Vehicle Description
You can safely ignore the wheels, because this 1955 Chevrolet Bel
Air wagon is beautifully restored and not modified the way you'd
expect. Sure, there's a great-running small block V8 under the hood
and a spectacular interior, but most of it is just the way the
factory did it in 1955.
Bel Air wagons are rather rare, and someone spent the time to
restore this one to a level worthy of that rarity. Gypsy Red is its
original color, and the cheerful color looks especially good on
wagons with their white roofs, creating a flashy car that seems
like it should be far more expensive than it is. Bodywork is
excellent, with super straight steel underneath that gleaming red
paint, and you know that getting four doors to hang right is
especially difficult. The modern urethane paint has a vastly
superior shine to the original enamel, and with the Bel Air trim,
it really looks spectacular. The simplicity of the 1955 Chevys is
especially evident here, but that might be why it works so well,
especially with those wheels. All the chrome and stainless trim was
obviously restored or replaced during the restoration and looks
spectacular. If it's attention you crave, this wagon is going to
deliver in a very big way.
Code 517 Beige was this car's original interior choice, so that's
what went back in during the restoration. The materials are
probably nicer than anything GM was using in the '50s, yet it looks
quite authentic, giving the interior a bright, airy look that is a
nice contrast to all the plain station wagon interiors you've seen.
The carpets are beautifully fitted and bound, the door panels are
rimmed correctly, and even back seat passengers will feel like
they're in first class. The dash was fully restored, painted body
color and then filled with rebuilt gauges with crisp markings. The
steering wheel was also fully restored and even the original AM
radio remains in the center of the dash. It also includes a large
cargo bay that's trimmed in matching materials and looks simply
fantastic. This is an extremely impressive wagon in every way.
The tidy-looking small block V8 is a 283 cubic incher from a 1958
that was rebuilt to stock specs, detailed for show, then dropped
into the engine bay. Completely as it was in 1955, there's a
2-barrel carburetor on top, a heavy-duty oil bath air cleaner, and
a generator to make the electricity. Chevy Orange paint on the
engine itself makes it really pop in the otherwise all-black engine
bay, and aside from a few bits of plastic wire loom, it is very
much as it would have been decades ago. Standard exhaust manifolds
lead to a nice-sounding dual exhaust system, one of the car's few
modifications, but who wants a Chevy that doesn't sound like one?
The 2-speed PowerGlide automatic transmission was rebuilt and
reinstalled, while the original rear end hangs out back on stock
leaf springs. The undercarriage is clean, but it wasn't totally
disassembled and restored; after all, this was a car that was built
to drive and why mess it up by chasing perfection? It starts
easily, idles well, and runs like a V8 Chevy should, with plenty of
pep and great road manners when you're on the highway. Those big
17-inch Torque Thrusts give it an awesome look, and they carry fat
245/45/17 performance radials that make the car feel nimble.
This is a gorgeous car that's built right. Easy to drive, beautiful
to look at, and eminently practical, it's the wagon you want if
driving is what you enjoy most. Call today!
