1956 210 Sport Sedan - Back in White
- Mar 11, 2014
By Ray Addington, Tulsa, OK
My first memory of a classic was in the fall of late 1954. My dad bought a 1955 Pontiac two-door sedan and my uncle Ted bought a 1955 Sport Coupe with Power Pack. The first thing Uncle Ted did was put Smithy’s on his Chevy. For the younger classic lovers, Smithy’s are 50s style glass packs, I’ll never forget that sound! Every time these two cars were in the same town of Burlington, Washington, the race was on.
Working for Patton Chevrolet in Fortuna, CA from 1961 through 1968 was a thrill for an 18 year old kid. I was lucky enough to work on all the high performance 348s, and 409s. Then came the 396/427 cars (the fun just kept on coming.) I wanted a ‘55 Chevy so I watched the used car lot closely for a trade in. My favorite salesman told me about a two-door sedan that was being traded for a ‘62 Chevy. It was a ‘55 Bel Air, 265 Powerglide, Dusk Rose and India Ivory, the sale price was $750. I traded in my ‘50 Chevy two-door fastback for $250, and I now had my first classic.
This ’55 Bel Air would be my birthday present. I eventually traded the ‘55 in for a new ‘64 Nova Sport Coupe, 283 4-speed, bench seat. I missed my ‘55 so I traded the Nova for a ‘55 Bel Air Sport Coupe, Harvest Gold and India Ivory, 265ci engine with a three speed overdrive. I have owned several classics over the years, including a ‘63 Corvette, ‘56 Nomad and others too numerous to mention.
Fast forward to January 1977; while driving through the small town of Catoosa, Oklahoma, (near Tulsa) I spotted this 1956 210 Sport Sedan and knowing the rarity of this model, was quick to turn around. It had a 265 Power Pack, Powerglide, original oil bath cleaner, deluxe heater, electric wipers and standard radio and 210 hub caps. It had a broken piston and smoked heavily, but I knew I could fix this problem. I purchased the car for a grand total of $250. My wife, Vickey, was sure we were going to asphyxiate our four month old son Tommy while driving it home!
Sadly, in 1982 I put the 210 in the barn on the family farm in Nowata, Oklahoma. The car would remain there basically untouched for the next 23 years. During this time I was still deeply involved with Classic Chevys. I purchased another ’56 Bel Air from my cousin David King. I eventually went to work for a good friend, Charlie Smith of “Charlie’s Custom Colors” of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. I obtained valuable experience and knowledge in body work and paint which helped me in preparing the newly purchased Bel Air for its paint. Charlie painted the Bel Air (Flash Red) after my many hours of “grunt” work! We drove this car the next 23 years and showed at many shows, winning a gold certificate in the 2002 International show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With the dream of finishing the stored 210, and needing funds to do so, I sold this ‘56 Sport Coupe in 2004 and brought the 210 out of the barn and home to my garage in Tulsa.
Working out of my back yard garage, I started the frame off restoration of the 210 in February of 2005. The car was completely taken apart and was spread all over my garage, house, and back yard! I had new front floor pans installed; I repaired minor rust, and replaced front fenders. Then with all the body work competed, I began re-building the 305 engine, the 350 turbo transmission, the original rear end, drum brakes, suspension, and heater assembly. I purchased a new grille, park light extensions, taillights, all new glass, total wiring, all new body seals, mounts and radiator. I also polished all the stainless which were original on the car. I also re-chromed the hood bar, upper outer bar assemblies, lower bar, and bumpers.
The car was painted by Mike Bailey of Tulsa, Oklahoma with Sikkens base clear toner white. I was very happy with the color and paint job. I finished the wet sanding and buffing and began the final assembly. The Interior was done by Roberts Auto Upholstery of Prattville, Oklahoma in the original pattern, but with black and white marine grade vinyl. With the help of my wife Vicky, friends David Barnes, Jimmy Lee, sons Tim and Tommy, grandsons Colten and Paycen (little hands for small places!) the car was finally complete June 7th, 2007. Two years of not much sleeping or eating and long hours!
We drive the 210 to shows and cruises and were thrilled with winning a Platinum Certificate with 978 points in the Modified Class at the Springfield, Missouri 36th Annual International Chevy Classics Show.
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