Every classic that we see at Barn Finds has a story to tell, although some are clearer than others. That is the case with this 1957 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery. Its owner has poured plenty of time, effort, and cash into returning the car to its glorious best. They then clocked less than fifty miles behind the wheel before parking it under a cover in this garage for the next decade. Rather than allowing it to sit any longer, they feel that it is only fitting that it should head to a new home and to an enthusiast who will appreciate all it has to offer. Located in Camarillo, California, you will find the ’57 listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $82,500, although they will consider offers.
The seller is negotiating the sale of this ’57 on behalf of a family member, and the supplied information does lack slightly. We are told that the owner completed a restoration but hardly had the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor before placing the car in storage. It wears Harbor Blue paint which shines beautifully. The owner kept the vehicle covered while in storage, preventing the paint from accumulating the marks and chips that can be common in a situation like this. There are no visible flaws or defects, while the same is true of the panels. There is no mention of any rust problems, and given its location and history since it received lashings of TLC, I wouldn’t expect to find any. The trim sparkles impressively, and there is a shiny set of spinner hubcaps waiting to find their way onto this classic’s wheels. With the glass looking flawless, the overall impression is that returning this Sedan Delivery to its former glory should be a rewarding process for the buyer to undertake in their home workshop.
Lifting the hood reveals that this Sedan Delivery is more than just a pretty face. The engine bay houses a 283ci V8, but it isn’t any ordinary motor. It is a genuine Chevy Fuelie featuring Double-Hump cylinder heads, solid lifters, and a “Duntov” cam. Combine those components, and you have a powerhouse producing 283hp. That power feeds to the rear wheels via a column-shift three-speed manual transmission with optional overdrive, while power steering should provide an effortless driving experience when the going becomes twisting. Few people would have considered the ’57 Sedan Delivery a muscle car, but this one’s ability to storm the ¼ mile in under 16 seconds commands respect. Once the owner completed their hard work on this classic, they clocked a mere forty-seven miles behind the wheel. They then parked the car, and that glorious 283 hasn’t fired a shot in anger since. The seller indicates that the brake master cylinder leaks down the firewall, and the pedal goes to the floor. That suggests that the brakes will require attention as part of the revival process, but it may go deeper. Given the potential value of Fuelie V8s, I would inspect everything thoroughly before hitting the key. It is a fiddly process but may prevent any nasty and expensive surprises that no buyer wants.
The spotless interior is no surprise, with only a two-digit odometer reading under its belt since the owner completed this Chevy’s restoration. The owner selected new Bel Air interior trim in what appears to be Code 665 Blue and Black. There may be slight wrinkling on the passenger door trim, but that is one of the few visible faults in the limited photos. The rear cargo area looks superb, and it should be a rewarding task detailing the interior to have it sparkling. The seller indicates that it still smells new, which is no surprise when considering the vehicle’s recent history.
There’s no doubt that this 1957 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery is a stunning classic, and returning it to active duty should prove to be a straightforward process for its next owner. It is a handsome car, but its drivetrain should mean that it has the muscle to back its good looks. It has been sitting for a decade, which is too long for any vehicle of this caliber to hibernate. I hope that somebody is willing to free it from this garage and return it to its rightful place on our roads. I would love to think that one of our knowledgeable readers will rise to the challenge. That way, we will know that it will be owned by an enthusiast who will appreciate all it offers. It deserves nothing less.
The only problem with the Chevy fuelies is you have to drive them regularly to ensure the seals don’t dry up. And this is clearly not a daily driver.
It needs more than the master cylinder replaced. That’s a single chamber, original style master cylinder, so it has four wheel drum brakes. With that drivetrain, I wouldn’t drive it farther than the trailer even if the brakes did work. The front disc brake and brake line kit isn’t real expensive, so it isn’t worth taking a chance with a stock set up and possibly original brake lines.
The original brake lines on my 1943 Jeep lasted 72 years, but eventually gave up. Now it has a dual master cylinder and new lines. Lesson learned.
Also, it appears that there’s an air conditioning compressor on the motor. I’m sure that it’s not stock on a 283 Fuelie, and I can’t believe that it’s original to a 150 Sedan Delivery. If I was buying it, I’d like to hear the story on why it’s there.
Excellent point, Joe, especially since, to my understanding, there is no history to these short of a bonafide, original window sticker.
Wow , this is quite a machine
Fuel injection in a delivery
Never heard of it
I wouldn’t drive it
As i wouldn’t enjoy it
But
It sure looks good
Not an expert but a sedan delivery with a fuel injection sounds way off and the cost of getting the induction system back up and running on the wrong car well just burn the bills. I suppose seemed like a good idea at the time. It is a good looking car from the pictures. These were usually doing stop and go deliveries not performance cars. It’s not the black widow.
For that price. He might as well close the door. Way over priced,but theirs always a fool ready to burn the money in the pocket.
That’s an aftermarket add-on AC unit (likely from Vintage Air). Probably added during the restoration in a moment of weakness by the owner (like going with the upscale Belair interior rather than the spartan sedan delivery interior). So its presence does not speak to whether the car did or did not originally come with the fuelie engine. But vast odds are it did not, for reasons mentioned above. I suspect when they post the VIN it is probably not even a factory V8 car, as most of the deliveries were 6’s.
But if it did come with that engine (and that could be proven), someone needs to buy it, remove the A/C, paint the side panels the same color as the rest of the car, put a correct interior in it, and proudly show what would probably be one of one surviving examples on the planet.
Unless the V emblem on the hood was added later, it is a factory V8 car. My 57 150 2-door is a factory V-8, the only option it got other than radio and clock delete.
I am definitely not an expert on 57 Chevrolet’s, But I can recognize that this a a very rare restoration of a car that was never built at the factory. To me this would be some ones vision of what he would have bought in 1957, if it could have been special ordered. A great what if car and very well done. It only takes one other person to buy it. It would be fun to know how it plays out. I don’t know if it will bring the BIN price, but I am sure it will sell.
It appears that it was a six cylinder car by virtue of the vehicle V.I.N. number. There is no “V” in the vin. Both of my sedan delivery had the “V” in the vin, both were V8 cars
Nitpicking aside, the first gen f.i. unit is not as refined as the later version with the flags on the plenum cover, today’s fuel makes tuning a bit difficult, I work on M -Benz and Alfa Spica mech . injection, all were designed 50 years ago, with fuel of that era in mind. These early Rochester units run better on a blend of race gas and pump gas, Futo and Son’s Shop in Arizona might be a good starting point for the buyer to get it running correctly.
Just another 57 Chevy that was done to someone’s liking so someone else can pick it apart.
If this car actually has a 3 speed with overdrive transmission, either it or the fuel injection is not original to the car. The only transmission available for the 270 HP dual quad and the FI was a close ratio 3 speed non overdrive.
I agree with Sam. And I’ll add this. To each his own. I love it that he added the fuel injection.
They added the VIN to the auction description — D570158821. Original 6-cylinder car as I predicted. Still a neat piece!
As much as I love sedan deliveries, I have to say that the owner really should have taken it out of the garage into the sunlight, used a real camera, taken as many pics as possible (as the E-Bay folks would allow for free). the old saying, “If ya wanna sell it, ya gotta show it.’, really applies here. I agree with all the aforementioned comments…nice looking but too many discrepancies. And for that price… NOPE.