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Older restoration in original colors and still in excellent condition. Everything works and includes vintage Fenton cast iron exhaust headers and dual exhaust with fresh whitewall tires. A wonderful running and driving car that looks fantastic.
The frame-off restoration addressed the bodywork, and looking at this one carefully will reveal that it’s 100% original steel and that it was most likely never a rusty car, as there’s no evidence of patches or filler anywhere on it. Code 498 Surf Green is this car’s original color, and you’ll note that Bel Airs were all two-tone (or tri-tone in the case of the hardtops), with the second color being Woodland Green as an insert in the rear trim panels. The paint appears to be single-stage urethane or even a high-quality enamel job, as it has a wonderfully appropriate shine that doesn’t have that high-tech look that modern paints lend to old cars. All the chrome was likewise refinished, and in that regard, it’s far better than stock, with show-quality work throughout. The unique Bel Air trim has been brilliantly polished, and all the lenses are either excellent originals or exact reproductions.
The two-tone theme continues inside with a beautifully restored interior that duplicates the original patterns exactly. Fresh seat covers are fitted over new foam, so the seats are firm and supportive, and the new door panels seem to echo the forward look of the exterior trim. There’s almost zero wear on any of the seating surfaces, and the back seat looks completely unused since the restoration was completed. Plush green carpets with matching floor mats have been fitted, and the gauges have been restored and remain fully functional. Even the factory-issued AM radio pulls in the afternoon baseball game loud and clear. Overhead there’s a new power top with crystal clear rear window, and it stows under a matching boot for a clean look on sunny days. A rubber mat has been fitted in the trunk, as original, along with a spare wheel and tire and complete jack assembly.
The standard engine in the Bel Air was the big 235 cubic inch inline-six, which now boasted full pressure lubrication, insert bearings, and more compression, all adding up to a respectable 105 horsepower in manual-transmission models like this. Given the quality of the restoration, there’s no reason to believe this engine wasn’t fully rebuilt when the car was restored, and it runs superbly with no major deviations from stock save for a set of original cast iron Fenton exhaust headers. There’s correct Chevy Turquoise paint on the engine itself, with a proper oil bath air cleaner atop the original carburetor. This one also includes an oil filter, rebuilt generator, and a heater/defroster unit, making it a hobby car that truly can be driven every day. It starts quickly on the original six-volt system, idles beautifully, and pulls the stylish convertible around with aplomb. Those Fenton headers were tied to a dual exhaust system with glasspack-style mufflers, so it has a snarky exhaust note and perhaps a few extra horsepower, making it a ton of fun to drive.
The engine is linked to a 3-speed manual transmission and the original rear end, which was all-new in 1953, offering taller ratios for easier cruising on the highways that were just then becoming common across the country. Floors are solid, the suspension rides well and tracks straight, and the brakes, while still manual drums at all four corners, are remarkably effective. The original wheels and restored hubcaps are still in place, now wearing a set of correctly-sized 7.10-15 Goodyear wide whites.
Expertly finished inside and out, with reliable, rugged mechanicals that have been powering hobby cars for decades, this gorgeous Bel Air is the perfect cruiser for the guy who is over his Shoebox infatuation. Take this one to a show and watch where the crowd forms—I can almost guarantee it won’t be around the V8-powered cars parked near it.
For more information and photos, please visit www.VintageMotorCarsUSA.com.
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STOCK/INV. NUMBER:
132145
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