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Car of the Day : August 5, 2014; Johnny Lightning '56 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
Topic Started: Aug 5 2014, 02:05 AM (718 Views)
Dean-o-mite
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Muscle Car
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Today's car of the day is Johnny Lightning's 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible.


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Wikipedia
 
The Chevrolet Bel Air was a full-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1950–1981 model years. Initially only the two door Hardtops in the Chevrolet model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952, as distinct from the Styleline and Fleetline models for the remainder of the range. With the 1953 model year the Bel Air name was changed from a designation for a unique body shape to a premium level of trim applied across a number of body styles. The Bel Air continued with various other trim level designations until US production ceased in 1975, production continued in Canada for its home market only through the 1981 model year.



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For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Chevrolet Bel Air


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While perusing the history of Car Of The Day, I was surprised to see that we had never run a 1956 Bel Air. That streak ends today, with this appealing Johnny Lightning convertible, with a continental spare tire kit.


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Wikipedia
 
The 1956 Bel Air received a face-lift with a more conventional full-width grille, pleasing those customers who didn't favor the Ferrari-inspired '55 front end. Distinctive two-tone bodyside treatments and graceful front and rear wheel openings completed the "speedline" restyling. Single housings incorporated the taillight, stoplight, and backup light, and the left one held the gas filler - an idea popularized on Cadillacs. Among the seven Bel Air models was a new Sport Sedan, a pillarless four-door hardtop that looked handsome with all the windows rolled down and allowed easy entry into the back seat. Production exceeded 103,000, compared to 128,000 two-door hardtops. Shapely two-door Nomad wagons topped the price chart at $2,608, but now carried the same interior and rear-wheel sheetmetal as other Bel Airs, lacking the original's unique trim. Only 7,886 were built. The least costly Bel Air, at $2,025, was the two-door sedan. Seatbelts, shoulder harnesses, and a padded dashboard were available, and full-size cars could even get the hot Corvette 225-horsepower engine. In 1956 sales material there was an optional rain-sensing automatic top, which was first seen on the first on the 1951 LaSabre concept car. However, it is believed that it was never installed on a car. Popular Mechanics reported only 7.4% of owners in their survey ordered seat belts.



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juantoo3
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Very nice! JL was groundbreaking introducing the '56...the forgotten tri-five. It was only years later that HW reluctantly got on board, I don't anyone else has even bothered.
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Firehawk73
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juantoo3
Aug 5 2014, 05:52 AM
Very nice! JL was groundbreaking introducing the '56...the forgotten tri-five. It was only years later that HW reluctantly got on board, I don't anyone else has even bothered.
I know that Racing Champions did the '56 Chevy Nomad but I don't recall them doing the 2 door coupe.

I am a big fan of Johnny Lightning but I don't like this casting by them. I actually like the HWs version better. Something is terrible off with JL casting. I think it suffers from the same problems as their '57 casting but more so. It is not wide enough. Even though '56 Chevy Bel Air is not my favorite of the tri-fives and I don't think I have any of JL version in my collection anymore, I think in real life it is not a bad looking car and seen them modified quite nicely. I just rather have a '55 Chevy.
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Dean-o-mite
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The '56 was my least favorite of the triplets, but a year or so back, I bought a 1/18 1956 Bel Air (stop reading now, Hosspower!) 4-door sedan, and it has fascinated me ever since. I'm sure a 4-door '55 or '57 could sway me, but I started gravitating toward the '56 based on that model. Funny how that works sometimes.
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juantoo3
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The 56 is my least favorite of the tri-5s too...but the 56 is still much better than many, many other years, makes and models out there!

In a perfect world I think the 56 front on the 55 body would make a good combo...I just never cared for the 56 bullet taillights. The 55 taillights were more like the Caddys of the time. I don't think the 56 front clip will go on a 55 though.
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pjedsel
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Muscle Car
Of the Tri-Five Chevies - my favorite is the '55. I was glad when JL did the series with the '55, '56 and '57 - especially the wagons (just wish they hadn't all been Nomad). I like the this little convertible - yeah it is not perfect but kudos to JL for doing it and the others.
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ivantt
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New casting? Quick! Take it apart!

If smaller wheels were placed on this one, and not jacked up in the back, it would much better all around.
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daniel60
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Love the colors of the fifties and great designs. Beautiful pictures clear and very clean.
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