Body Off Restored Bel Air Convertible EFI LS2 V8 4 Speed Automatic PS A/C

1953 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 Additional Info:

SUMMARY

Looking to kick 2017 off in a super sharp cruiser that you can parade down Main Street and park at local cruise nights? Looking for a cool piece of Americana that'll turn heads anywhere it goes? If you're in the market for some vintage metal that's stylish, powerful and has lots of history, who says you have to buy a stuffy, high maintenance trailer queen? Just pick up the phone, call your friends at RK Motors Charlotte and we'll hook you up with a great car like this awesome Chevy Bel Air! Wrapping a modern LS2/4-speed drivetrain in striking red and white aesthetics, this slick weekender draws big crowds and big compliments. And if you're one of the many enthusiasts looking for a fun classic that's unrelentingly cool, it's your ticket to car guy nirvana!

BODYWORK/TRIM

The beneficiary of a ground-up restoration that's aged exceptionally well, this low-slung drop-top wears a striking combination of red and white 2-stage that walks the fine line between classy Chevy cruisers and legendary Chevy muscle cars. At the front of its well-maintained panels, a heavy grille hangs bullet-style marker lamps between a mirrored bumper, ornate Chevrolet badging and modern tri-bar headlights. Behind that grille, a stainless-trimmed hood props a swept ornament in front of chrome-trimmed glass that's capped by bright white canvas. At the sides of that hood, a voluptuous profile founds polished rocker guards beneath small mirrors, guarded door handles and requisite Bel Air banners. And at the back of that profile, a second mirrored bumper anchors factory guards between polished exhaust tips, LED taillights and more ornate badging that's upfitted with a small camera.

ENGINE

In keeping with unspoken tradition, this Bel Air proudly sports a spry Chevy small block. That said; it's probably not quite the small block you're expecting. Lift the car's domed hood and you'll find the forerunner to virtually all the technology still featured in Chevrolet sports cars: GM's potent Gen IV LS2. The rowdy mill utilizes 364 cubic inches to twist buff 10.9 to 1 compression into an even 400 horsepower and 400 lb./ft. of Oak-shaking torque. And despite consistently delivering track-blistering, low-end performance, it revs to 6,500 RPM and can drive like a commuter car! Up top, custom, color-keyed fuel rail covers feature tailored branding. Up front, a beefy K&N air tube feeds a F.A.S.T. Big Mouth LT throttle body that's bolted to a composite GM intake. At the sides of the block, familiar 243 heads floods ceramic-coated headers that ensure all of GM's from-the-factory performance sounds good and breathes well. Cooling comes courtesy of a chrome-capped radiator, which centers spry puller fans amid corrugated piping. AC Delco plug wires join stainless hoses, polished fluid reservoirs and a polished CPP master cylinder to provide top notch drivability. And, aesthetically, the aluminum V8 looks fantastic seated in polished hardware and a smooth, body-matched frame.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Naturally, that modern, road-ready powerplant precedes a modernized, road-ready chassis. Everything starts with sturdy Art Morrison bones, which trace highly polished floors. At the center of those bones, a tough 700R4 4-speed makes excellent use of a dressed driveshaft, which twists a chrome-capped 10-bolt axle. That road-ready pumpkin drives a fully reimagined suspension, which mixes sturdy coil-over-shocks with dual sway bars and sturdy aluminum control arms. Turns come courtesy of power rack-and-pinion steering. Solid stops occur when red Corvette calipers squeeze four vented rotors. Aluminized exhaust pipes spent gases through throaty Flowmaster Hushpower IIs. And all that proven hardware rolls on American Racing Torq Thrust IIs, which spin 235/40ZR18 Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR redlines in front of 285/40ZR18 Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR redlines.

INTERIOR

The warm and welcoming interior is a freshened take on classic boomtown, America, complete with tight leather, tasteful chrome and streamlined digital telemetry. The red and white cockpit is centered on big, heavily bolstered seats that feature full power adjustment for the car's driver. At the sides of those seats, 2-tone door panels hang billet handles between power-operated windows, mirrored frames and classy trim. At the bottom of those panels, vivid carpet floats a custom console beneath a booted Lokar shifter, modern Kenwood audio and big Pioneer kick speakers. At the front of the car, a glossy, "Chevrolet" branded dash founds hardware for Vintage Air climate control above snazzy billet foot pedals. In front of the driver, a 2-tone steering wheel, its design donated by golden era Impalas, laps a polished, tilting column. And behind the cockpit, a carefully massaged trunk features plenty of room to showcase trophies.

This dynamic drop-top is some of the coolest metal on the planet! As it sits, the car offers the best of both worlds: a solid cruiser, and a unique classic that sets itself apart from virtual acres of brightly colored pony cars and overwrought land yachts. We don't often feature first generation Bel Airs, and given the attention this classic draws in our showroom, it probably won't last long!