I just recently converted some old photos of my long ago 1955 Chevrolet 210 (Delray) club coupe, from old 35 mm to jpeg form. Excuse the quality of the original prints but at least now i have it on my computer. This car i bought in April 1979 and kept until November 1980. The car originally came from Gravenhurst, Ontario and was originally bought by a Mrs. Pearl Breatie at Gravenhurst Motors. I still have all the original paperwork for that 55 Chev. I sold it to a man from Kingston, Ontario and have not seen the car since. The car was all original except for the wheels, it ran the original 235 inline six and three on the tree. The Delray club coupe was a 210 model with a special all vinyl two tone interior. This 55 had a black and white all vinyl interior. The car was single tone white originally and the previous owner added the red. The car had no options at all, not even a radio or door mirror. I enjoyed the car but i was made an offer i could not refuse. Check out the photo at the GULF gas station, gas was 23 cents a litre in 1979. Cheers. George.
Nice 1955 George, I never heard of the Delray model before....learn something every day.
I had a blue 1955 2 door post (150 model), 6 cylinder, auto...also around 1979.
- bought it off a MI lady, retired in Teeswater ON.
I soon sold it to my twin brother, who restored the body...with rechromed grill & front bumper purchased in Clinton.
- one hole in the rear quarter, so I brazed on a half quarter...came out nice & straight
Repainted 2 tone (blue/ivory) and he used car in the wedding party...I was best man, got to drive it all shinned up.
As an interesting side note, those rally wheels on that 55 were Canadian Pontiac rally rims. The center caps had no markings on them and they came on the car when i bought it. I was going to change the wheels to original rims with small 55 Chevy hub caps but never got around to it before i sold it. Those wheels were the only none original item on the car, other than those silly furry dice on the rear view mirror. This car was the first real attempt at the old car hobby because my previous 56 Chev BelAir i never got on the road. This car was the stepping stone to many wonderful years in this great hobby of ours. Of course a number of years later, i regretted selling this 55 Chev icon. I wonder where it is now. Hey maybe it is in your garage? Cheers. George.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
That is a sweet 55 George! The 235 is a great engine and the red and white two tone was a good choice. Hopefully you may cross paths again one day. Maybe at a car show? Whatever happend to Gulf and Texaco. Bought up?
what was a nice car like that worth in 1980 (ball park)
When i sold the car in late 1980, i got $3500 cash. I know that seems like dog food now but then it was a pile of dough. George.
I was just twelve years old then but an enthusist a local guy on my paper route had a nice 56 post with a built 327 - I recall him wanting $3000 (might as well been a million !) anyway ya $3500 was a chunk of money in those days maybe more than $25,000-$30,000 is today -- I recall a 70 Hemi Cuda selling in 83 for $6000 and a 72 SS454 M22 chevelle for $3500 -- so that was the money
Thanks for sharing George even though in some ways it probably is a little tough to do. I know a very good friend of mine butchered up 2 or 3 of these in Alberta, put roll cages in them and used them for stock car racing.
what was a nice car like that worth in 1980 (ball park)
When i sold the car in late 1980, i got $3500 cash. I know that seems like dog food now but then it was a pile of dough. George.
I was just twelve years old then but an enthusist a local guy on my paper route had a nice 56 post with a built 327 - I recall him wanting $3000 (might as well been a million !) anyway ya $3500 was a chunk of money in those days maybe more than $25,000-$30,000 is today -- I recall a 70 Hemi Cuda selling in 83 for $6000 and a 72 SS454 M22 chevelle for $3500 -- so that was the money
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I remember in the mid 1970's.
- went to a well advertised farm auction of a car collector, the frame off 1957 Belair hardtop went for something like $3,500
(huge turnout, 2-3 guys wouldn't stop bidding to every ones surprise...painted black with silver/red interior, stunning example)
- went to a Toronto auction, a mint 1955 was a no sale, reserve not met, bids ended at $3,600
Also during this period, College tuition was ~$500, to put things in perspective.
- dealer in Seaforth, ON. asking $8,500 for a southern 1967 Corvette fastback with tripower 427, 4 speed
First 1967 Beaumont S/D I saw advertised in Auto Trader, restored with non matching number 396...asking $6,500.
^^^^ Old prices still a mile away, from my youthful affordability.
BTW - I sold my 1955 2 door post car with $400 invested in new chrome for $1800 (around 1978)...paid $600 for it, old lady car, found in a garage. Car was repainted in 1979 and sold for $2800.
-- Edited by Beaumont67SD on Tuesday 21st of October 2014 08:13:25 AM
Nice 55 George. At the same time as you I was splitting from my first wife and had to sell my 55 Belair 2 dr hardtop. It was a six cylinder powerglide California rust free Red and White one repaint original very nice interior. The only options were clock, radio and an electric windshield wiper motor. I sold the car for $4000 to a guy from Kapuskasing and he trailored it to Whitby and sold it to Fawcett Motors for $5000. I was into the car for a 1970 Monte Carlo that I paid $400 and $2000 cash to get the 55. I had to raise some cash to buy my EX out of our house so I could keep it.
