Starting with an impeccable accident free Southern California body with no rust ever, a full body off restoration was completed with every bit of the car modified. The skills of a professional coach builder from England used an English wheel and power hammer to create this masterpiece out of steel. The hood was nosed and decked and finished off underneath to show quality. The upper grill bar was frenched into the body and comprises of 15 teeth. Door handles shaved, Gas gate eliminated and 1953 Ford headlights frenched and peaked to match the fender line. The taillights are 1956 Chrysler inverted and placed into custom one piece handcrafted housings.

The rear deck was extended forward and widened to move the rear window forward for a correct Stock appearing Roof line. The front bumper is frenched and bolt holes front and rear are filled. The rear bumper has 1956 Chev Bumperettes with a 1957 Caddy over rider Bridge and is extended 3” on either side of the body with port holes for exhaust, all is frenched in, seamlessly.

Trimmed in snow white naughahide with 1.5 inch full roll and pleated and this continues to the backs of the seats and the package tray and carpeted in Bright royal blue carpet for a striking contrast.

Built as a tribute to the famous 50's Show car, the "Moonglow" with all thee classic customising techniques used in the new version along with all the modern amenities. Powered by a well documented professionally rebuilt 261 cu. in. 6 cylinder Chevy breathing through dual Holley Weber 2 barrels on an Offenhauser manifold with a Fenton split exhaust manifold. Balanced and Blueprinted with a High Compression GM Factory head and a “Torquey” cam designed to run with a 700R Transmission. All period correct high performance and dress up pieces were used to make a one of a kind engine.

For smooth cruising a new overdrive 700R Transmission and Mustang II front end with Camaro Disc brakes. A 57 Chev rear end with 3:70 gears offers the best for city and highway driving. Firestone Air Bag suspension on all four corners, allows for correct cruising height and wicked dropped showing height. Vintage air conditioning and a great stereo compatible with i-pods completes the driving experience.

• Roof Chop 3.5 inches

• All window frames and windwings chopped and fitted with precision

• Hood is made into one piece with the tip removed on the underside for show like the top

• Hood is nosed and decked

• Headlights are 1953 Ford frenched in with a peak to match the fender line.

• Upper grille bar is frenched into body

• Trunk is blanked out

• Door Handles are shaved

• Rock guards eliminated

• Gas gate was eliminated

• Totally custom made skirts

• Taillights are custom made housingswith 1956 Chrysler inverted lenses

• Grille is a total of 125 teeth

• Front bumper – One piece California filled and shaved, with bumper bolts eliminated

• Rear bumper – One piece California extended 3 inches on each side with two port holes for exhaust frenched in.

• ’56 Chev front bumper-ettes using ’57 Cadillac bridge and frenched in to create a spectator looking bumper.

• Rear deck at rear window was widened and cribbed to stock to move the window forward for a correct roof line like stock.

Paint Preparation

• Body Step #1 Etched Primer

• Body Step #2 Epoxy primered and blocked

• Body Step #3 Build primered and blocked between various coats for a perfectly straight body.

• Paint: Bright blue pearl, base clear

• Finish was then sanded and polished to show quality.

Glass

• All installed glass is factory tinted, not a film and is custom fitted by the best in the business

Rear Window

• A real challenge. First a custom mold was created that looked like cribbing for the Brooklyn Bridge. Then came the metal refinishing to complete the contour for the mold.

• The rear glass was molded and then sent to the US for lamination. No Expense was spared and was well worth it as the rear window is perfect to the line of the body.

Interior

• Snow white naughahide

Design is 1 ¼” full roll and pleated with a deep smooth bolster.

Rear of seats also rolled and pleated to match, including package tray.

Bright royal blue carpet was used for floor to create a striking contrast.

Chassis

• 1954 Chevy Frame media blasted and gloss black powder coated.

Components

• Air Ride Technologies / Firestone

• Front air spring brackets / shock system and rear four link system by complete Cool ride by Air Ride Technologies

• Air Bagged with on board compressor and gauges

Front Suspension

• Mustang II power steering rack with 11” Camaro disc brakes All Brake lines are braided stainless steel

Rear Suspension

• ’57 Chevy Drum Brakes

• ’57 Chevy rear end with 3:60 Highway gears for overdrive

• Suspension air bagged

• Steering: 69-72 Tilt with polished stainless Borgeson joints and shaft

With the top being chopped and air bagged, the lowering works out to 10 ½” in total.

