Here’s a Tri-Five (the automotive holy trinity for many) in great original condition. It hasn’t been licensed since 1992. This Chevy is listed on craigslist in O’Fallon, Missouri for (stupid money, of course) $29,900. It is said to be original and unrestored, although the seller has done the mechanical work necessary to get it running and driving great. This includes new tires as well as fuel system and brake work. The seller is very honest in his description and says the pictures make the paint look better than it really is and that a couple of body mounts need attention. He also points out the rust repairs that were done on the quarter panels.
The interior looks decent and original. The steering wheel appears well worn and the brake pedal is worn through on the edge so it looks to be original.
Here’s the Stove Bolt 6, complete and original. Anyone willing to pay the price for this will likely be planting a modern engine, no doubt a big V8 with excessive horsepower.
This might make a really nice driver, but anyone willing to pay the price is likely looking at doing a lot of work to it. Sadly, this wonderful survivor will probably not be surviving much longer. That is if it ends up in the hands of a member of the “stuff in an LS3” crowd. After a year or two in the shop, it will be sporting an overly shiny paint job, big wheels and big horsepower. And then it will be just another over restored Tri-Five. Hopefully, it instead, ends up being preserved as a six-cylinder car with its original interior and paint left alone.
I agree, leave her be. Too bad whoever inherited this ( I assume) doesn’t want to drive and love it themselves. All they are doing now is maximizing its price (can’t really blame them for that, prob not car people)and the way to do that is to sell it to some rich dude who wants to squeal tires on Colorado Blvd. Too bad, the elderly gentleman who I guess owned this, cherished it for what it was, a symbol of his youth, not an investment.
The white between the rear side chrome spears did not come on a 210.
Not so. That is one reason I prefer tutone paint on 210s over Bel Airs.
Come-on guys, leave us old fart hotrodders to our own devices – I have a big-block 454 with square port heads under my bench, somewhere north of 500 hp, just waiting for this. Love don’t come easy at $30grand for this one!
You old “hot-rodders” have been left to your devices plenty, based on the number of unremarkable tri-five “rods” I have seen at the local cruise nights.
Cars like this are too few and far between. This is something to be enjoyed and kept the way it is. Too many are made into shadows of what they once were. Just look at the ’32 Ford; a lot of the younger crowd doesn’t have a clue how they looked originally. Send this car my way and that 6 cylinder drone would be heard for many years to come….
Not shadows… ‘caricatures’ of what they were.
I think the only change I’d consider would be to add the optional electric windshield wipers. Change the motor, connect the hot wire that already exists, plug the vacuum port at the carburetor and, you’re done. It just makes it a bit safer if you get caught in the rain. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change anything.
There are not many nice completely original 235ci tri-fives left in existence. I know of a local ’55 Bel-Air 2-door 6 with PG that is completely original and in show room condition and it could attract big bucks if only it was for sale. Do not alter the featured car as the car will be worth a lot of money in the not so distant future. There are plenty of tri-fives out there that are good candidates for “restomoding” or making a decent and fast driver.
I agree…let it be and enjoy. Save resto-moding for the real basket case cars. This is like old home week…my parents had a “57 210 post in this color as their first used car in 1961…no radio…had a portable am/fm/shortwave that my dad brought home from Korea. Wish I had the money to buy this as a gift.
It is great that most of you understand the value of this car! (It’s always nice when folks agree with you, of course) There’s likely some rust hidden away somewhere and lots of little mechanical quirks to be worked out, but we know how nice this car could be. If I was the rich dude, it would also be fun to pass this off to someone who could appreciate it and take me for rides occasionally when I’m too old to drive.
Thank you readers once again!
Hell I remember when NO ONE wanted a 210 post ‘stripper” with a six! Stupid money indeed! If only those of us who manage to survive in decent shape would command this kind of premium. No Way!
I’m better now, thanks.
In about 1970 my brother’s ‘car club’ held a fund raiser car smash with a 57 Chevy 2dr post. For half a buck or a buck you got X number of swings with a sledge hammer. I’ll bet even that car at the start today would be worth a nice piece of change.
Looks to be a 3 speed. From what I’m seeing, it should be able to slide in a 283 without modifications if a V8 is desired. You could upgrade it without butchering it, so it could be taken back to original easily if desired as long as you saved the original parts. I’m not adverse to modifying if you can return it back to original status if desired.
Easy to modify if desired yet easy to return to oem status if desired at some point in time.
