While messing around the house yesterday, shiftless and without direction as usual, I stumbled across a copy of the movie “Used Cars.”  The story of competing used car dealerships owned by two feuding brothers, this car movie classic is a must see for any car buff.  One of the best scenes contains a wild test drive in a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe.  While the car in the movie was a two door sedan, this 1957 Chevrolet two door sport coupe for sale on craigslist in Pelham, New Hampshire is a kissing cousin.  The movie car was in great shape until the test drive, but the car we see in these two pictures needs a lot of work.  The good news is that the seller is letting it go for a reasonable sum.  Is the $2,000 asking price just low enough for one of you to start its path to being on the road again?  Thanks go to AMX Brian for the tip!

As usual for a craigslist ad, this listing is short on both pictures and description.  All we know is that it is a 1957 Bel Air for parts, rebuild, or rebody.  We are also told it is the right VIN for a restomod project and it comes with a New Hampshire bill of sale.  My guess is that the seller is telling us that the VIN number is present, and that the amount of missing parts would kind of push you into the direction of making a restomod out of it.  Fair enough.  There are enough aftermarket parts being made for 55-57 Chevrolets, that you could go any direction you wanted with this car.  A period gasser might be another direction to head.

From what we can see in the pictures, there is a fair amount to work with.  The body panels don’t look too far gone.  All the glass is there with the exception of the driver’s door glass.  It may just be rolled down in the picture.   Furthermore, the windshield and window trim is intact and looks to be in good shape.  The car even has a set of aftermarket wheels on it.  I wish I could say that the bumpers, grille, and body trim were present.  Maybe if you call the seller, you might find that the stuff is still around.  It looks like a parts car, but it is a fairly rare body style to use for that purpose.

We at Barn Finds have seen cars in worse shape fixed up and out again on America’s highways.  It just takes some determination and dedication, along with all of your spare cash for a long time.  Once again, parts are plentiful and you can build this one up exactly how you’d like it.  From mild to wild, this could be a cool project.

Whatever you do, don’t let someone test drive it when you are done!