Driving by a Pasadena used car lot in 1997, Bob Kelly spied a curved roof in the back and slammed on the brakes. Twenty-four hours later, he pocketed the keys to a 1954 Chevy Bel Air. Working in NASA’s Mission Control Center, Kelly had been searching for a project car for off-the-clock hours. And “Old Blue,” as he later dubbed the Bel Air, replicated down to its turquoise paint his...