Art & Inspiration How rare is a 1960 Chevy bel air , 2dr hardtop with a factory 4 speed

Picked this car up .
1960 belair 2dr hardtop .
4speed
Complete car - even got the fender skirts
Corvette emblems front and back
All the trim is really good

Here are some pics :

 

I think at that point in time, this would be a dealer, rather than a factory build. It doesn't look factory, and I would bet the 4-speed emlem is not as old as the car. Which is VERY cool, by the way. It does look like the 4-speed emblem is not just tacked on, however. At any rate, I think the Bel Air 2dth is pretty rare in its' own right, regardless of the trans. What a great score.
Just noticed-looks like Impala dash trim too.

 

Nice car! Love the 8 track. What are your plans?

 

I would say very rare that's the first one I ever saw with the pattern on the dash. Makes me think the other " factory 4 speed cars" I've seen weren't.

 

If by "Corvette"(?) -emblem You´re referring to the crossed flags above the golden "V"´s front and back, that style of emblems came with the "348" -equipped cars. I don´t know how rare this would be in production numbers, as Chevrolet didn´t designate the original engine installed in an individual vehicle in the vehicle´s VIN these years other than "L6" and a "V8".
Bel Air Sport Coupe production this year would be a fraction of that of a similar Impala, at any rate.
Only difference between the two would be in trim level and upholstery. The patterned aluminum lower dash panels are part of the Impala -trim package.
Nevertheless, cool car and probably lots of fun to drive!

 

I can't say if it is real or not, but it seems to me the factory 4-speed setup would have a factory hump built in to the floor...this looks like someone just cut a hole in the floor for the shifter.

Show a pic of the column. That will show if it originally had a 3 on the tree, or automatic column shifter.

 

according to the original owner this was a 348 car not a 283, but some more investigating needs to be done.


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Might have been a 348 car when new.I only remember a coupe being 4 speeds and they were 348's.

 

Yeah...what they all said^^^...i! It would be nice to know, what engine is in it? A 348 with 3-2's and a two tone paint job would be the tits.

 

According to Classic Industries - 204,467 "Sport coops" were built, they don't break that down into models (Bel Air/Impala) but that car is semi-rare seeing as how it's a Bel Air...most "sport coops" were Impalas...since this was only the 3rd year of the Impala.

A friend locally here has a Bel Air almost like that one, including the color...so I'd say it's a "factory build." As for the dash trim, I'd say it's been added as it looks to be Impala trim...as for the logo in the grille and on the trunk...every 348" car got that, including sedans if it was ordered that way...and remember, you could "order" a car any way you wanted it back then...my friend (way back when) ordered a new '61 Biscayne two door with a 409"/four speed in it...

R-

PS. Re-viewed the pic of the dash...IF the four-speed emblem is part of the dash surround/trim, then it's a factory piece...the dealer wouldn't go to that much trouble to set it into the trim...also, when coming from the factory...the four-speed shifter would have been Chevrolet linkage and shifter...someone has added the Hurst and boot....

 

That 4-speed shift pattern on the dash is NOT straight with the dot pattern. Almost looks like a Corvette console pattern that was added for "convincing" purposes. Still a cool '60. DD

 

I like the license plate frame........wanna sell it? I like the car too. Pretty cool.

 

In the 60's it was not unusual to order what you wanted, could be real.

 

I am with Jetter on this one. It is rarish just because it is a belaire sport coupe. If it is a factory 4 speed car that would be real rare indeed but it would not bother me if it wasn't. its still got a 4 gear in it and lots of hot rods and customs are not factory fresh.

Pretty neat old car factory or not, I would claim it and make it my own in a heartbeat.

 

I do not know how rare it is, although that is one Bad ASS car!!!!!!!!!!

 

All of the 60 factory 4-speed cars that I saw had the shift pattern on the knob not on the dash. Back in the day I had two 60's and a 61. When I installed the 4-speed in the 61 I removed the column shift 3-speed collar and replaced it with a smooth 4-speed one. However a quick look under the hood showed the remnants of a column shift. In fact I bought a tripower setup and later a four speed from a local gent (recently married) that owned a baby blue 60 belaire 2dr. radio/heater delete etc. g

Regardless a cool car

 

All original or not, very cool find. I like it a LOT!

 

real enough---great find...

 

I'd think he nailed it. If it could be traced back to the dealer it would most likely show that someone special ordered the car in 1960 with the 348/4 speed and probably a Posi rear end along with the bench seat in a Bel Air 2 door hardtop to get a strong running car for several hundred dollars less than an Impala would have cost. The car was probably a couple hundred pounds lighter than an Impala with the same equipment and could slip into the same class at the drags but have a weight advantage. In the 60's when you ran classes at the drags rather than brackets guys spent a lot of time studying the different models of new cars to figure out what body and trim with what engine and trans gave them even a slight advantage in a class or got them in a class that they could be competitive in.

 

I never thought of it but it should have the build sheet in the back seat springs ( sometimes under the driver's bucket), they are usually rotten if the mice haven't already eaten them but if you are careful with it you will be able to find out exactly how it came from the factory.

 

I may be wrong but I was always under the understanding that all 4-speeds were dealer installed until the 61' Super Sport option which only a couple hundred were build . They also had the option of a 348 or a 409 engine. Either way I think the car is a cool peice!!!

 

1960 Synchromesh Transmission Options

 

keeeper!

 

Chevrolet passenger cars were first available with four speed transmissions in '59. As to whether your '60 is a factory four speed car, unless you can come up with a copy of the build sheet, it's a tossup. As someone stated, what's the steering column like? It even could have had a smooth upper piece added to the top of the columm for apperance's sake, or someone could have transplanted a floor shift column from a '61-'64 SS. If I had to bet $$$ on it, I'd say it's a converted three speed car.

 

Here is a pic of a factory 1960 Impala, 348, tri-power, four-speed bought new off the showroom floor in San Francisco and still owned by the original purchaser. It underwent a restoration a few years ago.

I've talked with the owner and have several pics of the interior, engine compartment etc. (if I could only locate them among the thouands of car pics I have. lol.

I scanned this off a flyer from last year that is on the side of the reefer in the garage.

 

More pics :

 

Came with these slots

 

Looks like someone's toy to me. It's not necessarily a factory four-gear car, but then it's also not necessarily NOT one. Just gonna need some documentation to determine either way. It definitely didn't have an 8-track, hippie gas pedal, or mechanical-drive tach but they sure are cool! I like your car, bud. Congrats on the great score.

 

One of my favorite models. Cool find.
From the looks of your avatar, you're a Ford guy. Send her up to NC and I'll dispose of it for you.

 

super nice score