1956 Chevrolet Bel Air

Description

Looking through our archives, you'll see an awful lot of '55 and '57 Chevys have come through our doors, but only a handful of '56s. Why that is, we can't say, but when cars as nice as this two-tone Bel Air hardtop roll in, we definitely pay attention!

If not for the stance and the flashy Rally wheels, this car could pass at a glance for a fairly stock car. The two-tone paint job is superbly done, with appropriate colors that are very close to what the factory used, with the green portions being pretty close to Sherwood Green, albeit with a bit more metallic than the original. Plenty of effort went into the body, although it appears that this car has led a good life and fits together quite well today. Gaps and alignment are quite good and to get a Tri-Five Chevy to look this good when it's done means lots of assembly, disassembly, and reassembly to get all that shiny trim to line up just right. The '56s are perhaps the purest of the shoebox Chevys, with a long, sleek look that makes them look more imposing that the earlier cars and more mature and restrained than the bright '57s. Perhaps it's that long spear that runs along the front of the body or the relatively smooth fins that hadn't yet peaked, but this is one sleek-looking Chevy. The bumpers hug the body and give it a very slick look, and thanks to a small fortune being spent on chrome and trim, it all glitters like new.

The two-tone continues inside with a wonderfully restored interior that captures the 1950s feel with a few modern improvements. Starting with the seats, they're wearing reproduction seat covers that look quite original. The carpets have been chosen to work with the green color scheme and beautiful door panels round it out. Matching Sherwood Green paint on the dash frames the original instrument panel, which is full of original gauges, plus a pair of modern dials underneath. The speedo has stopped working, which just happened as the car was being delivered, but otherwise, the gauges all work correctly. It uses a stock steering wheel, which is a good thing because it's arguably one of the best-looking helms to ever come out of Detroit, and there's a traditional chrome shifter for the 4-speed manual transmission. An AM/FM stereo radio lives in the center of the dash and was installed neatly enough to require no cutting and still sounds great. In back, the trunk is finished with correct rubber mats and includes a correct jack assembly that's just waiting for a correct spare tire to complete the look.

Under the hood you will find a Chevrolet small block 327 V8, which is a natural choice in any vintage bowtie. Lots of chrome and color accents work with an engine that was built to cruise. There's an Edelbrock intake manifold and carburetor, as well as finned valve covers and matching air cleaner, so it's got plenty of performance to match the handsome good looks. There's also a modern alternator to make the juice and an MSD ignition system to light it all up. Standard cast iron exhaust manifolds dump into a true dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers and the chassis is almost as clean as the bodywork up top, highlighted by body-colored floors. 15-inch Rally wheels are dressed up with spinners and protected by 235/70/15 BFGoodrich T/A radials.

Every bit as nice as it looks in photos, this wonderful Bel Air offers the best qualities of not only yesterday and today, but of the Tri-Five Chevys as well. Call now!