1956 Chevrolet 210

Description

With the Scottsdale auctions behind us, it's time to sit back and show our appreciation for the cars that aren't six-figure trailer queens. Instead, cars like this 1956 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan remind us that having fun in your old car is what this hobby is all about, and when you can do it in high-visibility style like this for a price tag below the cost of a new Honda, well, life is pretty good.

You're definitely going to get noticed in this eyeball-burning yellow shoebox, but it looks so good you'll never think twice about it. Fit and finish are quite good, as they should be on a car that will undoubtedly capture everyone's attention everywhere it goes. Even up close you find evidence that the guys who built it cared about the results; just check out how well those doors fit and smoothly each panel flows into the next. It makes due without graphics, modified bodywork, and all of its trim fully intact, and the cleaner 210 look works well with the monochromatic color scheme. Tinted windows help with the updated look and offer some great contrast to the paint, and everything that's shiny on the car appears to have been treated to a freshening when the car was built. It's not perfect, but trailer queens aren't what we're talking about here, remember?

The interior works well, functional and stylish without resorting to outrageous mods that never look right in a '50s car. The factory bench seats were covered in comfortable black velour with a diamond-quilted pattern that seems both custom and period-correct, and the matching door panels really work well. The bright yellow Grant steering wheel is admittedly a take-it-or-leave-it thing, but it's easy to grab and feels right when you're grabbing gears in the 4-speed transmission just to its right. The factory gauges are still there and the dashboard is every bit as pretty here as it was when it was new, a triumph of design in an everyman's car. There are several auxiliary gauges in the dash, but the installation is so clean you almost don't notice them and they certainly don't look like add-ons, and the AM/FM/cassette stereo head unit fits where the original AM unit used to live. The trunk has also been finished with a full carpet set and gives you plenty of room for gear and luggage for your next road trip, a task to which this Chevy is ideally suited.

Power comes from a reliable and well-built 350 cubic inch V8, so you know it's going to be fun to drive and will take you anywhere you want to go. The attention to detail continues into the engine bay, with more bright yellow paint and Edelbrock dress-up pieces to give it a vintage speed look. Smart upgrades include an alternator, Edelbrock intake and carburetor, and a pair of ceramic-coated Hedman headers to bolster low-end torque production. The aforementioned 4-speed transmission powers the original rear end which hangs on what appear to be factory leaf springs, so it sits and rides well without the harshness that comes from trying to reinvent the suspension. Classic Weld wheels will make guys who grew up looking at these cars in the hot-rod magazines smile, and are fitted with big 235/70/15 blackwall radials that fill the fenders just right.

We're not going to over-sell this car, but the bottom line is that if you love to be the center of attention, this is the car that will do it for you. Call today!