Stunning frame-off restoration with upgrades. 283 Power Pack V8, PowerGlide automatic. Power steering, upgraded power front disc brakes, A/C, modern stereo. Highly detailed and ready to run. An exceptional ’57 Chevy that does everything well.

There isn’t much left to say about the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. It’s an icon, a part of American history, and a symbol of everything great about the 1950s. They remain on many collectors’ wish lists and pictures of 1957 Chevys adorn the walls of garages around the world. If there’s one car that resonates with almost everyone, it’s a bright red ’57 Chevy ragtop. Fortunately, owning this icon is easy thanks to a very high-quality restoration finished about five years ago. The goal was to create the ultimate ’57 Chevy that still looked, acted, and felt like the real deal. That meant no modern chassis, no LS motor, no custom interior, but rather a few well-chosen enhancements that make the car better to drive without erasing its soul. It’s finished in Matador Red, which is the car’s original color, and it is exactly the right shade for a ’57. Iconic. Paint and bodywork are extremely well done and it shows very well with even body gaps and laser-straight quarters. There are no exterior modifications, although it does sport a few accessories like the dual antennas, continental kit, and fender skirts, but who doesn’t love a fully dressed Bel Air? This is a beautifully finished car.

Exterior notes: Excellent throughout. If you look really hard, maybe you’ll find a small mark, but overall the car presents in outstanding condition. Beautiful chrome and trim, nice panel fit. No demerits to mention.

Inside it remains 1957, including the funky two-tone upholstery with silver inserts, black carpets, and correct reproduction door panels. The dashboard is as the factory made it as well, including factory speedometer, temperature, and fuel level gauges plus a string of warning lights above, and they all work. A trio of auxiliary gauges were added down low to give you a better perspective of what’s going on under the hood, and the A/C system is subtle, using factory-style sliders for operation. The original AM radio is still in the dash, but it has been superseded by an AM/FM/CD head unit hidden under the seat. Even the steering wheel has been subtly modified, offering a slightly smaller diameter and thicker rim to feel more comfortable, and with power steering, that giant original wheel wasn’t needed anyway. Seat belts were added for safety and there are red rubber mats protecting the floors. Everything you can see or touch is new, including the white power convertible top, which fits beautifully and stows under a matching red boot. The trunk is correctly outfitted with a rubber mat, and despite the continental kit, there’s a matching full-sized spare tire assembly and jack, just in case (it’s just not worth the hassle of removing the tire from the continental kit).

Interior notes: Everything is new. Upgraded with A/C, custom steering wheel, and stereo hidden under driver’s seat. Almost no signs of use or wear. Clock inop but may just have the fuse pulled to avoid running down the battery. Top is a little hard to latch, but it’s 55 degrees in the shop so it should be better on a warm day.
Mechanically, it doesn’t stray too far from the original recipe. The engine is a 283 cubic inch Chevy V8 dressed the way a ’57 should look: big air cleaner, Chevrolet script valve covers, and lots of Chevy Orange paint. On top there’s a big 4-barrel carburetor, which was part of the Power Pack option package, and it exhales through familiar “ram’s horn” exhaust manifolds into a great-sounding polished stainless dual exhaust system. Upgrades include an alternator, electronic ignition, and the A/C system, which includes an electric pusher fan to maximize efficiency. Factory-style power steering makes it effortless on the road, and braking has been upgraded with power front discs and a dual reservoir master cylinder for safety. It starts easily, idles properly, and has enough performance to make the big Bel Air fun to drive. The 2-speed PowerGlide automatic transmission is original equipment and it turns a set of 3.36 gears out back, making this a fine highway cruiser that’s at home almost anywhere. The chassis is highly detailed, with correct red oxide primer on the floors, satin black on the frame, and new hardware throughout. There’s a fresh gas tank hanging out back and it rides on 205/75/14 Goodyear wide whitewall radials for a modern ride with vintage looks.

Mechanical notes: Modern alternator and A/C system. Electronic ignition. Dual master cylinder with power booster and discs up front. Starts and runs properly. PowerGlide shifts cleanly. Nice ride with radials and new shocks. Someone spent a TON of time polishing the exhaust system—wow!

Extras include a shop manual, parts manual, owner’s manual, plus a massive cache of spare parts including clocks, hubcaps, filters, chrome trim, mirrors, power top pumps, steering wheel and trim ring, accessory tissue dispenser, weather seals, gaskets, and much more.

This is a superb car. The restoration cost far more than the asking price and the sensible upgrades make it a no-excuses old car that you can use in the modern world. And it retains 100% of its iconic good looks so everyone who sees it will still know it’s a 1957 Chevy. It’s not radical enough to be called a rest-mod, but the few changes they did make it a lot more user-friendly, and that was entirely the point. What a car!

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