OK, it’s sometimes the elephant in the room these days but if you have an interest in old cars, at some point the dreaded “P” word is going to surface. No, not that “P” word the Patina P word. My experience with our readers tells me most don’t like the concept and wish it would go away. And today’s find, a ’56 Chevrolet BelAir two-door hardtop is being advertised as a, “1956 CHEVY SURVIVOR PATINA BEAUTY” so the cat’s out of the bag right at the outset with this one. I’m not sure what else can be said about a ’56 Chevy that hasn’t already been said – I know I’m out of ideas so maybe this “P” matter gives us a different angle to pursue. Located in Spokane, Washington, this BelAir is available, here on craigslist under the guise of making an offer. Thanks to T.J. for this discovery!
If you’re interested in a tri-five Chevy, a BelAir two-door hardtop, or a Nomad, seem to have the most draw so this example has that base covered. It’s also considered a “survivor” due to its originality but its exterior appearance somehow doesn’t line up with what many think of when the term “survivor” is bandied about. But that term has a certain subjectivity to it so use it, or don’t, it probably doesn’t matter. The seller claims, “I am posting this for a friend and this is what he told me…The floor supports are solid…I see a super straight car with almost no rust!!” I see a car with a lot of surface rust, you know, patina, and a small bit of rust through. All in all, it looks like the beginning stages of leprosy and I’ll run with the assumption that it’s from lots of outside time in hot, bright sunlight. Complete it is – especially in the trim department. But does this typical ’56 Chevy two-tone blue and white paint job, in its distressed state, really show off this Chevy’s best side?
The seller tells us that this BelAir is a runner, (from trailer to building), so it may need some help, or need to be “gone through” as we are so often told is the solution to any operating foible. Anyhow, under the hood is a 205 gross HP, 265 CI V8 engine attached to a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. Underhood is a bit rough looking but it does show as being very complete. The odometer reveals 59K miles but there is no claim to that recording as being genuine.
The interior of this hardtop is a high point (no “P” going on in there). The very ’50s two-tone fabric upholstery appears to be fairly fresh and the instrument panel is nicely preserved. The passenger door panel is losing its stainless trim but it looks like a minor matter. It’s safe to say that the interior is good to go as is.
The seller suggests, “He (the owner) had an offer on the way home, for around $35g but didn’t want to sell like that“. I would have taken it and run. As for the “make an offer” deal, they frequently aren’t one, so I’d be guarded about getting involved in a situation where one is negotiating against themselves. Oh, and I’d definitely give this Chevy a repaint, how about you?
Anti patina guy here. If you picture what looks to be a solid, good looking car would look like with a full paint job then the “patina thing” goes out the window pretty quick. It’s going to be a pricey buy but if a decent paint job and some engine room cleaning gets done it should be worth it.
The money in *your pocket* also goes out the window pretty quick when you look at the costs of body work and a full paint jib these days. Then, the chrome won’t match the paint so you’ve got to rechrome. Theres more money out the pocket. And it goes on and on and on….
It’s so much more than “a paint job”. There is a lot of rust remediation before the bodywork can commence, and then ultimately the paint job. Time is money, so do it yourself and save $20K. The interior looks OK now when contrasted with the exterior, but after the paint job it’ll look tired and stained. Figure on a new interior too. I prep and paint all my cars, but I see nothing wrong with patina BTW.
Looks just like my very first car that I later sold in 1967 for $400. Mine was in beautiful perfect condition when I sold it, all original except for the 327 engine.
Its twin lives near me; I see it around every summer. White over black, identical to my first car, except for the patina.
El coche Chevrolet en la calle.
Translation: The Chevrolet car on the street.
I have a 56 210 2 door sedan. It’s all done. Shiny paint. It got more attention before paint than my shiny 66 Chevelle did. Now, it’s even worse. I agree, he should have taken the 35K.
Strange to see that color interior with Harbor blue/ Ivory or Nassau blue ivory (forgetting with one). I have only ever see them with a blue interior. Still love the 55 and 56 Dash so much more than the 57 one.
