Pick of the Day: 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air

key ingredient in any substance A good “restomod recipe” is the engine. All we can say is that this car is the most Delicious Builds I’ve seen in a while:

The Pick of the Day is a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Russellville, Missouri. (Click the link to see the list)

Sure, the paint job is eye-catching, but pop the hood, because that’s the real eye candy. Power comes from the Corvette’s fuel-injected 5.7-liter LS1 V8 engine, mated to a four-speed 4L60E automatic transmission. The good stuff doesn’t stop there. The car also gets upgraded performance headers, a dual exhaust system and an aluminum radiator with an electric fan.

The ’55 Chevrolet took the automotive world by storm with its new styling, and the ’56 took it a step further with a new grille, curved side moldings, and revised taillights.

“Nothing climbs like a ’56 Chevy, without wings,” the ad says. The reason was that Chevrolet raced a 1956 Chevrolet in the (1955) Pikes Peak Hill Climb near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The car was driven by Zora Arkus-Duntov, who set a class record for production passenger cars. One interesting thing about that race: Since the 1956 car wasn’t unveiled until later in the year, the actual car in the race was heavily disguised with additional front and rear fenders.

The stance of this custom car is perfectly executed by a custom suspension with two-inch vertical axles and tubular A-arms. The frame and underbody are painted black, and the chassis is equipped with four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes. “This car has been well maintained and has traveled nearly 1,200 miles since restoration,” the seller says.

Moving to the cockpit, the equipment list includes Dakota instrumentation, air conditioning, a tilt steering column, a new steering wheel and a RetroSound stereo. Most people in the market for a 1956 Chevy aren’t going to climb Pikes Peak in it, but it would be nice to see how much faster this car can climb compared to the historic model from 69 years ago. Interesting things.

“The stars are bright and the cruise is fun,” the seller said. “You can buy it cheaper than building it – and enjoy it now.”

Asking price is $68,000 or best offer.

To see this list on ClassicCars.com, check out the Pick of the Day selection gallery.