1956 Chevy Belair "El Camino" No Reserve Auction!

Price: - Item location: Lewes, Delaware, United States
Description:

1956 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 El Camino

1956 Chevy "El Camino"
Burbank, CA
Fresh out of a 35 year slumber, this 1956 Chevy "El Camino" custom is ready to be brought back to the street to cruise once again. The known history of this Southern California legend goes back to the early 1960's when the top of this 1956 Chevy Sedan Delivery suffered some serious damage and a South Bay body shop sliced off the top and performed some very high end custom work converting the panel wagon into an El Camino shop truck by grafting in a 1957 Ford Wagon upper rear hatch as the wrap around back window and also grafting in a flatter roof skin and slanting the door posts. Moving back the top part of the new "bed" was very neatly rolled and custom pieces welded inside above the inner rear fendwells to complete the all metal cargo area. The final touch was adding the the lower hinged gate from a Station Wagon since the Sedan Delivery door was a one-piece unit that was hinged from the roof. All the work was done so well by a welder you would think this car could have really been built at a GM factory.
Some time after completing its duties as a rolling advertisement for the body shop the "El Camino" was purchased by a local hot rodder who added some horsepower and began tearing up the streets of the quiet beach community. All the racing around in the early '70s eventually caught up with the Chevy and the front end was tweaked enough that a '67 Camaro front clip was installed by a local race shop along with a 12-bolt posi rearend. With fresh front sheet metal the car was sprayed with the Marina Blue paint it still wears and put back on the street. Being so unique, the Chevy became well-known by local law enforcement and was parked in the late '70s. The engne and transmission were removed and the car changed hands a few times until ending up with a collector who held onto it for 35 years. Stored both inside and outside the car held up very well except for the cracked lacquer paint and body filler that had been used in the custom roof work.
June 2017. The long-time owner decided he has plenty of nice cars and allows his son to purchase the '56. Intent on putting the car back on the street the first order of business was to clean up the car, remove the old body filler, clean the metal and lay on fresh body filler. After shaping and primering the son decided it was a good time to let someone else complete the dream and has just listed it to see who will take it to the next level. Having worked in some of the countries best hot rod shops its easy to calculate the custom fabricration at todays rates would easilly cost $30-40k to get to get to this point. This is a great chance to own a historic one-of-kind Tri-Five at a very fair price. Also included, but not shown in the images is a complete original front bumper and rare & valuable original Tri- Five Sedan Delivery bucket seats. Clean CA title with no back fees in transit. Any questions call Jim 818-433-0578 or for Best offer.Car is for sale locally-Ireserve the right to end this auction at anytime. Sold "as is". Car is located in SoCal.