Mild period custom with a great stance and colors. Upgraded 250 cubic inch inline-6 and TH350 3-speed automatic transmission. Nice paint and bodywork, traditional Indian blanket interior. No frills, just a cool old-school custom ready to cruise.

This cool-looking 1953 Chevy offers a few choice upgrades that don’t do anything to dilute its wonderful 1950s personality. There’s still an inline six under the hood, the steering is factory-issue, and aside from a few customizing tricks like shaved emblems, it remains very much as it was built. Of course, two-tone combinations work quite well on these cars and the Bel Air trim gives it a dressed-up look, especially with the white insert in the quarter panel. Aside from a few minor deletions like the hood ornament and trunk emblem, it still carries all its factory brightwork although the grille has a few extra teeth that makes it stand out. Paint quality is good—not show-quality but certainly ready for the local cruise scene where it will be popular. Fit and finish are quite good and when you look close, you’ll also find nice tricks like the frenched power antenna and side-mounted “peep” mirror. The sheetmetal is in excellent shape with no signs of bondo abuse or half-hearted work, and the doors close rather well. Factory glass has the right Sof-Ray tint for the 1950s and all the lenses and emblems are in good order. This is a car you can get in and enjoy right away.

The interior sticks to the basics: bench seats and no frills, just like in 1953. We presume the original upholstery is underneath those color-matched blankets, but they fit so well and are so well secured to the seat frames that we didn’t want to tear them off to check. The seats themselves are firm and comfortable, suggesting someone has already been in there to freshen things up, and the black carpets are virtually new. The dash was painted to match the bodywork and still uses all the factory instruments, which seem to work properly. The clock is, of course, off line and there is no radio at the moment, but that’s easy to rectify with the 12-volt electrical system (and there are two USB ports along with a cigarette lighter power port). The original manual transmission gearshift now manages the TH350 3-speed automatic, so you’ll have to get familiar with the feel when you drop it into gear, but that’s easy. The steering wheel is also in nice shape, and the fact that this car has so few upgrades means that it’ll be reliable and easy to maintain—nothing worse than hot rods with broken door poppers and power windows that jam. The massive trunk shows off super clean original sheetmetal with no issues, not even in the spare tire well.

While this car originally sported a 216 cubic inch version of the famous “Stovebolt Six,” there’s now a 250 cubic inch version living under the hood. With considerably more power, full pressure oiling, and a number of other upgrades, this engine provides a period feel with modern performance. Who needs a V8? It’s still fed by a single downdraft carburetor and the ignition is complements of a modern GM HEI system that lights it off quickly and easily. There’s also a 12-volt alternator, new wiring harness, and a twin pot power master cylinder for safety. It runs cool and pulls well, particularly with the TH350’s gearing. Out back there’s a GM 10-bolt with highway-friendly gears and this car will cruise happily at 65-70 MPH all day. Steering is still manual but manageable (remember these cars were designed with manual steering and women drove them when they were new) and the stance comes complements of a set of Fatman Fabrications drop spindles. There’s also a newer exhaust system, tube shocks, and a brand new gas tank hanging out back. Custom Diamondback wide whitewall radials on steel wheels with simple center caps complete the period custom look.

Clean, easy to maintain, fun to drive, and quite affordable, this Chevy delivers everything you’d want in an old car without the hassles. Add a few upgrades of your own and enjoy this car at just about any event, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the reception it gets anywhere it goes. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.