Vehicle Description
It's amusing to think that when it was new, the fins on this 1960
Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door sedan were considered "conservative." Even
though the tailfin era was winding down, the 1960 Chevrolets remain
iconic machines, and when they're rendered in bright red, well,
they're pretty hard to resist. This one is downright gorgeous and
is one of those rare cars that just get everything right.
The paint is PPG Vermillion Red, and there's no denying that it
will snap some necks out in traffic. Deep and luxurious, it will
prompt strangers to pull up next to you and find themselves unable
to resist giving you a "thumbs up" or to ask what color it is. In
addition to the striking bodywork, the finish shows incredible
depth and a sheen that almost seems radioactive in the sunlight.
Add the Arctic White top and you get a traditional two-tone look
with a heck of a punch. Of course, when you're going to attract
attention, you need to do it for the right reasons, so they made
sure the sheetmetal was ultra-straight and smooth, which only comes
with hours and hours of tedious labor. And while Chevrolet
designers were scaling back the flash, there's still a lot of
chrome trim on this big cruiser, including the dramatic side spears
that highlight the Bel Air, and all of it is in excellent,
show-worthy condition. If you want to get noticed, few cars will do
it better than this one.
Chevrolet pretty much owns the houndstooth upholstery look, despite
the fabric being insanely popular throughout the '60s. Beautifully
stitched into covers for the original bench seats, the very correct
red and white interior looks at once sporty and upscale. Detailing
is spectacular and there's as much art as function inside this
2-door post. Gorgeous door panels echo some of the exterior styling
elements, including the white insert and trim that's beautiful just
for the sake of being there, and it's all pretty much the way the
factory intended. The dash got an upgraded look, with those trick
Auto Meter gauges flanking a centrally-mounted speedometer, and
with a bright strip of trim along the lower edge, it definitely
looks expensive. It's updated but not out of character, and they
added an AM/FM/cassette stereo in the original slot just to
maintain the look. And if you have any doubts about the size of
these big cruisers, check out the trunk which has been expensively
upholstered and beautifully finished to match.
There were still a myriad of engine options in 1960, with the 283
cubic inch small block V8 being the one that works best today. This
is the car's original engine and while it looks stock, it was
balanced and blueprinted and fitted with a Comp Cams camshaft to
really wake it up. It also wears its Chevy Orange paint with pride
and shows off beautiful valve covers, coated ram's horn exhaust
manifolds, and a 4-barrel carburetor. It exhales through a
Flowmaster dual exhaust system that works with the Bel-Air's
luxury/performance mission, and doesn't hide any of the very solid,
clean floor pans. A TH350 3-speed automatic transmission powers the
stock rear end, so it drives like it's 1960 all over again, and the
suspension has been lowered using spindles and custom springs. That
stance is enhanced by custom-made 17-inch wheels from Wheel
Vintiques and a set of custom 17-inch whitewall radials to
match.
With tens of thousands of dollars and many months invested in the
build, this car is simply stunning in every way. Drive it, show it,
whatever you want to do, this Chevy will definitely deliver big
grins every time. Call today!
