1956 Chevrolet Bel Air 56 Chevy Belair V8 Manual Unrestored Original exept Paint

1956 Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 BelAir

You are looking at a NO RESERVE auction on a time-capsule of an automobile in one of the most iconic years ever produced by Chevrolet. It is all original and unrestored except the tires, battery and exterior paint which was re-finished once in the correct factory paint-code colors.
It's not often you get the history on vintage vehicles, but with this one, I know some details, and have an old article written up about it which I'll summarize approximately below:
There was just something that captivated Earl W. Gratias about the soon to debut 1956 Chevy Belair, so he drove to the Chevrolet dealership in nearby Mason City from his Nora Springs farm one October day in 1955, and ordered a brand new one in the very popular copper-&-cream two-tone color combination for a grand total of $2,068.00. He was so excited to drive the car, but the dealership gave him a promotional photograph of exactly what the car he ordered would look like which he kept in his wallet, and proudly showed friends/family with anticipation of taking delivery of the brand new vehicle in a few weeks.
December 15, 1955 was a cold one, and Ina Marie Gilman (granddaughter of Earl Gratias) recalled the rural school-bus stalled out at the end of their driveway, and her grandpa going out to help get it re-started and on its way again. He came back into the warm house, and sadly collapsed & died of a sudden heart-attack. He never got to drive the brand new car, as it wasn't shipped until about 3 weeks later.
The dealership delivered the car to the family farm, and the widowed Mrs. Gratias couldn't even bear to go look at it, so she just told them to "park it in the garage, and shut the door". A year & 3 months later, she finally went out to the garage and looked over the beautiful car that her husband had personally selected. It was then she decided to put it on the road.
Her granddaughter (Marie) was in 8th grade. She took driver's-ed, and would chauffeur her grandma around in the car proudly "straight-stick & all" as she recalls. After enjoying the car for 17 years since new, there were still only 38,000 miles on the odometer, but Mrs. Gratias was getting up there in years & decided it was time to give up driving. In order to keep it in the family, she sold it to her granddaughter for an offer she couldn't refuse. The car was driven sparingly and taken to car shows & various events in Mason City, Fort Dodge, Clear Lake, Gretinger, Spencer and Nora Springs, and since 1973, it's only been driven another 11,000 miles. The body is super straight with no indication of any collisions ever, but paint was getting faded by the 1980s, and the family had it re-sprayed the factory original colors in recent years.
The granddaughter, is now in her 80s herself, and finally decided to sell the car her grandpa ordered brand new when she was a young teen. It's changed hands one other time since then, but as far as I know, it's only ever been titled in 3 individual's names before me.
There is essentially no rust on this car. The frame, floor-pans, trunk-floor rocker-panels, fenders and everywhere rust typically forms on these cars are all exceptionally solid. I have some undercarriage photos I could share, if anyone is interested, or I can take others if desired. The tires are new whitewalls (I was going to put a set of port-a-wall rubber flaps on them to make a more period-correct wide-white stripe, but figured someone might go a different direction with wheels the car anyway, so just left them the way that they are. The brakes and alignment are all great, and don't pull to either side. No extra squeaks, rattles or noises. The V8 engine purrs like a sewing-machine, and doesn't blow blue smoke or tick or anything. Runs and drives out great. The clutch chatters when starting out from a complete stop, but doesn't slip at all, or affect the driveability of the car whatsoever. I thought about having the flywheel re-machined, but figured as soon as would do that, the next owner might put an automatic in it or something anyway, so decided to just drive it the way it is which I have been. My mom even drove the car for a time while her late-model Toyota was in the shop recently. All the glass is good with no cracks. Everything works, lights, gauges, wipers, interior lamp, heater, turn signals, horn, etc. It's like a brand new old car. The interior is incredible. The thick, clear plastic seat-covers weren't removed until recently, so besides a little split on the seam of the driver's side of the front seat, it's nearly mint inside! The original rubber floor mats kept the carpet from deteriorating, and it's just obvious that this thing was always garage kept. I didn't spray shiny product on the tires or trunk mat, nor spiff up the engine bay or undercarriage or anything. It's already just in super clean original condition, but with a little detailing could easily be taken to the next level.
It's a collector-grade 67 year old car that needs virtually nothing, and shows very well, particularly with its documented provenance. It's reliable and road-worthy. I wouldn't hesitate to hop in it, and drive anywhere on a moment's notice. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach me at 641 512 5229.

By bidding on, or otherwise agreeing to purchase this vehicle, it is understood & agreed upon that it is being sold As Is with no warranty. I welcome anyone to come view the car in person, and take a test drive or arrange an inspection, and I'd be willing to take it to any local shop of your choosing in my area if you live far away, and are not able to come see it in person. Please do so, or ask any questions you have BEFORE bidding, though. Thank you. I require a $500 security deposit within 48 hours of auction's end which is considered non-refundable, and full payment to be made within 10 days whether the car is picked up yet or not. I can provide photos of the front & back sides of the good,clear title, registered in my name prior to any funds being exchanged. I can accept cash in person, or a bank wire-transfer. If paying by personal or cashier's check, the funds will need to clear before the vehicle can be picked up. I can meet with an auto-transporter anytime for loading if buyer is having the car shipped.
Thanks for looking!

• Make: Chevrolet
• Model: Bel Air/150/210
• Type: Sedan
• Trim: BelAir
• Doors: 4
• Year: 1956
• Mileage: 49456
• VIN: 56J056212
• Color: Multicolor
• Engine size: 265 cubic inch V8
• Number of cylinders: 8
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: Manual
• Drive type: RWD
• Vehicle Title: Clean
Want to buy? Contact seller!