Vehicle Description
SUMMARY
2-owner car
The beneficiary of a professional body-off restoration that was
completed in 2011
350 cubic inch Chevrolet Performance crate engine / 330
horsepower
Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed automatic transmission
Vintage Air conditioning / Custom Autosound audio
Power rack-and-pinion steering / Power front disc and rear drum
brakes
PPG paint / Professionally re-plated chrome
3.08 rear gears
15-inch wheels / '50s Oldsmobile hub caps
Sale includes restoration photos
If you follow our email blasts, you probably know all about the
LS1-powered Bel Air resto-mod
http://www.rkmotorscharlotte.com/sales/inventory/active/1956-Chevrolet-Bel-Air/135557
we featured a few months ago for $129,900. Sure, it's nice. But
what about folks who want something a bit more traditional? Fear
not, RK Motors Charlotte has a car for them too! The beneficiary of
a professional body-off, nut-and-bolt restoration, this super slick
sedan is a high quality tri-five that you can invest in, drive
around and win some serious trophies with. Featuring an equal
emphasis on show and go, it wraps a fresh GM crate motor and a
proven Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed in decidedly formal aesthetics
to create one seriously cool cruiser! If you've been searching for
a striking '50s showpiece, but want something that's a heck of a
lot classier that some trendy hot rod, this spectacular Chevy's
excellent combination of vintage style and ubiquitous performance
simply can't be beat!
BODYWORK/TRIM
This exceptionally clean tri-five is a no-compromises build that
combines everything great about '50s Americana with a timeless
appearance and modern drivetrain components. Originally sold
through Beasley-Cross Chevrolet of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and
still residing with its second owner, the car rolled in to
Mooresville, North Carolina's Chewning's Unlimited for a detailed
restoration that wrapped sometime in 2011. Once its tall body
panels were returned to their rock-solid factory appearance, its
ripple-free profile was blanketed in $30K worth of crisp black and
white 2-stage. And today, this sultry street queen mixes the visual
punch of a classic Ferrari with the visual swank of a vintage
Cadillac!
Naturally, this Chevy's quality PPG pigment reflects a roster of
first rate detailing that includes all-new tinted glass and chrome
that was professionally re-plated by Keystone Corporation of
Buffalo, New York. At the front of the car, a triple-plated bumper
hangs triple-plated guards below a chrome grille, clear parking
lamps, chrome-covered headlights and a showroom-fresh Chevrolet
crest. At the sides of that crest, classic tri-five stainless is
complemented by guarded door handles and Bel Air-exclusive quarter
scripts. Beneath that stainless, dent-free rocker guards combine
with optional wheel skirts and thin door trim to lend a finished
look to the car's classy profile. At the top of that profile,
ornate fender toppers and a requisite jetbird hood ornament lead
the eye to spotless stainless trim, which reflects trick mirrors,
polished wipers, polished visors and a factory antenna. And at the
back of the car, a second triple-plated bumper hangs a classic
Continental Kit between polished exhaust pipes, blue dot taillights
and a second showroom-fresh Chevrolet crest.
ENGINE
Pop the hood and you'll find a 350 cubic inch, high-output crate
engine that, according to Chevrolet Performance, twists stout 9 to
1 compression into a nice, round 330 horsepower. Revs are created
when a polished and louvered air cleaner floats wind in to a 600
cfm Holley, complete with an electronic choke, which feeds a
polished Edelbrock intake. At the perimeter of that intake, 64cc
Vortec heads seat stamped steel rocker arms between coated
Sanderson headers, polished Chevrolet rocker covers and polished
breathers. Behind those breathers, a familiar HEI distributor
shoots spark through pliable plug wires with the help of a
Duntov-inspired cam. That cam spins in unison with aluminum
pistons, powdered connecting rods and a nodular iron crank. At the
front of that crank, traditional V-belts twist billet pulleys
which, along with chrome brackets, float a polished alternator, an
aluminum water pump and a chrome AC compressor above modern power
steering. In front of those ancillaries, old school horns center a
fab-ed and polished radiator on a large puller fan. And, despite
being a thoroughly modern piece, the Chevy Orange mill looks right
at home in the car's glossy engine compartment.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Park this Chevy on a lift and you'll find solid floors that, along
with the car's Gloss Black frame, sport a restoration-fresh
appearance. At the center of those floors, a dressed
Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed makes good use of a factory-spec rear
end that's rebuilt with mild, 3.08 gears. That road-ready pumpkin
drives a fully rebuilt, factory-spec suspension. Turns come
courtesy of modern power rack-and-pinion steering. Solid stops
occur when a modern brake booster squeezes power to big front
calipers and big rear drums. Aluminized exhaust pipes funnel spent
gases through throaty Dynomax mufflers and polished stainless tips.
And all that premium hardware rolls on simple steelies, which spin
225/70R15 Uniroyal Tiger Paw whitewalls around '50s Oldsmobile hub
caps.
INTERIOR
Featuring stunning Black and White surfacing, this tri-five's
elegant interior is one of its most impressive traits. At the
center of the car, firm bench seats wear a taut combination of
cloth and vinyl skin that's highlighted by chrome hardware and
silver piping. On the doors, 2-tone panels, which almost look
custom, hang chrome handles, stainless trim and sculpted armrests
beneath body-matched toppers. At the floor, fresh carpet looks as
crisp as the day it came out of the box thanks to rugged rubber
mats. At the front of that carpet, a polished dash hangs
bowtie-branded gauges between an old school Guide traffic light
viewer, Custom Autosound audio and controls for the car's Vintage
Air climate system. The driver stays connected to the road through
a polished and half-wrapped steering wheel, which spins a
bowtie-branded horn button around a tilting Ididit column. And the
passengers stow their essentials in a fully restored trunk that
anchors a second spare tire opposite a color-keyed fire
extinguisher and a Custom Autosound CD changer.
OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION
Restoration photos
From the show to the strip, this impressive Bel Air is poised to
draw a crowd. It's a highly desirable tri-five that's been
carefully restored with all of the right stuff to be one serious
head turner. If you've been dreaming of the perfect blend of
classic design and old school style, wake up! It's time to claim
your car.