This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible is without a doubt one of the finest vehicles in our RK Motors Charlotte showroom. It’s a true Onyx Black car complete with a correct red and metallic silver interior that is simply breathtaking. With only114 test miles on the odometer since an exhaustive restoration, it features all the correct details that make these iconic cars some of the most sought after classics ever made. If you’ve been looking for a rare, investment grade ’57 Chevrolet we have your car.

The trim tag decodes as follows:

STYLE 57-1067DTX = 57: 1957 Model year, 1067DTX: Bel Air convertible

BODY # L18455 = Lansing Michigan built body, number 18455 from that plant for the 1957 model year

TRIM 683 = Red imitation leather with metallic silver imitation leather accents

PAINT 793 = Onyx Black

The VIN number; VC57J195338, also shows this to be a V8 powered (V) Bel Air ( C ) that was assembled in Janesville (J) Wisconsin.

Frame off restored over a three year period, this ’57 Bel Air uses high quality parts and makes no excuses. The first thing you notice when you walk up to this car is the straight black paint job that is as deep as the car is long. Every piece of the body was made liquid smooth with narrow panel gaps that allow the doors, hood and trunk to close with solidity and sureness. Then mirror-like Onyx Black paint was generously applied and resulted in a car that looks stunning and is sure to elicit double takes wherever it goes. The front bumper, designed to make the car look wider than it actually is, presents a show worthy shine and is every bit as straight as the cars body. It houses a proper gold Bel Air grille that looks brand new and prominently displays a chrome grille bar with clear marker lights and a pristine Chevrolet crest. Above that Chevrolet crest, the chrome hood trim lines up perfectly with the edges of the bumper and sits below Bel Air exclusive gold hood ornamentation that contrasts well against the Onyx Black paint. At the top of the hood, ’57 Chevrolet ‘spear bullets and spoons’ shine like they’re fresh out of the factory and at the leading edge of the fenders, clear headlights live in perfect chrome housings. At the sides of the car, classic tri-five Chevy stainless runs from the front fenders to the rear fins and shows no signs of imperfections. Bel Air exclusive gold script and emblems that are housed within the stainless look nice enough to be showroom fresh. On the bottom half of the car, stainless rocker moldings are dent free perfectly reflecting our concrete showroom floor. Front fender louvers ride above the stainless trim and are coated in gold to perfectly match the hood script and rear fender emblems. Excellent looking stainless runs from the convertible boot around the curved windshield and complements chrome wipers, a chrome passenger fender mounted antenna and a correct chrome driver’s side mirror. At the back of the car, stainless trim begins at the top of the fins just behind the white vinyl top and continues down to tail lights that are surrounded by chrome and sit on top of a show worthy rear bumper. Another Bel Air exclusive gold “Chevrolet” script above a matching gold “V” on the trunk lid adds the finishing touch.

Under the hood, the Onyx black flows down the firewall and into the highly detailed engine bay. Centered in that engine bay is a correct, new for 1957, 283 V8 painted in traditional Chevrolet orange. On top of that 283 is a correctly restored and decaled ‘57 Chevrolet air filter which feeds air into a correct 4 barrel carburetor. Supplying fuel to that carburetor is new stainless fuel lines that run from a new fuel tank to a correct glass fuel filter housing positioned above the right side of the intake manifold. That correct intake manifold is painted Chevrolet orange to match the block and feeds air and fuel to correct Power Pack heads. On each side of the intake, correct valve covers feature silver “Chevrolet” script and sit above correct bare metal exhaust manifolds which send gas into a true dual exhaust system. At the back of the engine, a correct coil supplies a correct distributor which sends fire to the cylinders through correct GM wires. At the front of the engine, you’ll find a correct Onyx Black radiator that sends coolant to the block through correct hoses and clamps. On the driver’s side of the motor is a correct oil filler that sits above a correct generator complete with tags. This motor is as completel as the outside of the car; not a detail was missed during the restoration.

The frame, finished in chassis black, is stunningly straight and smooth. The floor pans are solid and covered in the same satin black as the rest of the suspension components. Up front, the Chevrolet orange oil pan is as straight and clean as the day it was installed and sits in front of a correct 3-speed manual transmission. That Powerglide transmission sends power to a driveshaft with correct factory markings and turns a correct rear end that is painted and marked as it originally came out of the factory. The clean front suspension houses the cars correct coil springs and drum brakes along with a completely rebuilt front end. The rear suspension includes correct leaf springs, correct drum brakes and new shocks. All fuel lines and brake lines were replaced during the restoration and a true dual exhaust that is factory correct was interwoven into the chassis. Keeping the car connected to the pavement is new wheels with chrome spinner style hubcaps that are wrapped in 215/75/14 Coker Classics.

The theme of perfection spills over to the interior of the car with the striking bright red and metallic silver interior. The stylish, curved ‘57 Chevy dash is painted bright red and features spectacular stainless trim across the width of the car. The gauge pod, detailed in chrome, includes a bow-tie equipped speedometer, a fuel gauge and a temperature gauge. In the middle of the dash you’ll find a correct AM radio and on the passenger’s side you’ll find more exclusive gold “Bel Air” script and a factory clock. Stainless trim frames the inside of the windows while the stainless from the dash flows into the silver accents on the flawless two tone door panels. Fully restored bright red bench seats feel firm to the touch and feature metallic silver accents and stainless trim. The two tone theme on the front door panels is carried onto the rear door panels and flows past the rear seat to disappear under the red convertible cowl. Up front, silver kick panels highlight the curved dash and look great next to silver detailed Bel Air floor mats that protect the new black carpet. The centerpiece of the interior is a red steering column that holds a chrome shifter for the 3-speed transmission and a correct red steering wheel complete with chrome horn ring and classic Chevrolet Bel Air centerpiece.

Documentation included with this car includes a history of title holders, a three ring binder of receipts from the restoration and photos taken during and after the restoration.

This 1957 Bel Air will stun even the harshest critics. It’s a highly desirable 50’s convertible that is a blue chip, investment grade car thanks to a detailed and accurate restoration. It has all of the right stuff and is absolutely one of the top 1957 Chevrolet convertibles on the planet.