It’s funny: these days we tend to poke fun at the young driver with stickers all over his car, seeming to indicate his 2009 Civic is sponsored by Spacro or Nardi. Truth be told, stickers on a project car is nothing new, as this 1957 Chevy 210 shows us. Of course, back in the day such “endorsements” actually sent a message when you rolled up on the drag strip, usually one of intimidation. This 210 comes with “Bel Air trim” and looks all sorts of fierce. You’ll find it here on eBay with a $16K Buy-It-Now.
$16K is a lot of scratch for a project with rust like this car. But the seller may be counting on a buyer being swayed by the period graphics and faded paint, not to mention the sweet stance it’s sporting. Bidding is just over $6K and there is a reserve, so I’d expect this one to finish up somewhere around $10K-$12K. Ignoring the rust for a minute, the body has aged perfectly, but it also reveals the need for rust repair sooner than later. Patch panels are included but the areas in need are not specified; clearly, the rear quarters need help.
Despite the ragged looks, lots of work has happened inside and out. The seller notes the following improvements: complete new wiring harness with all new ends and sockets, switches, etc.; new modern gauge cluster and electronic senders; new stainless fuel tank, exhaust, Holly carb, distributor, battery, complete tune up and more. They’ve also freshened up the interior with Dynamat on the floors and installed new carpet. The red tint on the windows – eh, I know it’s period-correct, but I’m not sure I could live with it.
The SBC under the hood is said to come with “…a great cam lobe and good power; also has a quiet gear drive, Saginaw 4-speed and ’57 rear end.” This 210 features a surprising assortment of new and replacement parts along with the components needed to sort out the body issues. The trick is going to be preserving that awesome exterior while still cutting out the bad and replacing with clean metal. The Buy-It-Now seems high to me, but bidding is active. Where do you think this Speed Shop warrior will end up?
Anybody else with paid membership suddenly getting those
“annoying ads” even after logging in?
I am!
This is just a rust POS thrown together with a bunch of swapmeet parts and stickers. If the lettering was real the seller would have been pitching that as a selling point. It’s an overpriced wannabe.
Steve R
I love reading the comments under these featured cars and I have noticed that you NEVER have anything nice to say about ANY of them ! I wonder how many BF readers would stroke out if you ever did…anyhow you are very entertaining to read.
the car is called “The Instigator”….just sayin’
I like the Trans Am listed just after this one. I also wrote something nice about the truck from Aptos yesterday.
I’m a skeptic, I often have issues with the way many seller puffs up their ads or omits information, often through less than forthcoming camera angles, but I do not have issues the cars are listed on this site. I’m not trying to come across as unduly negative. I guess I’ve seen too many friends get suckered when buying a attractive “bargain”, because they lost their objectivity.
Steve R
Yeah Phil..,some people can only see the negative,
while I am no “Rosie Sunshine” everyday, The older I get
The more I try to appreciate some small thing everyday,
—usually some cold beers! Lol .. I like it,and It doesn’t look too
rusty to me..!Lettering looks vintage to me also…but
after 40 + years[started @ 8]- of auto repair,I still don’t/won’t
“know it all” like — some out there.Lets all try to be positive about something everyday..!!..I know,…. its hard..Lol…..
I call it the Pick A Part comments section.
It’s easy to hide behind a keyboard and criticize other folks cars,,a cheap feeling of power.
Mlaw, just like the last portion of your comment.
Steve R
That full seat would of been tossed and battery would be in the trunk etc.
Rough play toy though if priced right 👀
I like the upholstery. I like the rest of the car, but not at $16000. It reminds me of the 1957 convertible I bought for $70 in 1965. I drove it home. Very very tired small block, ex power glide with a cheap floor shft conversion. Freeze plug leaked, shifter broken, and used condoms on the back floor. Those factors lowered the price! When you have no money, you can’t be choosy.
The top, interior and quarter panels were decent. No grill, but a lumpy front bumper. Headers with dump tubes. Blue dot taillights. The front core support, like most of the cheap tri fives, had been cut and patched with angle iron. This made engine removal easier.
Yes I blew it up. I used piston, bearings and spark plug wires and it ran as well as when I bought it. Sold it when I went back to school. It was definitely worth a replacement engine. Oh well.
Only nostalgia will sell this car for 16K and that I find hard to believe. my son just picked up a 2002 Firebird race car that goes in the 11’s for 18K from his friend’s estate that is a beautiful car.
I think he meant lope. “A” great cam lobe could mean a compression issue or worse.
UJ
It’s a better buy than that red flag Z06. I’d drive the wheels off that thing the way it is no changes.
Phil, if you can’t pick apart a car here, where else could you do it? bidding is up to $11K ( as of 2pm est) I, too, find the red ” tint” a bit overdone cellophane .. LOL if it is ” a rear seat delete” as the seller claims, doesn’t that make it a ” Business coupe”? He has done a lot of work on the mechanical end of it IDK why he would do all the mechanicals and dump it because of the body .. I always called it a “lope” as far as the cam goes I think I would get rid of the ” decals” on the body, and let the ones on the glass stay Might attempt for street racing.. or the drag strip abt 20 mi from me ( drive it there) …. and… 16K IS a bit steep, but whatever someone is willing to pay …
Still looking for my first new car I bought in 1957. San Fernando Valley, 1957 210 2 dr. Black with a bored out 265 cu. Traded it for a 1958 Vette. in, I believe 1960. NKD 627 plate with a 3 speed on the column. Replaced an automatic. I could chrip at 90 mph. Just a last dream.
Cool 57. Pricey. Wish the guy gave more info on the mill.lope could be a burned valve?? Buyer beware.
Good luck to the new owner.Run the skins off it as is!!!
Looking at the set up, it seems more like someone’s ‘gasser’ fantasy than anything else.
Agree with the others that someone would want to have a damned close look at this car before handing over any money.
Kind of a gasser-street cruiser vibe going here, wonder how many r.p.m.’s that little 301 can pull if in fact that is what it has. Strangely enough for me the big Royal decal seems more at home on a Pontiac, haha.
Some of us actually liked going to the swap meet to look for old parts and such. Many primered out, miscellaneous wheeled street machines that got thrashed within an inch of oblivion have now given way to cars that get criticized for even having the non original nuts and washers. It’s the money, not the cars themselves, but often large sums of money that have screwed up this once “fun” hobby.
Wouldn’t be worth sixteen grand if it had a glovebox full of ten second timeslips, and could still do em
Lope might be his idea of how it sounds when idling. Lope Lope Lope Lope. Hard to spell out a word that sounds like an engine running. Varoom, Lul lul lul. Yeah I dunno. I am not a fan of the red tint, but it does match the button tuck seat of the 70’s era customizing going on back in the day. Royal Speed shop probably sponsored this car to be built and raced some. Then stickers are the products they had in inventory. Before all the chain part stores I remember asking for stickers any time I went to buy parts for various cars I owned over the years. STP being the easiest to get. Now they want you to pay for them stickers like Hooker or whatever. This thing is worth maybe 12K if you can get in and drive it.
A Duntov cam and soild lifters made the thump, thump sound when you punched out a 57 small block to 301. Know it had one. Sure would like to find a Duntov cam for my present engine.
Some companies paid ” contingency money” if you had their stickers on the
vehicle, used their product, and won on race day – which is why you see lots of stickers on race cars and bikes…. I recall times when the contingency money
ended up being more than the purse for winning AMA races !
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! You really mean to say that a Saginaw is living behind that small block? If it is and it’s NOT grenaded,it soon shall be. . .