Incredible opportunity to acquire this 1956 Chevrolet Belair Convertible
1956 Chevrolet Belair Convertible
Factory convertible not a conversion
Clean Driver ready to be enjoyed without the burden of being a show car
The good, the bad, the ugly and the story!
The good:
Mechanical restoration
New brass 4 core radiator
Edlebrock 4-barrel carburetor, mechanical advance, new old stock
New Pertronix electronic ignition
New Distributor cap
New spark plug wires
New mechanical advance
New coil
New water pump
New hoses and clamps
New 160* thermostat
Complete flush of engine
Fresh oil and filter change
New Oldsmobile air cleaner
New mechanical fuel pump
New fuel line
New voltage regulator
Complete new stock wiring harness
New halogen h4 headlight assemblies
3 speed transmission
New engine mounts
New dual exhaust
New speedometer cable
New old stock steering column
New steering linkage bushings
Excellent ball joints and suspension components
New 15” steering wheel and accessories
New brake cylinders and lines
New master cylinder
New Diamondback wide white wall radial tires
Cosmetic Restoration
New white convertible top
New black convertible liner
New vinyl two tone interior with new seat foam
New door panels two tone
New rear trim panels
New teal carpet and matching floor mats
5 new teal original style seatbelts
New chrome bumpers and guards front and back
New bumper mounting brackets
New chrome front grille assembly
New chrome driving light assemblies and trim
New chrome hood strip
New chrome tail light assemblies
New chrome driver and passenger mirrors
New chrome door handles
New chrome interior door handles
New chrome antenna bezel
New power top pump
New power top cylinders
New power top lines
New power top switch oem switch!
The bad:
Horn is inoperable
New radiator came dented in the box. Vendor would not replace
Front driving lite bulbs not installed
Speedometer cable not installed
Fuel and temp gauge inoperable
Interior chrome trim around windshield is original and lightly pitted
Glass chrome surrounds are original and pitted
Passenger front fender has rust please see pictures
Trunk floor was replaced by previous owner; it is solid but not pretty
Floor was repaired by previous owner; it is solid but not pretty
Stock radio does not function
Glove box cardboard not present
Windshield wiper motor not installed
The ugly:
The body is an amateur restoration of a good clean straight car
The floor was repaired in certain sections which is common to a convertible
The trunk floor was repaired as well. The workmanship is solid but not concourse
The paint shines well but there are many flaws such as
1) Door jamb bottoms show wear
2) Paint cracking on passenger side hood
3) Paint chipped at leading edge of trunk
4) Small dent on lower passenger quarter panel
5) General wear of painted surfaces
6) Original stainless trim in fair condition
7) Original hubcaps in fair condition
8) Original visors in fair condition
9) Original convertible top hardware is pitted but mechanically sound
10)Original top frame is in good condition paint is ok not great
The story:
This Chevy was purchased for my sister and brother-in-law in September of last year. The car was complete and a good candidate for a great daily driver and a convertible to be enjoyed not locked up in a museum. We proceeded to give the car a mechanical and cosmetic restoration with the following premise. Keep the Chevy super reliable, super simple, and really pretty. The stock 265 V8 engine ran great however in the spirit of our premise we replaced anything that could give trouble. We elected to add Pertronix electronic ignition and a n.o.s. Edlebrock carburetor for stone cold reliable starting and running. New radiator, water pump, hoses, clamps. New fuel pump and lines. Ready for ethanol fuel. New 160* thermostat. We flushed engine both cooling system and fuel. We flushed the cooling system by running water continuously until system flowed clear. Standard oil change with rotella oil and new filter. We added a spin on oil filter adapter for convenient oil changes rather than the original canister. We sourced new diamondback radial white wall tires. We dialed in the suspension with new steering bushings and alignment. We added a new original style complete wiring harness. Complete wiring harness, like every wire. We did not add the two leads to the front driving lamps. We did however add new H4 headlamp assemblies and LED tail lamp assemblies.
The cosmetic restoration includes a new vinyl interior and top. The original interior showed excessive wear and the top was not in the best condition. The vinyl interior was chosen so as to not to worry about the children jumping around inside. We added 5 new seatbelts to keep the children from jumping around.
We added new chrome all around including the bumpers, bumper guards, front grille, driving lights, driving light bezels, front fender trim, door handles, added drivers and passenger mirrors. New chrome tail lamp assemblies. New chrome interior handles, antenna bezel, hood trim and more. New door panels too!
The power top switch took 5 months to source as it was on a national backorder. The steering wheel also was on a national back order. We painted the n.o.s. steering column and wheel to match the interior.
The car was originally a 3-speed manual shift car. That is why we added the automatic column. The 3-speed column just does not work well with an automatic transmission. The 3speed automatic was previously installed and shifts exceptionally.
The New convertible top was further enhanced with a new convertible top pump, lines, and cylinders as to not have any problems for years to come.
What holds this car back? A great paint job. Replace the passenger front fender, a finer job with the trunk floor sheet metal. Please see pictures.
What makes this Chevy great? This Belair was built to enjoy, to drive in the rain, leave outside for the night, go to Walmart and not worry about a door ding. This Chevy is built to create memories, to enjoy with your family and not worry about car show mavens critical of the build. The vinyl interior can take a drive through hamburger and ice cream! You know what I mean! Its about fun!
Why are we selling something so nice? Shit happens. Sister needs the money. Period the end. It was a great idea at the time, reality is we got bills to pay. A year of restoration and now you get to jump the line and enjoy the benefits. I will add youtube videos of the engine and driving the car.
Buyers are welcome to inspect the car from this Saturday to the end of auction
The Chevy is sold without any warranties, as is where is
Clean Florida title ready to go
Transportation by others
The reserve is ultra low as Sister needs to move on.
The car will sell
The time is now!
Don’t waste my time. $5000.00 deposit within 24 hours of auction end. Full payment within 7 days.
We will FedEx title and bill of sale. You arrange shipping and title transfer.
I may be reached at 954-605-2835 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm or frank@sheridanlumber.com
Please email me to receive a link to a shared photo and video album
Ask the questions. See the video, look at the pictures.
Good luck!