Delivery Sedan Project: 1957 Chevrolet 150
During the Tri-Five era of Chevrolets, you could order a Delivery Sedan. It was a 2-door 150 station wagon with no side windows. My uncle had one of these for his bakery business, a 1957 hauler like the one seen here. Production numbers were modest at about 8,900 copies for that model year. This one was in the midst of a rebuild or restoration when work stopped. So, a lot of effort remains to be done, and it may or may not be complete. Located in Maroa, Illinois, this project “van” is available here on eBay where the opening bid of $10,000 has seen no takers.
These delivery sedans were frugal by design, so carpeting and other such conveniences were seldom found. They were intended for the working man, like a traveling TV repairman or someone who needed to provide pickup and delivery service. According to the seller, this austere machine left the factory with a six-cylinder engine (inline-6, not V6 as the seller states). That engine has been replaced by a 327 cubic inch V8 which would be from 1962 or later. The vehicle had a column-mounted shifter for the manual transmission when new, but a Hurst shifter has been added.
The front clip is off the delivery vehicle and the photos suggest its pieces are still around. Rust repair will be required, including the driver’s side floorboard and rocker panel. You’ll also need to knock out a dent behind the passenger side door, but a repair panel will be thrown in to help with that. The interior is comprised of two leather bucket seats whose presence suggests that a restomod was afoot.
Though minimal by design, all the exterior chrome is there and said to be new, including the bumpers and taillights. The original color of the van’s paint is unknown as the code “SPL” appears on the cowl tag. We understand that stood for “special paint” which may have meant the vehicle left the factory unpainted so the buyer could do his/her own thing. The seller offers to deliver the delivery (for extra cost) up to 500 miles.
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Comments
Anything over $3,000 and you under water already. Neat project, but it’s a “needs everything” and won’t be cheap to complete.
I don’t mean to be pedantic, but I’ve never, ever, ever heard of this bodystyle referred to as “Delivery Sedan”. Every brochure I’ve looked at calls it a “Sedan Delivery”, because it’s a delivery vehicle based on a sedan (defined loosely).
If you needed to haul something bigger or heavier, you’d choose a “Panel Delivery”, which was truck-based.
It’s definitely sedan delivery,I own a 53.
I have a 60. I drove it twice. It is the king of blind spots and claustrophobic. I think the shelf life for these has passed. I tried selling mine and no one had any real interest to the tune that I decided that it will be a parts car for a convertible I have that needs quarters. These are good for small businesses for pr but otherwise not much else.
Chris, where are you and what shape is yours in?
Mine is a running unit. I got into it years ago. It has a 283 with an aluminum power glide of 64 vintage. I had the interior redone and put a fancy headliner from a 59 Buick wagon in it along with power windows from an Elcamino. The car is doomed as I said above, it is going to save my convertible.
I had a 2dr 210 sedan as my first car and never finished it. I had quarters and rockers put on in 1981 just like this car needs. I’d lovevthis car but it’s beyond my bodywork skills like mine was. If I have 20 k to dropp into it, I’d be trailering it home.
It’s a good car for some NHRA drag racing classes,I seem to remember Paul Blevins from new Red Bank Jersey had a Killer one of these many,many years ago.
Definitely a “sedan delivery”. I own a ’47 Chev.
Sedan deliverys were only model that came with bucket seats.
My Grandma’s mechanic had one of these. Ed McGrath owned the Standard station that was not far from Grandma’s house, and I still recall to this day images of him stopping by to check up on both Grandma and her ’65 Rambler Classic
990 wagon as she had been a widow
for many years. His was basic black
with a straight 6 and a 3 on the tree.
As for this car, I’d ditch the 327 (these
engines were real gas hogs) and swap in a 3800 V-6 and 700R4 tranny
for power, find an auto upholster to
stitch me up a good vinyl interior for
the front half of the truck, finish the
rear floor pan and cover that with a
good auto carpet along with covering
the framing on the rear sidewalls and
adding a good set of speakers to boot. Next would come the re assembly, repair of the body, and finally paint. And after all that was done, I’d put it back to work delivering
Door Dash. And that’s the way it should be.
Ditch the 327,what is wrong with you?
yupa 292 w/the cheb auto OD (3800 very close 2nd)
I always loved utility vehicles like this.I’m building a 59 SDL as I write this.Not easy cars to do.I’m building as a shop car.Seller needs to be realistic on his price.10,000 opening bid? Come on,this needs virtually EVERYTHING!.I see these out there sometimes priced for a lot less then what you’re gonna put into this one!
Got a hood and front fenders if you need them
If you want to see one of these completed go to Canapa Cars and look at the one they have for sale.
The VIN tag on the A-pillar shows “K” for assembly plant Kansas City, MO. The cowl tag shows body #CL792, CL standing for Cleveland, OH. So the body was built in Cleveland and than shipped to Kansas City assembly plant for completion?