SUMMARY

2-owner car
The beneficiary of a professional body-off restoration that was completed in 2011
350 cubic inch Chevrolet Performance crate engine / 330 horsepower
Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed automatic transmission
Vintage Air conditioning / Custom Autosound audio
Power rack-and-pinion steering / Power front disc and rear drum brakes
PPG paint / Professionally re-plated chrome
3.08 rear gears
15-inch wheels / '50s Oldsmobile hub caps
Sale includes restoration photos

If you follow our email blasts, you probably know all about the LS1-powered Bel Air resto-mod we featured a few months ago for $129,900. Sure, it's nice. But what about folks who want something a bit more traditional? Fear not, RK Motors Charlotte has a car for them too! The beneficiary of a professional body-off, nut-and-bolt restoration, this super slick sedan is a high quality tri-five that you can invest in, drive around and win some serious trophies with. Featuring an equal emphasis on show and go, it wraps a fresh GM crate motor and a proven Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed in decidedly formal aesthetics to create one seriously cool cruiser! If you've been searching for a striking '50s showpiece, but want something that's a heck of a lot classier that some trendy hot rod, this spectacular Chevy's excellent combination of vintage style and ubiquitous performance simply can't be beat!

BODYWORK/TRIM

This exceptionally clean tri-five is a no-compromises build that combines everything great about '50s Americana with a timeless appearance and modern drivetrain components. Originally sold through Beasley-Cross Chevrolet of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and still residing with its second owner, the car rolled in to Mooresville, North Carolina's Chewning's Unlimited for a detailed restoration that wrapped sometime in 2011. Once its tall body panels were returned to their rock-solid factory appearance, its ripple-free profile was blanketed in $30K worth of crisp black and white 2-stage. And today, this sultry street queen mixes the visual punch of a classic Ferrari with the visual swank of a vintage Cadillac!

Naturally, this Chevy's quality PPG pigment reflects a roster of first rate detailing that includes all-new tinted glass and chrome that was professionally re-plated by Keystone Corporation of Buffalo, New York. At the front of the car, a triple-plated bumper hangs triple-plated guards below a chrome grille, clear parking lamps, chrome-covered headlights and a showroom-fresh Chevrolet crest. At the sides of that crest, classic tri-five stainless is complemented by guarded door handles and Bel Air-exclusive quarter scripts. Beneath that stainless, dent-free rocker guards combine with optional wheel skirts and thin door trim to lend a finished look to the car's classy profile. At the top of that profile, ornate fender toppers and a requisite jetbird hood ornament lead the eye to spotless stainless trim, which reflects trick mirrors, polished wipers, polished visors and a factory antenna. And at the back of the car, a second triple-plated bumper hangs a classic Continental Kit between polished exhaust pipes, blue dot taillights and a second showroom-fresh Chevrolet crest.

ENGINE

Pop the hood and you'll find a 350 cubic inch, high-output crate engine that, according to Chevrolet Performance, twists stout 9 to 1 compression into a nice, round 330 horsepower. Revs are created when a polished and louvered air cleaner floats wind in to a 600 cfm Holley, complete with an electronic choke, which feeds a polished Edelbrock intake. At the perimeter of that intake, 64cc Vortec heads seat stamped steel rocker arms between coated Sanderson headers, polished Chevrolet rocker covers and polished breathers. Behind those breathers, a familiar HEI distributor shoots spark through pliable plug wires with the help of a Duntov-inspired cam. That cam spins in unison with aluminum pistons, powdered connecting rods and a nodular iron crank. At the front of that crank, traditional V-belts twist billet pulleys which, along with chrome brackets, float a polished alternator, an aluminum water pump and a chrome AC compressor above modern power steering. In front of those ancillaries, old school horns center a fab-ed and polished radiator on a large puller fan. And, despite being a thoroughly modern piece, the Chevy Orange mill looks right at home in the car's glossy engine compartment.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Park this Chevy on a lift and you'll find solid floors that, along with the car's Gloss Black frame, sport a restoration-fresh appearance. At the center of those floors, a dressed Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed makes good use of a factory-spec rear end that's rebuilt with mild, 3.08 gears. That road-ready pumpkin drives a fully rebuilt, factory-spec suspension. Turns come courtesy of modern power rack-and-pinion steering. Solid stops occur when a modern brake booster squeezes power to big front calipers and big rear drums. Aluminized exhaust pipes funnel spent gases through throaty Dynomax mufflers and polished stainless tips. And all that premium hardware rolls on simple steelies, which spin 225/70R15 Uniroyal Tiger Paw whitewalls around '50s Oldsmobile hub caps.

INTERIOR

Featuring stunning Black and White surfacing, this tri-five's elegant interior is one of its most impressive traits. At the center of the car, firm bench seats wear a taut combination of cloth and vinyl skin that's highlighted by chrome hardware and silver piping. On the doors, 2-tone panels, which almost look custom, hang chrome handles, stainless trim and sculpted armrests beneath body-matched toppers. At the floor, fresh carpet looks as crisp as the day it came out of the box thanks to rugged rubber mats. At the front of that carpet, a polished dash hangs bowtie-branded gauges between an old school Guide traffic light viewer, Custom Autosound audio and controls for the car's Vintage Air climate system. The driver stays connected to the road through a polished and half-wrapped steering wheel, which spins a bowtie-branded horn button around a tilting Ididit column. And the passengers stow their essentials in a fully restored trunk that anchors a second spare tire opposite a color-keyed fire extinguisher and a Custom Autosound CD changer.

OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION

Restoration photos

From the show to the strip, this impressive Bel Air is poised to draw a crowd. It's a highly desirable tri-five that's been carefully restored with all of the right stuff to be one serious head turner. If you've been dreaming of the perfect blend of classic design and old school style, wake up! It's time to claim your car.