My 1957 Chevrolet Belair is up on E bay - no reserve, has some bids so its selling. Its a very nice car - restored in 1998-199 but kept true to its original setup (minus a well-appareciated bump in horsepower). It is an FC code car, 283V8, 4 barrel carb and dual headers. During restoration is was bumped up with an aluminum intake from a 62-63 corvette, bored and crane comp cams. Take a look and let me know if you have any questions.

301-648-5384 or mike@connellyclassics.com (not a dealer, wish I was, though)

Link to auction item no. 120118365392
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=120118365392



The Ebay add has a long description, trim tag info, more pictures, links to zipped high res pictures and a walk-around movie. I also have a pdf of all the documents I have, from the original owner and the mechanical receipts from the restoration.

This is a great example of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air four door sedan. Based on the dates of the chassis and the engine, I would call this one numbers matching, though it has been thoughtfully bumped up to provide a nice bump in horsepower. The engine work was done in 1998-1999, which I am told when the complete restoration occurred. The interior was completely redone and the exterior is a beautiful example of a "rust free" southern car. Its highly original and true to the trim codes - it even has a 4-ply spare tire in the trunk. As you can see, I try to be thorough in my description. This car is starting at a very low price and I have faith that an accurate description will end up at a fair price with the buyer knowing exactly what they are going to see when they pick it up or see it roll off the truck. Why am I selling? I buy knowing drive and sell when I find another. I also have a 63 Impala as my daily driver and that takes up plenty of real estate by itself.

History

I brought this up from Alabama two months ago (I buy, drive and sell). It was first purchased by Emmit Lee in Nashville on July 17, 1957 for $2785.32. In fact, from the ownership records it appears that the this car didn't stray further than about 30 miles from Nashville until about 4 months ago when it went just across the border to Fort Payne, AL. This car was completely restored between 1997 and 1999 by a prior owner, Jerry Duff of Nashville. I have some owner records and receipts from the mechanical portion of the restoration in a pdf file here. You will see I have copies of Emmit Lee's original title which shows the first transfer (apparently after Mr. Lee's death in 1960) - in addition to others through the years. Included for no apparent reason is some kind of original title for another car a 1949 "Sadi" - a mystery. There are also two polaroids that show the car in some undetermined time period, looking just the same but with wire wheels.

Tracking milage through the years shows that the car hit 24,372 iles at the sale on July 20, 1960. Then the next recorded milage I have is 24,163 on December 31, 1997. The car currently has 27,042 - which I would fully believe to indicate that it has traveled 2,879 miles since the restoration was complete (and likely 127,042 since new but who knows).

Engine/Transmission/Brakes

[ul][*]Power Pack 283 - 4 barrell carb, Dual exhaust (stainless)[*]Original FC Code Engine - 283 V8. 4BC, Powerglide[*]Engine fully rebuilt 2,879 miles ago, approximately 7-8 years ago, $5044 in receipts.[*]Crane comp cams, bored, hardened valve seats at time of rebuild.[*]Transmission said to be rebuilt at the same time.[*]Original radiator according to stamping.[*]Appears to be original generator according to stamping.[*]Aluminum intake original GM 3823481 from 62-63 Corvette.[*]Appears to be original (or period correct) Rochester 4-Jet carb.[*]Stainless steel dual exhaust.[*]New fuel tank and lines in 1998.[*]Brakes redone 2,879 miles ago.[*]Parking brake free and works very well (you should see my driveway) [/ul]


The engine and transmission run wonderfully and this car is very quick. It starts immediately and idles smoothly. To say it has a great exhaust note would be an understatement. Not too loud, but definitely the desired rumble. Clearly the engine work was well done as it has more punch than the bored out 327 I have in my 1963 Impala. What I like is that it has the power upgrade with the bore and cams, but the very stock appearance of the engine. The prior owner really kept the car true to its history and timeperiod, the only obvious upgrade being the aluminum intake sourced from a 62-63 Corvette (its an original GM intake). The Rochester 4-Jet appears original and would be by the FC engine code and date code on the carb itself, though one never knows. The manual brakes are tuned very well and the manual steering is tight. I debated doing the front power disc/power steering swap prior to selling, but the car is so original I chose not to do it. Of course, with parts and labor on the swap being about $2500, its a relatively easy thing to get done. If you are in DC, there is one guy I would trust with it, and I can give you his number. The car sits straight and suspension is very well tuned and tight through the corners (for a 57 Chevy).

Exterior

[ul][*]Decent paint job likely done at time of mechanical restoration.[*]This past week I had a complete detail done - including full paint prep (Poorboy's, Menzerna glaze, Zaino sealant, Pinnacle Souveran paste wax).[*]Panel gaps are really fantastic. The doors all shut with a solid thud.[*]Windows work flawlessly[*]Beautiful 15" Wheels with GM "Disc Brake" hubcaps and undented beauty/trim rings[*]New tires two months ago [/ul]


Over time I have learned to value one thing above all in classic cars - the absence of rust. In this regard, you would think this Bel Air had sat in the desert of Arizona for the last 50 years. Totally solid - no bubbling, the undercarriage looks fantastic - no rubber undercoat spray thankfully, just metal (not restored, just in as-delivered to Emmitt Lee state). Its possible the trunk pan may have been replaced at one point as a see a seam weld - but its so hard to tell whether it is just the factory work. Is there surface rust on the undercarriage - of course. Outside of a frame-off restoration that is less than an hour old, there is no such as thing as truly rust free. I have seen it all I think - even one 67 Mustang that had a frame rail carved from Bondo and then sprayed with 50 cans of undercoat. This car is fantastic and if you need any pictures of any nook or cranny just ask. The panel gaps are great. The doors open and shut beautifully, the windows are smooth and easy.

As you can see from the pictures, I put a lot of work into the exterior paint. It had obviously been washed improperly over time creating a lot of swirl marks. The pictures to the right are actually the paint after I did the paint prep but BEFORE any sealant or wax - its amazing what results good products and the right tools can get you. The wax just made it look better and should provide a nice seal for the rest of the season. Its hardly a $10,000 show paint job - there are some nicks, touchups along door seams and trim, minor imperfections, but the overall appearance is quite stunning. The chrome is clearly a mix of new and original. The original chrome shines nicely but is pitted as you would expect. I hand rubbed every chrome and metal piece on the exterior (and interior) of the car. The bumpers are not pitted, but do have some marks, likely from loading, unloading the trunk or tool drops by the engine and underneath the rears from ramp unloading. I am happy to send