1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Tudor Hardtop Streetrod Hotrod Ratrod Restoratation

Description

1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR TUDOR HARDTOP
It is my intention to describe the condition of this car in its entirety, but I strongly suggest you look thoroughly at each of the pictures and please feel welcome to contact me with any questions you may have. You can send me a message through the eBay message board, or feel welcome to give me a call - Chad - at 1-(406)403-6921. This is a solid car and a timeless classic and well worth an offer close to my asking price. The car comes complete with a clear Montana title and I will also provide a notarized Bill of Sale.
BODY/SHEET METAL/TRIM: It is important to note that, while Montana is a state with four seasons and some pretty cold and snowy winters, it has a dry climate with very low relative humidity and the highway department does not use salt on the winter roadways. That said, cars do not fall victim to the corrosive decay that you see in so many other parts of the country. The body and sheet metal are very solid with only minor repairs left to complete. I have replaced the front floor pans on both the driver's and passenger's side. The floors in the front seat and rear set areas are very solid. The valleys where the floor meets the quarters are very solid, as are the inner fender wells. The floor of the passenger compartment has all been shot with rust reformer. The trunk floor is very solid. I have replaced the rear valley area just inside the trunk lid and in front of the floor. The exterior of the body is also in great shape. Rockers, quarters and outer fender wells are very solid. When the car was built in the '70s/'80s the front clip was welded together into a one piece front end. Although the entire car was stored inside, the front clip was stored outside...paint began to fade, crack and peel. The sanding and reconditioning of the front clip has been the most recent stage of the refresh. You can see from the photos that, although the front clip is in need of a little TLC, it is very solid with no cancerous rust issues. Although they are not in the photos, the headlight buckets, bezels and trim rings are all included with the car. Also, the sheet metal below the marker lights and the splash pan beneath the radiator/grille are included and pictured in one of the photos. As for the trim, all exterior trim is present, accounted for and in great condition with the exception of the paint divider on the passenger side rear quarter panel, hood ornament, the flapper from above the passenger door glass and the trunk lock - these are missing. Front bumper and one-piece rear bumper are also there - front bumper needs to bere-chromed, while the rear is good for a nice driver. Grille is nice, straight and the chrome is decent.
INTERIOR/TRIM/GLASS: The interior of the car is very complete, but has been removed (as seen in pictures) to allow for the floor work and then clear pictures to showcase the condition of the floor. The dash is complete and in tact missing only the radio and the clock in the dash above the glove box. All the chrome windowgarnishing, headliner bows, door handles and window cranks are there and in great condition. The original 1955 Chevy rear seat is in the car, but the front seat was removed and replaced with a set of high-back bucket seats. Given the era the car was last built in, it is easy to see why the high-back buckets and the black vinyl interior (seats, door panels and headliner) were the choice. All the carpet was removed for the floor work and is in need of complete replacement. The glass is complete and in good condition.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION/REAR END: The drive train of the car is not original. The engine is a strong-running 327cid from a 1962 Chevy. Not much is know about the interior of the engine other than it runs well and seems pretty tight, stopping quickly when shut down. As for the exterior of the engine, it sports a first generation Edelbrock Torker aluminum manifold, old-school Rochestercarburetor (probably needs a rebuild kit as it has a slight flat spot in it when you really put your foot in it), finned aluminum M/T valve covers and a chrome air cleaner. The inner fender wells were removed to allow for the set of fender-well headers - man, do they sound awesome!! The fuel lines from the gas tank to the fuel pump were cut into and butchered in various places, so they have been removed and I have been running the car with anauxiliary fuel tank (not included with the sale). The transmission is a Saginaw 4spd and the original rear end has been replaced with a later model Chevrolet 12-bolt rear end. The battery seen in the photos is not included with the sale.
Again, it is my intention to have described the condition of this car in as great detail as I can. Please make sure you look at each of the photos, ask questions and ask for additional photos if you need to. Also, this car comes with a clear Montana title and I will issue a notarized Bill of Sale on official Montana DMV forms. A deposit is required upon auction close. This vehicle is being sold in "as-is/where-is" condition and no warranty/guarantee - written or implied - exists with this vehicle. Transportation is the responsibility of the buyer. Payment in full must be received before the vehicle will be released for transport. Certified check or cash in person are preferred methods of payment to avoid fees, but PayPal will also be accepted. PayPal or Credit Cardis the required means of payment for any overseas sales. Payment in full and transport of vehicle must be completed within 30 days of sale unless prior arrangements are made. Unfortunately, because of negative buyer experiences I've had in the past, vehicles left over 30 days without prior arrangements will be subject to storage fees.