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July 2002
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Winged Creeper
Carson Lev's Rare Air Bel-Air
Text By: Ro McGonegal
Photos By: Wes Allison
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To some people, Cason Lev might just have one of the world's best vocations. He "works" in the Design and Development group at Mattel and is active in the licensing end of it, too. He wanted to be a doctor and was in a pre-med program in college, but when his four years were over, he wound up designing medical equipment for a living instead. Then he had his own Cad-based prototype shop, but in 1995, his life changed forever. Now the middle-aged man with a kid's heart is in a scale-replica wonderland all his own.
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"I grew up in Lakewood (California) with the Mooneyhams and Vince Rossi. Through them, I met Mert Littlefield and the Pisano Brothers. These guys were all hard-core drag racers, and that's what I came to know. They were older than I was, of course, but I spent a lot of time drawing their cars, as a matter of interest and of respect. When I was in Junior High, I hung out with artist and designer Kenny Youngblood. He treated me with kindness. I never forgot it. So you can see that I was really a car guy long before I was a toy guy. All the people in my department had a background in cars first."
"I've had at least 40 cars so far, and my wife hasn't thrown me out yet," cackled Lev. Yeah, Carson, wait. When she gets a load of what you're up to now, it might be all over. "I've come to the conclusion that I've got too much to do to be working on cars all the time. It's smarter for me to buy someone else's 90-percenter and finish it off to my taste. This '59 I bought from an obstinate sort in Colorado who also sold me a matching two-door Bel-Air wagon. That one's a roller and not much more, but the body and the work done on it so far are extremely encouraging."
According to Carson, his '59 is the first non-mainstream ride he's ever owned. He got weary of seeing cars that emulated his and vice-versa. He even threw up his hands in disgust over his sano '55 and sold it. "I'd go to an event and there would be a dozen of 'em there. I wanted something different. The '59 represents the pinnacle year for outrageous Detroit automotive fashion. It was design gone wild. Remember the '59 Caddy" Ah, a proud statement of excess and irreverence. Can I get an Amen? There are a couple of very nice '59 Chevys around, but I've never seen another one parked next to mine. I don't think that the big-body Chevys have been given enough attention. That's why I like what you're doing with your Biscayne."
One bright, warm morning, Cason and I are skimming along Antonio Parkway somewhere out in the boonies. Though not a handler, the car hunkers down just fine and that MagnaFlow exhaust system is but a faint reminder that there's a 400hp TPI cruiser motor under the hood. It, like everything else in Lev's winged crawler, starts and stops like the factory put it there. "Yeah," said Lev, a little out of breath, "the wagon's gonna be black with red leather. I can't wait."
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Quick Inspection
Carson Lev
Laguna Niguel, CA
'59 Chevrolet Bel-Air
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ENGINE
Type: '69 Chevrolet 350
Block: Stock, 0.030-inch overbore; line-bored, shot-peened main-bearing caps, main-cap studs
Oiling: Stock
Crankshaft: Stock forged steel
Pistons: Badger, 10.25:1 compression ratio; Badger ring set
Connecting Rods: Chevrolet forged steel
Camshaft: Corvette hydraulic roller, geardriven
Cylinder Heads: Edelbrock Performer, Engle rocker arms, pushrods, guideplates
Induction: Corvette TPI
Ignition: Stock Chevrolet
Exhaust: Hooker headers ceramic-coated, MagnaFlow-built stainless steel 2.5-inch system, X-pipe, mufflers, tips
Cooling: Stock re-cored, electric fans
Built By: Doug's Engines, Denver CO
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: TH350, column shift, B&M 2,800 rpm converter, B&M cooler
Rear Axle: Stock, 4.11:1, Posi-traction
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CHASSIS
Front Suspension: Belltech '69 Camaro 2-inch dropped spindles, Koni shock absorbers, stock springs
Rear Suspension: Stock springs, Koni shock absorbers
Steering: Stock Saginaw
Brakes: '69 Camaro discs, front; stock drums, rear
WHEELS & TIRES
Wheels: 17x8 and 20x9, Foose Design Nitrous Thrust
Tires: 245/45ZR17,285/35ZR20
INTERIOR
Seats: Stock benches covered in gray tweed, leather covered dashboard by Front Range Corvette (Denver, CO)
Wiring: Painless
Instruments: Auto Meter
Steering Wheel: LeCarra
BODY & PAINT
Weight: 3,800 pounds
Body: Shell bead-blasted, metal-prepped, primered, block-sanded
Paint: PPG '96 Corvette Torch Red acrylic w/ clearcoat by Robert Thompson and Wayne Allwine, Front Range Corvette
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