Introduced in 1950 as the two-door hardtop version of the Chevrolet model range, the Bel Air morphed into a luxury trim from 1955 to 1957, when it became a design iconic. From 1958 onward, it was integrated into the Impala lineup.
This 1961 version comes from the latter era. It's a first-year model of the fifth-generation Bel Air and it's one of the best-looking sedans of its kind. Unfortunately, this specific car was neglected for several decades. Parked in 1974, only 13 years after it rolled off the assembly line, the Bel Air spent 48 years on a field.
It's a sad fate for such a beautiful classic to have, but this isn't the only 1960s Chevy that's been retired early and then abandoned. But there is some good news in this story, as YouTube's "Mortske Repair" dragged it away from its resting place, fixed the engine, and put it back on the road.
As you might have already guessed, getting the old mill running again was difficult. Engines get stuck after sitting for so long and it's usually a matter of luck to fix it without a complete rebuild. So what's this Bel Air hiding under the hood? Well, it's not one of the many V8s that Chevy offered in the early 1960s. This four-door gets its juice from an inline-six Blue Flame.
Granted, it was far from powerful compared to the even the small-block V8s of the era, but it's still an iconic engine. Introduced as early as 1941 in 235-cubic-inch (3.9-liter) form, it was made famous by the first-generation Chevy Corvette.
The six-cylinder soldiered on until 1962, but the Blue Flame was dropped after the 1958 model year. It was called the Hi-Thrift in passenger cars and the Thriftmaster in trucks. Regardless of the name, the inline-six in this Bel Air eventually came back to life and had enough oomph to push the four-door for a drive around the block.
Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that the Bel Air will get restored. While it doesn't look terrible for a car that sat outside for almost five decades, it does have rust issues and the interior is in really bad shape. As it stands right now, it's nothing more than a parts car. And since these Bel Airs aren't particularly valuable, it might not be worth restoring. Still, it's nice to see it run and drive again.
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
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