Vehicle Description
1957 Chevrolet 210 Station Wagon
Chevrolet marketed its mid-priced line as the "210" series from
1953 to 1957. The '57 210 shared bright body-side trim with the
top-of-the-line Bel Air but lacked its gold-tone accents and ribbed
aluminum body-side 'wedges'. All 1957 210s were closed models; 1953
was the only year for a 210 convertible. However, Chevrolet's
sporty two- and four-door hardtop styles were offered as 210
models.
For consignment, a 1957 version of the 210 station wagon from the
bowtie company that is in the throes of a restoration and will need
the new owner to take over to make it complete. A moderate amount
of work will need to be performed to have it all buttoned up but it
runs nicely and can be driven while this process remains
ongoing.
Exterior
With this being the finale of the tri-five era, and oft considered
the pinnacle of said era, this car does not disappoint in its
design and execution. It checks all the boxes with the open eye
headlight bezels, "Dagmars" above the bumpers, visored turn signal
lights, dual rocket adorned hood, a trim spear with an ever
widening stainless trim panel on back and of course the rear fins
which make their appearance and take a final bow prior to going
away. The car is bathed in Dusk Rose with a pearl white roofline
and uppers. And now for the work: The lowers of the doors are
showing some underlying rust bubbling under the paint, the rocker
trimmings have rust above them, the rear tailgate surround is
suffering from invasive rust, the lower roofline on the C pillars
had rust bubbling, door lowers have invasive rust, front bumper
chrome is rusted and peeling and shows underlying rust, it needs
wipers and the transmission for them and these do come with the
car. The rear glass will need re-caulked with weather proofing, and
other chrome trimmings are showing some slight pitting. The glass
is all good and has the wrap around quality which is very appealing
on this multi window wagon. Also on are dual upper visored door
mirrors. Bel Air badging in grandmother's handwriting, and 50's
star shaped wheel coverings wrapped in thin whitewall tires from
2007 are noted as some highlights of this car.
Interior
Swing openany of the 4 large doors, and we can see restored door
panels in khaki tan vinyl which is nice and smooth and very clean.
Pristine handles and cranks are within these panels. A full bench
seat in front, and it has been recovered in khaki and shows a
change from what the Bel Air trim package would have in 1957. Seat
belts have been added and it appears as the carpet has been
replaced, as it shows as clean and stain and fade free throughout
the interior while presenting in tan. Upfront, the dash and
steering column have been sprayed in black and has the gauges in
front of the driver, while the two flanking gauges to the speedo
are newer. An original Two Ten logo steering wheel shows in pitted
and peeling silver and sports a circular inner horn ring. A shiny
chromed turn signal box hangs off of the left side of the column
and a trio of gauges is below the dash with one gauge missing from
the shiny panel. The radio is taken out and there is an open hole
there for a new one. On the hump is a floor T styled shifter with a
tan vinyl boot. Behind the drivers bench is another fully restored
tan vinyl bench which matches the pattern of the front bench. It
also has seat belts but they do not match the fronts. The third row
seat is non-existent however new carpeting covers this now cargo
area. The headliner is not installed but does come with the
car.
Drivetrain
Inside the fully restored and looking great engine bay in black is
a GM orange /red painted block that our consigner states is a
mid-late 70's small block, possibly being a 305ci V8. It has a
2-barrel carburetor recently rebuilt. A TH400 3-speed automatic
transmission is partnered with a 3.36 gear rear axle. Dual
glass-pack style exhaust is on for the exhale. The engine bay is
presenting nicely.
Undercarriage
Spotty surface rust along with heavy surface rust on the floor pans
and some repairs are seen and these have heavy surface rust.
Invasive rust is seen on the bottom of the spare tire holder. The
rocker undersides have been repaired and show some surface rust on
the repairs. Thankfully the frame remains solid,although surface
rusted. The lower engine shows some seepage and we note an
independent coil spring front suspension being on and leaf springs
for the rear. Power drum brakes are all around.
Drive-Ability
I hopped inside the nice door paneled, new seat and clean carpeted
interior and stared at the partially restored dash and fired her
up. The engine came right to life and off I went on my
investigative journey. It runs smoothly, however several frowns
were noted, which include no horn, the speedo and odometer are non
functioning, windshield and right rear glass are cracked, the
heater blower doesn't blow and the heater core is disconnected, it
pulls left when braking, the fuel gauge does not read a level, and
the wipers are not on and do not have the motor or transmission
installed, although these come with the car.
So now you know what you are in for, and in the end you will have a
classic that is not really often seen in great condition. This car
comes with some parts to complete some areas, although it does need
plenty of TLC.
VB57L131895
V-V8
B-2100, 210 Series
57-1957
L-Los Angeles, CA Assy Plant
131895-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
STYLE 57 1062FC-2100 Series 4 Door Station Wagon
BODY S2486-St. Louis Body #
TRIM 660LA-Charcoal & Ivory Vinyl
PAINT 815C-Colonial Cream, Onyx Black
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our
showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just
1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The
website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888)
227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come
see the vehicle in person.
