It’s not too often you can buy a tri-five Chevy for low four figures. The car featured here is a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air and is advertised as being a former race car. Found here on eBay with a buy it now price of $2,000, the project is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Is there enough here to make a decent restoration? Check it out and let us know what you think.
Unfortunately, the state of the rocker panels tells the story. There are more holes in this car than a Swiss cheese factory. Also, the puncture wound on the door is interesting. This car will need a ton of metal work and full restoration. There aren’t any photos of the frame and only a few fuzzy photos of the interior, so it’s hard to tell exactly the full extent of the rot. With reproduction bodies being readily available, this car seems like a lot of work to have a few small patches of original sheet metal.
Unless there is some documented historical racing significance regarding this car, it seems like a pretty unrealistic starting point for a restoration. Perhaps a vintage drag racer or Saturday night stock car racer would be more appropriate. What do you think? If you are in the market for a project, is this the one for you? What would you do with it?
It could be restored but with better examples around why would mess around with this pile of junk. Oveously this is going to need everything and will require a gold brick to pay for it. It always amazes how one guy can beat a car into the ground while the next guy can keep the same car looking like new for decades. This car is all used up there is nothing left here to really work with. I say pass it by and start with somthing better.JMO.
Sold!
More correctly was a formerly a car – its too far gone
Looks like the “I want to sell my rotted out parts donor” vehicle. Its seen better days, let it rot in peace.
Can’t believe it sold for that. Obviously another case of more money than brains.
Build a real nasty looking’ two lane blacktop type car and go see America on every back country road you can find.
Too late now I guess.
This would be the prime candidate to stick in a 4×4 chassis.
This is why I have learned not to spend any money on a car that will become someone else’s project. There is a buyer out there for every 2 door 55 chevy on the planet, but many would rather buy a hulk “cheap” then spend hundreds of hours and every spare dime they can rustle up for floors, patch panels, rust removal, bondo, primer, etc. This is the male equivalent of a girl trying to “fix” a loser boyfriend. Most often it breaks your will, and your bank account before becoming someone else’s project for the “potential”
yard art.
Aaaaaaaaaaand. It’s gone!
What a deal !
That has Rat Rod written all over it. Not worth restoring but can still be brought back to life on the cheap with some street sign floors and a donor 350.
Yup, Rat or Gasser, not a restoration prospect. COOL ! By the “hairpins” and lack of frame rails out in front of the tires it seems to have a transverse front spring like an early Ford. Patch it up (or not) find a 454 / turbo 400 and GO. :-) Terry J
I’ve seen worse for more!
I would build a replica of the first new dirt car in history, in 1955, Number 35, the Bentley Chevrolet from Fairbanks Iowa, driven for the first time in 1955 by Billy Gene Zwanziger at Tunis Speedway, Waterloo, Iowa.
Full restoration of this butchered up mess is probably not gonna happen. But as a runner or FrankenRod maybe ? If anyone’s interested I have a used interior (Seat covers, door panels and carpets) in two tone blue, that would fit this car ( 55 2 dr. post ) that I will sell cheap or swap for something I need. contact me if interested at cotalymepond at aol dotcom
No good for a full 100 point show winner,but a decent start for a bad ass suck you back in the seat rat rod is what I see.All you negative non-old school LS motor loving folks need not apply.Leave the hot rodding for the hot rodders
It’s the 21st century, embrace technology. And watch the LS produce more power, cheaper, than you will ever get out of a regular gen1 or gen2 small block. All the while doing it on pump gas & with air conditioning…