If Chevrolet had 2020s technology in the 1950s, they might have built this 1953 Chevy 210 the way you see it here. It looks like a sleeper with four doors, to boot, yet a 400 cubic inch V8 resides under the hood, supported by a lot of modern upgrades and conveniences, like vintage air conditioning. Located in Clarksville, Arkansas, this sweet ride is available here on craigslist for $17,500 OBO. Rocco B. has a knack for finding cool tips like this!
Chevrolet mixed up its naming logic with its reworked 1953 automobiles. The 150 was the base model, the 210 was mid-range, and the Bel Air was the top series. More than 332,000 4-door sedans badged as 210s were built in 1953, the most popular series and body style. You only had one engine choice in ’53, a 235 cubic inch inline-6 referred to as the “Blue Flame”. A Chevy V8 motor was still two years away. Most 210s came with a 3-speed manual transmission, though the 2-speed Powerglide automatic was offered.
The seller or someone prior put a lot of time and money into modernizing this ’53 210. Besides the 400/265 hp engine (first offered in 1970), the car now has a TH-400 automatic tranny. The Chevy has been completely rewired, a Bluetooth radio added, electronic ignition (instead of points), aluminum radiator, dual exhaust, front disc brakes, and loads more. There had to be some previous rust because the floor pans were replaced, but there’s no mention of paintwork.
Passengers will enjoy the new upholstery (period-correct?), but the headliner needs to be replaced and comes in a box. The battery has been relocated to the trunk (perhaps they ran out of room up front). The odometer reads 36,000 miles, but I doubt that matters now. The seller has found his dream machine, and selling this one to get it is the goal. He/she will consider offers but not trades. This auto should surprise a few folks at Cars & Coffee.
Makes me miss my ’54 210 2 door that I shortened on the side of a cast iron ’49 Plymouth before I got the chance to install my Olds V8 in it. Nice car, nice work.
Hi Bobhess ! What size Oldsmobile engine were you going to install in your 54 210?
311cu inch ’49 with shift modified 4 speed automatic, ’56 milled and ported heads, huge 4 barrel carb. Put it into the ’53 Studebaker coupe I found to replace the Chevy. It endured a semester standing on end with a round piece of plywood and my clock and lamp as a bedside table before I got it in the car. Car was a rocket.
This is cool.
All that with A/C to top it off. He’s open to offers and wants the proceeds to go to his dream car. The time to make an offer is now! Some guys hate the crew cabs, but I don’t mind the extra doors so much on this one. It’s got everything I want on it already, but I can always find other things to add in, LOL! GLWTS!
that is one massive brake booster…working around that might be a bit of a PITA.
Lots to like with this one. Same color scheme as my Dad’s ’53 Buick Special and the trunk emblem even has a similar shape. Nice upgrades & nicely done, too. I especially like the safety features like electric wipers (as we all know, the vacuum wipers almost died when you needed them most) and disc brakes. A/c was neatly installed in the dash instead of hanging down.
Looks like a good, solid car and within reason on price.
One nit-picky point on the air cleaner sticker. That’s a Turbo Fire engine not a Turbo Jet. I had the identical motor in my ’70 Caprice.
GLWTS!
Wow….you could actually take a road trip in this with it’s V8, and keep up with traffic rather than suck fumes being last with the anemic ‘Blue Flame’ six!
Well, you’ve got to admit it’s well-done! It’s bound to surprise a lot of people on the freeway. The question for me is: “Would I have built it?” Probably not because I like sixes. Well, I like V8s too, but I like them where they were originally put. Just the same, I sure wouldn’t change it now that it’s been changed. The TH 400 behind a 400 SBC is kind of overkill. The only time I saw a combination like that was in a 1-ton 4×4, or a 1-ton van. But it’s already there. Sure won’t kick it off my driveway…
since the most popular transmission in 1953 was stick shift, I would have stayed with a stick shift, maybe put the lever on the floor.
🎵See the USA in your
Chevrolet.
America it waits
for you to call🎵🎶
Sorry bout the song guys, but I just can’t help thinking what it would be like to fly up to the seller’s house, hand him/her a
check for $17K, then maybe stay
a few days to get any service work done before setting off for
Melbourne on the mutha of all shakedown cruises. A little far fetched you say? Why not! After
all, you just plunked down a whole lotta cash for one of the most reliable rides on the planet!
So why not take the long way home and get to know this grand
ol’ gal on a first name basis. And
yeah, this is how I’d have built this
car– stock outside with modern
innards underneath. That’s been
the best way to do it since I picked up my first wrench 🛠️
almost 60 years ago. I think the girls would like this one. I know I
do! You can’t start the day any better than this!!!
