If you love patina classics as I do, there’s not much you wouldn’t like about this 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. It wears an awesome shade of blue and white with just the right amount of surface rust and no major body damage. It can be found here on eBay with a current bid of $13,000. Located in Mayo, Florida, there aren’t a lot of photos in the ad, so it is a little bit of a mystery. Hopefully, the seller will provide some more photos at a buyer’s request, but this car may be best purchased after an inspection in person. Take a look for yourself.
The interior looks the part of a period racer. The under-mount gauges and tall shifter scream hot rod. The diamond stitching on the bucket seats looks nice. There are no close-up photos of the back seat, but you can see in one shot that there appears to be a full floor pan next to the car. The seller does say that the floor needs to be addressed, but hopefully, it doesn’t need a full replacement.
There is only one up-close photo of the engine in the ad as well. The ad says the power plant is a 327 cubic inch V8 out of a 1966 Impala. The transmission is a Muncy 4-speed linked to a 12-bolt positraction rear end. The seller also says the engine was rebuilt “somewhere along the lines” and the quadrajet carburetor was recently rebuilt. It apparently runs well, so that is a bonus.
The straight pipes poking out from the rear bumper are a clue to this car’s hot rod history. Hopefully, this one will get a second lease on life. What do you think? Would you restore it or drive it as-is?
Gol dang, I do declare, this warms the cockles of every red blooded American motorhead,,,over 60, THIS,,was the ubiquitous hot rod, for all. I mean, it’s just dripping with 60’s gee-gaws. The bucket seats, the floor shift, the add on gauges, ( what, no “Spark-o-matic” tach? Sun was too expensive) the mags, the dual exhaust, this, my friends( that weren’t there) was what it was all about. Perhaps 2 Lane Blacktop had a big influence, but I’m talking before that. Early -mid 60s,Tri 5s were a dime a dozen. 57s stole all the thunder, and ’55s and ’56s nobody wanted. PERFECT for that kid learning the ropes on a pump jockies salary( I made $1.77/hr as one in the early 70s). Seeing this car brings back a slew of memories, we had a gas! And the clincher? All that fun for under a grand!
Absolutely Howard! My only disagreement is that they guy who could afford those Cragers and the nice seats, absoulutely had a Sun tach :)
Nobody wanted 55/56 in 60s ?????
Neat car.Little too much “patina” for me.Pictures suck.Take it out in the sun light,take more pics like underbody,floors , trunk,frame,vin tag etc …sheesh.You want to sell it don’t ya?
I just LOVE this car. This is the bad ass ’55 epitomized in movies and high school parking lots. Even the color is right on the money, a respray popular in the day. All it needs is a blower hat sticking out of the hood and it would be perfect for me. It seems like I have been looking for this car for ears. My bid fingers are itching just for nostalgia’s sake, even though I know I would be quickly outbid. Aww heck, I’m going to do it.
I agree with Howard A.. it does bring back memories. That said.. the patina if you like something like that I’m on the fence with it. I would just sand down the rust clean it up and shoot it with clear so nothing else happens to it. Sand down the dash and shoot it with matted black paint. The 327 does not have enough horsepower for me. But I like the 327 with two four barrels a hot cam and headers. .MSD electronic system. Period correct would be Accel set up. Oh yeah change the pistons to a larger compression. And this 55 will move!! Simply times. 🐻🇺🇸
Would probably want to shorten up those tail pipes, to avoid too many stitches to the shins.
There isn’t any “just the right amount of surface rust”. This car has all sorts of possibilities and rust shouldn’t be one of them. Could be a good one to rebuild as is and go have some fun.
Dig it, except for the patina. Old work trucks look good with patina, but a hotrod such as this needs to be painted. The blue and white would look real good when it’s painted well, but it just looks old right now, at least in my opinion. And the rust on the dash is a definite no go, especially seeing how easy it would be to clean and paint it. But other than that, this ‘55 would look great sitting in my garage for the winter.
This is perfect patina . For the sand blaster.
Screw patina! Fix it the right way and have something you can be proud of.
Patina?? Been a car guy and a hot rodder since the early 60s and still am today and back then patina was painted over whether the entire car or parts of it with gray primer and if the owner didnt have a compressor and a spray gun they made aerosol cans work. Don’t see the attraction of patina on a car any more than a hat or a pair of pants that are new that look like they have been worn in the shop working on a car for months.
Beautiful car. I would sand down the rust and repaint with colors already on it. Too many people ohed and awed over the ’57 Chevy which I didn’t like as well. My dad had a 1955 like this one only 283 and 3 in the tree.
My remembrance is that it rode really smooth. Seemed to have good power too but then I was only 10 years old when he had it. One night we going home from town and he took it up to 100 mph. Scared the crap out of me. Lol!!!
Well put, Howard. This was THE setup to have back in the sixties and seventies. Certainly stirs the drink for those of us of a certain vintage. Tempting. Very Tempting!
“Patina” another word for lazy. I hate patina, it is rust. If you don’t fix it the vehicle will disintegrate. Had a “buddy” back in the day that “borrowed” a Crager here and a Crager there, until he had a set of 4 for his car. Later he “borrowed ” a 4 speed when his blew 2nd gear on a missed shift. Never could figure out how you miss 2nd on a 4 speed. His “borrowing” days were numbered when he got caught. 6 weeks later he got out of the hospital and went into the Marine Corps, got killed in Viet Nam in 68.
I agree,except on old pickups & panel trucks
in regard to original lettering of the business.
YES!! There is no such thing as “the right amount of patina”. Clean this beauty up with a new, modern paint job!
Not being a dick but Muncie I believe to be the proper spelling. Cool old tri 55.
If you look at the bidders it looks like someone with 0 feedback has been bumping up the price (now at $17,500). Just sayin’.
Bought mine in 1972 for $300, red/white, 327 ci 4sp. And bucket seats from a wrecked 64 Impala. Aftermarket gauges, Crager SS mags. and yes a Sun Tachometer. Boy Howard was in my head.
Sold for $20,100. I wrote to the seller asking for more details about rust and other issues and never received a reply. Without a personal inspection, this seems like a pretty high price to pay for this rolling nostalgia.