans and the American auto companies. This car is an expression of good times.”

If by taking a look at the car as it rolled into North Port Auto Body in North Port, Florida, you got the feeling that the body was almost beyond repair, you would be correct. According to Russ Crump, owner of the shop, “It would have been easier and less expensive to start with a newly-stamped body.” While that is a true statement, according to car owner Kim March, saving an original classic was the only way to go, “When deciding on how to build this car, I wanted it to be the real thing, not a duplicate. I guess it is all in my mind, but it makes me feel good, and isn’t that what our cars all about”?

Image/s missing.

We decided to take a trip to North Port, and see just how this project was progressing, and when we walked into the shop, the progress was immediately apparent – so was the amount of work remaining. What the following images do not show, is that in order to get the body to this point, the craftsmen at North Port had to replace both quarter-panels, one fender, the floor, reconstruct a new firewall, and spend countless hours fabricating brackets, mounting locations, and basically rebuilding the body.

Image/s missing.

One area that Kim did do some major replacement of the original parts, was the suspension. There are plenty of aftermarket companies that supply parts to rebuild and upgrade the suspension of the Tr-Five Chevy, but if you want the ultimate undercarriage like Kim does, then an Art Morrison chassis is the way to go.

The Morrison chassis is built using 2×4 tubing, adds modern suspension geometry, and a lowered ride height. Overall, it sounds like a true upgrade. But add in that the chassis works with any engine and transmission, and it’s a no-brainer. To summarize, the front suspension consists of a double A-arm configuration, while the rearend is supported by a triangulated four-bar suspension.

The car will be powered by an LS7 engine, and since Kim is the proprietor of March Performance, will be outfitted with March Performance accessories, making this new-age small-block look like a true gem under the hood. Behind the engine will be a TCI automatic transmission.

Like we said, the car does have a long way to go, but Kim and Russ are planning to have the car ready for the 2016 SEMA show in Las Vegas, and we plan to follow along with the build, and show you guys how things are progressing. Stay tuned to see the progress of the soon-to-be show-winning Tri-Five Chevy.