1956 Chevrolet Bel Air

Description

This slick 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop is a mild custom that keeps everything that's great about a Tri-Five Chevy and adds a few upgrades that make it a pleasure to drive. With a warmed-over 265, a traditional two-tone interior, and that beautiful two-tone paint, it retains all the original goodness with a few tweaks to make it a joy to own and drive. And this is another one of those great cars that you just couldn't build yourself for the asking price.

Of the shoebox Chevys, the '56 wears two-tone paint the best. With dramatic trim that makes for the perfect natural break point, it shows off best with polarized colors such as the Sierra Gold and Adobe Beige combination on this hardtop, which is how it left the factory. The five-year-old paint looks very good over some very slick bodywork that takes no liberties with the original design and puts everything together much tighter than most of the builds you see. That trim doesn't allow much room for error when aligning the doors, and you'll note that everything is arrow straight. The shine shows off sheetmetal that was blocked and sanded and all that trim appears to have spent a lot of time under a polishing wheel. Bel Air script, beautiful bumpers (including a 1956 station wagon rear bumper), and a crisply rendered hood ornament are all evidence of careful plating work, an expense that any restorer should dread but the buyer of this car should be thrilled to see.

The copper and tan interior re-creates a period feel with pleated inserts and ornate door panels. New carpets with properly bound edges suggest that someone really cared about doing this one right, and all the hard parts like the dash and window moldings have been painted with the same Sierra Gold paint as the body. The original gauges show beautiful, crisp markings and to round out the factory gear, and there's a period-style under-dash A/C unit. The original AM radio remains in the dash, although it's not hooked up and a cruiser like this deserves an upgrade. Open the trunk and you'll find a correct mat and a full-sized spare and jack assembly.

The engine is a 265 cubic inch V8 which is, indeed, this car's original engine. It's a correct Power Pack setup with a 4-barrel carburetor, and it was rebuilt about 5000 miles ago. A few upgrades include the dual snorkel air cleaner, a modern alternator, and a big radiator up front, which is assisted by an electric fan to keep everything nice and cool. It has also been fitted with power steering and power front disc brakes with a dual master cylinder, so it handles and stops far better than new. The 2-speed PowerGlide automatic transmission shifts well and with 3.36 gears in the rear end, it's a fine highway cruiser that is relaxed at speed. A rumbling dual exhaust system gives it a great personality, and those 8-inch Corvette Rally wheels with 225/60/15 blackwall radials fill the fenders perfectly.

A super clean Bel Air, this hardtop keeps everything that was great about the '56 Chevy and adds features that you'll appreciate today. Call today!