Updated Americana -- The Coolest Bel Air You'll See This Week

I feel like I’ve talked a lot about the Chevy Bel Air already this week, but there’s a reason why: they’re incredibly beautiful. First released back in 1949, the Bel Air is a classic bit of Americana, up there with the T-Bird and the Corvette as one of the most notable examples of 20th-century motoring. In this Youtube video, a restomodded 1956 Bel Air is taken for a test drive from Fast Classic Cars, in St. Charles, Missouri. In the original model, the biggest engine you’d have found under the sculpted hood would’ve been a 265ci small-block V8. Not a slouch, by any stretch, but this Bel Air’s been retrofitted with a 383 small-block stroker, almost half as big again as the original! The new engine’s also been linked up to a five-speed tranny. It’s had some convenience upgrades installed for the driver’s sake too, including AC and disc brakes.

Both inside and outside, however, the Chevy’s retained its vintage looks. It’s been given a coat of cardinal red paint with a white back end, and inside, new door panels have been made to factory specifications. New carpeting’s been fitted, as has a new column-mounted tachometer. When the accelerator’s depressed, the Bel Air’s new V8 lets out some extremely satisfying growls, sounding like an angry bear the driver’s just poked with a sharp stick. This is an almost perfect restomod. It’s taken an original Bel Air, which would be lacking power in today’s world, and updated it into a truly mean machine.