"El Belairo" '62 Chevy Bubbletop from Milwaukee

Every time i read something about Gene Adams of '50 Olds g***er fame, I think of what I thought was another Gene Adams who had a thing for '62 Belairs...the best known of which was the "Belairo"...Does anyone remember this car? It came out of the 76th and Oklahoma area of Milwaukee.......Sandpiper

 

A friend of mine bought what might be The car off ebay a few years ago it is a bel air and says el-bel-air-o on both sides. I was definitely a race car for a while.

 

Wow!....any chance of your friend getting some pics of it for us???? Thanks! Sandpiper

 

I will ask him and I also sent this page to him in an email....

 

Hi Sandpiper I definitely think I have the car you are talking about and it sits in its raced condition from several years ago. Do you have any info on the car about its history? I heard it use to race at union grove and the last motor in it was a 427 set back into the firewall for better weight distribution. The car is showing 9600 miles which I believe to be original to the car it is very clean for a midwest car, but very chopped up from racing over the years.Let me know and I'll get to the warehouse and take some picks for you!Thanks Mike

 

you are thinking of Bernie Adams, ran the 62 Bel Air out of his Shell station, 76th and Oklahoma Ave. At the NSRA event, State Fair Park, last year, supposedly the original 62 Bel Air was there. Looking forward to the photos of the "Belairo".

 

You are exactly right! It was Bernie!! I really hope those pics are available...As I recall, Bernie had more than one '62 but the paint on the Belairo was incredibly wild! Thanks for the correction! Sandpiper

 

BTT for more exposure.............

 

Most interested to see those photos, too. Bernie Adams is still around and would be able to give a lot of info, if it is his old car.

 

I'll remind him tomorrow.............

 

Please don't tell me this thread is going to fade away....even if Bernie doesn't remember how cool he and his cars were...a lot of us do....Sandpiper.....OG 001, Pm's coming by the week-end.....Thanks for touching base....

 

HELP!!! Where did these guys go??!?? Sandpiper

 

Any more word on this car or Bernie? Thanks................

 

Has this one disappeared? Any news at all? Thanks....Centurion9

 

I will try to remember to call and se if he ever got the pics to put up on here.

 

Thanks a lot...I sure would appreciate it! Centurion9

 

Yep, I'm persistant....Any word on this car? Centurion9

 

don't give up!

 

I can't.......Thanks! Centurion9

 

Last spring/summer the "El Belairo" was spotted parked on 16th & Morgan on Milwaukees dirty south side. I know cuz I spotted it, stopped & looked at it. It was for sale. It was in its full glory, candy paint, quad headlights I think chrysler taillights, it had a for sale sign in it & the window was rolled down. I went back w/an older cat from this area cuz when I described it to him he said "sounds like the "El Belairo", and so it was, he viewed it told me some narley story about how the tri pot manifold got ripped off the car back in the early 60's (1960's), when it was at a body shop gettin work done. but he confirmed it was the machine you elders speak of. He told me the dude that owned it was a bit odd, what ever.
The next day it was gone, I have not seen nor heard of it since till this post.
Love CheaterCarl

 

Thanks CheaterCarl....Maybe the guy who bought it is the Silent Illinois Guy that bhlimited referred to. The car was an icon in my neighborhood for a long time. Stories about old iron are even more exciting to me than new builds, only because it's so cool to hear that they still exist! Thanks for getting back to me....Speaking of the old days...In the Night Owl neighborhood, there was a guy who owned one of the coolest Packard Customs on the Planet, along with a Bright Yellow Hot rodded Pickup with stained Gl*** windows, I believe his name was Dennis Rakowski (it's been a long time ago!), and owned a Bright Yellow '40 Chevy Coupe too.....He moved his business from 14th and Oklahoma to a station on Layton Avenue near the Airport...Your friends may know of him....Great Days Man....Cheaters Rule! Centurion9

 

i will try to ask him to post sum pics of the car. he is very busy all the time but i know at one time he thought of selling it also. keep you posted.

 

Hey Centurion9, the bhlimited guy says, again, pics are coming.

The car Cheater Carl saw and was describing is a 1959 Impala (see the attached photo taken in 1961). The custom 59 Impala has been mostly restored to its 1961 appearance and still exists on the south side of Milwaukee. It was for sale, in the spring and summer of 2008, Craigslist and ebay. As, I recall, the 59 Impala was not known as the "El Belairo".

Maybe Carl and the older cat had too many pbr's or falling off of a skateboard can cause blurred vision.

If, the car you are talking about is the 59 Impala then, all is resolved. If, not the search continues.

I will be talking with Bernie Adams, in a few weeks, at an old drag racers reunion. I will ask if, he knows anything about the "El Belairo".

 

I received a couple pics of the '62 Belairo but it was either repainted since original or it's another car altogether. As I recall, and it's been about 100 years now, it had a striking paint job....Bold Diagonal Stripes. The pics I have (somewhere in my PC) show the car with a pretty simple two tone paint scheme with Belairo in Script that almost looks home-made. A far cry from the car I remember....Please do as Bernie about the car...It's reputation was huge....The car was great, and it is for sure a '62 Belair. Thanks for breathing life into this search guys....Centurion9

 

It also could have been known as "Belairo" and not "EL Belairo"...........It's been a long time, but maybe a fresh look might turn something up.......Centurion9

 

Yeah Carl....Different car altogether. I'm running this one to the top for a fresh look.....

 

Okay my son came across this old discussion. WOW it is ALL wrong! The car in question was never owned by Bernie Adams. It was owned by my partner Victor Cecelia. We grew up working on cars. In 1962 Victor bought a red 62 BelAir 409 hardtop, ("bubble top"). Shortly after I bought a blue one. Victor decided to race the car. The motor was punched to a 422ci. A fibergl*** front clip was installed etc. with an I Beam front end. The car ran in B/G. The first time the car was raced, Victor and I towed the car all the way to Union Grove from the North end of Milwaukee with a chain. The Shell gas station on 76th and Oklahoma was owned by Bernie Adams but he just let us do some work on the car, using his hoist. The car was re-painted by me in Cadillac Red and Gold Fire Mist paint.
I went into the service in 1966 and I came home in 1968 and in 1970 we opened the "Quick Shop" Performance Center in Mequon, WI and then built a new building on Appleton and Silver Spring in Milwaukee. The 62 was sold and showed up a few years ago on Ebay and it ended up in California. The guy that bought it found this old video on You tube and contacted me. The car is about 4 minutes into the video.
Link:
Here are some pictures. I hope this clears up some questions. Victor Cecelia, "Quick Vic" drove the Pabst Charger AA/FC which ran out of our shop. The car was built and owned by Charlie Proite.

 

Nice video and local history lesson. Thanks!

 

I remember the "Quick Shop" in Mequon. I was trying to remember the place where I bought gages for my Model A coupe project just last week and today I stumbled on to this old thread. Donges Bay rd and 57 if I recall correctly.
I was stoked when I discovered Mequon had a speed shop and I could buy stuff in person rather than order from Almquist or Honest Charley.
My coupe is still out there somewhere.......I think.

 

Wow, great story and what a find with that video. I love how these stories eventually come full circle. ☺