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Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semitrucks — email fjolley@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration.LAYTON — If you’ve seen Doran Peaslee’s 1957 Chevrolet 150 Wagon on the road, chances are, you heard it coming first.
The two-door wagon is loud. Very loud.
With remote control exhaust cutouts and a 525 horsepower 383 Stroker engine, the wagon has power that you can both feel and hear.
“It’s extremely loud,” Peaslee said. “I like loud cars. When I pull into a car show, everybody goes ‘Whoa.’”
That’s exactly how Peaslee envisioned his wagon when he began rebuilding it two years ago. He purchased it from his brother, Steve, for the low price of $50 after Steve found himself unable to continue working on it.
Doran estimates that he has put about $50,000 and roughly four hours of work per day into the rebuild. He said the most time-consuming part of the process was stripping the Wagon down to its bare metal and cutting out all of the rusty parts in preparation for the paint job.
“When I pulled it into my driveway when I originally got it, my neighbors all shook their heads saying, ‘What the heck is that guy doing? What is he going to do with that bomb?’” Peaslee said. “They don’t say that when I pull it out of my driveway anymore.”
Peaslee had a vision for the ‘57 Chevy from the day that he got it. He wanted to keep it all-original on the exterior while customizing and updating the interior to fit his specifications. He pulled it off, too.
“When I leave car shows, I always get people telling me that my back windows are open,” Peaslee said. “I have to tell them, ‘Nope, that’s the air conditioning.’”
Peaslee modified things underneath the hood, starting with the 383 Stroker engine. He replaced the wagon’s original transmission with an automatic Turbo 350 and brought the car into the modern era with some disc brakes and power steering.
Peaslee had the entire interior custom made. He replaced the original bench seats with bucket seats and installed a handmade console. In fact, the only thing that he didn’t do by himself was the seat upholstery. All of the interior trim on the wagon was hydro dipped, resulting in a white carbon-fiber look.
“I couldn’t sew if my life depended on it,” he said.
The wagon’s gauges are all coated digital gauges, complete with a message center. The gauges and message center are also Bluetooth enabled, allowing Peaslee to easily monitor things while he’s underneath the hood working on his car.
The rebuild process was so long and piece-by-piece that the UPS delivery drivers came to know Peaslee by name while delivering all the parts for the vehicle. He said they even became personally invested in the rebuild.
“They pretty much knew right where to put the stuff in the garage when they came by,” Peaslee said. “It was cool of those guys. Every time they’d come to deliver, they’d always wander around the car and take a look at what I’d been doing.”
The Layton resident enjoys showing the ‘57 Chevy at local car shows, where it has garnered multiple awards. About three months ago, the vehicle won Best of Show at the monthly car show at Burger Stop in Layton.
“That’s why I go — it’s kind of fun to spend $60,000 for a $10 plaque,” Peaslee quipped.
Wes Mangum is a Utah State University student and a citizen of Logan. He can change his own oil and makes great car sound effects on request. Wes can be reached on Twitter @Dream_Breather_ or by email at mangum953@gmail.com.
