Let’s get the ALL-CAPS section of the ad out of the way first. The owner of this 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air isn’t interested in actually selling his car for cash, but rather is testing the waters (as he puts it) here on Craigslist to see what kind of interesting trades might materialize. The seller goes on to claim that he knows what he has and could have sold the car already, but the car is still available as a trade, so if you’ve got some interesting GM muscle and the same mindset maybe you two could work out a swap that might be beneficial to both parties. It would also be a plus if you live near Birmingham, Alabama, as that’s where the ’55 resides.
Thanks go out to Barn Finds reader T.J. For the tip on this one! The story is a little hard to follow in regards to the photos provided, but I think what the seller means is that prior to his acquisition the ’55 had been sitting in a garage in Knoxville, Tennessee since 1976. My guess is the photos in and near the garage are how the car appeared when he found it after the long hibernation, with the trailer pictures reflecting what the Bel Air looks like now since he made the purchase. The Chevy is described as having no rust in the fenders, quarters, rockers, and doors, but there is some in the floorboards and in a couple of small areas in the trunk.
Not a whole lot is specifically mentioned about the car’s interior, and while it is in need of attention things do look pretty much complete in there, with the radio sitting in the trunk, though whether or not it still functions is unknown. All of the glass is said to be good, with the one exception being the window on the passenger side door, and some more positive news is that the frame is stated to be in very good shape, but sadly, we don’t get to see it. The Chevy has also gained a new set of 18-inch Coy wheels since leaving the garage, but the seller has retained the originals as well.
There is a drivetrain present, but it’s not original and unfortunately, not operational either. Both the engine and transmission are said to have come from a 1965 Impala Super Sport, a 327 and 4-Speed respectively, which sounds like a decent combo for a ’55 Chevy, but no word at all on why the small block isn’t running or if it will even turn over. Although this one’s gonna take some effort to get going again, I’ve seen far worse Tri-Fives, so if you’ve always wanted a ’55 and have the skills plus a Chevelle, Corvette, convertible, or other interesting GM metal to part with, maybe you two can discuss exchanging projects. Do you know of anybody who’s been in the market for a Bel Air and has a potential trade?
Really!
You have to wonder if said garage had a roof.
Maybe someone will trade him a Hellcat Challanger
straight across for this rare gem.
This vehicle has definitely experienced testing ‘under’ the waters.
Interesting front seat modification, must be a long tailshaft 4 spd. A bunch of work to do so. I’ve swapped several tri-fives to GM four speeds and never ran into this.
Tony Nancy famous drag racer & stitcher did bench seats like this he would notch the frame for the stick shift arm
Somebody who says he is testing the waters really gets my dander up. Is is for sale or Not?? I know what I have. I could have sold it. I turned down 30 grand for it..Why does someone like this bother taking an ad out? Put it on ebay and let the buyers set the market price. SMFH. No pics of the underbelly.
Cheers
GPC
Agreed, either sell or stuff it back in the shed. I have some things folks would love, but I would never put it out to view, that’s what car shows are for. Trust me. when you go up hunting ducks, someone is going to visit you, and in your shed will be nothing but old rat nests.
Doesn’t he know that flood water isn’t the best thing for creating “patina.”
Testing to see how much I can screw someone.
So if you know what you have and have your misguided beliefs on its value of this thing then sell it and go buy what you want why waste time testing the water
omg i wish i had a trade for this one. i would love to have another one. i don’t care about locked engine, missing radio , seats, or wheels.
I’m a Gen X guy and still have interest in these shoebox Chevy’s. I see a younger generation that have Zero interest in these 50’s to 70’s cars. Let’s face it, none of these cars compare to the available turn key muscle you can buy today. Younger people want the late model Mopar and Chevy products. It takes VERY deep pockets to build these cars. Spend 35k and have a 500hp muscle car you can bolt on power adds, for even more power. Perhaps why we are seeing these ridiculous prices. Individuals are shooting for the end of the rainbow buyer. These rust buckets are a dying breed. Little Johnny wants the 755 hp used Hellcat at 50k. Not a restomod that cost $150k and 5 years to build. Some of the prices are just laughable for rust buckets with very few usable parts. I see this as a 15k to 18k car. Only because it’s old and kinda cool still.
“I’M NOT INTERESTED IN SALING, “.
Ya me either but let’s talk about the car. Can never be an all original. So fully restored maybe 50k after dropping 75k. Full resto mod maybe 100k after dropping $150k. If you know what you have then you know this is a 12-15k car.
That top picture – Is that one of those “time out kids” that appear at car shows?
I think that’s one of the rare 5xl versions.
I thought it was Dennis Wilson.
I wonder if his house is for sale too.I’d love
to see that ad.
It is. He’s only interested in trading for a “Barbie Mansion and a Shetland Pony” 😂
“Testing the waters” (?). Where did he dredge this baby up; or did it become visible when the waters of Lake Mead receded?
I would buy it for the wheels
How about a free bar of soap . I can only imagine what the rest of his items look like
I’m sooo over dusty dirty cars!! wash them up and let us see the real car.
I have a frame off 55 bel air that got totaled when an uninsured driver pulled out right in front of me…i need parts..my 4 door was appraised at 48.5k… HELP ME
Just send me your pictures. Tell me everything about your trade and I may, yes, I said, I may be interested. The old saying “Money talks and BS walks” is spot on. This is the BS part.
Get rid of the F’ing ugly wheels.
