1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Barn Find Flexes Mysterious V8 and Four-Speed Manual

This 1957 Bel Air is one of those cars that hasn't been on public roads in a very long time, but unlike many of its siblings, it got a roof over its head, and it's still in solid condition. And it looks like it may still wear its factory paint, which is downright amazing. Especially since we're talking about that iconic turquoise hue that makes the Bel Air so recognizable.

But this Tri-Five is not original all the way. It comes with a smaller, sportier steering wheel, wire wheels, and, more importantly, it's been upgraded under the hood. We know from a previous video by YouTube's "DezzysSpeedShop" that this Bel Air was hot-rodded at some point.

But it's unclear whether the small-block motivating it is a 265- or a 283-cubic-inch (4.3- or 4.6-liter) unit or something else altogether.

We also don't know the extent of the modifications, the extra oomph they send to the rear wheels, and whether the V8 is a numbers-matching unit or not. But it's safe to assume that the original V8 is long gone.

On top of that, this Bel Air rocks a four-speed manual gearbox. Chevy sold the Tri-Five with a three-speed manual on top of the automatic options available at the time.

All told, the internals of this 1957 Bel Air are pretty much a mystery. But that didn't stop the owner from getting the engine to fire up again. After more than 20 years without a sip of gasoline! What's more, he also got the Bel Air driving again.

Okay, so maybe it's not yet ready to hit the road, but a short drive in the yard is good enough after a couple of decades.

While it may not be entirely original, this Bel Air is a cool find and a solid project for restoration or more upgrades of the hot-rod variety. Both work just as good as long as this gorgeous 1957 coupe makes a comeback on public roads. See it come back to life in the video below.