Mud Runner: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
There is a lot going on here with this 1957 Chevrolet. The body of this Bel Air looks to be in amazing shape, but it is sitting on a half-ton Chevy pickup truck frame. The seller would like $5,900 for this interesting ride. They didn’t list the mileage or which vehicle it’s titled as but it’s said to be a clean title. You can view more here on Craigslist and it is located in New Hope, Minnesota.
Mechanically, this car… truck… thing has a 454 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 that is connected to an automatic transmission. The engine has an aluminum intake, headers, a 205 T-case, and power steering. Another note made in the listing is that the tires are new, Dick Cepek “Fun Country” tires sized to 37×12.50×17. It is a roadworthy vehicle. They do not mention if they have indeed taken it mudding or off-roading.
The interior leaves something to be desired. It is incredibly primitive and has captains chairs all the way around. One thing that it is lacking is a roll cage. So if you are interested in serious off-roading with this thing, you might want to consider installing one. It would be hard to know the structural integrity as a whole, and it might be somewhat cringe-worthy to scratch or dent the body out on the trails.
The hard part is that the body is so nice that it would be more worthwhile to remove it from the chassis and put it back on something more fitting. If you have an off-road project that you want to take to the next level, but also want a classic car project, you could certainly buy this thing. Really, it would be this vehicle, and another not so quite fitting vehicle, that you could build two proper vehicles. Then again, it does look like fun the way it is.
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Comments
I’d leave most of it as it is. I would however take the giant wheels off and the lift kit out, effectively lowering it back to a more conventional height. I’d put a stock 15” half ton wheel on it and lose the off road guards. As for the interior I’d just fix it up a bit, new door panels and more conventional seats, I’d also get rid of that thirsty beast under the hood and go to a stock 350 on fuel injection. Hopefully the trans is already a 700r overdrive but if not then I’d regear the axles to either 350’s or even 325’s of course this is all just speculation because I won’t be a buyer anyway. I really don’t know why anyone would go to all this trouble just to take it out in the bush and destroy it.
I like it. Could have used one of these when we lived in Nevada. Used a modified VW notchback to run the desert in when we weren’t on motorcycles.
If you have to own a four door this is the one to own!! Lots of fun and not to many places you can’t go!! It would be a hoot to show up at a camp site in the middle of nowhere with the tall 4×4’s all around and you driving this!!!
No,no,no,no,no,No,No,No,No,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO, ZZZZZZ! NOOOOOOO!😡😤😩😫😝
Are you trying to tell us that you don’t approve….?
What he said.
You forgot 🤢 and 🤮.
Wouldn’t be caught dead in this POS.
This one would be right at home here in
Polk County Florida. Here, they’ll jack up
almost any car and put a lift kit under it,
and covert it to a 4 wheel drive. You ought to see the 6X6 firetruck that’s parked on Highway 92 as you enter
Auburndsle! What a riot! That thing sits
at least 5 feet off the ground! I seem to
recall seeing a Polk County school bus
done up the same way though I haven’t seen it since 2010. Rumor had it that
PCSO was running a fleet of lifted Crown
Vic’s as patrol cars in the mid 2000’s but
I can’t be sure. Redneck engineering at
it’s finest!
I lived there in the mid 2000’s, your rumor of the lifted Vic’s is true. Saw a couple on more than one occasion. Polk County is a “special” place, lol.
Hey Ken, you should paint some kind of a lifted EV. Right up your alley buddy! Raining cats and dogs here, gotta blaze, take care.
Why do this to a good car???????????
Trying to make a passenger car look like a truck is rediculous
Stupid is as stupid does….
I have been away for a while and I came back to this !!! This is SO WRONG !!! This is a perfect example of what happens when stupid people breed. Ken my thoughts mirror yours exactly, I wouldn’t be caught dead in this POS !!!
Blame it all on swamp gas gas! Global warming you know!💨💨💨