Here’s a 1957 Chevrolet that presents the dilemma of whether to preserve the patina or eventually chase a trophy, but the good news is that both seem viable. It features the rare Dusk Pearl and Imperial Ivory color combo, with the 822D trim-tag code verifying this car left the factory wearing this two-tone paint scheme. It’s also the top-of-the-line Bel Air and mostly complete, with the mileage listed at 12,825, so this seems like a desirable Chevy no matter what you’ve got in mind. This Tri-Five is priced at $19,950 and can be found here on Craigslist in Edmonds, Washington. Curvette, thanks for the excellent tip here!
The seller says this one has been with the second owner for the last 40 years, and while it’s nowhere near perfect, at least it hasn’t been passed around over and over like many mid-fifties Chevys. This one’s described as being super straight with good gaps, but it’s also showing a bit of light rust, including an area in the right quarter where a rat’s nest once resided. Yuck! I could see a beautiful result with some minor bodywork and a respray, but that’s also a pretty cool patina on the hood, so delaying exterior improvements and just driving this one for a while isn’t necessarily a bad idea either.
Under the hood is a 283 engine with a 2-barrel carburetor, and if it’s still the factory component, it would have received a factory horsepower rating of 185. It’s reported that 10,000 miles have been covered since the V8 was rebuilt, but if the 12k mileage claim is correct, that overhaul could have possibly happened decades ago. It’s said not to smoke and deliver great oil pressure, plus the automatic transmission is stated to shift properly, so hopefully no major mechanical work will be needed here anytime soon.
The interior could use fresh upholstery and a new steering-wheel centerpiece, but the dash and instruments still appear to be in decent cosmetic condition overall. We also get to take a peek inside the trunk area, which seems very solid, and I hope everything down under looks as good as it does in here. This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air seems stronger than many unrestored examples, and I’m torn about whether to treat this one as an immediate project or just enjoy driving it around for a few seasons. What would you do here?
This is the same dealer whose patina covered 1962 Grand Prix was featured on this site a few days ago.
Not sure I’m buying the mileage claim, there is no up close picture of the speedometer for verification.
Steve R
Even if there were a closeup speedo photo, it would b proof positive, unfortunately those old speedos were so easy to roll back that it’s almost a joke…
My comment was sarcastic, I’ve been harping about unverified mileage claims on this site for years.
Steve R
From what I can see, this car has more than its share of rust and I think it’s about to become a Flintstone-mobile if the floor that’s visible is any indication. I’d have to repair at least some of the rust before even considering the car a daily driver. That color, while attractive , wasn’t that rare. I’ve seen more than a few of them. And 12k miles? It’s a dealer selling it, and I’m a candidate for the 2028 presidential election if that’s true mileage..
Yeah. Looks like this car sat in Mee Maw’s barn for quite some time. I wonder what the underside looks like?
These old odometers, can be tweaked to show whatever miles you want. This is no 12,000 mile car!
I wish the authors on this site would include something simple, like the word “unverified” when a seller makes a mileage claim based on the speedometer reading, without that they appear to imply approval.
Steve R
a drill clamped to the speedo cable run in reverse does wonders for “mileage”
Not all speedometers will work in reverse. (But this one would) A guy I worked with wanted to “roll” his odo back (240Z if I remember correctly) because his car was in very nice condition but had a huge amount of miles indicated. That one didn’t/wouldn’t run in reverse. So he decided to go forward and roll it over. (I don’t think he used a drill) So he plugged in the motor and calculated by time that it was going 342 mph. So he left it on and went to bed. In the morning it had slowed down to 280 mph. He eventually erased 85,000 miles by going forward.
Hood patina looks more like Katrina.
That’s a first for me! I’ve never seen a 57 Chevy with a vinyl top before, must have been done in the 70’s. This one would be beautiful restored.
Top is painted Imperial White.
The only ’57 Chevy we restored for customers was a white over dust pearl metalic 4 door we bought in Kansas for them from a 90 year old lady original owner. Repainted the dust pearl and put new upholstery on the front seat. Biggest job was removing the acreage of trim. Car had a tube type garage door opener which she must have used a lot because she said the reason she was selling the car was the garage door was getting smaller and scraping the sides of the car. Came out beautiful as will this car when it’s restored.
Yes, he’s about $10k too much.
Never understood where some peoples kids pick numbers out of thin air.
His little “rats nest rust” problem is a $3-4k fix. And all of you intelligent followers of this site know of everything else that will raise it’s head once you start driving it.
All I can say is make sure your Triple A towing policy is paid up.
Patina? That’s funny.
Kinda like “my sister is still cute and a fun chick to go out with” but has three baby daddys, incurable STDs, and a meth problem.
The thing is knackered from raw neglect. Somehow the body is better than the rest of it.
We all wanna see pictures of the guy handing over a check for $19,950.
Bluesman, so sorry to hear about your sister! (lol) I’m tired of unsubstantiated milage claims also. IF, the odo hasn’t been tampered with. Then it’s been around at least once. I’m also tired of tri 5 Chevys. (Even though I used to have a ’55 convert.) I don’t have a problem with dealers asking a profit. (I used to sell vehicles) I do have a problem with ones assuming that people are stupid and try to pass off stuff as gold when it’s really rust/mud. You can make a good living selling vehicles and being honest. I did it for over 20 years. I never lied to a customer and had a good following of repeat and referred customers. In fact I got tossed off a jury when over 1/2 of the selected jury knew me because they had bought a vehicle from me. (and I really wanted to serve as it looked like an interesting case)
Thanks.