Drive Train

1959 – 261 cu. in. Chevy inline 6 cylinder (new Rebuild)

Internal Specs

• Balanced and Blueprinted

• Jans Aluminum pistons

• Torquey cam by Shadbolt – the best in the business

• Stainless steel pushrods

• N.O.S. GM hydraulic lifters

• Factory GM high compression 868 head

Exterior of Mill

• 2 Rochester cards with 1950’s real Hellings and Stellings Card air cleaners (chrome) over brass

• Extreme attention to detail was considered to the custom brackets for mounting the alternator, compressor and power steering pump.

• All accessories are chrome to the highest show quality by Performance Chroming

• Offenhauser valve cover

• Rare Offenhauser side cover

• Offenhauser manifold

• Beehive oil filter (finned)

• Power steering reservoir finned to match oil filter

• Chrome bellhousing

• Chrome coil, chrome alternator, chrome compressor, chrome pulley

• Chrome Fenton headers

• All braided stainless hoses were used on the motor

• Polished stainless hoodsprings

• All custom dual exhaust by Muffler Tech

• Ceramic coated

Transmission

• Automatic 700 r-4 (overdrive with shift kit)

• Aluminum housing was sanded and polished to show quality

• The transmission was pro-built with all new parts

• The tranny pan is finned aluminum 61/60 aircraft

• All oil lines are braided stainless.

Electrical System

• Halogen Headlights

• Heavy duty harness by Clearhead Enterprises Inc

• State of the art fuse box

Air Conditioning

• Gen II by Vintage Air complete components

• Custom made condenser and brackets

Wheels and Tires

• 52 spoke 1954 Buick Skylark wire wheels

• BF Goodrich wide white wall radials

• P225 / 7R / 15

Bellflower, California, 1955-1962

Duane Steck's 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe, better known as the Moonglow, was built by Duane himself in his own front yard in Lakewood, California. The car that was a low budget build, was classified as a radical kustom due to its chop. But the truth is that the car featured many subtle modifications that enhanced the already good looking lines of the car. The appearance of the car changed several times during the years, but most people favor the first version that was shown on the cover of Car Craft January 1957. Duane Steck was a member of the Renegades Car Club out of Long Beach, California.

In 1954 a young commercial Artist, Dwayne Steck, dreamed of building a 1954 Chevy Bel Air 2 door Hardtop into a radical custom ca. Dwayne purchased a 54 Chev and began to build his dream, first by chopping the top 3 ½ inches, shaving the entire body of all chrome ornaments, making the 2 piece grill into one piece, nosing the hood and designing a Kustom grill.

Dwayne frenched the headlights and installed 56 Chrysler inverted taillights using a shark’s mouth design as a housing. He then rolled the gravel pan and lowered the car 10.5 inches and added custom made fender skirts creating a famous fade away look.

Moonglow made it’s debut on the cover of CUSTOM CARS Jan 1957. After many many car shows and first placed trophies, the car re-appeared on the cover of CUSTOM CARS March 1960.

The moonglow was to become one of the most famous custom cars ever built in America. ROD ANS CUSTOM MAGAZINE listed it in it’s top 20 pick. George Barriss stated it was the best role model he had ever seen for all Chevs, and he particularly liked the car from all angles for it’s clean lines. Then it was traded in 1962 and sadly crushed.

The original Moonglow

Credits: Choosen consistently to be one of the most famous custom cars built in the 50’s.

Builder/ Owner: Bellflower California

From ever angle it looks right with a chopped top, skirts, frenched headlights, and custom grille. The Moonglow was one of the dshow favourites, and written in Barriss Kustoms as one of George Barris’ favorite picks.

• Car Craft- jan 1957

• Custom Cars- March 1960

• Rod & Custom- June 1991

• Custom Cars of the 1950’s by Andy Southard and Tony Thacker- 1993

• The rodder’s Journal- 1994

• Barris Kustom- 1996

• Rod & Custom Top 50- November 2003

•

Most famous pick of 50’s rods and customs. Moonglow was right up there with the Bob Hirohata 51’ Merc, Nick Matrana 40’ Merc, and Larry Watson “Grapevine” 50’Chevy.

The Moonclow was admired by the following experts:

• Geeorge and Sam Barris

• Larry Watson

• Eddie Rhodes

• Bill De Carr

• Dean Jeffries

• Junior Conway

• Von Dutch

• Ed “Big Daddy” Roth