Chevy

I bought my 1956 Chevy 15 years ago in Tennessee from the original owner. I've been a "Tri-5" guy and car nut my entire life. My father owned a service station when I was young. There, I would spend much of my time after school. I used to play a game of trying to know what kind of car was coming into the station. After a while I could identify just about every car. Now my boys, my grandson, and my favorite nephew have a great knowledge of ID'ing cars from a distance. My father was a Chevy guy too.

This 1958 Biscayne wows ’em downunder. My interest in American cars goes way back to my childhood days. Back then, my mother would buy me Matchbox and Dinky toy cars when I harped at her while we were out shopping. We would buy a mix of English and American cars, but it was the American cars I was drawn to because they were longer and lower and usually featured two-tone paintwork.

Who says you don’t see many El Caminos at the car shows? We have proof-positive that’s just not so. Our favorite truck-car may not get quite the love the Chevelles get, but they’re still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to looking pretty on the show field. And, they go fast. And, when properly equipped, can tow a Chevelle if necessary. So there!

1955 Chevy Two-Ten Wagon: The Texas Hauler. There was a time – a long time, actually – when station wagons were not cool. In fact, they were shunned by collectors. At best, they were useful to enthusiasts as parts sources for two-door hardtops and convertibles. That attitude changed roughly a decade ago, and now the “lowly” station wagon is desirable. One of those once shunned family and cargo haulers is shown here – a 1955 Chevy Two-Ten. However, it is a bit cooler than it was originally, thanks to some modern updates.

1959 El Camino: The Beginning of a Legend. Edward Plazek is a Chevrolet enthusiast who lives in a family of mixed make and model loyalty. He was raised in a Ford environment so when he showed his first interest in Chevrolets, his father was a bit distraught! In his youth, Edward was prohibited from purchasing a Chevy because of lack of storage space in his parent’s garage. Edward not only liked Chevrolets, his greatest want was to find his favorite model; an older El Camino – preferably the very first year – a 1959 model. After all, this year marked the beginning of a legend. Oh sure, the El Camino would take a three year hiatus after only two years of production, but then it would resurrect in the Chevelle body style for 1964.

How a childhood dream brought a ’57 Bel Air 4-Door Sedan home to Norway


The original owner of Black Beauty, Mr. Anton L. Carlzon of Flint, Michigan, ordered the car the year he retired from General Motors. He followed it down the assembly line as it “got it all together”. Equipped with the 6-cylinder Blue Flame engine and a Powerglide transmission, the Bel Air 4-door sedan was sold via Summerfield Chevrolet in Flint, MI, on July 18, 1957. It bore the plate number KR1535.

The El Camino was introduced on October 16, 1958 to compete with Ford’s popular Ranchero. While the El Camino was radical in design, it was a new play on an old idea. For years, farmers in Australia had been using vehicles called Utes to tote goods and equipment back and forth from farm to market. Allegedly this came about in the 1930s when a woman wrote a letter to Ford Australia asking for a vehicle that could “carry them to church on Sunday and take the pigs to market on Monday.” This simple request eventually led to Ford’s creation of the Ranchero for U.S. markets, and the El Camino followed two years later.

I purchased this 1957 Chevrolet Convertible from Chevy Classics’ member Rod Fisher in 1998 in Grand Island, NE. It was a frame-off restored car, painted black with red/silver interior and was nearly finished. The body was wavy, which is not good in any color, especially black. I assumed it hid plenty of Bondo. My plan was to strip it, repaint it with a show quality paint job, then send it to Barrett-Jackson as a quick flip.

While I have always loved vintage cars, I had not actively pursued acquiring them due to time constraints. In 2001, my wife took notice of a 1969 Mustang Fastback, thought it was attractive and jokingly asked the owner if he’d like to sell. She was surprised when he said, “Yes” and thought his selling price to be very agreeable. She informed me, I purchased it, made it better, and have been hooked on procuring and rebuilding classic automobiles ever since.

I’d like to let you in on something. There are two websites you need to know about. You will find this information very useful. It concerns a couple of lesser-known websites that you should be aware of. One will let you know your car’s value, the other will let you know what your ride’s correct paint hue should be.  First, let’s talk about your classic’s value. Here at Eckler’s, we often get asked, “What’s my 19__ Chevy ________ worth?”