What's a 51 Chevy Sport Coupe Worth?

I found a real nice 51 Chevy Styleline Deluxe Sport Coupe locally. It has a Camaro front clip already installed and the original rear suspension with a 12 bolt posi in place. No motor or trans. Body is very straight no major dents or dings. The only rust areas I could see are a couple in the trunk. Glass is there but needs replacement. No seats but great floor pans. Four junk wheels and tires. Doors and trunk lid are good with great hinges.

This is the kind of car I've been looking for a mild lead sled. Does $1800 sound OK for what I described. I haven't done this in years so all advice is greatly appreciated! I have a nice sbc with a turbo 350 located that would probably work well with this car.

 

i think 1800 is pretty reasonable, considering it already has a clip, and rear end, and the fact that there isn't much rust is also good.

 

That Might be OK if it's that solid. By "Sport Coupe" you do mean the BelAir Hardtop, right? Keep in mind that the curved glass in the windshield is a bit expensive (around $250/side last time my 2-door sedan post model got replaced), and the back glass is available, but tough to find and generally expensive... more so for the hardtops.

Camaro clips are really too wide of a track width on these cars, so you need to plan to find some shallow-offset wheels (and run full wheelcovers if necessary). If you want the front real low, you'll need to narrow the control arms or get a different front clip.

The rubber seals for doors/windows for the hardtops is very expensive to replace. And don't bother with the cheap Taiwan crap, it won't fit and will leak.

SBC/350 fits real nice... just make sure you set it up with a dropout in the tranny crossmember so you don't hafta pull the motor if the tranny breaks. You'll run into some unique issues as the hardtops (and covertibles) shared a frame that had an x-member, unlike the K-member found in post models and deliveries.

 

Sounds like a good deal. Just be sure the car is solid. If its the car you have been looking for I think 1800 is reasonalble.

 

FWIW I believe "Sport Coupe" refers to a coupe model with a backseat, not a Hardtop. I have a "Business Coupe" which came factory with only a front bench seat and no rear seat. The back area was left open so the traveling salesman could put supplies, luggage, ect. with relative ease. Apparently, my ride used to be an old Bell Telephone company car, so I was told...

 

I have a reprint of an old Chevy dealer brochure that calls the BelAir HT a "Sport Coupe". Coupes w/ back seats were typically referred to as "Club Coupes". But that's one of those deals where terminology gets thrown around and everyone means something different. It's amazing how many "car people" I run into that still call anything that's not a convertible a "hardtop". That's why I was asking Hebee to clarify... that issue could potentially make this a a good deal vs. a great deal.

 

yeah, the Camaro/ Nova front sub is not good in that car. unless you want it to sit way up in the air. trust me, i know. mine had toronado front rims (about as inset as you can get) and the tires still rubbed the fenders even in shallow turns. the car was reasonably low but not "slammed" or anything. you'd want to go with an S10 or MII front suspension under that car. that subframe was one of the things that made me sell the car.

still $1800 is'nt too bad if the car is solid and complete.

 

Thanks for all the input! I hadn't thought about the problems with the Camaro clip- good thing since he hasn't installed it yet. I indicated it was installed but when I looked at the car later it was just sitting on the clip propped with blocks.The price w/o the clip is $1600. It's not a hardtop- it had a back seat (at one time) and the small rear windows slide (back and forth). They open about 5 inches when open.

Anyway, I appreciate all the input-THANKS again!

 

What ya' got there is a club coupe, not a hard top or "sports coupe". NICE body style! If the Camaro clip is 67-69 (I do not know beyond 69) it is narrow enough and with professional installation works well! I had a Camaro clip in my 53' (SAME chassis) it was low and drove well. $1600.00 is good IF the body is SOLID. If you don't want it let me talk to them!

Tom

I've had a few!

 

I tried to sell a nice one here on the hamb and they must be of no interest because i couldnt get 600 with good title rollling with good glass in it and no rust. it was the coupe model with short roof , which i always thought was cool and along came a guy needing money and i bought it and had to straight axle it to get rid of it........my 2 cents..........

 

$1600 isn't stealing anything but it's a better deal than if he had already installed the camero clip ( too high & wide). If your building it for yourself sounds OK but I wouldn't try to flip it.

 

Is the original front clip already cut? From what you describe it sounds like it is and that could mean trouble. Is the new clip cut to the right length? Did they do any fixturing for the radiator location? The radiator support is what the front fenders bolt to. If this isn't the correct distance from the firewall to the the fenders, hood, etc won't line up with the body or the wheels, bit trouble.
What do you want to do with the car? Cruiser, custom, drag race????IMO take your $1600 and get an un-cut car early 50 chevy's are pretty common if you look around. Unless you trust the guy who cut the car you could have a hell of a headace on your hands...

 

my 53 was 1000, running, driving, tiny bit of rust. i passed on a 4door for 1200 a week before. if it is cut up, keep looking. .02

 

Damn bro I think your getting a hell of a deal if that car was
for sale out here in Los Angeles it will be going for $2500-3000
as is. I say jump on it and even more since it's the car you been
looking for.

 

I want to build a cruiser for mama and I! Louvered hood, frenched lights, lake pipes, DP-90 primer, etc. Chevys, Mercs, Fords, Buicks, etc. from the 40s to mid 50s is what I'm after. SBC with either 4-speed or Turbo 350. Would also like old style finned valve covers, a 3 deuce setup, etc. Thanks for your input and Thanks for everyone's input.

 

I'm gonna sound like a broken record here, but DP primer and the Texas sun are NOT friends. DP will fade FAST unless you only take it out of the garage at night. Ask me how I know! Other primers are bad enough, but DP is one of the worst to fade. (But I know some folks consider that a good thing!)

Before you load your spray gun, I'd highly recommend a HAMB search on the topic of Flat Black.

 

Thanks- I'm learning! What do you suggest? I'm looking for the "suede look." It also does not have to be black. A dark gray or some of the red shades I see in mags would be OK! The 41 Ford in the HAMB 4Sale section has a sort of flat gold paint job- that also looks good! I may use old school flames or 50s pin stripes or maybe a combination of both!

 

Think I could get $7k for mine then?