Considering its state of conservation, a new painting would be welcome. But using the same colors.
‘Cool’ that it has power brakes!
I had a 1956 convertible with power brakes no power steering 6 cly powerglide sold it for $350 in 1964
it has power steering but no power brakes. there is no power booster for the brakes.
Paul,
I don’t see any power brake unit on this car, and the ad does not mention power brakes. As far as I know, the original power brake was a Bendix Treadlevac. What is on this car’s firewall is a standard brake master cylinder.
I got a good laugh about someone offering $35,000.
I got a bigger laugh that he turned it down
Nit picking here… but that is NOT the 205 HP engine, and also NO PB that someone noted. And, That is NOT a correct 56 interior. None-the-less, nice car, if the rust situation is not too bad. ‘Course, suggested price is a joke.
What was the HP rating for the four-barrel equipped version?
JO
Jim, according to some published data, here are some of the ‘stats’…
For Bel-Air, V8 with std trans, 2 bbl… 162 HP
For Bel-Air, V8 with PG, 2 bbl…. 170 HP….. Both of these with 8.0 CR
For Power-Pac… 4 bbl…. 205 HP…. with dual exhaust, and 9.25 CR
The one shown here, is dressed out WITHOUT the 4 bbl air cleaner, and from what I can see of the carb, I’m thinking it is a 2 bbl. The air cleaner shown, matches the 2-bbl air cleaner shown in the data that I have.
I bought my 56 BA sp cp new, which I still have. If there were a way to post a picture, I could post what a ‘real’, factory-delivered, PP engine looks like. For one thing, there SHOULD be an inlet ‘snout’ on the 4 bbl air cleaner. So, I’m not knocking this car. I still like it. I just believe it is a 170 HP, 2 bbl, PG car. Nothing wrong with that. (Obviously, opinion)
As stated right in the listing: “265 v8 with factory 4 bbl carburetor”
JO
what’s not correct in the interior I had a 1956 bel aire convertible in 1963 looks rt to me I sold it for $350 in 1964 than got a 1958 Impala ht 348 3 speed great car
No power brakes, that’s a power steering pump on the back of the generator..I had the same car in high school only 2 door post.
To me, there’s good patina and not good patina. This one for me, is on the fence. I don’t mind what the “patina” did on the darker (blue) section, but the yellowy rust on the white sections, especially on the trunk, looks horrible. I think this needs a repaint.
I have one patina car that mostly looks pretty good, and another car that is in epoxy (looks like a flat black rat rod), and I’m fine with both for now, but the intention is to eventually paint the second one, and probably the first also. Can’t afford it right now, and I’m still working out the quirks in both before bothering to make them pretty.
Anyone who would offer $35k for this ’56 wasn’t serious. I’ve had dumb offers like that for things before, and every time I call them on it, they make excuses and run. Usually “ugh, the wife said no” :)
Where in the ad does it say he was offered $35,000? I frequently see things like this but can never find them. I must be missing something somewhere.
This car has a lot of potential, but not $35K worth.
What’s up with all the antennas? One in the front and two in the back non matching? Caught my eye right away!
35K? No way (or just take it). $3500.00, but that even would be a fool’s purchase based on the needed body work alone. Getting that extensive surface rust off will be a tedious, time consuming job, requiring taking the body to bare metal – everywhere. And we haven’t seen the underside yet. The engine bay looks like it would if it were driven every day for 20+ years and parked, let alone 59K and parked.
This vehicle appears to be India Ivory /Tropical Turquoise; there were no “whites”. Cream, Ivory, and Beige, along with other light colours painted in two tones. Greens, Blues and Yellows were the more interesting combinations.
Really nice examples of these – finished, original – top out around 30K, and this isn’t within sniffing distance of that.
wYes, it does look like a 205 Power Pack because the Air Cleaner is the large one. And yes it does have Power Steering because you can see the pump attached to teh Generator. And yes the interior is the standard Black and White. Somebody here said ut wasn’t original because it wasn’t Blue and White. That was teh normal one for a car like this, but that was optional or it would be Black and White. Oh, and it also has Electric Windshield Wipers instead of the standard Vacuum wipers. I had three of the TRI-FIVES, all of them powerpacks. Two with PowerGlides and one with a stick wit Overdrive, and that was the hot one 4:11 gears and all plus a Convertible!
