1957 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery (Photo Brad Bowling)
CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2000) – Get out of the way when Jerry Childers charges into town with his 1957 Chevrolet sedan delivery wagon! With its massive chrome air scoop towering over the hood and its ground-shaking exhaust roar, the wagon is sure to part crowds at this year’s GoodGuys Southeastern Rod & Custom Nationals on Oct. 20-22.
Pro-streeted, supercharged and painted a flashy Dodge Viper blue with twin white stripes from bumper to bumper, the wagon is Indian Trail, N.C., resident Childers’ personal creation. Drawing on a wealth of experience from several previous custom car projects, Childers turned the otherwise unassuming and somewhat rare vehicle into a modified machine.
Childers and his wife Lydena, longtime fans of the ’57 Chevrolet’s style, found the delivery wagon six years ago during a local car show. Already having enjoyed a 1955 Chevrolet Nomad two-door wagon that his son Adrian owns, Childers couldn’t pass up the chance to take the sedan delivery home.
“I had to have it to go with the Nomad,” Childers proclaimed. “The family has got a set of wagons now.”
Owner Jerry Childers (Photo Brad Bowling)
Childers considers himself lucky to have found this particular rarity of the ’57 Chevy lineup. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, most American carmakers offered what were generically called sedan deliveries or “utility wagons” built from their two-door station wagon bodies. Deliveries differed from conventional wagons in that they had little or no glass rear of the doors and seldom had seating accommodations other than the front bench. Contractors, florists, plumbers, traveling salesmen and other drivers who needed to carry large, bulky items but did not want the expense of a full-size truck considered the stylish and easy-driving sedan delivery to be a happy compromise.
Despite their great utilitarian value, deliveries were never built in large numbers. Childers’ blue and white ’57, for example, is one of 8,300 units produced in a year that Chevrolet turned out a record 1.5 million coupes, convertibles, sedans and station wagons — that’s less than .01% of total production.
Modified from its days as a utility vehicle, Childers’ ’57 now boasts a drag racer, or “pro street,” setup, with super-wide tires and a supercharged engine. The sedan was originally powered by a standard factory 265 cubic-inch V-8 engine, but Childers outfitted it with a powerful 502 cubic-inch V-8 Chevrolet engine. The enormous chrome Weiand supercharger increases airflow, which turns the already-healthy powerplant into a fire-breathing monster. The blue beast has propelled Childers down a local 1/8-mile dragstrip at 98 mph (7.90 seconds), and on the 1/4-mile it has seen a top speed of 130 mph (11 seconds). Rear wheel tubs in the back accommodate large tires and intrude just a little into the car’s customized interior. Childers also added power steering, rear wheel disc brakes and a full-link rear suspension.
1957 Chevrolet (Photo Brad Bowling)
All the work and modifications were not done alone. In addition to assistance from his son, his future daughter-in-law Alene Jones took part in the fun of his most recent project.
“I’ve learned more about cars than I ever thought I would,” she admits. “It’s been a great opportunity for everyone in the family to work together.”
Citing speed and power as the car’s best attributes, Childers has showcased the ’57 wagon during the past six years throughout the Carolinas. Most recently the delivery wagon and the Nomad made an appearance at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the fall Food Lion AutoFair. Fans can catch an encore presentation of Childers and his Chevrolets at the GoodGuys show.
General admission for the GoodGuys Southeastern Rod & Custom Nationals is $10, with children aged 7-12 admitted for $6 and seniors over 60 admitted for $8. Children 6 and under are admitted free. Parking is $5. Event hours are Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact Lowe’s Motor Speedway at (704) 455-3205.