My sister is doing better now, micro-dosing mushrooms for her mental state and looking great on the GLP-1 shots. Her skin is now a bit saggy, but she’s got an offshore plastic surgeon lined up who might do some “horse trading” for some side work.
Her three kids are at mom’s now, with lots of piercings and such, and odd hair colors, but remarkably, getting straight As.
All good. Thanks for asking.
OMG. Too funny.
Why in the wide world of sports would the engine have been rebuilt at 2,825 miles? It would take a whole lot more verification of the mileage than an up close photo of the odometer to convince me that the claim is legitimate.
The claim milage isn’t important it the structure frame and body are ok the asking price is a steal
It is important if that unverified claim is being used to justify an inflated price.
Steve R
You will never steal from a dealer. They would not stay in business.
really cool, good colors. 112k miles or more. bet there’s more rust than is showing. 20k if it runs and drives fix the interior and just enjoy it.
The cars condition does not come anywhere close to support the claim of 12K miles. I admit to not reading the add if this not the claimed mileage.
Been looking for one like this, not the best time for me to take the trailer and run off though. Color is similar to the evening orchid I think, which is a color I really like.
The front seat cover tells me the story. It looks exactly like my 100.000 mile 57 Belair seat. Driver and passenger side seams are separating and that would not occur at 12.000 miles. I would love this car but the wallet is thin.
The pics of the white top looks somewhat strange to me with the small ripples on the side and the seam running from the front to the rear. Was this option back then in getting a landau top?
Im kinda a conasour of 283s and i have to think this one is mid 60 … I could be wrong but doubtful 🧐
Thee speedo may read 12K miles but with only 5 numbers on the speedo it could most likely 112K, 212K or 312k note the add does not claim original miles.
And a 283 that needed rebuilding with only 12K on it is a contradiction in terms almost. I could see the oil seals at either end of the crank crumbling with the passage of soo much time but replacing Those hardly qualifies as a “rebuild”: something here just isn’t adding up.
The car has had a vinyl top installed at some point. As @Don_Campman noted, you can see both seams and also loose material above the drip rail. If it is like most other vinyl tops on poorly stored cars, the odds are there is more rust under that material.
You can also tell from all the jambs that the entire car has been repainted (overspray on rubber parts that should not be there, and painted bolts that should not be painted). And the peeling on the front clip is consistent with the peeling you always see when new GM replacement sheetmetal (with black primer) was installed and painted without any additional primer and with no good prep work. That would seem to suggest that it had front end damage early in life and got a new front clip installed along the way.
Still a great car to be redone, but not a low mile car and not original paint.
Thank all of you for all the cautionary comments: this car is in okay condition for a 69-year-old unrestored and nearly abandoned car. But it has high miliage, some notable rust, and other issues such as that missing steering wheel centre (which likely was stolen to restore some other ’57 Chevy). This car is tortured and hoary with neglect, lack of appreciation, and possible abuse, and heaven only knows what you’ll risk encountering with THIS one! HARD PASS.
So the engine needed to be rebuilt at 2,825 miles???
It’s definitely not the worst “survivor ” car I’ve seen. Then there’s the stuff we can’t see (like the underbody). They say the mileage is original. Not sure if that can be verified or that it actually matters. Because judging by the photos, everything needs to be redone anyways. The motor is rebuilt but how long ago?. No doubt you’ll pay big money to restore it. Thankfully there’s tons of new and used parts available. However, I think if I’m going to pay nearly $20k for this unrestored example. I would rather spend the extra coin and buy one that is already restored.
If you go to the ad it says aftermarket vinyl top and has been resprayed years ago the floors don’t look rusted out nor does the trunk and a good running 283 with a power glide is good enough to power this around while doing the restoration is it worth 20,000 probably not but 12 to 15,000 yes definitely
Alright, a rats nest in the 1/4 panel means rats were everywhere in this car , expect a foul smell and some electrical gremlins !
But , it’s still a 57 chevy with all of it’s parts !
I drove an identical 57 in HS, but mine was a 220 hp Power Pack.
Prices of ’57’s have fallen so far that you can actually find a pretty nice one for 20K. This one isn’t and it needs everything. Costs to restore or even make a driver are shocking. There are a lot of Dusky Rose and white out there, I’m not sure of the rare part, it certainly is not desirable. It to me it looks faded even when freshly sprayed.
I would have to drive it the way it is, all my projects never seem to get completed. Well, I have put a new interior in a 55 hardtop, so that would need done if I wanted wife to ride in it, the patina is real, so it can stay.
This could be a Great Buy, I like everything that has been to offer, A couple of cans of spray paint, then just enjoy it, my kind of ride.
What does it say about a seventy year old car that wasn’t driven? It’s just a Chevy. Nobody, not even the person who has had it for the last 40 years didn’t want to? On one hand it could be turned over. I’m from the land of salt and snow so cars like this didn’t often make it this far. My parents bought a new ’59 Chevy but my earliest recollection of the family car was the ’56 Bel Air they got off my aunt in ’63. Our ’66 Chevelle was a pile of rust when dad replaced it in ’72. All I’m saying is that this is an unusual piece but I don’t think it has only 12 rounds on it.
This does not have a 3 piece front bumper, it has a California 1 piece, not to many around with original I piece
This stomach-churning festival of nonsense….Just for openers, how does the finish get worn off the steering wheel in 12k miles? Patina? Refugee from the crusher. I think that the speedometer rolled over at least once, provided it worked the whole time. Under the hood, same thing.
This ad’s an insult to credibility.