The 55 hard top (I would think 56 as well) has a much more trim and sleek roof line than the sedan, and the roof is actually shorter. The difference in distance between the bottom edge of the windshield and the edge of the trunk can easily be observed between the hard top and the sedan, this can also be observed when comparing the rear side windows of the two cars. I was never sure if there was a difference with the hump underneath the rear side windows with the 55, the hump is much more pronounced on the hardtop, and it always seemed like the body was a different length in this area, not sure though. I used to think the hard top was a shorter car but from what others are saying it seems the wheel base was identical
The only truely correct answer so far, has been the HAMBER who said if you ask, you'll get 10 different answers! ALL tri-five Chevrolets are on a 115 inch wheelbase; sedans, wagons, hardtops, and Sedan Deliveries. The Del Ray was primarily an upholstery option on 210, 2 door sedans, and also had a lighter roof color. The 150 is the base model, and the most basic of the 150 models is the Business Coupe, or also known as a Utility Sedan; NO rear seat, stationary rear side windows, and usually fairly un-optioned. 150's came in 2 door sedans and Business Coupes/Utility Sedans, 4 door sedan, and 2 door station wagons, on the 2 door 150 wagons the rear side glass was stationary. Sedan Deliveries are built on a 150 platform, with no rear seats, a single bucket seat as standard, 2 buckets as an option, or a bench seat as an option. The same applied to the interior sun visors. However, Sedan Deliveries were built, registered, and titled as trucks; they were'nt in the passenger car brochures, only the truck brochures. AND, there were even Windowed Deliveries made under government contract. Then we step up to the 210 models; 2 door sedan, 4 door sedan, 2 door Handyman Wagon, and 4 door Townsman Wagons. There were also 210 2 and 4 door Hardtops, also known as Sports Coupes/Sedans (only 2 door Sports Coupes/Sedans in 55, no 4 door Sports Coupes/Sedans). We already mentioned the 210 Del Ray interior option. Up next is the Bel Airs; 2 and 4 door Sedans, 2 and 4 door Hardtops/Sports Coupes/Sedans, 4 door wagons; and the ONLY 2 door Bel Air Wagons were Nomads. 4 door wagons came in 6 and 9 passenger models, 210 or Bel Air. 235 CID sixes as standard for all years, with the 265 as the base option, 2 barrel V-8 for all three years (that's right, the 265 was the standard V-8 in 57, not the 283, you got the 283 with an automatic or 4 barrel carb). The 55 265 had no cast-in-block oil filter, and a cannister oil filter was an option/dealer installed. 3-speed manuals, or 3-speed manuals with overdrives, or a Powerglide. NO Hydramatics for Sedan Deliveries, that was a myth pushed upon the NHRA as a drag racing advantage, after all, Sedan Deliveries were "trucks", and even that changed in 1971. The Turboglide automatic transmission (cough-cough) was an option in 57. 4 barrel carbs/heads/cams were options, and in 57, Fuel Injection. And of course, all different kinds of options, such as rubber floor mats or carpet, radios, styles of heaters, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, etc. 55 150 models had only rubber seals around the windshield and back glass, 56 and 57 got stainless trim. No belt line trim on 150's, belt line trim on 210 and Bel Airs. Depending on where the car was built, it could have one piece bumpers or frames. Some sheet metal was also slightly different and ill fitting between plants. I'm sure I've missed some things, and I'm NO expert, but I owned almost 20 tri-fives over the years, and currently have a 56, AND, a 57 Sedan Delivery. Lots of guys swapped parts, changed side trim, converted everything and anything; so you'll see almost anything that is'nt stock, but they claim it is. Butch/56sedandelivery.
