Upgraded Engine: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe

The 1955-57 Chevrolets reset the industry standard for their more forward-thinking styling. And the new V8 that was at first only available in Corvettes and Bel Airs. The Bel Air would move to the top of the Chevy food chain, with the 150/210 models being the entry-level and mid-range models. The ’57 Bel Air Sport Coupes are some of the most sought after Chevies these days, including this one that had an engine and transmission swap at some point. Some bodywork and paint may be all that’s needed as we’re told the cars runs stout. Located in Syracuse, Utah, the Bel Air is available here on eBay where the bidding holds at $18,000, but the reserve is still looming.

Considerable work has already been done on the seller’s car. We’re told the body has been removed from the frame and then the latter was powder-coated, and all related parts replace with new. While they were at it, new body bushings, brakes, and hoses were also replaced. But the sheet metal is not without rust, with the bottom of the left front fender having been chewed on, at a minimum. The seller says the trunk looks good and the floor pans are solid. Rather than repaint the car after being reassembled, they clear coated what was there with a semi-gloss finish. Wouldn’t you have fixed the rust before doing that? One of the side glass pieces is cracked.

The interior is pretty sweet having been professionally replaced. A bunch of stuff is new, like the headliner, carpeting, door panels, dashboard, and the seats with new foam and leather coverings. There is an aftermarket steering wheel in place, but the seller has a factory original unit that will come with the car. The Bel Air wears a new set of Goodrich Radial T/A tires mounted to four Corvette 8-inch Rally wheels, complete with beauty rings and caps.

For whatever reason, the original engine and transmission were replaced with more model variants, a 350 cubic inch 4-bolt small block that’s paired with a 350 Turbo-Hydramatic. The seller says that it’s a good runner, starts every time, and is a lot of fun to drive. The odometer reading is 53,550 miles but we don’t know if that’s original and how many miles are on the replacement drivetrain.

Chevrolet built nearly 1.6 million cars for 1957, and 168,000 of them were Bel Air Sport Coupes like this car. The coupe would only be bested by the Bel Air and 210 4-door sedans in terms of production. Really nice Bel Airs can go for north of $50,000, according to Hagerty, and NADA says the number is closer to $70,000. So, if a paint job is mostly what this car needs, there should be room at the current bidding, although the lack of original parts will likely discount the value of the car to purists.