Deciding what path to follow with a classic purchase can be challenging, but cars like this 1955 Bel Air Convertible allow their new owners plenty of time to contemplate their options before making any commitments. That’s because it is a rock-solid classic that runs and drives well and has no immediate needs. It allows the buyer to thoroughly assess the vehicle on and off the road to decide whether they should spend any cash on improvements or upgrades. If that sounds hard to resist, the Bel Air is listed here on eBay in Garfield, New Jersey. The seller set a BIN of $54,999, and its desirability is easy to gauge, with 114 people watching the listing.
The seller indicates this Bel Air is on what could be considered its third life. An earlier owner placed it in storage in 1967, with the car emerging in the 1990s. It quickly returned to hibernation until the seller unearthed it two years ago. Its time in isolation hasn’t caused undue harm, although a previous owner did perform an amateur repaint in the Bel Air’s original combination of Regal Turquoise and India Ivory. It presents well and is perfectly complemented by a White convertible top and wide whitewall tires. Most of the supplied photos show the passenger side, although one obscured shot of the driver’s side appears to indicate consistent condition and presentation across the exterior. The panels look clean and free from significant bruises, while the underside shots confirm this classic is rust-free. The seller indicates that most of the exterior trim is new, with the remaining original pieces shining impressively. The glass looks spotless, and there’s no evidence this old Chevy has any pressing panel or paint issues.
One admirable trait of this Bel Air is its consistent presentation. The interior features Turquoise and Beige upholstery, although I think the seats wear aftermarket covers that don’t match the original combination. However, they are free from rips and wear, as are the remaining upholstered surfaces and carpet. It is serviceable, but a meticulous new owner may elect to refinish the painted surfaces to lift the presentation to a higher level. The factory AM radio and clock are intact, and I can’t spot any aftermarket additions.
The seller supplies a single low-quality engine shot that shows the engine presenting cleanly. They compensate for the poor image by providing plenty of information on the car’s mechanical specifications and health. Its engine bay houses a 265ci V8 which sends 162hp to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. Buyers could order their new Convertible with more powerful versions of the 265, but this car’s ability to storm the ¼-mile in 17.7 seconds and top 100mph would have satisfied most people. The seller indicates they went through the car on purchase to ensure it is in good mechanical health. They say its V8 sounds sweet breathing through a dual exhaust, and the transmission shifts smoothly. There is nothing to prevent its new owner from hitting the road immediately for some top-down touring.
With no immediate needs and a tidy presentation, this 1955 Bel Air Convertible is a turnkey classic designed to provide immediate motoring pleasure. Its price is hardly pocket change, but it is within the ballpark of what potential buyers might expect to pay in the current market. Retaining it untouched would be a viable option that many buyers may consider, although the indications are that it would take little to transform this Bel Air into an $80,000 motor car. Is that a possibility worth considering, or would you take your time to weigh up your choices?
$54K BIN price, and the dash looks like THAT?! pffft!
If the dash looks like that, and I can’t think of a reason why, unless an owner was an OCD dash polisher, combined with the strange cheap seat covers, and the tranny floor shift conversion, the odd oil canister paint job and all the other amateurish touches, that this vert went through some different hands as most cars did. It probably was once a well used , used car.
A little lipstick and the internet and a twenty thousand dollar car (maybe) gets a large ask. Boy I miss the old days.
Dash has power glide indicator, but has been switched to 3 speed on floor
Holy cow….that passenger side shot looks awful wavy,front to back
Yup, agree on that point Gary. I sense filler in those panels. Owner committed the classic mistake of shooting it with the sun directly overhead. I’m a professional photographer and would prefer to photograph such subjects on a bright but overcast day. You get smoother panels and tone throughout the subject with no ugly shadows to mar the sheet metal. I observed this rule selling my last car. Gone in eighteen hours.
Boy do I miss my 55 Chevy convertible!!!!!!!!!!! Worst mistake of my life selling that beauty. This one hits all the right notes on appearance except for the dash. If this seller is asking $55K he should at least have repainted the dash. I think he should at least finish the car properly. That 3speed on the floor is a real tacky touch. If you are going with a stick shift go with a 4 speed. Flippers who show classics with obvious flaws should have to eat their astronomical price tags.
Not original engine either. No v8 symbols on car.
Looks like a fun car at the right price maybe 30k
A barn find with a re-paint, what a joke. Why can’t the speculators leave original alone?
V8 symbols are on the quarters below the taillights, where they belong.
Sounds like the saler is a flipper. They have very little in it and expect alot. $54,000—pass and look else where. You can buy alot more car for alot less money. I wonder what the insurance would pay out–IF this car was totaled as is? I,ll bet it won,t be near $54,000. Some one is gonna have alot of work hear and I doubt if he or she has had much checked out and done to it. The price is way out of reach for MOST people.