Vehicle Description
Fresh in at Canyon State Classics we are honored to bring to market
something you most likely will never see again. This 1955 Bel Air
has remained in the hands of the original family since BRAND NEW!
This car was bought in Santa Monica at Hastings Chevrolet on August
25th 1955 By Mr Robert Mushet who is the father of the current
owner. This car was his pride and joy and amazingly survived a
family of 6 children with no major accidents! The car remained in
the fathers possession until the mid 1980s when his wife ordered
him to get rid of the car. Instead of it going out into the world,
he offered his oldest son the car with the hope that he would some
day restore it. The current owner is mechanically inclined and
always kept the car up and running to his full ability, never
letting it fall into mechanical neglect and always ready to fire up
and move around if needed, but admittedly he says he drove the car
less than 100 miles in 40 years which has kept the original mileage
of this car under 95k original miles! Nearly 40 years have gone by
under the current ownership and he has come to the realization he
will never have the time or funds to properly restore this car so
he made the tough decision to finally let it go to someone who
will. The cool thing about this car though is that it can
absolutely be driven and enjoyed in its current Patina condition
and has far more personality than any $100k restored show
queen!
The exterior of the car retains the remnants of the Earl Scheib
repaint from 1974 but was repainted in the cars original color
combo of Regal Turquoise over India Ivory. This car no doubt had
some dings and parking lot damage over the years but was never
involved in an major accidents and the underside is probably the
most rust free un-molested time capsule I have ever seen on a 1950s
era vehicle. Its literally perfect. Amazing what a life away from
the salt and corrosion can allow to be preserved so well. All glass
is in good condition and original other than a replaced windshield
somewhere along the line. All chrome trim is present with nothing
missing and all good candidates for polish or rechrome. It even has
the optional bumper guards which is pretty cool! All four original
wheels and hubcaps are present still wrapped in bias ply white
walls.
The interior has also been kept tidy over the years with repairs
when needed. The seats and original style carpet were redone in the
early 2000s and are holding up well. The original metal dash and
wheel are in good condition and no custom stereos or anything were
ever installed. Original door panels are still presentable and the
arm rests need a little work. The headliner is currently in need of
being redone, and that may get done here before the car sells. The
doors shut well and the windows work as intended. The turn signal
assembly is in need of replacement and is currently inop.
The mechanical systems of the car are all in fully functional
condition. The original V8 starts up first bump of the key and
doesn't smoke or have any major leak issues. The engine is sewing
machine quiet and original style exhaust keeps it quiet and smooth.
No glass packs or cherry bombs on this survivor! The current owner
spent almost $2k last year having a shop go through and clean out
the fuel system, carb, motor and trans mounts and brake systems.
The car currently needs nothing mechanically. The car runs drives
and shifts just like it did when new. 1955 was the first year
Chevrolet offered an optional V8 engine and Mr Mushet had to have
it!
Overall this is one of the coolest cars I have had the pleasure to
represent. I always get a kick out of going through all the old
receipts and taking a glimpse into the past. This car is a rare
opportunity to buy a ticket back to 1955 and be the talk of any car
show or classic meet you attend. They dont make them like this and
never will again. Dont miss your chance, this wont last long. Call
Jon @ 480-703-2337
