This slick 1956 Chevy hardtop is what you might have seen the hot rodders in, say, 1966 driving around. With a warmed-over Corvette dual quad intake, a traditional two-tone interior, and that candy apple red paint, it retains all the original goodness with a few tweaks to make it a joy to own and drive. And this is another one of those rare cars that you just couldn't build yourself for the asking price. Of the shoebox Chevys, the '56 wears two-tone paint the best. With dramatic trim that makes for the perfect natural break point, it shows off best with polarized colors such as the candy apple red and white combination on this hardtop. Two-stage urethane looks incredible over some very slick bodywork that takes no liberties with the original design and puts everything together much tighter than most of the builds you see. That trim doesn't allow much room for error when aligning the doors, and you'll note that everything is arrow straight. The shine shows off sheetmetal that was blocked and sanded and all that trim appears to have spent a lot of time under a polishing wheel. Bel Air script, beautifully chromed bumpers, and a crisply rendered hood ornament are all evidence of careful (and expensive) plating work, too, an expense that any restorer should dread, but the buyer of this car should be thrilled. The red and white interior re-creates a period feel with pleated inserts and ornate door panels. New carpets with properly bound edges suggest that someone really cared about doing this one right, and all the hard parts like the dash and window moldings have been painted with the same luscious candy apple red paint as the body. The original gauges show beautiful, crisp markings and to round out the factory gear, there are auxiliary gauges under the dash and a SunPro tach on the steering column. Note the cool dice that double as dash knobs, plus the oversized shifter knob on the 3-speed gearbox. The original AM radio remains in the dash, but a neatly mounted accessory box under the dash holds an AM/FM/cassette stereo head unit that powers a set of 6x9 speakers on the rear package shelf. Open the trunk and you'll find more bright red carpet, a full-sized chrome spare, and a subwoofer enclosure that delivers some truly fat sound. The engine is a 350 cubic inch Chevy small block wearing a pair of 4-barrel carburetors from a 1957 Corvette. With a bunch of chrome and polished aluminum bits, the engine bay just begs to show off on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the car show. Note the louvered battery box and radiator shroud, chrome accessories and brake booster, not to mention the engraved aluminum valve covers. The 3-speed manual is fitted with a Borg-Warner overdrive, which makes for relaxed highway cruising thanks to its 30% overdrive. Long-tube headers and a rumbling dual exhaust system give it a great personality, and those chrome wheels with 255/50/17 Nittos have less than 50 miles on them. This lovely '56 Bel Air also comes with a full restoration album and receipts, so you can buy with confidence. Call today! This vehicle is located in our Dallas/Fort Worth showroom. For more information, please call (817) 764-8000 or toll free (855) 877-2707.
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