- Seller: Mark S
- Location: Salem, Oregon
- Mileage: 00000 Shown
- Chassis #: VC57O169687
- Title Status: Clean
Update: The seller has pulled the reserve!
Restoration projects sometimes stall before they start, which is the case with this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air-2-Door Sedan. The owner’s father fell in love with the car when he saw it on the streets in the 1980s, grabbing the opportunity to become its owner in the 1990s. The vehicle is partially dismantled and has moved from one barn to another before finding its way into this carport. With his father’s passing, the owner feels it is time for the Bel Air to find a new home with someone willing and able to do it justice. Therefore, he has listed this blank canvas project with us at Barn Finds Auctions.
The 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air has been one of the staples of the classic scene for many decades, forming the basis for some stunning restorations and project builds. This car’s first owner ordered it in Adobe Beige, although it underwent a color change at some point. The owner added Rally wheels from a ’78 El Camino to make it easier to move, but apart from removing a few trim pieces, the project has seen much attention since their father purchased it. The winning bidder will probably tackle its revival by adopting a frame-off approach. That will allow them to address its rust issues to ensure that this Bel Air remains rock-solid for many decades. Rust has appeared in many spots typically expected, but the attraction of Tri-Five Chevrolets is that replacement steel is readily available and affordable. Floor pans are a perfect example, as one-piece pans with the correct braces retail for under $1,000. The story remains the same when we focus on any exterior issues, meaning that an enthusiast with respectable welding skills could return it to a rust-free state. Some trim pieces require replacement, although many items are restorable. The glass is in good condition, with no evidence of cracks or other issues.
The owner confirms that while this Bel Air rolled off the line with a V8 under the hood, it came to his father without an engine or transmission. The headers confirm its engine bay housed a V8 when it graced the streets in the 1980s, while the presence of a clutch pedal and a hole in the transmission tunnel suggest it may also have featured a four-speed. This is where the options broaden for potential buyers and why it can be considered a blank canvas project. Sourcing a period-correct drivetrain is possible, but a custom approach may prove irresistible with so many components available off the shelf. A common practice is to slot a 350 under the hood, and most speed shops will stock the appropriate mounts and other items that will make the process straightforward.
The Cowl Tag confirms that this Bel Air’s interior would have been stunning in its prime. The first owner chose Code 667 trim, with the seats and upholstered surfaces clad in Black, Copper, and Beige cloth and vinyl. A former owner’s custom approach saw almost everything except the dash consigned to the history books. Black vinyl was their material of choice and was a common sight in the 1970s and 1980s. The seller notes that it looks like the shifter was originally on the column, but it wasn’t uncommon for people to relocate it to the floor. The factory radio is missing and the original front seat has made way for later buckets. However, most of the critical components required as a foundation for a retrim are present. Once again, the world will be the winning bidder’s oyster. Kits to return the interior to its factory form are easily found, although the buyer could also adopt a more modern approach to the previous owner’s custom theme.
This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-Door Sedan has spent decades hibernating, and while it represents a significant project for its next owner, it is a long way from being a lost cause. It could become a stunning vehicle, with its appearance and specifications limited only by the winning bidder’s imagination. The owner’s father never managed to realize his vision for this classic, but you could achieve yours by submitting a bid. It deserves a second shot at life, and you could be the person to give it that chance. If you have any questions for the seller, please leave them in the comments below.
Bid On This Auction
NextExit bid $1,000.00 2024-07-17 15:00:24
Pro Design bid $900.00 2024-07-17 10:19:45
A ton of work, but it does have a set of 1967 GTO/LeMans front bucket seats!
This little darlin’ would most definitely not be for the faint of heart. (It also wouldn’t be for someone with shallow pockets)
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to build up a new vehicle out of repro parts/bodies/frames/crate engines&transmissions&differentials without spending wasted cash on this refugee from the crusher?
Maybe, but it wouldn’t have a VIN number, it wouldn’t be a real Bel Air like this one.
Someone may buy it just for the VIN.
Ouch harsh comments I love it at the right price no tri 5 is beyond resuscitation be it resto mod rat rod gasser or stock renovation. I personally would go gasser. too bad it’s in Oregon and I am in SC
I definitely believe this car can be restored for reasonable money if you do the work yourself. I would definitely do a frame off resto. I would source a Chevrolet overhead valve inline six and a TH350 auto trans. There’s no point in trying to build and install a high HP V8 as the way things are today the size of your checkbook determines how much horse power you can buy and there’s always some body that can buy more. I would keep the rest stock and have a nice cruiser. All that’s just my opinion. It’s like a blank canvas so to the buyer do as you please. To the seller GLWTA
What’s ‘reasonable’ about a complete teardown and a trip to the dunk tank? Heaven only knows what’s left after the rust is removed.
Really..”hey where did my car go?”
no automatic keep it a stick and try and find a good 283 make it stock
Exactly, to the average Joe they would see this and run the other way, rightfully so specially if you lack the knowledge and skill to do it. But for someone with the right set of skill and knowledge this baby could be restore.
As can anything given enough time, care, and cash. But 1957 rustbucket Chevrolets ain’t exactly rare or exotic.
The reserve has been pulled!
I’m not sure the three pedal set, ( no shifter assy), gauge cluster clock or other small parts will even help recover the current bid of a donor car. So much rust on the panels. Beyond economical recovery, but perhaps as a Hemisphere or other rod build up with a VIN. Sad to see it in this condition, but at least it was offered for sale rather than scrapped.
no automatic keep it a stick and try and find a good 283 make it stock
I agree 100 percent with Peter. Given enough time and money, just about anything can resurrected, but somewhere along the line, one has ask why? With something as far gone as this, that sometime for me would be just looking at it.
Well now to answer some questions. 1 why restore it. A) because you have the skills to do it and are proud of the finished product. Question 2 why bother there not rare. A) who cares some people see a car like this and say to themselves I can do this and there vision of what it can be drives them. I know this because I have done a few cars that were like this and some maybe worse. It always gave me great pride to tell those that asked that I did everything myself.
As dedicated as someone may be, I think it’s a fantasy that an individual could thoroughly disassemble strip, and repair all the chassis and sheet metal by themselves in a home garage. An acid tank in the backyard? For the body shell and the frame? And the bolted-on panels? And do all the jigging and welding of replacement metal? For a car that in no way could offer the builder anything but a cash sinkhole? Life’s too short.
Peter
To me the fun is in the work on cars making something better that in my opinion was the roots of the car hobby
I personally have cars that will never be worth what time and money I have put into them but I CAN say I did all the work myself in my backyard shop!!
Somebody stole it for $1000………
My jury’s out on who stole from whom.
True fact!
That was a very good deal for the buyer.
Steve R
Watch Freemans Garage on Youtube and you will see a young guy rebuilding a 56 in similar condition. He is entertaining to watch.
I am seeing the same thing all over the car world. Prices dropping and lots of failed builds. People watch TV and see them build a car in a week and thing I can do this. I also see the same mistakes on a build. They do the engine and transmission first thing because anyone can do that. Should be the very last thing you build. More and more people are realizing that it takes about 2,000 hours for a professional shop to do a real restore and then toss in all the parts and materials. You can buy one done for way less than you can build one. With the baby boomers dying off the next several generations of cars are seeing drops in prices. Demand sets the price not what the car is. Get ready to be flooded. I have I thing 23 cars and nobody
wants them. Not all restored but some are really nice.
Don’t go into a project blind know what it takes and you probably will not do it.
David Fowler
David you have a 1954 mercury always been my dream car since September 1953 when I saw the new 1954 on show room floor it was a two tone green sunvally I was 8 years old and still remember it