There’s just something about a ’57 Chevy that always stops people in their tracks, even when it’s a project. This two-door 150 sedan listed here on eBay carries the kind of well-earned patina that restorers and hot rodders love to start with. It’s being sold as a non-running car, but it comes with a clean title, and that alone makes it a solid base for anyone who’s been on the hunt for a Tri-Five project.
From the outside, the car wears its age honestly. The black finish has long since given way to a mix of fading, chips, and surface rust, but the result is a body that tells its story instead of hiding it. The seller notes it needs full floor and trunk pans, which is a pretty common situation for these cars. The good news is replacement panels are readily available, and the seller even mentions they carry restoration and street rod parts that can be supplied at extra cost. For a builder, that’s one less hurdle in the process.
Inside, the car is missing most of its interior. At first glance that might sound like a negative, but it can also be a blessing — instead of trying to save worn-out seats and crumbling trim, the next owner has a blank slate to design exactly how they want the cockpit to look. Whether that means going back to a stock-style bench seat setup or putting together a custom interior, you won’t be paying for someone else’s half-finished work.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any photos of the engine bay included in the listing. What we do know is that the car is not currently running, and there’s no word on what, if anything, is under the hood. For many buyers, that’s not a deal breaker. Dropping in a small block or even an LS is a typical move when it comes to projects like this, and the absence of a drivetrain means you’re not paying extra for parts you’ll likely replace anyway.
The odometer shows 32,801 miles, though mileage is listed as exempt given the age of the vehicle. Being a two-door makes it much more desirable than a four-door sedan, and the clean title adds confidence that you’re starting with a car that can get back on the road without endless paperwork hassles.
For anyone who’s been wanting to take on a Tri-Five build, this ’57 Chevy 150 offers that old-school charm in a package that’s ready for the next stage. It needs plenty of love, but it’s a real-deal project with potential written all over it.
Jacked up suspension would have made underside pictures a little easier. The rusted rear bumper is the flag that got me.
They should at least show more pictures. Open the doors hood and trunck to seewhat you have got to work with.
Restore the exterior and interior
to stock specs down to the dog dish hubcaps and drop in a 454
Rat motor and an M-22 Muncie
4-speed and a 10 bolt posi just for fun. Add a decent sounding
exhaust and a killer stereo and call it done 👍. Or, it would make a great black widow tribute car.
I like the first idea the best.
10 bolt???
I thought that also. Has that been replaced OR a standard term for stock differential? I’m with bobhess, I’d be concerned about frame rot after seeing the rear bumper. His company sells repop floor and trunk pans? Then that tells me there is more wrong here.
Maybe he’s into laying under the car changing rear ends a few times a year and that’s why he don’t like 12 bolt’s, or maybe he thinks putting a 9″ in it is too much trouble! My personal choice if stuffing a Rat motor in it would be a 427 though, because if you’re going to be next to these modern Hemi’s, Coyote’s, and LS motors you’re going to need one capable of revving SERIOUS RPM’s and the 454 just lacks that ability without MAJOR MONEY!
If you’re gonna swap the rear end, much better choices than 10 bolt… 12 bolt,9in.,Dana 44/60,etc. 10 bolts can be built but why go to that trouble?
I said that because that’s all there
was in the way of a modern rear axle when I was building stuff back 50+ years ago when we built a car with what we could beg, borrow, or scrounge from our local wrecking yard. I’m sure
that things have come a long way
since then, but I was thinking of a
way to build a car on a budget these days. And even today, it still means visiting your local wrecking yard to see what you can find to breathe life into your
project.or, you could turn it into
one spooky EV and really have some fun. Just imagine this car
painted black, Steelie rims and all, passing you by without making a sound. Now how sinister
would that be?