This cool 1955 Chevy sedan (and go on to the next post already, you four-door haters) has been with it’s current owner for 29 years. I would call it in decent 10-year old used car condition–not an immaculate survivor, but certainly respectable and a car that could be improved over time with a little TLC. Frequent finder Rocco B. was kind enough to send this one in to us, and it’s the kind of find I like to see. The owner, who lives in Wedgewood, Washington has listed it here on craigslist and is asking a reasonable $5,000 for the Sea Mist sedan.
The seller says they have driven it for all 29 years and that it’s been kept under cover when it wasn’t motoring the Pacific Northwest roads. The seller tells us that the basic body is straight, but that there is a “soft dent” in the trunk lid and “some surface rust around the fender eyebrows and on the sides along the rocker panels.” It looks like they have covered the fender eyebrows with tape; I’m not sure about the logic behind doing that.
The fact that it has the brightwork on the rear doors and fenders means this is a “210” model; not the upscale Bel Air or the base “150”. There were 340,222 1955 210 four-door sedans produced, or a little over 19% of 1955 Chevrolet production. In case you’re wondering, that’s the second most popular configuration, with the Bel Air four-door being the most popular. The seller wants you to know that despite them not being shown in the pictures, the four original hubcaps are included.
The seller tells us that there is new carpeting throughout, and that the one seam separation in the driver’s seat has been held together with cloth tape (for later stitching, perhaps). The interior floor and trunk are said to be solid, and the picture of the trunk floor bears that out.
One odd thing is the discoloration blotches throughout the painted dashboard. Could it have been mildew covered at some point? And this ad also comes with a pet peeve of mine; no under hood pictures. We’re told that the car has covered 49,000 original miles, which is plausible given the minimal interior wear, especially if it’s original exterior paint. Although it’s just the inline six cylinder and a three speed manual drive train, I’m really intrigued by this car and I wish it were closer; I’d check this one out in person. It would be a nice car to drive the family around in! The seller has even replaced the wheel cylinders and parking brake cable; it really does seem like this would be a great driver classic. So even without the iconic 265 V8, would you consider this relatively inexpensive Chevrolet for your classic car collection? I sure would!
“Surface rust on fender eyebrows “. Oh yeah, these eyebrows rust from mud underneath, not on top. No prizes for guessing why the tape is over them.
Would take a pristine 4 dr any day of the week,,,, enjoy it drive it anywhere and when I am done doing the drive the family around thing ,,,,, get the tools and welder out and make that into a 2 dr hot rod or gasser very easy to do and increase the value and if done right you can,t tell at all bobby ratcitygassers 😈
Don’t let the 4 door haters get you down, look at this car. It’s a 2 owner “double nickel” ( like me) Chevy!! You simply can’t go wrong here. That was a bad spot for these cars with “eyebrows”, and a simple fix. Aside from some trim bits and a heater, the previous owner walked into a Chevy dealer and said “I want your cheapest new Chevy 4 door, no options except a heater”. $1964 ( $1916 base +$48 for the heater) dollars later, they drove away in their new Chevy.
Jamie 55 did not have a 283
You’re correct, Vince, can’t believe I blew that one! Correction made!
Vince, where did Jamie mention 283? I see 265 mentioned below the last picture.
I corrected it after Vince pointed it out :-)
When I see these old unrestored Chevys driving around I often thing how nice it would be to have one in my garage for an occasional drive, and wonder what one would cost. Now I know and the entry point seems pretty reasonable. The only thing I would change is to put light blue, rather than black, tape over the fender rot.
Those fenders unbolt, and dollar to a donut says foxcraft made fender eyebrows for them as well as my ’57 Plymouth. I’d be tempted to have those tipped in, and then have the paint matched reasonably well by the ‘best paint guy in the state’–whoever that turns out to be via recommendation
Damn. Some of the nicest vehicles I’ve ever owned have been ones people have driven to my native Minnesota from the Pacific Northwest and subsequently unloaded them.
Lightning actually struck thrice in the past five years for me: ’77 Chevy Van (shorty, 350), ’69 Impala (pillarless sedan, 327), ’94 K1500 Blazer (4WD, 350, 5spd) all rust-free and all sold to me for under $2K, since it seems the sellers were conditioned to expect that these were merely cheap old cars.
Given that – and the way Curbside Classic makes vehicles like those look like everyday life “out there” – makes me want to grab a BIG trailer and head for the left coast.
Seeing ads like this just get me drooling over the northwestern automotive smorgasbord, again.
Lemme know what you may be looking for. I’m out not far from Vancouver on the mainland and my eyes are always open. I tend to watch the desert California Craigslist etc… but there’s clean finds here too. If this were here I would be sorely tempted. My buddy is trying to sell me his ’56 Olds Holiday Cruiser 4dr in similar condition at similar price (in CDN $). If I had the space on top of existing…..
Although a Ford person, I would certainly drive this one. Block it all out and repaint it with the correct color, upholster the seats with correct material, and re-chrome what needs re-chromed. Powder coat the rims in body color with dogdishes. Split exhaust manifolds with duals and enjoy every cruise. I like 4 doors.
Today, It’s all well and good to desire a 2 door but the reality is…1950’s American family’s purchased vehicles that suited their lifestyle. A bare bones sedan that fit into the family budget, and this was it. And they were proud to drive the new car into the driveway ! It was the talk of the neighborhood when Pop pulled up in the new 55 Ford….and yes, it was a Fordor Mainline !
No arrogance…just pride. That my friends, is America !
Jamie must have never drove old cars with rusted out front fender eyelids. The logical reason for the tape, is that it prevents the mud and dirt coming through the openings when the road is wet and blinding you when it plasters on the windshield. (Been there, done that)
Thanks for the explanation, and no, I haven’t. My specialty is rusty Triumphs where you get soaked every time you go through a puddle!
This looks like a really good deal. A 4 door six banger with a three on the tree would still be fun to drive. Bullet proof 235, yeah!
Having owned a 4 door ’56 in my youth ( despite being a 4 door hater) this is the kind of car we all used to be able to buy. A great starter today (despite the price) for a young person or anyone for that matter who wants to be part of the greatest fraternity ever.
Great car. don’t let anyone tell you different.. and the add’s down so probably off to a good home.