The 1955 model year was a landmark one for Chevrolet’s mighty Bel Air. Not only did the model receive a substantial styling change that made it appear far more crisp and modern, but buyers could, for the first time, specify a V8 under the hood. This ’55 is a tidy classic with the newly available V8. It doesn’t appear to have any immediate needs, so the buyer should be able to hit the road for a spot of relaxed cruising soon. Located in Avon, Ohio, you will find the Chevy listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding currently sits at $19,600, although the reserve is yet to be met. I have to say thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting the ’55 for us.
Once it emerges into the light of day, the Bel Air is not a bad-looking vehicle. The owner believes that it has received a past repaint, and my research makes me think that this is a real possibility. The Tag indicates a Paint Code of 602, which would be India Ivory and Skyline Blue. This car has Ivory in all of the right places, but the Blue that it wears is far darker than the color indicated on the Tag. I would suggest that it is closer to Glacier Blue. However, even that is no certainty because the color is inconsistent from one photo to the next. It also looks like the vehicle might have received a further touch-up to the driver’s door because this doesn’t match the rest of the car. When we delve deeper, we find that the Bel Air appears to be rust-free. There is nothing visible externally, and the photos of the underside show floors and a frame that appear to be structurally sound. The trim and chrome are in excellent order, and I can’t spot any issues with the tinted glass.
With a completely new look came some performance improvements for the ’55 Bel Air. This car features its original 265ci V8 and 2-speed Powerglide transmission. The best that the buyers could’ve hoped for in the previous model year was a 235ci six that produced 115hp. With a Powerglide bolted to the back of that six, the journey down the ¼-mile would have taken a leisurely 21.1 seconds. Imagine a buyer stepping out of the ’54 and sliding behind the wheel of this ’55. That same journey would have taken 18.6 seconds, thanks to the 162hp pumped out by the V8. That still doesn’t sound fast by today’s standards, but it would have given owners bragging rights back then. This Bel Air is in sound mechanical health. The engine bay presents well, and photos of the underside show no evidence of fluid leaks. The owner says that the motor sounds nice, which is hardly surprising since it breathes through a dual exhaust. He also says that it drives extremely well, which means that the open road is beckoning the next owner.
It appears that the Bel Air’s interior trim might be original. The information on the Tag and what we can see in the supplied photos is consistent, which gives us a combination of Blue and Beige. The seats are in excellent order, with no significant wear or other problems. The remaining upholstered surfaces appear to be equally impressive, while the plated components show no evidence of corrosion or bubbling. It seems that this is not only an interior that needs nothing, but it also hasn’t received any aftermarket additions. Nothing has been cut, nothing has been interfered with, and everything appears to be as it left the factory. If a buyer is searching for originality, they may have come to the right place here.
There’s no disputing that this 1955 Bel Air presents well and that it is ready to be driven and enjoyed. I don’t believe that it is entirely original because I am almost positive that it has received at least a partial color change at some point. The inconsistency from photo to photo makes it impossible to be 100% certain, but the odds seem to be pretty good that it has happened. If the buyer is seeking a better-than-average driver quality car, this ’55 would seem to fill the bill. Lifting it to the next level should not be a complex undertaking, and with the ongoing growth in both popularity and value, it could be well worth the time and effort. Would you do that, or would you continue to drive this Bel Air as-is?
Looks pretty darn good to me. Great looking cruising car to me.
Current bid is now $25.000
And this one even has the add on oil filter cannister. How about that!
The auction’s sixth image shows the passenger side of the car looking forward. The following image shows the same view of the driver’s side. Another image shows dual exhaust exits. It’s been a long time but the interior certainly doesn’t look OE. There are too many red flags for a a car which is supposedly ‘unmolested all original.’
I’m kinda with AG. The drivers door is definitely a different color and I notice the door lock is missing. Not sure about the interior but my ’57 had much fancier upholstery. And duel glass packs with a Powerglide is not exactly the “sound of power”. I think I would have kept the stock exhaust and let the color and the style of the body lines do the talking. That being said, I wouldn’t kick it out of the garage for eating crackers… Beautiful car!
Robj, it’s been quite a while since I’ve heard that phrase, or in your case, a turn on it; eating crackers! LoL
While not completely original, this 55 is a very nice driver and with further work it could be a beauty. As mentioned, the seat fabric isn’t original and it needs a repaint in the original Skyline Blue. With some effort spent under the hood, that engine compartment would draw plenty of favorable comments especially because it has the optional oil filter. With an oil filter, these engines have a much longer useful life so this one’s engine may be okay. If the underside is okay, this would be a tempting project. I like the sound of glass packs and would leave them on.
Not sure what you mean about the seats/interior? This IS what a 55 BA ht had. While it’s been kitted (you can tell the dp have been screwed on the sides, rather than using OE nails), the seat cloth is the ‘straw’ pattern as used originally. The repro kit interiors are done as original–I used a front cover on my 55 (years ago).
OK, let me update some the stats on teh ’55’s. Firts of all the Sixes were 235’s and called “Blue Flame”. If they were coiupled to a stick, the had 123 Hp, if they were coupled to a Powerglide the had 136. In ’56 both were 140 hp.
The ’55 265 V-8, had 162 Hp no matter if they were sticks or automatices. The early 265 sticks had mechanical valve lifters where teh automatics all had hydralics. The powerpacks could be an option or many were added afrer-market. The ones added after marlet had the intake opening oval-shaped whereas the factory ones had round ipenings and are extremely rare. I had one on my ’55 and threw it away and now they’re selling for near a thousand dollars for teh purests!!!
The Powerpacks had 180 HP and the only difference was the dual exhausts and 4-barrel carburator. If the cars were made in Janesville, WI the yhad Carter Carbs on them where Rochester 4-barrels were common at other plants.
In ’56 there was a sea change in the 265 powerpacks that yielded 205 HP instead of 180. The differences were the fillowing: Dual Exhaust, 2-$-B Carb, 3-Duntav Cam, 4 Milled heads for commpression ratio at 9 1/2 to 1 instead of 8 to one, 5-Different centrifigal weights in the distributor, diffrenet springs on those weights, 6-bigger passages in teh intake manifold and heads to allow for for better breathing.
The power pack option i, 55 was about $50, in ’55 it was $32.50!!!! A bargain, but you had to use 100 octane fuel in them. If you timed the engine at 10* BDC, you would get better gas mileage and have much more power. The book said 4* for all of the V-8’s but we knew better.
I had them. worked on them and loved them. They were a classic and no Ford ever beat us!
Yeah exactly why i sold my 56 Ford 2dr 292/3sp I kept getting my butt handed to me by all the 265/283 Chevys so I finally got smart bought a Chevy and haven’t looked back since 👴👴😁
Just looking down that right side profile to the back bumper which also doesn’t look right…..the car has been rebuilt at some point as a driver and not a show car.
That’s one very wonky body, front guards and doors don’t look good. I much prefer the gray and white 4 door BelAir featured last week. I think that oil filter was only a bypass filter, not full flow, which is still better than nothing.way
I could drive this daily.