In 1956, the 210 was Chevrolet’s mid-size series, sandwiched between the 150 and Bel Air. The seller is undecided whether this garage find is a 210 or a Bel Air, so we’re going with the former. The 210 2-door sedan was the third most popular series/body style, coming in at more than 206,000 units in the second year of the “Tri-Fives”. This car looks like it has been sitting for years (maybe decades), and its engine has been broken down, but it comes with a spare V8. Located in Great Bend, Kansas, this solid project is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $12,500.
This Chevy was a basic car when new, and it appears a 235 cubic inch inline-6 is under the hood. But it’s been stripped of parts as perhaps it seized up and repairs began when the whole project was mothballed. A 2-speed Powerglide transmission is likely lurking there, too, though the seller says he has an extra along with a 283 V8 with a dual quad intake, which appears to be part of the transaction.
Paint is flaking off the Chevy, likely blue covering up what once was turquoise (a color change way back when?). The interior may have also been blue, but it’s hard to tell as everything in there is so dirty (broken window letting Mother Nature and maybe some small creatures in?). This is said to be a 2-owner vehicle that only has 77,000 miles on the odometer.
All sorts of extra parts are included. Besides the spare drivetrain, you’ll get another hood and trunk lid, a pair of doors and front fenders, some leftover suspension pieces, and an extra rear window. Though dirty, this seems like a solid old Chevy that could be worthy of restoration. A Bel Air or a Nomad would be better, but you take what you can get. A thumbs up to “Zappenduster” for the tip!
What year for the Way back machine this time, Mr. Peabody. Well, Sherman, can’t go wrong with 1962. Imagine, if you still can, 3 best friends in dads C10 Chevy, going to check out Uncle Melvins old Chevy they had heard about. The glee was off the scale upon seeing it, a ’56 2 door! THE most sought after beater EVER! $50 bucks, out came the chain, and the fun began. That 283 from the widows BelAir, a 4 speed that was holding a door open, SparkoMatic shifter, worn snow tires as slicks, you were in business. That, my friends, was a dream shattered only by that miserable quagmire overseas, and sadly many never got to finish that dream.
So,,,,what do you do here? You know as well as I do, this car will get the “clown wheels, puffy interior, LS whatchamacallit”, but wouldn’t it be nice to restore it just like when Uncle Mel bought it for just a tick over $2grand in 1956?
Way overpriced, $8500.00 is more in line
In 1972 – 1973 I had a nice 55 Delray – too nice to drive in the winter. A fellow high schooler had a 55 210 2 door sedan with a farm fresh “rebuilt” 283. The 283 would start and immediately die. Plus, the brake pedal went right to the floor. I bought it from him for $40.00
I dragged it home on the end of a rope and put it in the back yard. I replaced one wheel cylinder and bled the brakes. My dad had been a Mopar mechanic earlier in his career so he directed the diagnosis from his easy chair – it was cold out! He told me to move the brown wire from the top of the ballast resistor to the bottom. The car started and ran perfectly after setting the timing! Go buy a 6 volt coil. They had replaced the coil with a new 12 volt and 55s started with 12 volts while cranking and went to 6 volt when the key was relaxed to the run position.
That 55 was my winter beater for 2 winters. One summer we needed an engine for my buddy’s dirt track car so we pulled the 283 and ran it for the season. I started college that fall and I never put the engine back in. I left a decent 55 2 door out in the woods at a friend’s farm. Went back a couple years later and the whole grove of trees was gone. Oh well, 55s were cheap then!
The BelAirs did not have the post between the front and rear windows.
Having had one of each, I prefer the 210. Hope this one goes to a good
home. Lots of possibilities here.
I disagree, the Belair came in both sedan (with a post) and hardtop (without) 2 doors. A 56 Belair 2 door sedan bought me to my first home after I was born. In fact I have, in my garage a 56 Belair 2 door sedan.
I have a ‘56 Bel Air with the post between the windows in my garage.
Bel Airs were built in 2 and 4 door sedans, two and four door hardtops, convertibles, two and four door wagons and nomads
Also Delray was a model
Gary, Yes.
Sorry….it was a two door Bel Air hardtop, two tone blue and white,
followed by a two door 210 Post, all white.
The Chevrolet script on the speaker grill indicates this is not a Bel Air.
The single spear side trim indicates it’s a 210, the full hubcaps are Bel Air only, I think.
I bought my 56 210 2 door sedan in 2007, in pieces. No drivetrain, front sheet metal off, roughly a roller. Back then, I didn’t pay 12,500 for it.
