More Than A Roller: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

In checking to be sure we hadn’t covered this car before, I wasn’t surprised at how many 1957 Chevrolets we’ve seen over the years. After all, Chevy produced 1.5 million of them, including hundreds of thousands of Bel Airs. And they’re some of the most sought-after vintage cars in collector circles, even after nearly 70 years. The seller’s Sport Coupe hasn’t been on the road in 40-45 years and went through a series of changes in the decade prior. The Chevy will need a complete restoration, including replacing the replacement drivetrain. Located in a garage in Rochester, Washington, this project can be yours for $10,000 here on craigslist.

When this vehicle rolled off the assembly line in ’57, it wore black paint and had a 283 cubic inch V8 with a 2-speed Powerglide automatic. Fast forward 15-20 years, and the paint changed to red, the engine to a 327 (1962 or later), and the tranny to a Muncie 4-speed. The interior was redone to match the outside with red (and some black). As you can see, the red paint has run its course, and there is rust in the sheet metal in many places.

The 327 is seized and partly disassembled, so you should plan to toss it. And go back to a Chevy small-block or venture down the LS route. This poor car saw a lot of action between the 1950s and 1980s, as the odometer has turned over at least once and sits at 50,000 miles (more like 150,000). The Bel Air sits on dollies, so the only distance it has covered of late is running around the garage.

When they built this one, they produced another 168,000 more. So, it begs the question that if you’re looking for a project, how rough do you want it to be, as there should be plenty of fish in the sea? We’ve seen them better than this one, and – more often – worse than this one. But the seller has some extra parts to go with the deal to help you get started. Thanks, “Curvette,” for another Bow-Tie tip.