Sporting a thoroughly awesome vintage look, great color scheme and a handful of modern upgrades, this 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air has a true "must have" appeal not only because of its looks and functionality, but also because of its rarity. Despite being considered part of the 5th generation of Bel Airs that actually began the year before this one rolled out, 1962 heralded in an essentially all-new design, with only the door panels carried forward from previous...models. The color scheme on this Chevy â€" deep black with prominent red striping running the length of its sides â€" really shows off the curvature of what was a very distinctive model. Look in front of the doors and you'll notice that there are no pillars running from cowl to roof. Bel Airs like this one were only available for two years and became closely linked with drag racing, because many of them were configured for just that, even though Chevy couldn't really come right out and say so. True to form, this Bel Air has a low slung, slightly angled stance that conjures up images of it rocketing forward amid a cloud of burning rubber. Unlike many "performance-oriented" projects, the aesthetic details have been well looked after here, and you'll notice that the gaps between panels are consistent, and the chrome bumpers and trim throughout look nice and fresh. This all-red interior grabs you right away. The well-padded bench seats in front and back have been reupholstered and look truly distinctive while also remaining completely era-appropriate. On both sides, the matching door panels are sporting a fresh look ornamented with the same three-tone insignias as those on the seats and sit flat against their shells with unblemished hardware. It's a great looking dash area â€" a fine example of vintage styling that must have been considered very futuristic at the time it was conceived. Glance through the spokes of the pristine steering wheel and you'll see that the original speedometer is joined by a set of aftermarket gauges to monitor fuel level, water temperature and oil pressure. A brand new aftermarket climate control system has been installed and is in optimum working order, pumping out cold or hot air as needed through a set of four registers directly below the centrally-located glovebox, itself a unique styling feature. A sea of red looped carpeting sits below and looks as though it has seen very little use, reinforcing the freshness of overall build. Underneath the hood, a well-equipped Chevrolet small block 350 V8 resides in place of the straight six this unique sedan started life with in Flint, Michigan and offers substantially more power. Outfitted with a Holley 4 barrel carb and Edelbrock intake and air cleaner, it starts right up and idles smoothly. With its long tube headers leading out to side pipes that emerge just in front of the rear wheels, it's got a deep aggressive tone to it â€" another nod to its racing lineage and, paired with a 4-speed manual transmission, it's a configuration that promises to make this Chevy a blast to drive. Underneath, everything is looking good, with straight frame rails, crossmembers and pans throughout. This distinctive, race-inspired classic sits on a set of custom 15" steel rims, outfitted with blackwall radials. On the hunt for a truly unique vintage classic that's outfitted for modern day motoring action? You really need to check out this 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air! Call today!
|