The Chevrolet Bel Air was overshadowed from within during the 1958 model year. That was when the Impala was born as a special edition and then became the company’s product leader in 1959. The ‘58s are known for being one-year wonders, as Chevy’s cars had three separate designs in 1957, 1958, and 1959. This Bel Air looks sporty as a 2-door hardtop but has a basic 235 cubic inch inline-6 under the bonnet, so it was a rather ordinary offering. Located in a field in Eaton, Ohio, this project is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,200. Kudos to “Ted” for another cool barn find!

Chevrolet’s cars grew in size from ’57 to ’58. They rode on a wheelbase two inches longer while the overall length of the vehicles rose by 13 inches. I’m not aware that any of the additional size benefited any of the passengers, except those perhaps in the back seat. The 1958 Chevies weren’t overburdened by all the chrome that the other GM divisions lavished upon their cars that year. Even though the U.S. economy was impacted by a recession during that period, Chevrolet held its top spot as America’s best-selling automobile.

A new feature of the car’s design was the “Safety-Girder” cruciform frame that would underpin the full-size Chevies through 1964. While thought to be a safer platform, some pundits felt it lacked the same side impact protection in such a collision. With a 6-banger for power, a car like this Bel Air was no speed demon but drove nicely thanks to its 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

The seller describes this Bel Air as being a “decent” project with some parts removed but still in the vicinity. Rust isn’t a problem and there is plenty of sheet metal to have attracted some of it. We’re told that the paint is yellow in color, but it looks more like white to me. And most of the interior has been removed with much of it in the trunk. If you want to do a restomod on this Chevy, the seller has an LS engine available for some extra coinage.