Even if you’re not a Chevy fanatic, you have to love tri-fives. Tri-fives are Chevrolets made between 1955 and 1957 and are some of the best looking cars ever. This is a 1955 Bel Air 4-door and is said to be a true barn find. Found for sale here on Cars-on-Line with an asking price of $17,900, the car currently resides in Hialeah, Florida. A lot of car enthusiasts scoff at 4-doors, but there are two counter-arguments: 1.) 2-doors are becoming harder and harder to find and their prices are often much more than 4-doors. 2.) A 4-door from this era is the same size (or smaller) than some 2-door models of the next few decades, making them more than capable of high performance.
The ad states the interior is all original but it has new carpet. You can see some freckles of rust on the dash, but the interior looks like it will clean up really well. The upholstery is in amazing condition and the color certainly leaves no doubt the car is from the 50’s. There is even some original plastic covering peeking out from under the seat.
The ad states the following: New gas tank, rebuilt carburetor, new fuel lines, new brake lines, new transmission cooling lines. The original radiator has been refurbished along with new hoses. Also, the spare tire plug holes are intact and the jack and spare instructions in the trunk. The car is said to run and drive well and can cruise at highway speed. What do you think? Does this car get you excited or are you solidly in the 2-door/no-more door camp?
One has to admire the salmon pink models!
I had the two door hardtop in HS painted black with chrome reverses and the 327 engine tied to a M22 four speed 😎
I wish I kept that one and the second a 69 Camaro Rally Z28….,if wishes were horses we would of all bought Microsoft stock too 🤠
I’m a sucker for 50’s two-tone paint. This looks like an honest car but pricey even for a drive it now survivor.
Wow,green trees!
I can hardly tell it’s a 4 door, so I guess I don’t care that it is. It needs paint, but if it’s the original paint from 63 years ago,… well, I just don’t know.
It’s true that 2 door models are getting tougher to find and command more money. The fact is having a 2 door maybe more styling but for carrying passengers they are impractical. For a young guy with kids wanting to get into the car hobby this is an excellent first car. I’m restoring a dodge 2 door hard top and I can’t help thinking what a dangerous car it would be if it was ever in a serious wreck. With its small side windows it would be difficult to get out of if the doors got jammed up. I think this car could be made to be quite sporty looking dispite the extra doors and your likely to see a lot less of these restored at the show than the 2 door models. If it were mine I’d repaint it in its original colours and clean up the interior. These are in my opinion the nicest of the tri fives.
It looks like it survived its 30 years in a barn quite well. Perhaps the seller is just to short to take a picture of the engine, but it always makes me wonder. At least they provided details of the drivetrain in the ad. It might seem a bit overpriced, but perhaps it depends what you plan to do with it. As a flip, it’s too expensive. As a survivor, it has qualities you just can’t replace It’s a car you could drive and enjoy for years and even pass along to your kid, and might be a good place to start.
For the asking price just shy of $18,000 you would really have to want a four door and a “survivor”. It’s nice, but it’s to expensive to be a “compromise” car.
Steve R
Love this car!! Drool, slobber. If only…
As Dr. Smith would say. “Oohhh The Pain!!” I’d enjoy this lovely lady but as my argument is the same as others… haven’t got the room. And I ain’t gonna park it outside either. I wouldn’t do a thing to it. I’d make sure all the rubber is new, fresh lubricants, keep the tank topped off, and just use it for what it’s original intent was. What a nice find
Does anyone really pay attention to the prices on said 1950s cars and what you can really buy with how much money??? 5000 and under can barely buy a rusting hulk sans engine if your lucky it might have the original broke down drive train .So no it’s not to high of a price for a turn key you could take to a car show tommorow even if it is a four door type of car
That’s the case with 2 doors, not so with 4 doors. Nice looking, turn key 4 doors are regularly selling on eBay in the $10,000 price range, often less. This car is either at, or considerably above the top of the 4 door market.
Steve R
I do pay attention. And I have first hand experience. This car is overpriced. Check actual sale prices on eBay and you’ll see.
One example: I sold a 1957 Chevy wagon in beautiful condition not too long ago. Many upgrades in a stock looking package. Get in it and drive it anywhere condition. Ready to show. Shiny paint, great colors, needed nothing. It went for $16,500.
This car, while interesting and a cool survivor, is not show ready and I could buy two decent tri-fives locally for less than $18k total.
– John
ANY tri five Chevy is good, 2 or 4 door. The only weakness with the first year 265’s is it didn’t have a full flow oil filtration system. I’m sure the same can be said for other engines of that era. This will sell fast.
There us a local lady still driving her 55. It was her first car and she kept it. Painted once by a local teen but never restored.
Looks like a nice, if pricey, basis for a restoration – one of those ones that would be cool to bring back to showroom condition.
The last Tri-Five I owned was a one-family owned 210 more-door with a 261 Jimmy, three-on-the-tree (taxi option?) that cost me $15 and a Holley Bug-Spray carb. After replacing a cracked cylinder head, it become my girlfriend’s daily driver until we scored a ’62 Bonneville hardtop.
The Chebbie was then sold to a friend of ours who drove it for a couple of years. Last I heard (around ’78), it was in a junk yard with a huge ‘Not-For-Sale’ sign on the windshield.
I wonder if it’s still around..?
I was confused for a moment when I read 4 door. The salmon pink merging with the black coming up from the the back hides the door handle and the black also hides the door seem. A second look and I could see the door seem in the lower, salmon pink area, but still cannot see the door handle. Obviously a case of “old man eye-itis” on my part. But overall this ’55 makes me say “2 doors good, 4 doors……..almost”. This does NOT make me a convert however. But there is just something about that salmon pink color.
Price is a little high but what a nice driver!
This is one ugly color!
My all time favorite color combo for a 55 Chevrolet! Overall looks in decent shape. Would need a repaint, same color combo, of course! On the Mid 1970s saw a two door hardtop, same color combo in a junk yard. Drive train was missing, good shape, wanted $700. Was not in a position to purchase….
Well, snap! $10.00 short, again. Honey, did you bring any spare change?
2 too many doors .
55 is the only year of the tri-fives that I care for. I also love the color and that it’s a “house of doors”. What I don’t like is the price. At 8K I would fork over the dough without issue knowing I’d have to put out another 4 to enjoy it.
Very easy to convert to a 2-door , GM used the same cars for 2 and 4 doors right up till the colonade cars came out , you just need a pair of 2-door sedan doors and quarter panels for a 2 door or if your so inclined use the left over doors as patch panels either way its very easily done . . .
The official color was Coral and Gunmetal Gray.
Actually it’s Shadow Gray.
Coral and Shadow Gray. I own one
Way too much money for a four door. Four doors in better shape are lucky to get 10k. I don’t get it…I know you can ask what you want, but geez man, get real on the prices. And it just keeps getting worse (oh man, I sound old)!