Say what you will about the Bel Air, but even though the Impala lost its appeal in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it was still a fabulous car.
Sure, the Impala was the best you could get in a full-size Chevy, but the Bel Air still commanded a significant customer base in the United States. It shared many parts, engines, and looks with the Impala, but packed it all into a more reasonably priced package.
A 1960 Chevrolet Bel Air landed on Craigslist not long ago, with a strong desire to be back on the road after years of hiding away.
You don't have to be a Chevy expert to determine this car's major problems. The owner says the Bel Air has been sitting in a ranch shed “for years,” and while he won't provide any other details, the rust issues suggest we're not just talking about a couple of years.
However, the owner says the floors are clean and a photo of the interior after the carpet was removed seems to indicate that you won't find any major problems there. You should still put the car on a lift and inspect everything.
The trunk and rear quarters have some unsurprising rust issues, but the good news is that this Bel Air is far from becoming the rust bucket we've seen others turn into. The car is no longer complete, but I wish the seller had provided more information about what's missing. The interior has already been removed, but that's good news because that's the easiest way to determine how much work it needs on the metal side.
The engine is gone, and I wouldn't blame anyone if they walked away at this point. An incomplete Bel Air is not good news for anyone planning a full restoration back to factory specs. However, it is a great restoration candidate if your goal is to rebuild the car from the ground up and install a new engine under the hood. The top engine in 1960 was a 348, but you can go with any unit if you're interested in more power.
It's unclear what happened to the engine and transmission, but considering the powertrain and interior are gone, I wouldn't be surprised to hear they were donated to another Impala or Bel Air project.
The good news is that you can get this Bel Air for cheap, as the owner will let it go for $2,600. It’s hard to say if it’s worth the money considering how much it’s missing, but you should inspect it in person to determine its value more accurately. The car is parked near Phoenix, and you’ll need a trailer to haul it to your garage.