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1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Escapes Captivity With an Unexpected V8 Under the Hood

If there’s something to love about barn finds, it’s how unexpected some of the cars that end up getting back on the road actually are, especially because in many cases, they are old iconic models that were believed to be long gone.
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 15 photos
Photo: eBay seller frenchwgwest
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For example, the car we’re highlighting today, and which has recently been pulled from storage, is a 1957 Bel Air that comes with no visible sign of rust, which means it has been properly preserved during all these years.

And according to eBay seller frenchwgwest, this is exactly the case, as the owner of the Bel Air has been trying to keep the car in a running condition, possibly starting the engine regularly despite the vehicle sitting in storage.

So the engine started right up when it finally got to see daylight again, though there’s something that needs to be mentioned here.

The engine under the hood is no longer the original one, as we’re being told that power comes from a 350 (5.7-liter) unit paired with a 4-speed manual transmission.

Part of the second-generation Bel Air, the 1957 model indeed introduced a new V8, but it was only a 283 (4.6-liter) V8 developing 283 horsepower. The 350 obviously wasn’t part of the Bel Air lineup, so a previous owner performed an engine swap at some point for a reason that hasn’t been disclosed.

The odometer indicates close to 25,000 miles (a little over 40,000 km), but of course, given the original engine is no longer there, there’s a chance this isn’t necessarily relevant.

So overall, this Bel Air looks captivating, there’s no doubt about it, but a visual inspection is more than recommended, especially given the engine swap. If the original engine is no longer there, who knows what else has been modified, so clearly, checking out every little detail on this Bel Air is the right way to go.

An iconic model like it obviously couldn’t escape unnoticed, so the eBay auction has already received 29 bids at the time of writing. The top offer is $18,000, but the reserve is yet to be met.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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