Hey Ken Carney, That’s what we did when we bought our ’46 Fleetline Aerosedan, bought it in Salt Lake City, drove to Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles then to San Fran and back up the coast road and shipped her home to Perth, Western Australia
This is the same Chevy my dad had when we went on vacation to Florida from New Jersey in 1957.The 3 of us boys in the
back ,no air conditioning but hey thats what it was.
My Grandma had a 1953 the dark green like this one. 6 cylinder all ways garage keep mint condition green cloth upholstery. My Dad sold to a car buff
guy on are block when I wasn’t home because he knew I would stop him from
selling it. He wanted his one car garage back to put his Monte Carlo in. In Hight School I got to keep my 55 chevy that I built to prevent it from being stolen I traded that 55 for a ski boat I regret it to this day. At today prices I
know my Dad basically gave the car away.
Back in the day, 4-doors were considered “old man’s cars”.
looks like quality workmanship from the pics. small market for these cars though
Good upgrades to make Daily driving enjoyable. The 400 seems kind of an odd choice for an engine, but I like it.
I would have turned that 400 into a 427 striker motor! I have seen a bunch of early Camaro’s with the 427 striker motors in them.
I absolutely hate spell check. !!! It was supposed too say stroker motor .
What is a “striker” motor???
This I could live with and enjoy.
Load up the grandkids and go for ice cream.
Head out on the freeway with the wife to visit old friends.
Cruise on a Saturday night.
Cars and Coffee.
Enjoy a Sunday afternoon washing and waxing.
I love this car. If only I had the $.
Sweet Car !!!!! and I am sure very reliable ! Had the 400 small block in a Glen-L Thunderbolt v-drive boat …… would have looked great behind this !!!
The front body/frame mounts run down the firewall . Which you must remove in order to install a V8 . Id like to see a pic of what has been done to re engineer it . Is it safe ??
Nostalgia on wheels. In the 50’s-60’s my dad often got car “upgrades” when his dad got a new car and we got what would have been the trade-in. So in mid-50s we had a 1954, very similar to the 53 but different tail lights.
Then, more: In the late 60’s my first car was a 1952 4door Chevy in the same two-tone paint scheme. The PowerGlide in ’52 actually did not shift itself, I had to move it between the gears, but it was a good cruiser after a few fixes.
This ’53 sits right in between the previous Chevys and the upgrades, along with the preserved body and paint, make this drool-worthy. Alas, not destined for me but someone will have a winner to show off.
That’s what I want. They call it a restomod, right? I want that in a 50s Cadillac. Upgraded brakes, steering, engine, trans. All the interior luxury and safety items, electric windows and door locks, tilt and telescopic, cruise, twilight Sentinel, a/c, electric wipers, 50 way power seat, (just kidding) upgraded stereo…..
What did I forget, guys?
Oh, of course it has to be a droptop.
Holy s..t! Look who just showed up! Where ya been Angel?
Actually a power trunk opener & closer, auto level control for a couple of things.
A safe Memorial Day to you and everyone else. 🇺🇸
What a sleeper love it.
Are they the original narrow wheels or just painted and made to look original? Other than the sound of the engine at a stop light, who would know? I like it, though the chrome on engine is a lot.
I think only the Auto Trans came with the 235.
Moonshiners delivery service.
Very nice car, if I could afford it I would love to have this car. I would change very little on it.
Hi Angel 😇! I knew you might like this one since your dad bought a new 150 model you mentioned a few times. Now, as for that restomod you want, I almost bought a ’65 Calais 2-door
hardtop from a fella I knew back in ’82. It was a 1 of 1 with bucket
seats, a center console, and a factory installed M-22 rock crusher 4-speed tranny. And as I
recall now, it had crank down windows all round. Oh, that 429
ran like a Swiss watch but it needed a new clutch to make it
drivable again. He only wanted
$500 and my ’62 Rambler Classic
2-door sedan for it so I let it go as
old Annabelle was getting us from point A to B just fine. But there have been times here of late that I’ve thought about that
big white sled and what it might’ve been like to teach my
wife how to drive a 4-speed in
something like that. I mean that
big bad 429 passing the ponies
through that 4-speed and on out
to that 2.80:1 rear axle out back.
Bet it could’ve run at least 140 or
better with all that torque it had.
It’s been almost 45 years since I
saw that car and I haven’t seen
another like it. Would’ve been a
hell of a sight at a local car show
I even had fantasies about you
driving it a time or two. I can see
it now. The two of us enjoying the car, you rowing through the gears, and the rumble of that V-8
as it floats down the road. What
a sight that would be! Oops, got
a little excited for a minute there,
and now it’s time for me to hit the
sack and dream of it one more time. Gotta be back at the store 🏪 at 9 am tomorrow morning after I get some chores done. Good night 🌉 Angel 😇 💋
Night all.