1959 Chevrolet Bel Air

1959 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 Door Sedan Here's a random factoid about the '59 Bel Air, as it appeared down under. General Motors Holden in Australia imported various US designed vehicles, such as Chevrolets and assembled them locally. The 1959 Bel Air was imported from Michigan and assembled at the GM Holden factory in Dandenong, Victoria. It was the first model in Australia to offer optional automatic transmission. However, it was not a huge seller on the Australian market. Thanks to https://collections.history.sa.gov.au.   For consignment, a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 door sedan with a title verified 39,999 actual miles, however the odometer is inoperable so those miles are surely higher. Here's a model the Aussie's would have favored, a three on the tree manual transmission and a tail end that is among the most iconic in the classic car world! This one packs a 396ci V8 with a dyno proven 435.9 horsepower.  Exterior Though just two years from the Tri-Five era, this car might as well be ions apart as the all new styling for 1959 is bold, brash, and positively groundbreaking. While some of the underpinning remained the same, the long, lean panels and lowered profile of the car clearly set it up for the coming 60's, and jet inspired curvature took vertical features of yesteryear and set them horizontally. On the Harbor Blue painted Bel Air, contrasting trim includes a bold elliptical spear that goes end to end, filled with white and pointed on each end. There's also a fantastic windshield frame that from the side reveals the very unique shape of the glass. In back of course, the wings are lined with polish trim which wraps around to the back and drops to a point, accentuating the design and terminating with a bowtie crest, all over cat eye tail lights that are as much art as they are functional items and seemingly repeated on the face of the car, serving more as eyebrows over the twin headlights that flank a bullet grille. 15-inch Chevrolet Rally wheels are wrapped in tires with a mid 2024 date code. Imperfections include some issues with the bumpers, a scratch, some bubbling, chips, some dents on the roll pan, cracking paint in the wheel opening, and rough texture on a lower panel.   Interior Two shades of blue adorn the door panels which show some aging patina but are otherwise intact and the blues continue on the split bench seat with plaid, cloth inserts where again we can qualify this as good condition, original and not restored. The rear bench is indeed a time capsule, simple and clean and representative of the era. The original dashboard is headed by a blue plastic steering wheel that begins a monochromatic presentation that includes a stunning design of five gauges with their own hoods on a curvaceous blue dashboard where knobs and an AM radio reside, all clean and slightly patinaed. A triple gauge unit has been added under the dash. The blue loop carpet below is in good condition, the headliner is high, white, and tight, and the trunk is massive and clean, covered with a cut to fit carpeted mat.   Drivetrain This clean machine gets a spotless powerplant, a rebuilt 396ci V8, bored .040 over and housing a steel crank and a Holley 750cfm 4-barrel carburetor. It produced 435.9 horsepower on the dyno and routes power via a 3-speed manual to 3.55 gears in back.  Undercarriage An oil based undercoating treatment creates a uniform glossy black appearance and the underside of the 396 is clean and dry. Dual exhaust starts with Sanderson headers into FlowMaster mufflers and soon after, turns sideways to exist through rectangular tips on the side. Suspension consists of coil springs up front and a 3 link with coil springs and a panhard bar out back, and drum brakes are at all four wheels.   Drive-Ability We can imagine heading to the Sock Hop Ball in this streamlined street cruiser with a bunch of friends in the back! We crank up the 396 which sends a pleasing exhaust note throughout the mall, and we