holy crap! you'ld think you asked if babe ruth was a better pitcher or batter. As you can see you can ( and apparently some do ) get into the minutia of the thing.. But just for quick ID purposes just go with the trim & option item- clock or no clock- radio or no radio- carpet or no carpet - heater or no heater- trim or no trim full on bling bling or basic low buck bling bling. ---- It'ld be good to know as much as you can if you're gonna go head over heels in the cars. save you alota trouble. but basic knowledge of what you're looking at is enough... I had a guy tellin me he had a black widow to sell me one time.. and when I walked in the shop where the car was with the hood open and walked by the fender I just kept walking out the door-- reason? there was a heater core....... back then you could just pass em by, 2day I wish I had bought it anyhow
Right you are! I stand corrected. The 210 I saw with them must have had Belair inserts with the anodizing buffed off. I imagine it was the owners way of filling the Belair fender trim holes.....
The first DelRay was 1954. Also the base motor for all models was the inline 6. The Delray was a top of the line 210 model for 54,55,56, and 57, In 1958 the Delray model took over the 150 models. The Biscayne models took over the 210 models, the Bel Air was continued and the Impala became top dog. The 55 -57 models are pretty easy to follow. It's mainly just trim options. The 150s had the least flash while the belairs had the most flash.
Probably absolutely nothing, but this was a LONG response, and yours probably was posted before I got mine posted. That, and it was 3 in the morning or so. And I don't know everything for sure about tri-fives OR sentence/paragraph structure. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Rat motor those images you posted were great. 56Sedan delivery, very informative post. hard to read but great info I did not mean to stir up a pot of shit on here, What I was realling looking for was when I'm out trolling junkyards I can tell the differences between the cars. I love hitting car shows, but unless you know what they look like stock its pretty hard to tell just how modified the show cars are. I never truly understood just how much metalwork goes into building a kustom with a K (ok bad Barris joke) Anyway thank you guys, now I'm off to learn the differences between 28-9 and 30-1 A's (my next project) Take care guys and long live the H.A.M.B. Keith
rl55 post something that says Delray on your car or title.....I've had about eight or nine 55-57s since 1962 and I don't recall any nameplate besides Bel Air that identifies any other trim level on the tri-fives.
There is no nameplate saying Delray - it was an interior option on 210's. You just have to know these cars to know if it's a original delray. The only thing documenting it being an original delray on the car is the 'A' on the cowl tag that has been mentioned a few times already. Minor note: Chevrolet even confused things by how they used the model term coupe & sedan. A coupe for tri-fives is generally known as a pillarless hardtop. Exception to the rule #1 is the 'Sport Sedan' which is the pillarless 4-dr hardtop. Sedans are generally known as the 'post' cars. Exception to the rule #2 is some Chevrolet literature lists the 'Delray Club Coupe' which was not a hardtop at all, but (only) the 2dr 210 sedan (post) car with the interior option mentioned earlier. For those of you hung up on the 'DelRay' name being displayed on the car in some way... Chevrolet also had names for some of the other '55-57 models that did not appear on them either. Townsman: 6 passenger station wagon Beauville: 9 passenger station wagon Handyman: 150 or 210 2dr wagon The only models that had a name on it was the entire Belair trim line (highest) and the Nomad (which is a Belair series car). For those who aren't car savvy, interested in all of this minutiae, or can't remember it, they will sometimes as a practice call ANY '55, '56 or '57 Chevy a 'Belair'. It would be the same mistake as calling any soda a 'coke', or any photocopy a 'xerox'... I imagine the '59-72 Chevy crowd has the same challenge when anyone refers to a full size Chevy from those years as an Impala if they are unaware of the Belair or Biscayne models. That's why there is confusion when people are looking at ads. Furthering the confusion is when prior owners have added or subtracted trim from a tri-five that would help in it's accurate identification. If the vin tag has not been tampered with it will begin with a 'A' or 'VA': 150 series 'B' or 'VB': 210 series 'C' or 'VC': Belair series 'D' or 'VD': Sedan Delivery 'E' or 'VE': Corvette In each case, if it starts with the 'V' it's a 'V8' equipped car. No 'V' (just A, B, C, D or E) is a six cylinder equipped car. FWIW, there were some elements of truth in many of the responses, but 56sedandelivery's reply has my vote for the most accurate if not completely accurate.