I’ve fallen in love with the car. It now has a 350/700R4, 3:42 10 bolt, and A/C, PS, PB, disc front, cruise, tilt, pw, Dakota digital gauges. It painted 2 tone, gray and white, has color matched steel wheels with dog dish 210 style hubcaps.
They make fun cars. I’d attempt to negotiate with the seller after a visual inspection. My car is a Tucson native, no rust car. I’ve driven it 43,000 miles since I got it on the road in 2018.
You could get all Tri 5 Chevy Bel-Airs in post or hardtop,I had a 57 with 60 over bore 283.
There’s a similar clean-but-worn running example in much better condition on eBay right now for $10k.
TOO high a price ! Everything would have to be done to this roach rod . Nothing has moved for decades. All move able parts be froze up.
She’s a 210. And that’s a mid-range (not a mid-SIZE) model: Chevrolets were all the same size, but in three different trim levels: they came as Bel Air, 210, and 150 (no Delray) in 1956. The 150 was utterly plain jane, with just the bare basics – a utility car. The 210 gave you most of what you got with the Bel Air, only not so flashy on the trim, with fewer accessories as “standard equipment” than the costlier Bel Air. But if you so desired, you could order a 210 with “all the toys”, including rare air-conditioning.The Bel Air, of course, was the fancy model that looked extra-sharp and cost the extra bucks. The 210 avoided that “utility”/”bare bones” look, and it was enough in the trim department to present well as a nice family car. But, if you wanted to spend the extra, the Bel Air was for showing-off.
Delray was an option in the 210 series from 1954 – 1957. It more or less replaced the Club Coupe. My 55 above was not originally a Delray but I put a complete 55 Delray interior (seats headliner carpet and door/side panels) and put BelAir side trim on it. I bought a decent complete 55 Delray just for the interior ($125.00) in 1973. One of my buddies decided he had to have it so I bought a complete 56 BelAir 2 door sedan interior (black and white) for $30.00 from a local junkyard and installed it for him. I think I got $200.00 from him so I got my interior and came out a few bucks ahead. I guess my labor wasn’t worth TOO much!
That particular junkyard had dozens of tri five Chevys including 2 55 and 1 56 convertibles that I robbed trim from. It’d be nice to have that time machine both for the parts and for the carefree living of being a teenager again!
Way to much for a “Field car”
Milner
56 is the odd ball of the tri fives, and less sought after. The 55 was the initial sought after with a new body change from chevy..the 57 also was a new body change ..which people sought after…the 56 was more or less a after thought with the square front turn lights and rear signal lights..I think the follow up to 70 chevelle S S via the 71 and 72 chevelle SS reflects those same changes
I’m compelled to rant some because I’m just tired of the tri-five cult thinking that every clapped out non runner is some sort of a work of art and then prices it accordingly. This is nuts in my estimation. Yes I like the cars but I can’t let common sense fly out the window. The day is coming when the people who pay this kind of money in order to spend three times more to get something like this to a decent condition are going to be left holding the bag. In 1972 I bought a ‘56 Belair convertible for $50 that was complete and just needed some TLC. Yeah I know that was a long time ago but… Anyway rant over. I will just head out to the kitchen and fry up a $9 pound package of fatty bacon.
So did Greg Brady
Word of the day: demographics. The people who fondly remember the ’50s aren’t getting any younger. I happened to land in just the right age group to remember the wave of ’50s nostalgia in the ’00s (probably helped that I had family members in that target audience), but even that’s come & gone. Even with pop culture, “American Graffitti” barely had a plot line, and I don’t think I’ve ever even had a chance to watch “Two Lane Blacktop”. The bubble is going to pop sooner rather than later.
Carbob, that bacon bubble is not going to pop anytime soon,,,nor the beef prices…you may be able to ignore the latest rounds (antique) of car prices, ( the average mean for a Brand new sparkling plastic car is now 40K) but very hard to ignore eating….LOL….good luck
Unfortunately, the market is what the market is. If it doesn’t sell at the asking, seller can sell it at what the market offers. If not he can decide not to sell. Seller has the option, not the buyer. If buyer comes in with a low ball offer seller can not sell. Buyers option is to look elsewhere.
too high for the heavy work needed.5k-7k tops
Maybe the seller made a typo…it’s supposed to be $1250. Not $ 12,500. LMAO! I don’t know any of my car friends that would even consider the asking price of this 56.
12,500……….I’m not allowed to say what I really think. I believe some of you have already said it. Enough said.