1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Gets First Wash in 20 Years, Looks Brand-New

I must admit I was pretty excited to see this happen because the body looked to be in pretty good condition under all that dust. The owner promised he would document the process of getting this Bel Air up and running again, starting with a proper cleaning, and he delivered. Yay!

It's actually more of a hosing down than a thorough car wash-style cleaning, but hey, it's enough to reveal what goes around under all that dust that settled over two decades of storage. And it all looks surprisingly good.

Sure there are a few minor cracks in the paint around the window trim and I spotted something similar around the engine hood, but other than that, the finish is in solid condition. The same goes for the chrome elements, which should look as good as new with a bit of polishing. Save for a few minor details, this 1957 Bel Air looks brand-new.

And that's a good reason to celebrate, because long-term storage is usually not very kind to metal and paint, especially when it comes to cars built in the 1950s. But the fact that this car was restored at some point in the past helped it survive 20 years in a garage without noticeable damage.

The engine bay needs a bit of cleaning too, but not of the water hose variety. Actually, this job is more about detailing than washing and it probably won't take long for the block and the air cleaner to regain their luster.

The 4.6-liter small-block V8 isn't running just yet, but it looks like it could start with a bit of work. Hopefully we'll get to hear it purr really soon.

The video also includes some cool bonus footage, starting with a 1950s Studebaker clean-up in the beginning. Toward the end you'll see a couple of nicely restored classics, including a 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible and a 1966 Pontiac GTO. Classic muscle car weekends are the best!