autoevolution
 

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Spent 44 Years in Storage, Hides a Surprise Under the Hood

A design icon of the 1950s, the Chevrolet Bel Air is now one of the most iconic classic cars out there. And even though it's far from rare (Chevrolet built more than two million from 1955 to 1957), the Tri-Five Bel Air is quite the expensive classic.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car 19 photos
Photo: jljj3_34/eBay
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible project car
Unrestored survivors and restored examples are known to fetch more than $100,000 in the right configuration, while vehicles in Good condition go for more than $50K. What's more, enthusiasts are now rushing to pay good money for examples that need to be put back together and restored after decades in storage. This 1955 drop-top is one of those cars.

Once an eye-catching convertible, this Bel Air was parked in a garage back in 1978. But unlike some barn finds we see these days, it's not an unrestored survivor. Based on the way it looks, this Bel Air was retired to receive a much-needed refresh.

It's been stripped off of all chrome content, and it had many of its interior bits removed. On top of that, most body panels were finished in primer. Yup, this car was prepared for restoration, but for some reason, the owner never got around to finishing the job.

After some 44 years in storage, the 1955 Bel Air comes with a trunkful of parts and a body that appears to be in good condition. The seller describes the car as "mostly free of rust," but there's no info as to how complete it is.

The original color of this Bel Air is also a mystery. While it has traces of red and white paint under the primer, the dashboard is green. Since Chevrolet did not offer a red-over-green combo, this drop-top probably left the factory in green and white.

While classics that have been sitting for so long usually come with a numbers-matching engine, this Bel Air had a heart transplant before it was parked back in 1978. There's no word on whether it rolled off the assembly line with a Blue Flame inline-six or a small-block V8, but we do know that it got a 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8.

Sourced from a "1973 Chevy Van," the engine mates to an automatic transmission and does not run.

But despite being an unfinished project that will require an impressive amount of cash to restore, the drop-top is getting a lot of attention on eBay. Auctioned off by "jljj3_34" at no reserve, the Tri-Five attracted 23 bids and $17,100 as of this writing, with two more days to go.

That's a lot of dough for a Bel Air in this condition, but it's far from shocking given that prices have skyrocketed in recent years. What's more, convertible models are now almost as desirable as the Nomad wagons. Because even though Chevrolet built more than 42,000 of them in 1955, only a few are still on the road in 2022.

What do you think? Is this Bel Air drop-top worth restoring? Has the market gone crazy with enthusiasts willing to pay almost $20K for a project car? Let me know in the comments.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories