The second-generation Chevrolet Bel Air always was one of the most popular American classics of all time. And as such, you see everything from rusting relics to restomods with all-new V8s. But nothing gets Tri-Five fans more excited than a good barn find, filled with cars that are unrestored and have interesting stories.
In that regard, it doesn’t get much better than what Tom from Hagerty recently uncovered. He’s got a series called Barn Find Hunt, where he’s been driving his classy woody wagon around America, checking out what collectors have got. This week’s stop is deep in Virginia.
A small town called Elkton is the home of Nick, a builder by day, but also a restorer and collector of Tri-Five Chevrolets. He’s got about 60 vehicles in total, which also include a number of vintage Volkswagens. But the first stop on the barn hunt is not a Chevy or a VW.
Sitting on the back of a trailer is the 1967 Caprice sedan with the 396 big-block V8 and a GM Turbo Hydramatic THM-400. It’s got all-original paint and is quite rare, even though it’s been driven by the same guy to work from 1967 until 2012.
Tri-Fives with stories
The second-gen Bel Air is known as the Tri-Five because it was made for three years, 1955, 1956 and 1957. Each model has unique features, and just to make things less confusing, barn hunter Tom explains an easy way to tell them apart.
The taillights can be used to differentiate the model years, with 1955 having a simple lighting unit. The next year, they used a lot more chrome and integrated the gas cap into a hidden flap. America was becoming obsessed with rockets, so for 1957, you have large fins at the back. Of course, other elements are distinctive as well, like the grille or the side trim.
The Bel Air is just a high-end model of the Tri-Five family, which also included the 150, 210, and Nomad wagon. Millions of them were made in different configurations with quite a few powertrain choices. But many of the cars here have interesting stories and personalities.
One was used as a stock class drag racer, another was driven by a nurse and still has the original paint. The collection includes an original six-cylinder and the restomod holy grail: the LS swap.
Nick has a bunch of other cars too, like a cheap Corvair that doesn’t want to start or a 1950s funeral flower car. Also, Volkswagens are aplenty, since his 19-year-old daughter is hardcore into Bugs and Buses. The 1969 Volkswagen Squareback station wagon also gets your attention, even though it’s pretty rusty.
The last “stop” of the Barn Find Hunter is in another location altogether, where an interesting 1930s car is being stored. This is an old Dodge sedan that may have seen police service. It’s got any option imaginable: two spare tires, extra horns, bigger lights, a fan on the dash, floor heating and a trunk.
