DOTS - Ladue, Missouri

"superdave847" (superdave847) 01/26/2020 at 11:53 • Filed to: Chevrolet Bel Air

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11

Beautiful even with the patina:

I love seeing an original looking coupe driving around without collector’s plates . I can’t tell if it’s a 1955 or 1956 though—thoughts?

WilliamsSW > superdave847 01/26/2020 at 12:07

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It’s a 56. Lovely colors that you don’t see often.

WilliamsSW > superdave847 01/26/2020 at 12:11

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Oh and it’s a 6 cylinder, or at least was originally 

XJDano > superdave847 01/26/2020 at 12:14

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55: two separate trim pieces;  grill is circular with body color around it

56: trim from door, front, all the way back; grill is all the way wide across, body color ends at hood

57: trim front to back; grill with two bullets on either side. 

superdave847 > XJDano 01/26/2020 at 12:19

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Thanks!

lone_liberal > superdave847 01/26/2020 at 12:23

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I really like 56s. They have a bit more 50s style than the 55 but don’t go as heavy with it as  the 57.

WilliamsSW > XJDano 01/26/2020 at 12:24

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The trim description works for the Bel Air, the lower trims varied a bit more ( especially the 150- a 57 150 has similar side trim to a 55)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > superdave847 01/26/2020 at 12:39

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‘56 I believe!

ranwhenparked > lone_liberal 01/26/2020 at 12:55

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Yep, perfect sweet spot between the two. God, GM got these cars so perfectly right for the time and market.

fintail > superdave847 01/26/2020 at 13:38

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I am glad the originality movement exists - better in terms of economics and preservation.

56 was a pretty ideal design, racy in its own way, not as baroque as a 57.

superdave847 > fintail 01/26/2020 at 14:06

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I go back and forth--in my view it really depends on the cars condition.

fintail > superdave847 01/26/2020 at 14:17

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As long as it is relatively sanitary and roadworthy, I am cool with it. Even mediocre restorations are so expensive today, and on most older cars, can cost far more than the value of the restored car, while losing character in the process. For relatively common or lower value old cars, I’d find it hard to want to restore. I’d have to come into a lot of money to want to restore my own old car.