Patina Wagon: 1957 Chevrolet 210

This 1957 Chevrolet 210 Station Wagon is a classic car with bags of character. The buyer could choose to treat it to a cosmetic refresh or decide to do what the seller is doing and drive it exactly as it currently stands. Regardless of which way they jump, they are guaranteed to own a car that will command plenty of attention wherever it goes. The Wagon is located in Pompano Beach, Florida, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. This is another one of those vehicles where its desirability is easy to gauge when you consider its bidding history. There have been an impressive 39 bids submitted to this point, which has pushed the price along to $11,800. With the ongoing popularity of these wagons, I’m not surprised that the reserve hasn’t been met.

Chevrolet offered a total of 15 different two-tone paint combinations on the 210 in 1957. This one wears India Ivory and Matador Red. The paint has seen better days, and the owner uses the dreaded “p” word when describing the Wagon’s appearance. I have to admit that it does have it by the bucketful, and I could understand if the buyer decides to leave the exterior largely untouched. My only qualm is that I would want to treat the rust that is visible in the tailgate and the lower front fenders before it has a chance to deteriorate any further. I can see that a scrub and a coat of some form of sealer would preserve the current appearance, but the penetrating rust would need to be addressed. The owner provides no information on the state of the floors and frame, so we have to hope that it’s a case of no news being good news. However, the lower body extremities’ lack of visible rust would tend to bode well for things below deck. The condition of the trim and chrome is in keeping with the rest of the exterior, while the glass looks extremely good.

The 210 started life with a 283ci V8 under the hood, but this has made way for something a bit newer. What the buyer will receive are a 350ci V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission. It isn’t clear whether the brakes have been upgraded to cope with the performance improvements, but if they haven’t, that’s a situation that I would rectify pretty quickly. The last thing that any owner wants is to find themselves a ½-mile into an accident before they can wipe off any speed. On a positive note, the owner says that the Wagon runs and drives well, and from a longevity perspective, drivetrains don’t come much more bulletproof than this. That should mean that the buyer will see plenty of miles under their belt before they need to outlay cash on any major mechanical work.

The owner describes the interior condition as being good. What we can see of the seats, carpet, and headliner, all look quite encouraging. The white upholstery isn’t original, but at least it matches across the entire interior. The one aspect of the interior that needs some TLC is the dash. It shows some significant deterioration, and some of the bright trim is also looking tired. Given how respectable the rest of the interior looks, I would want to bring the dash up to the same standard. Even if the exterior remains untouched, a spotless interior will provide a striking contrast.

I know that we will have many readers who would love to grab this 1957 Chevrolet Wagon and treat it to a cosmetic refresh. I’m also sure that we will have plenty of readers who would leave it largely untouched. If I’m honest, I can’t decide which way I’d jump if I were to park this classic in my workshop. Both approaches would be valid, which is one of those cases where there are no right or wrong answers. If you bought this wagon, what would you do?