Vehicle Description
If you like to walk off the beaten path a bit, perhaps this 1951
Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe Convertible should certainly appeal to
you. It's still got a thrifty 235 Stovebolt Six running great under
the hood, a deliciously vintage comfortable interior, and an
updated Moonlight Cream exterior paint that is a perfect complement
to the droptop's original livery. It's a blast to drive, and the
look is straight out of the '50s, with a mild custom flair and
daily driver functionality thanks to a conscientious restoration
that was done right.
Fans of the more rounded '40s cars tend to gravitate to these
post-war Chevys for their generous curves, and they always look
best topless. The restoration on this car is perhaps 5 years old,
but since it was completed it's been driven very little by the
looks of things, so it still looks great and shows very little
shelf wear as a solid driver-quality ride. The light
yellow-butterscotch paint wasn't on the Chevrolet color chart in
1951 (Moonlight Cream was, although this one looks a bit more like
Butternut Yellow in person), but it definitely looks right on the
vintage ragtop, showing off the long, pointed hood and bulging rear
fenders to great effect. Fit and finish are quite good, with even
gaps all around and doors that close with a welcome solidity that
you don't find in every old car, particularly convertibles.
Thankfully they left off any janky pinstripes or custom stencil
work that plagued so many restored cars from this era, opting
instead to let the paint do all the talking as it emphasizes the
killer design of this post-war droptop. They left all the factory
chrome on too, and thankfully there's a lot of it, shining
beautifully up against that light yellow finish. The front grille
sets the tone, the heavy-duty bumpers look great as endcaps, and
slash of profile trim and lower-body molding accents the raked
stance of this Chevy perfectly.
The black interior duplicates the factory patterns and presents a
wonderful contrast to the light paint on the body. The black vinyl
upholstery was likely all new when the car was restored, and as I
said, it doesn't show much wear today, with an elegant yet durable
quality that's all-day comfortable. Up front, the seat is firm and
clean, the carpets show a little age but are still plush and do a
great job insulating the cabin from the elements. One look at the
ornate dash and it's obvious that everything is still bone stock,
with two big, round gauges ahead of the driver that look after the
car's vitals. There's also a full array of factory knobs and
switches under the dash, a stock AM radio in the center, and the
big dual-ring steering wheel is in great shape, anchoring the cabin
at the helm of the cockpit. The black convertible top fits very
well, having been replaced less than 5 years ago with factory-style
vinyl, but you'll probably never use it except in emergencies so
most of the time it'll stay folded neatly behind the rear seat. And
speaking of the rear seat, it looks to have been rarely used
despite having ample room for friends, and if it's luggage or car
show goodies you need to haul, the trunk is spacious and outfitted
just like the factory intended with a black rubber mat and a
bias-ply spare tire and jack set that's probably original to the
car.
The engine is a 235 cubic inch inline-six, aka the Stovebolt Six,
which is the largest and most fully developed of the Chevy sixes.
Legendary for its iron-clad dependability and forgiving nature, the
Blue Flame Six was such a good engine it was still used in new
American cars in South America all the way up unit 2001. It's also
smooth and provides a big torque curve you can really upon
acceleration, and with signs of careful maintenance throughout,
it's a fun cruiser that bops around town in a way that's distinctly
different from the usual V8. Period performance and looks come from
a stock Blue Flame valve cover, big 'oil-bath' air cleaner up top,
and a stock exhaust manifold that feeds the throaty H-pipe custom
dual exhaust system below that gives the big six a great
soundtrack. What might be most impressive is the fact that this
motor is mated to an automatic transmission, not the usual
3-on-the-tree shifter you generally see in early '50s cars, but the
smooth-shifting 2-speed Powerglide which means you can sit back and
enjoy the ride with ease. The lowered and raked stance looks just
right but doesn't kill ride quality, with an upgraded A-arm set-up
in the front and coils-over-shocks and leaf springs in the rear
helping things out on the modern road. American Racing Torque
Thrust polished alloys enhance the look of any classic, and they're
wrapped with grippy 205/65/15 front and 215/75/15 rear radials that
finish off the look perfectly.
A fun vintage ragtop with an updated look and old-school internals,
this '51 Chevrolet is a whole lot of bang-for-your-buck. So, if you
like them just a bit traditional with a little added flair, this
Chevy is a fantastic choice. Call today!
