How many of these things were made? The Standard Catalog figures have a lot of confusing overlaps between all the model variations, but my calculations seem to indicate that an incredible 2,602,830 full-sized 1963 Chevrolets were sold, including station wagons. Of those, 354,100 were Bel Air sedans like the one we're looking at. So far in Alameda, though, I've found only today's car and this '60 Bel Air.


This one has some non-California rust and many dents, but it seems to drive just fine. There's no indication of engine type in this car; the factory choices spanned four different engine families: inline six, small-block V8, W-block V8, and big-block V8. You could get displacements of 230, 283, 327, 409, and 427 cubic inches from the factory, with horsepower ratings from 140 to 430. However, the best bet for a car like this nowadays is a junkyard-swapped 350.


This Bel Air started out as a Colorado car, which explains the medium-grade rust. Wonder how many miles are on the clock?

Imagine my excitement, driving to Lee Johnson Chevrolet's 75th Anniversary Car Show, coming around the bend and laying eyes upon a confusing yet rousing and mystical sight. They lined the cars up on the front row by the street?? That's more then I expected! 30's to late 60's Chevys braving the elements (rain in Seattle? NEVER!) and showing off their wax jobs. Not by the usual standard of bling and shine, but here it's a measure of your water beads! There were about 32 cars in all, members of the three North Western chapters of the VCCA (Vintage Chevrolet Club of America).

Most were unhappy about the rain but as a conversation went:
Me: "I'm amazed and excited that the cars are still out! In SoCal, it clouds up and everyone scatters like cockroaches!!"
VCCA member: "Well if we did that, there wouldn't be any cars shows!"

Thanks for the bravery!

Car notes:
Nova 400 Conv. sadly no 400 in it... BOO!! flat 6 with 180HP I believe
75 Caprice had a real 400 with a Malaise 150HP.... HOW was that all the power it had? Sad, but the car looked so cruisable!
53 Vette is number 125 of only 300 made

In Waits' song "Romeo Is Bleeding" (see above), we get the lines:

Well it was just another night,
but now they're huddled in the brake lights of a 58 Bel Air
and listenin' to how Romeo killed a sheriff with his knife.

The condition of the 1958 Chevrolet in question isn't stated in the song, but it very well could have looked just like this '58 Bel Air 2-door, available for just $1,500 (and a trip to Alaska). It needs "some metal work" (iron + oxygen = fun), but it's reasonably complete and even comes with a 283/Powerglide combo sitting nearby.



But maybe you're looking for a somewhat more sporty project. Perhaps a car that gets a shout-out in Waits' excellent "Gun Street Girl" (see above) is a better fit for your lifestyle:

He took a hundred dollars off a slaughterhouse joe
Brought a brand new michigan twenty-gauge
He got all liquored up on that road house corn
Blew a hole in the hood of a yellow Corvette
A hole in the hood of a yellow Corvette

There's no birdshot damage on the hood of this yellow '87 Corvette, and in fact it doesn't look bad at all... in the four not-very-illustrative photos we get in the listing. The seller claims this $3,700 Vette "runs and drives great," but the smog-check problems aren't so encouraging. But come on- a running Corvette for under four grand?

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What happens when you combine two California icons — the tony SoCal neighborhood of Bel Air and El Camino Real (aka The King's Highway)? The Bel Camino, of course. If Chevy had introduced the ElCo in '57 instead of two years later, this is probably how it would've looked. Excepting, of course that doltish Bowtie rear window. They should've just put Center Line Convo Pros on there, tubbed it and airbrushed "The Heartbeat of America" on the tailgate. We mean, if you're gonna do it, do it. You've already thrown subtlety out the window. [Thanks to Jason for the tip.]

1957 El Camino - Bel Air [Cookie's Corvettes & Classics]

Related:
More El Caminos [Internal]

"...you can always tell the difference between the 1955, 1956 and 1957. The 1957's fins go much higher, but the 1955's...well...they look like a part of a woman's anatomy."

Make a guess which piece of the female anatomy he meant. Farago, no fair cheating.

Related:
All of our 2006 Woodward Dream Cruise coverage [internal]