This beautiful 1956 Chevrolet
The original ID tag indicates that it is a Bel Air two door sedan with exterior colors India Ivory over Twilight Turquoise. The interior was originally turquoise vinyl and fabric. The tag also indicates that it was originally a V-8 engine. (To you '56 aficionados, the builder chose not to p. ut the "V" on the trunk.). The license plates are restored originals. If the car stays in California, the plates will go with the car, otherwise not. When the windshield was replaced, the original CHP inspection sticker was reproduced and reapplied.
It was a frame off restoration done by the second owner and completed about seven years ago. The bulk of the miles were put on by the second owner. My friend is 83 years old and only drove it to Cars and Coffee and a just few Club cruises. He is selling it to provide funds for a four door ’56 being built by the same builder.
ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND DRIVELINE
The engine is a 2002 Corvette LS1 and was completely checked before it was installed. The exhaust flows through Pertronics headers into 2 1/2 inch steel/stainless pipes and Dynomax mufflers. Outside, the tone is obviously Corvette but mellow inside the cabin. The transmission is a Chevy 4L60 overdrive transmission (electronic evolution of the 700R4) with a Lokar floor mounted shifter. It shifts smoothly. The rear end is a Ford 12 bolt positraction axle.
BODY AND PAINT
The body was stripped to bare metal then repainted using Nason paint: #806 Adobe Beige over #698 Twilight Turquoise. The car is straight as an arrow as the photos and video indicates. The gap's are perfect with the exception of the hood which is original and how it left the factory. I went over the whole car with a microfiber cloth enclosing a magnet and a paint gauge looking for any build up of Bondo. I found nothing.
Originally it was India Ivory over Twilight Turquoise. Curiously, this was not a factory option even though Adobe Beige was a color in 1956. The result, the current color combination is not anywhere near as harsh as the original. The Adobe Beige appears to be white. The body was undercoated before it was replaced on the restored frame. I did stab the entire floorpan with an ice pick just to make sure there were no soft areas and found none.