1957 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210

Sport Coupe 2-door hardtop

327

Manual

Clear

Selling my baby... My 1957 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe *(2-door hardtop) has had only three owners since new before me... . I bought this from a long-time friend who has owned it for the past 35 years, who got it from his dad, who got it as a bank repo in 1959. It has only 107K total original miles on it. It's been babied its' entire life and never been a daily-driver. This car has lived a life as a local street racer/cruiser, never traveling more than a hundred miles or so from home. Always garaged, never intentionally been driven in the rain or left outside... always a fair-weather cruiser. It was hot-rodded in 1969 and has remained a "survivor" street classic from that time until now. This is one of the coolest cars I've ever owned; it has that certain "something" that's almost indescribable beyond the sum of it's parts... patina, balance, and mojo. I will do my best to describe the car as fully and accurately as possible. It IS a 55-year old car, and therefore being sold without warranty, expressed or implied. This '57 began life as a dual-four manual trans car. In 1957, a four-speed manual was not a regular production option, but you could get one if you knew who to ask and how to ask for it; only a handful came with them. It was originally more or less the '57 Chevy equivalent of a ZL-1 Corvette race car; it had the Corvette 4-speed, 283/270 horse dual-four solid lifter engine, 4.11 rear end, manual steering, and manual brakes. Of course, it's had several engine and trans combo's in it over the years; I'm sharing the "back-story" of the car for informational purposes only. In its' current configuration, it retains a four-speed manual transmission (Borg-Warner Super T-10), has a 3.42 posi rear end, and a 327 engine, originally from a '69 Camaro with some internal and external upgrades; I'd say she's in the 360/370 HP range. No body modifications whatsoever, stock guage cluster with added period Stuart Warner analog guages under the dash and a Sun Supertach on the dash. The engine has been rebuilt in the past two years and runs perfectly; very strong acceleration off idle to 6,000 rpm. Great exhaust tone through 2 1/2" dual exhaust; nice lumpy idle with a fully-streetable cam. I've had the the transmission rebuilt in the past month, and I've also done a ton of small mechanical repairs/improvements to get the car as fun and reliable as possible, including the following: -new clutch and throwout bearing -new drum brakes all around-steering box service for nice tight steering -new lights and bulbs all around -new BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires -new Hooker chrome shorty headers and head pipes -new alternator and voltage regulator -fresh tune-up, lube, oil, filters I have replaced the windshield, removed all the interior, installed a new high-end OEM loop carpet kit, new package tray, and new kick panels, and cleaned, detailed, and reinstalled the interior. The upholstery is genuine original late 60's custom diamond tuft black vinyl, and looks very, very cool... total vintage hot rod. Seats are pretty much perfect.. Notice how the bottom of the split bench seat has the factory/dealer cut-out for the high-performance 4-speed... most you see will have a full lower bench and the shifter way forward; this is right at your fingertips... the car is a fantastic driver and fun as heck. It has a very straight body that is virtually rust-free (very minor beginnings at back of front fender for instance); all original sheet metal except for a new OEM transmission tunnel which I had professionally done to restore the trans hump back to just one hole for a shifter... as mentioned, it's had numerous engine/trans combos in it over the years. I can't find any rust underneath the car at all.. very dry and solid. The original chrome and stainless steel are in amazing condition. It retains a good, shiny "driver-quality/20-footer" or better paint job in a medium metallic blue that I would say is GM Hampton Blue (1960 caddy color, also used in the early 70's on Corvettes as Bridgehampton Blue). It's 30+ years old, sound, and has a patina that matches the overall survivor quality of the car and shows great. Overall, I'd say my car is best described as a super-cool vintage hot rod survivor... the kind of car that you would see replicated on one of the new Hot Rod TV shows and then sold at Barret-Jackson to someone who remembers how these used to be done. One could add creature comforts such as power steering and power brakes, but you may be as surprised as me to find that these old Chevy's are quite light and easy to steer and brake, even manually. Headers and dual exhaust out the back, vintage early 80's Cragar Drag Star ultralight polished aluminum wheels (before Weld bought the design), and new BFG Radial T/A's. Overall, this Bel Air is a very sound and cool survivor hotrod that gets loads of attention wherever it goes. Not perfect, but what old car is? That said, it's sound, solid, and special, and you could get in her and just keep going. There are a few minor things yet to button up, including a new wiper motor, heater cable, service radio, etc... all minor. The car is fully a turn-key driver just like she sits. Clear Washington title in my name. Feel free to call if you have questions. I have the car available for sale locally so I need to reserve the right to end the auction early if I sell her that way. -NO zero-feedback bidders without calling me first. -No international deals unless you call me first and are able handle everything after getting me paid quickly. -$1,000.00 non-refundable deposit via Paypal within 24 hours of auction close -Balance of funds within three business days of sale via cash, bank transfer, or major bank cashier's check which I can verify and which must clear before I release the vehicle. ~Thanks, Tim 360-936-9257