The interior in the 55 Delray was also offered in the 55 Canadian Pontiacs in the Club Coupe line. This line was only offered in the Pathfinder Deluxe series in a 2 door as a Club Coupe model number 2011A. The interiors even had the same numericial codes. The Delray was only offered in Chevrolet's 210 series. In all my years in the old car hobby I have only seen 1 55 Pontiac Club Coupe and it was in Smith Falls Ontario. It was pretty rusty and the seats and door panels were missing.
506 Beige Vinly/Blue Vinyl
507 Beige Vinyl/ Green Vinyl
508 Ivory Vinyl/Black Vinyl
It sure is nice to look at all the old pics that guys post on here.
Interesting stuff there Al (Taylor 55). I never knew Pontiac offered the Delray type interior. There are a ton of fake made up 55 56 57 Chevy Delrays out there because it is so easy to do. Just put in a reproduction Delray interior and presto.......... instant Delray. My 55 was an original Delray and at the time i never realized just how rare that model was and is. I learned later about how special that model really was. I really regret selling all of my past 55 56 and 57 Chevy's. If i ever owned another one it would be a 56 or 57 Nomad. Cheers. George.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
Canadian Pontiacs also offered the same interior as a DelRay in 1956 again only in the Pathfinder Deluxe model in a 2 dr sedan model 2011A. The A identifies the all vinyl custom interior.The interior was offered in 3 colours only.
Great car and colour combo........... got me thinking of hauling out my slide scanner and converting some of my old slides, have already done a ton.
Like many here, one of my first cars was a burdundy 57 2 dr hardtop 6 cyl belair, bought for $100 in 66, cut the floor for a hurst shifter, thought
the car was really something, however, was hit and written off, next up 57 all black 2 dr post, got an offer for 4x my money and sold.
I'm with you George if I had another tri five it would be a resto modded 56 Nomad, all one colour, BBC with big wheels, brakes and tires.
By 1958 the base 150 model Chev was named DelRay, then next was Biscayne, followed by Bel Air topped by Impala.
Our family 58 DelRay was a 4dr Coral Pink, gray interior NO option car that the old man finally traded in his base 150 2dr 1955.
The 55 was one of my all time favorites. the 58, not so much because my uncle had a 58 Impala convertible,black with 3 tone red/silver/orange interior. Compared to it the DelRay was plain jane.
It seems that people think I'm full of BS when you tell them that those cars were dirt cheap back then. The story of my friend's older brother buying a 57 BelAir convertible for around $75 and driving it home and chopping it up, putting a roll bar in it and welding a roof on to go stock car racing is one that most people go Sure,sure, in your dreams!
$3500 was big money for a 55 in 79-80, so it must have been a creampuff!
By 1958 the base 150 model Chev was named DelRay, then next was Biscayne, followed by Bel Air topped by Impala. Our family 58 DelRay was a 4dr Coral Pink, gray interior NO option car that the old man finally traded in his base 150 2dr 1955. The 55 was one of my all time favorites. the 58, not so much because my uncle had a 58 Impala convertible,black with 3 tone red/silver/orange interior. Compared to it the DelRay was plain jane. It seems that people think I'm full of BS when you tell them that those cars were dirt cheap back then. The story of my friend's older brother buying a 57 BelAir convertible for around $75 and driving it home and chopping it up, putting a roll bar in it and welding a roof on to go stock car racing is one that most people go Sure,sure, in your dreams!
$3500 was big money for a 55 in 79-80, so it must have been a creampuff!
Yes sir it was a cream puff and back then, i was too young and clue less to even know that. I thought i did good, as far as what i got but now i am thinking................. what the **** i let a real good car get away. The following 56 Chev made up for it, because that car i really enjoyed and then some. Cheers. George.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
George, that old 55 was really sweet. Indeed the money you got for it at the time was real money. I do remember seeing your old 57 Bel Air Sport Sedan back in the late 1980s. It must have been 2001 I saw you at the GM Oshawa show back in 2001 with your 57 Pontiac.
I always had thought that the Del Ray was a 1-year-only 1958 base model, that is until I found a survivor 1955 Del Ray on e-Bay back in 2003. See the attached pictures. I have 21 pictures from that auction but due to space considerations I just post a few. I dont know what it sold for but the reserve in 2003 was $18,900. The back seat had never even been sat in.
The Del Ray upgraded a 210 2-door sedan with nicer all-vinyl interior and carpeting to replace the rubber floor covering. It even added an assist strap to the interior B-pillar; that would only work on the 2-door sedan body style anyway. The Del Ray option was offered from 1954 through 1957 AFAIK.
I didnt know about the Canadian 1955 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe offering the same Del Ray interior as an option. That is a great tidbit there Taylor55!
George, you mentioned Gravenhurst Motors. Interestingly enough, there was one of ELEVEN Canadian-built 1968 Impala SS427 convertibles sold out of Gravenhurst Motors. It was sold new to a Doctor and it had a lot of options (for a Canadian car at the time). That is the same car that we saw for sale on this site last year, the Tripoli Turquoise with black interior car that was for sale in Toronto. I knew of that car going back to 1991.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