Wondering where the folks who could see the water/flood damage got their ‘from the pictures’ estimating skills? Could be true, but also might not be. In 1979, I bought a dingy 1956 Chevy, 4 door, plain-Jane wagon, radio delete, straight 6, 3 on the tree, nearly rust-free, from the original owner chicken farmer in South Carolina for …… you may want to sit down for this……. $55.00. (there are no other digits) I offered $50 for it but he said he had paid $5.00 for the newspaper ad, so I gave him $55 for it, and I strap-towed it 9 miles home, as it wasn’t presently running. Within a day, after manually rotating the motor, it was running….roughly, but running. Drove it to NY in 1981, and it still sits in my garage. While not in an exact situation like the 1955 in the article, the nearly 25 years my 1956 had as a working farm truck residing un-garaged in and around the sandy, humid, dusty, chicken farm didn’t exactly leave it in pristine condition either. Thanks for giving me a chance to tell you about my find.
Imagine stumbling around farmland, and opening the barn door to this! Ka -Ching! $$$
My first car was a 55 bel air . Paid five hundred for it.spent enough on her back then to buy a new chevelle
“Not interested in saling”, eh?
Just another tired & kludged up old car
Yawn…
“No rust here, no rust there”. I wonder how they kept it confined to the front bumper?
Zoom in on the eyebrows and it looks like Bondo. Look below trunk on both sides and Bondo looks to have fallen out. Also rad support is cut indicating it was a 6cyl car originally.
No and no. V8 cars had chromed “V”s under taillights as this car does, left side holes still there, the 6 cyl rad mounted in front of core support, V8 behind like this one. Top bar was probably cut; as many were to make it easier to remove motor/transe combo w/out hood removal. Fender eyebrows have surface rust, they look good and solid, un-hacked.
I’ve seen some doozies here and this one is in the top three.
The cultural rot has obviously seeped ( pun intended) into the old car hobby.
Somebody ought to inform the seller that all the suckers have been played.
Jeez……..
Wow, the seller is really doing the world a big favor here don’t ya know.what a guy bravo! I guess you know how everyone thinks of you.life is to short for people like this.
I really feel like these older cars appeal to the Baby boomer and Gen X generation. The 50’s to 70’s era muscle. The Millennials and later have very little interest as Stated. COVID took out a large portion of the baby boomer generation that had the money to spend. That leaves the Gen X the majority with the money, that would have interest in these cars. These cars are looking less desirable as time goes on, due to labor cost and no matter what the ad reads, it’s full of rust. The Federal Government went after the auto industry for the lack of rust inhibitors, to keep these cars whole and from rotting away. Now you have a 150k restoration. End of the day a modern drive train “LS” being used. I spend 75k on a used 2018 ZO6 or buy a used Challenger Red-eye. I met the goal of a hot rod for half the investment. When things no longer make financial sense to the majority, that hobby typically fades away.
I will always love the classics. My first ride in a 1969 Roadrunner at 8 years old sealed the deal. New generation with different dreams and Horsepower aspirations. The shoebox no longer at the top of that list.
This guy is not only a flipper, he’s well and truly flipped.
Geez, what a group here today! You know everyone has an opinion on here, fair enough..its America right? However, if that is true, here in America we also reside in a capitalist market, where you can sale, trade, buy to your hearts desire, or see what the going CAPITALIST market will offer for my commodity or personal property. Everyone here would do the very same, perhaps in a different approach, but it still adds up to testing the market. So give this guy a break, he is just being a capitalist..Or American!
He’s getting a “brake” alright. See somewhere we went off the rails. A market economy sure enough allows a seller to seek buyers at his asking price. No buyers. No sale.. Seems simple enough.
Unless in an overheated economy , say collector cars, the ask verges on absurd. An ask that most sentient observers would think: “That guy is cracked”. This is so clearly one of those instances. I call it the AMERICAN Pickers syndrome.
He can “test” the waters and we can thnk it’s ridiculous and we or they can.call a spade a spade. Even if its a Joker………….
Not just America sport. The Internet is a global thing in case you have not heard. I am an Aussie in Brazil. As for his comments and what he thinks it is worth, (I know what I have) as they say here in Brazil “he is traveling on the mayonnaise”, which in English means he is full of SH……it.
Maybe he would trade for that crusty 65 Impala SS convertible that was on here a few days ago.
I have no idea what the market for a car like this is, but he seems to be expecting someone to trade him a 25-50k dollar car. I can’t imagine anyone doing that.
A few years ago, my father in law sold a solid running & driving 55 2 door post car for $7500. It was an older mid 90’s restoration, with a 350/th350 combo. In retrospect, I should have bought it.
Seller=a tool. People that do this “testing the waters” BS are the worst type of car guy to deal with. He thinks he has a goldmine just because it’s nearly 70 years old. He thinks that it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t even run or drive as long as it’s complete. This car is going to be one of those in which the owner won’t get off of it until the body is WAY past saving. Then he will still want top price for it.
Nobody young today wants a POS 65 year old plus Chevy. Kids want stupid BMWs that backfire and they thunk that us cool. When I started driving 52 years ago, a backfire meant an ignition or other problem. 10 to 15 years from now when most 50s kids will be dead or unable to drive, these 50s piles of crap will be new beer cans in Mexico.
All the critics and curmudgeons have spoken? HAPPY NEW YEAR!
G guys if the price in right and you look it over in person it could be a great project for a hands on person at 5k
Nice car but anybody arrogant enough to put “I know what I have” in the description needs a good solid punch in the DK.