1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

Description

Here's the short version: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop. Nice older restoration with 283 cubic inch V8 and automatic transmission. Bright Matador Red paint with white top. Several upgrades to make it easy and fun to drive. Get in and have fun!

The long version is pretty much the same story: a really nice 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air that was restored in 1990 and built to cruise. The world's most popular collector car always looks right in Matador Red, which is probably the quintessential '57 Chevy color; when you close your eyes and picture a '57, isn't this how it always looks? Despite the restoration being nearly 25 years old, the car looks fantastic and provides the kind of worry-free motoring that will make it a favorite cruiser. There are a few signs of use here and there, but the quality of the work was quite good and it's obviously been loved and properly maintained since it was completed. There's a great shine to the paint, the doors and hood fit well, and all the shiny Bel Air trim lines up neatly. The unique anodized panels that define the Bel Air look great and someone obviously invested pretty heavily in the chrome, because it still looks quite good.

A very correct black and red interior is more proof that the restoration was done right. Funky cloth inserts are exactly like what this car wore in 1957 and the black fabric and matching carpets offset all the red that is everywhere else. Beautiful door panels look far younger than their age and the bright instruments in the color-matched dashboard seem to defy the years. Auxiliary gauges under the dash are probably a little more accurate than the factory dials and for entertainment there's a Retro Radio AM/FM/cassette stereo head unit in the dash. The seating surfaces and carpets sure don't look like they've been in place for nearly a quarter-century, again indicative of quality workmanship and materials. Even the trunk doesn't look like it's carried anything but light cleaning supplies, because the inner panels still look shiny and the rubber mat looks almost new. There's also a matching fifth wheel and radial tire with a full jack assembly, just in case.

You shouldn't be surprised to see a 283 cubic inch V8 under the hood of this '57, and with several smart upgrades, it's a fantastic driver. An Edelbrock intake and 4-barrel carburetor give this small block the Power Pac punch that most owners added anyway, and the bright Chevy Orange paint underneath looks impossibly shiny and neat to be more than a few years old at most. Chrome dress-up pieces and braided stainless hose covers make it look up-to-date, while drivability upgrades like the modern dual master cylinder, an aluminum cooling fan, and a modern alternator make it quite road-worthy. The original 2-speed PowerGlide automatic still lives behind the warmed-over small block and drives the original rear end. Glasspack-style mufflers give it a traditional '50s sound and while the underside shows signs of use over the years, you also know it's sorted out and ready to enjoy. I think if it were mine, I'd add a set of wide whites, but the 205/70/14 radials on it now ride and handle well and have lots of life left in them.

The long and short of this car is that a bright red '57 Bel Air hardtop will never go out of fashion. If you've longed for one, now might be your best chance to own the dream. Call today!