The ’57 Chevy was never sold in Australia but even allowing for the fact that I am an Australian and by admission a Ford man, I look at them and completely understand their popularity. They are a nice looking car. This 1957 Chevrolet Convertible is for sale here on eBay. It is located in Burlington, New Jersey, and comes with a clear title. Bidding is currently sitting at $30,099. The big question is: How much higher will it go?
This 61 year old Chevy has a lot to commend it. Firstly it is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I think that this may be part of what makes it so attractive. There is little rot or rust to have to deal with at this stage. There are a couple of small holes in the trunk that I would probably deal with before they became bigger issues. There are also a couple of small holes in that convertible top that I would see to before they have the chance to allow moisture into the car that could inflict damage to the floor pans. The external panels and paint are showing some signs of age and the occasional ding and I’m not sure but I think that there may be a small patch of rust in the bottom corner of the passenger side door, but other than that it all looks quite promising. This is a car that you could climb into and drive without having to worry about stone-chips, etc. It is a fun car.
The interior has been refurbished and generally presents quite well. I am a bit surprised that the seats sport new covers, but that some of the padding looks like it might be lacking. This gives those covers an ill-fitting look. I suspect that it would also have an impact on comfort, and I would probably be inclined to address that over Winter so that I could enjoy the car next Summer. This is also true of some of the trim in the rear passenger area. Otherwise everything from the carpet through to the door cards and dash looks good.
Under the hood rests a V8 engine backed by a 3-speed manual transmission. The seller doesn’t indicate what capacity the engine is and I’m not willing to make that call because I am slightly unsure, so I’m hoping that one of the aficionados among our Barn Finds readers will be able to provide a definitive answer. The seller states that he believes that the engine is the original (which would make it the 283), but that it has been rebuilt to run on unleaded. What I will say is that it does look quite clean and tidy under here. It’s really interesting to open the hood on one of these older cars and then do the same with a new car. These engine bays were so uncluttered and uncomplicated. I went to change a headlight bulb in my wife’s car the other day and had to remove a pile of plastic shrouding and the battery to do it. Bring back the old days I say!
As I said right at the beginning, I am a Ford man. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like this Chevy. I really do like it and would park it in my driveway any day. I like the style of the car. I like the uncomplicated mechanical layout of it. I love the fact that it is a convertible. I really like the fact that I could climb into it right now and enjoy it without worrying about minor chips and scrapes. Sadly the price is already out of the reach of my wallet, but it will be interesting to see just how high the price will go.
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