Thread: 57 Chevy Sedan Advice Needed

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My friends just retored a 57 Bel Air 4 dr last year and it cost a total of around $12,000. The car was an "in the family" one so no pruchase price to consider. They dropped in a new 350 but kept the 283 for later rebuild. Don't worry about parts. EVERYTHING is available. Don't freak when you realize repro stainless rear fender sweeps cost $485 each. This car is not a parts car. It is worth saving. The interior will cost a couple grand to do. That's the least of it.

While 4 doors are not worth what converts or 2-dr. HTs are, the value of the 4 dr. is far above what it will cost you to restore it. For $2,000 it is a steal!

Go to www.NADA.com and you'll see high retail price for a Bel Air 4 dr. reflects $28,100!! Average retail runs $16,700. Tri 5 Chevies are only going to appreciate in value too.

I've been sitting here trying to think of a way to say what needs to be said without making it seem like a personal attack. Well, it's not my intention, but if it comes out that way so be it.

If you went to the NADA site you might have noticed the cover of their hardcopy version has the word "GUIDE" under the logo in letters nearly as big. The word "guide" is not a synonym for "guarantee". But lets go with the flow anyway. In that same guide, the top price for a 2 door Bel Air sedan is just north of $48k.............a full $20,000 above the 4 door. The only difference between the two is the number of doors.....................and market demand. We could get in a long and fruitless discussion about what constitutes a top price car, but suffice to say they are few and far between. And there ain't no way in hell you're going to "restore" a car for $12k. Refurbish maybe, and that's only if you start with a relative cherry, not a back yard derelict like what I see in the pictures above.

But let's go with the flow again. Based on the guide numbers, if you choose to take those as gospel, you're guaranteed the 4 door will end up at the end of all your work and spending to be "worth" 60% of a two door. I will still contend that for two equal condition starting cars a 4 door is actually more expensive to "restore" than a two door. Again, assuming equal starting conditions, the engine, and most other mechanical pieces will cost the same. The total paint needed will be the same. The bodywork might be the same unless door jambs need work, then the 4 door has twice as many. Likewise for door handles, latches, and so forth. Upholstery labor is slightly higher on a 4 door because of more individual panels requiring slightly more labor. So all up you work just as hard (maybe slightly harder) and spend just as much or slightly more for parts(comparing like for like starting points), and you get 60% on the dollar. If that's good "investment" advice ......................well, I'll just leave it at that.

Let's take the discussion one more step. One could argue that a 2 door starting car will cost more. True enough, it's that demand thing again. But going back to the example stated to try to justify the 4 door, at the end of the deal you get $20k more for the 2 door. Let's take that $20k difference and apply it to the front end of this equation. You could start at $2k for the car posted above, or spend $22k for a two door. Based on what I see in my local market, for $22k you get a car that's refurbished already, and is very presentable. Some would consider it a "show car", though in reality by most show standards it's merely nice............which ain't all bad. Bottom line, be smart about how you approach the hobby and you won't lose your butt. Listen to pseudo advice and you stand a chance of getting the short end of the stick when people freely spend your money instead of theirs.