Vehicle Description
Here at Streetside Classics, our favorite cars are the ones that
neatly straddle the line between show car and vehicles you can
actually drive. The best cars are those that are fully updated
mechanically yet look so spectacular that it's hard to believe
they've been driven. This 1956 Chevy Bel Air Restomod is such a
vehicle, with heart-stopping good looks and a totally streetable
attitude.
There are lots of 1956 Chevys out there, that's true. It's a
popular car, both then and now, and the reasons folks fall in love
with them are obvious. But to rise to the top, to have a car that
can be driven and enjoyed, while delivering the kind of looks that
makes kids and grown men stop in their tracks as it drives by,
well, that's not as easy as it sounds. So, you'll definitely
appreciate this car's beautiful white-over-silver metallic paint
scheme, which is a bit modern, but sticks to the factory's break
points for the colors and keeps all the original trim intact. The
finish is show-quality all the way, with excellent gaps and enough
time invested in the bodywork to make it really stand out from
lesser cars. We love the look of the white top and the tinted
windows, but nothing has been shaved, altered, or tweaked, proving
once again that the right paint can make or break a car. There's
another sizeable chunk of change invested in getting the chrome
refinished, but the results were definitely worth it, as it
sparkles like jewelry on this Bel Air and the overall look delivers
in a big way.
The interior is wonderfully custom, and the outstanding execution
and neat details make it an excellent place to spend some time. The
original seats are gone, replaced by a pair of leather-wrapped
buckets flanking a custom-built center console. The dash was fully
restored, with fresh Dakota Digital gauges tucked into the original
gauge panel, and the band of smoky, hydro-dipped "wood" grain trim
that stretches from end to end is very trick, smoothly eliminating
the secondary controls and radio and integrating A/C vents for a
clean, polished look. A custom center console that stretches to the
back seat was fabbed up and incorporates a slick late-model shifter
for the overdrive transmission. There's also A/C, a double din
stereo, and a tilt steering column topped by a Budnik steering
wheel. The door panels are custom as well, and also feature that
awesome custom trim that is seen throughout the interior. The back
seat has been split into two buckets astride the full-length
console and the trunk is tastefully finished to match the
cabin.
The engine bay glitters with the look of a full custom piece.
That's a thundering GM Performance 502 Ramjet V8 under the hood,
and it's a surprisingly neat fit in the '56 engine bay. Obviously,
there was an extraordinary amount of time and effort dedicated to
the engine bay, showcasing a lot of polished and chrome plated
parts as well as top-notch paint work that gives it a cool, clean
look. This monstrous motor is fuel injected for better
dependability and the front end is fitted with a serpentine belt
drive for the accessories, so it's reliable and quieter. All the
wiring and plumbing was tastefully organized, the inner fenders
were finished, the firewall was painted, and the aluminum radiator
up front is part of a BeCool system tasked with keeping all that
displacement refreshed at all times. The aforementioned 700R4
transmission has some great TCI goodies to handle all that power
and spins a 12-bolt rear end that's geared either to dig a hole to
China or get there via highway, depending on preference. The
chassis is an updated setup with Heidts front suspension, tubular
A-arms, CPP power steering, 4-wheel disc brakes aided with a CPP
hydraulic booster, and air shocks in the rear. Finally, the stance
is just right with those staggered Budniks (18" front; 20" rear)
and performance radials.
With only 849 miles on the build, this show-stopper is still
extremely fresh. Drive or show, it's up to you, and this Bel Air
excels at both. Call today!