Truly remarkable survivor/barn find. Easy restoration or good driver.

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 Bel Air Additional Info:

Dear Ebay Motors, I am 60 yrs. old. Some of my car buddies say there are no more one owner, California black plate,all original barn finds anymore. Please tell me the truth, are there?
Dear Mr. O'Hanlon, your car buddies are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. Yes,there are still barn finds. Alas! How dreary would Ebay Motors be if there were no more barn finds!
A month or so ago I got a call from my cousin Steve. He said it was time to pull Bertha 55 (Named after the original owner Bertha York)out of storage after 43 yearsand send her down the road.
Bertha 55 was bought new in Ukiah. California by Steve's Wife's Grandmother and lived in Ukiah its whole life. It has 44390 original miles on her.
When the original owner (Bertha) passed away in 1974 the car was put in a barn for storage. When it was put awaythe engine was treated with fogging oil to protect it.
The car was subsequently towed to my shop where we prepped it for sale on Ebay Motors. The engine was flushed and the oil was changed. All fluids were checked and changed or added as needed.
The ignition points were cleaned and adjusted. Also, the carburetor was taken apart and cleaned. (it looked great inside) After that we added a battery and an outboard motor fuel tank to the fuel pump to be able to test drive the car. The smell coming from the original tank wasn't that great. It needs the tank cleaned out or replaced.
Three cranks on the starter and she fired up. It smoked some from the fogging oil and has settled down after running the car for an hour or so. The lifters were also a little noisy on initial fire up and still can be slightly heard.
Next in line after the fire up was the brakes. When the wheels were pulled you could see it had just had a brake jobbefore being parked. The lining were fine, but all wheel cylinders needed to be replaced which we did.
We then took the car for a drive to take photos. The car feels nice and tight almost like a new car and the power steering makes it a pleasure to drive.
The car has not been cleaned. We left it just as it came out storage. We decided it was best to leave it as is.
The car has a original ignition key and two key fobs that match the license plate it also has the original owners manual.
The only things we noticed that wern't original were the muffler and tailpipe, the Montgomery Wards tires,the brake linings and maybe the outside rear view mirror.
There is a shallow dent/scrape in the drivers door, a small dent in the front of the hood, a small dent in the reartail light housing area and a fairly large dent in the lower right front fender. The front bumper has been bent upon the passenger side.
The only item we can see missing is the air filter. It was an oil bath type. It was taken off to fog the motor and seemsto be missing. We are still searching the storage area for it and if it turns up will be included.
The upholstery is in great shape. The foam is wearing under the upholstery.
Car is available for inspection in Sonoma California. Call for appointment or with any questions. Leave message if phoneis not picked up right away we will call you back. (707)494-8555