So far the 2 best answers are from the great northwest!!! Although I think the op's head is throbbing!!
There is some good information in this thread......and there is also some U.S.D.A. choice bullshit. Get yourself a reference source that you can trust if you want to know the whole truth. By tomorrow, someone will make a post about the '57 Corvette four door that their ex-wife's stepfather's cousin ordered new with a 409 and a B&M hydrostick.
I stand chagrined and corrected on the Delray nomenclature/label thingamajig. When I was running around in those cars, the experts hadn't taken over (that was NOT an insult, merely fact). We new the difference between 150/210 and Belairs...and were familiar with the appropriate body styles (the only ones we were interested in): 2dr post, 2dr hdtp, handyman wagon and convertible. Nothing else mattered to us as we didn't need to know much about codes, as parts for these things were prolific in most wrecking yards. I had a half a garage stuffed with electric wiper motors, power window hardware, power seats, rear speaker knobs with their escutcheons, two factory AC dashes, several pushbutton radios (with the Conelrad markings), two or three Kleenex dispensers, and two cigarette snuffers (with tubing and bottle). Every time I visited a wrecking yard, I would find anything that was an option of some kind and buy it. Over the ensuing years, I wound up trading/selling everything as I moved away from 55-57 and into sports cars and racing. body and trim codes just weren't important - we were just hotrodders....nothing more...nothing less (except in the eyes of girlfriends' parents). dj
As a good reference catalog East Coast Chevy... Ol' 55 has a great catalog that references all body styles, stainless trim, and color pics of all original interior options, also valuable info on decoding the vin tag and plates. They also offer a wide selection of parts, great people! www.eastcoastchevy.com or215-348-5568.
I went back to the original thread and read the O.P.'s question about 150 vs 210 vs Belair. Here is a thread I participated in on another site which has photo examples of each trim level compared across each of the three years and only one body style - 2dr sedan. http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/100114/
I have a 55 150. It is a utility sedan with stationary windows in the rear. came originally with no back seat (still has the brackets for the pull out tray), no carpet, crude vinal covering, no trim save for the hood bird and the chevrolet script on the front fender and front and rear emblems, radio delete, no heater, rubber windshield trim and a 6 cylindar 3 speed. I've added the rear seat, rock guards and rocker trim, gas door trim, bumper guards, radio, heater. I still get asked when I'm putting the bel air trim on it...not gonna happen ever. Also had a 57 vert with very little trim options on it. Included the 265/ 3 speed and vacume wipers. Should have had all the trim on it but it didn't. Too many people have added the trims to the lower lines to make them into the bel airs. Decoding the tag is the best way to figure out what it is.
True. It's funny how many unrestored Convertibles I see on eBay and such that have original 6 cylinders...but never at a car show...every Convertible is a V8 at the shows!
The silver inserts are available aftermarket as a custom touch but, as stated, were never available on a new '57.
"In each case, if it starts with the 'V' it's a 'V8' equipped car. No 'V' (just A, B, C, D or E) is a six cylinder equipped car." I bought a '57 Belaire 2 dr ht from a police auction in 1969. It had a V8 and three speed with an added Hurst shifter crudely installed. The dash had the indicator for a Turboglide and the steering column to match. The Vin number that was on the paperwork started with a "C". That would have made it a 6 cyl with Turboglide - an unavailable combination unless someone changed the column. It turned out that the VIN plate on the door frame had been heavily painted with the rest of the car and had obscured the leading V. I could just bearly see it. I never changed the paperwork and sold the car a few years later.
I have not seen gauges like mine. I pulled them out of a 56 150 2dr wagon project. The colors are inverted. Anybody have any knowledge of these? The clock lens is inverted, also. I used them in the 56 Dash I put in my 57 Daily (Bel Air I made look like a 210 HT)
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