Back in the 60’s, my brother had both a 55 and a 57. The 55 started life as a 6 cylinder and was upped to a 265 with the power packed heads while the 57 had a 283. Both were fun cars.
It’s a beauty. But it’s ten grand too much for what it is.
How much can you squeeze from a stovebolt ? Maybe some day two Offy parts? Easily undone. Paxton on a six anyone?
Keep the 235 if you want some more power there’s a lot of 6 banger clubs on the net that can help 💪
The guy who keeps this car stock will eventually have the last laugh as we ‘boomers age out and interest wanes in the untold thousands of ’57 Chevys that have been hot-rodded and “resto-modded” and otherwise hacked up beyond recognition. This car will still be interesting as a historical artifact; the hot rods will only be of interest to other rodders who happen to share the same taste, and whose numbers will also be declining.
Even now, park this car at any show open to the public, amid the rows upon rows of 572cid, injected, tubbed, blah-blah-blah ’57 Chevy restomods, and see where the crowd gathers.
Why is that? because this car is the way they actually were back in the day. It’s REAL, in a way that the others are not.
I agree!
Even stock it could do 70 all day on the Interstates, so a car you can drive anywhere, and not hard to fix, not a computer in sight at all! And it handled well for the time, didn’t wallow like a Buick or Caddy. The 6 has enough power for any kind of normal everyday driving.
I had a ’53 Bel-Air, and with twin glasspacks, there was no sweeter sound! Should be the same on this one.
Why does everything need a honkin’ V8? These cars were absolutely everywhere, moaning along at an easy 70. They have enough power to get the job done and proved it year in and year out. And back in those days men drove cars this color and didn’t think twice about it. Leave it alone, I say, let it survive, and drive it.
I agree with Paul 100%,,,,LEAVE IT ALONE!!! While I never really cared for the ’57 Chevy ( one of 6 in the world) this is an amazing car. I had a ’58 Delray with the same drivetrain, and it did just fine on the highway ( 1/4 of oil every hundred miles, tho) Like others say, there’s plenty of resto-mods out there( one site suggests there’s more resto-mod’s than original ones) so please, leave this one alone,,,,,HOWEVER, sadly, I fear, it will fall on deaf ears, and we all know darn well, as the years drift by, cars like this have less and less appeal as it is. Very nice find.
I like 57’s but really can’t afford to pay $30k especially for a 60 year old car that needs rust repair etc.
The Chevy 6 and oil consumption – the manual recommended oil changes and lube at every 1500 miles and filter at 3000. My father and later me, followed this, and ball joints lasted over 100,000 (very unusual in those days) and never had to add oil between changes until my younger sister took over the car and never changed the oil, at which time it started to burn oil.
Howard A
You hit the nail on the head these drivers like this need left alone for a number of reasons. The craftsmanship & style of cars from this era hold a history lesson that go’s beyond the auto industry, cars were built to what was happening in the world at the time. The big finned cars at that time were that way because the space program was in its infancy and rockets were on the front page of every newspapers. Its our responsibility to help preserve these National Treasures, this ’57 needs left alone and preserved as is.
I saw this one in person. Very clean car. The owner purchased it from the person who inherited If I remember correct. Nice guy and he is car guy.
The interior doesn’t look original to me, but it’s nice enough. All the two-door ’57s look good to me but I’ve always much preferred the Sport Coupe over the 2-dr Sedan like the example above. I don’t understand why ppl don’t like using the original Chevy body style names (like Sport Coupe instead of 2-door “no post” or 2-dr Hardtop). While the post/no post nicknames work, the “hardtop” nickname seems dumb to me. Every body style that’s not a convertible is technically a “hardtop”, so that label doesn’t really distinguish anything. I know ppl mean Sport Coupe when they say “2-dr Hardtop” and they mean Sport Sedan when they say “4-dr Hardtop”, I just think it’s lame because the 2dr/4dr Sedans (called 2dr/4dr “post” by most ppl) also do actually have “hard” tops. Just sayin. Anyway, I couldn’t agree more with those who said original 6-cyl ’57s are loved at car shows. My 6 cyl 4dr Sedan gets as much or more attention as any of the restomod Tri-Fives at my local shows. Although, mostly from the seniors.
The nicknames were from dealers, even back in the day you didn’t need to know the intricacies of (automobiles) when was the last time you heard that term? I guess they thought it made them feel like they were one up on the buyer if they used a term they had to explain.