The journey to rebuild Jeff Lutz’s popular yellow 1957 Chevrolet began in the wake of a devastating crash that occurred while filming for Street Outlaws in 2021. The violent crash destroyed the car that he’d taken from the street to the strip. In the aftermath, Lutz entrusted Dennis MacPherson and his team at DMC Racing to breathe new life into his racing efforts with a fresh rendition of the car. The result is a masterpiece that was debuted last weekend at the Tri-Five Nationals at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Jeff debuted the new car to much fanfare at the annual Tri-Five Nationals in Kentucky over the weekend. Photos by Brian Hogan
“When I crashed it on the show, I knew I had to rebuild it. The original car meant so much to me, and I couldn’t just let it go,” Jeff says of the decision to rebuild. With little time to dedicate to the construction in his own shop, Jeff Lutz reached out to MacPherson, who eagerly took on the challenge. “I had asked Dennis if he would want to build me a new ’57 Chevy, and he said, ‘Hell yeah.’ From there, it was full steam ahead.”
The car’s foundation began with an original roof with a VIN number, and quarter panels sourced from Woody’s Hot Rods, marking the beginning of a detailed process three years in the making.
Under the hood lies a 496 cubic inch VED small block, built by Westside Machine in Idaho. The all-billet engine, with a 4.600-inch bore spacing, delivers staggering power that far outpunches its weight class. The engine utilizes VED components from the intake to oil pan, including the intake manifold and cylinder heads. The engine is paired with a Rossler Turbo 400 transmission and a ProTorque converter, a combination that ensures the car can handle the immense power it produces. Lutz remarked, “It’s small block Chevy-based, but this thing is built to the highest standards. It’s a beast.”
The engine is a 496-inch, all-billet small-block from Westside Machine, which also does his NPK big-block engines. Jerry Bickel Race Cars-built rearend housing (right) was the only item salvaged from the original car for this build.
The car’s rearend is the only component that was salvaged from the original ’57 Chevy. Jerry Bickel Race Cars, built the rearend housing for the previous car that has now found new life in this build. “It’s the only living piece from the original car,” Jeff Lutz shared, adding a sentimental touch to the high-performance machine. This housing, coupled with a Quick Performance 10-inch rear gear, ensures that the car’s power is effectively translated to the pavement.
The ’57 Chevy’s small-block is paired with a set of X275-style 88mm Precision turbos, which provide the forced induction needed to push the small block to its limits. The car is built on a double framerail 25.2-cert chassis, and features a carbon-fiber interior and titanium components, bringing it all in at just a hair over 2,700 pounds with Jeff in the seat. RC Components wheels—one-piece F5’s on the rear and Retro series on the front—provide the style, and Penske shocks all the way around keep the car planted to the pavement.
One of the standout features of this build is the custom front end, which Jeff designed and molded, crafting the plug which was then taken to VFN, who then created the final piece. This new front end, which VFN dubbed the “Lutz Deluxe,” is not only more purpose-made than the original nose, but adds a personal touch on the car.
The wiring was impeccably performed by Mike Hamilton of Fine Tuned. “When you look at the motor, you don’t see any wires. It’s beautiful,” Lutz notes. Jeff’s longtime friend Jeff Thompson at Pro One Automotive applied the one-off color that has become Lutz’s staple. Cosmic Chrome did the bumpers, and Jeff once again used sleek Lumtronix headlights. Race Part Solutions and Stainless Works hardware was used throughout the build.
Jeff is keeping the numbers close to the hip, but in its brief debut, the car clocked a 1.04 60-foot on just 42 pounds of boost and made some eye-opening rips to the 1/8-mile with his son Jeffreys tune-up loaded in.
Despite the car’s capabilities, Jeff Lutz is unsure about its future in competitive racing. “I don’t think it’ll be fast enough for NPK,” he admitted, referencing the increasingly competitive nature of the No Prep Kings series. And while he suggests there is continued interest in Drag Week, he says it would require some significant changes to get this new car road-capable. For now, the car will be displayed at No Prep Kings events, and he and Jeffrey intend to test it in the coming months to line out its true potential. “Dennis did an amazing job. It’s as good as the old one, if not better,” Lutz concluded, underscoring the significance of this new ’57 Chevy in his storied career.