Hey Jim, I’m trying to figure out what the other ‘P’ word is.
I wonder if the tuck and roll seat job is under the covers to match the door panels? Someone left the car in a humidifier it appears. Just a grab a brush and some rustoleum.
I had ’56 4 door hardtop back in 1972, canary yellow, black tuck and toll interior, extra doors of course…. but all it needed was a dumb license plate that said Twtybrd. I sold it for 250 bucks and it ran like a top.
I know we all have these stories but what can you expect when someone wants 35 K for this..even if it is a 2 door hardtop? A little perspective would help but I’m afraid we’re past that. Ok Boomer.
Jim, yes, it says that. But, take a close look at the pictures provided. And, if that is a 4 bbl, how did they get that 2 bbl air cleaner to fit? So, I’m not sure. I can’t get a good enough view of the carb. And another thing I’m unsure of, can 2 bbl and 4 bbl air cleaners be ‘mixed and matched’? Can a top of a 2 bbl air cleaner be combined with the bottom of a 4 bbl air cleaner? So, I’m unsure. But, my feeling is that there is a possibility of an error in the listing. No big deal. If there were a clear view of the ends of the heads, that would provide another clue as to whether we are looking at a 2 bbl engine versus a 4 bbl engine. The casting code on the ends of the heads is different between the two versions of the engine. Two bbl engines have a casting code that is a simple rectangular ‘block’. These are obviously most common. Four bbl engines have the rectangular block, with an additional ‘triangle’ on top of the block. These PP heads were used for several years, up into the 60’s.
Of course, there are other differences, too. But, externally, these would be the most obvious differences. I wish you could say that you have actually seen that engine with the air cleaner removed. And, then explain how the 2 bbl air cleaner was made to fit. Anyway, makes no difference to me. As said previously, I like the car, and engine choice makes no difference to me. Jim, thank you for all your insight and written material. Bob Hall (Owner of a 56 BA sp cp, for 66 years, since it was new. with PP)
I’ve done some more looking… There appear to be two different carbs used for PP engines…. One a Carter WCFB, and one a Rochester 4GC. If that is so, then the shown pictures could be of the Rochester version. I still haven’t resolved how that air cleaner came to be. The seller makes an emphatic point of this being a PP engine. I think we need to know what the ends of the heads look like. I concede… (with caveat) Bob
You can thank the “pickers” for starting the stupid patina fad. I think normally it’s a face saving way of saying I can’t afford to have it painted. I own 5 old cars and they all shine. They don’t go out unless they do. None of them are pristine, they are all nice to look at if you don’t look too hard. None are special or rare, just every day cars from their periods (40,50,64,74,96) I don’t drive them to “shows” or park them with a bunch of cars in a lot together. But when we go out to eat, the grocery or for just a drive they garner a lot of attention and thumbs up. Were they “patina” they would not. They would just look like an old car that needed towing away. That’s my .02 on that. If this car was what it claims to be and that interior was original (it isn’t) I might be convinced to leave this one it’s so rare. I actually think it’s a scam. Send your info to ??? and “He’ll” get back? Don’t ask for more pics or don’t ask me anything? No asking price? Would any of you sell a vehicle this rare like this? If it walks, talks and quacks like a scam it probably is.
I think the P goes with everything about an old car, old brakes, old steering, old ride, old tube radio, heat and defrost etc. To think what is left of the paint is actually what was put on at the factory oh so many years ago means something, at least to people like me. When I go to shows in the NE the original cars seems to get more attention because everything about them tells it’s life story. A freshly restored car is as good as buying a kit car and bolting it together with all brand new parts.
lol just remembered when I had my 1956 bel aire convertible back in 1963 we lived on top of a hill Chevy had vacuum windshield wipers when you went up the hill with pedal to the floor wipers stop dead in middle of windshield