Interesting Shoebox Facts

US PRODUCTION NUMBERS

1955 MODEL PRODUCTION NUMBERS:

150 models - 125,446          210 models - 805,309          B/A models - 773,382

1956 MODEL PRODUCTION NUMBERS:

150 models - 157,294          210 models - 737,371          B/A models - 669,281

1957 MODEL PRODUCTION NUMBERS:

150 models - 146,080          210 models - 653,358          B/A models - 702,651


WHEELBASE = 115 inches

AVERAGE WEIGHT = 3300 Lbs

AVERAGE COST WHEN NEW -  $2,300.00

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA PRODUCTION NUMBERS

1955 PRODUCTION NUMBERS - 158,320

1956 PRODUCTION NUMBERS - 188,808

1957 PRODUCTION NUMBERS - 181,967

SOME INTERESTING FACTS

1.          All cars had Delco GENERATORS, with the main housing, fan, and pulley all  painted SEMI GLOSS BLACK, and the end plates are left a NATURAL ALUMINUM color.  A red, metal, "Delco-Remy" tag should be riveted to the unit. This tag also has a date code - the first digit is the year (4,5,6,or 7) the second is the month, in letter code (A-M), the last is the day of the month. The upper generator brace is painted ENGINE COLOR. Also, the generator support arm should be painted ENGINE COLOR.

2.          Original POWER STEERING PUMPS were mounted to the back of the generator.  ALTERNATORS are modern day modifications.

(EXCEPTION 1: Some power steering generators had black cast iron end plates.)
(EXCEPTION 2: A very rare Police option was a 60 amp 'generator', which actually was an alternator! There would then also be a SELENIUM RECTIFIER,
with metal cooling fins, mounted in the engine compartment.)

3.          Original cars had single reservoir master cylinders stamped DELCO on the side. They were not painted, but were left NATURAL CAST METAL color. They all had metal caps.

4.          All 2 bbl V8s had air cleaners with no 'snout', having 2 horizontal slots in the lid instead. Only the single 4 bbl units had the 'snout', and the shape of the snout on all 3 years air cleaners are slightly different. Dual 4bbl (1956 and 1957 ONLY) units have a "batwing", or triangular air cleaner cover with 2 round elements on the underside. ALL air cleaners are painted SEMI GLOSS BLACK.

5.          All 1955 V8 motors are CHEVY ORANGE with BLACK valve cover stencils. All 1956 V8 motors are CHEVY RED, with BLACK valve stencils. With the exception of a very
extreme few.

6.          In 1956 the stencils may have also been white. A few early 1957 265 V8 engines (standard transmission ONLY) were painted chartreuse (lime green) by Chevrolet, and they had BLACK stencils on the valve covers.  After about November, 1956, all 265 engines were CHEVY ORANGE (as are the 283 motors), and the valve cover scripts were SILVER.

7.          Spark plug wires were black, and so were all boots and nipples.  The only exception was that the 1957 dual 4 bbl and Fuel Injection wires had red spark plug boots.

8.          No parts of the engine compartment were originally chromed, and this includes the hardware.

9.          All exhaust manifolds may have some ENGINE COLOR paint overspray, but no manifolds were ever painted FLAT SILVER, and new cast iron does NOT appear as flat silver! (They probably had a coating of natural rust on them before they were out of the factory!)

10.          All radiator clamps are the 'spring' type. Original hoses and belts were black, with GM markings. Original radiator caps did NOT say "Never Open While Hot", nor had pressure release levers.

11.          All batteries had 6 REMOVABLE (threaded) yellow caps and were top post type with BLACK cases. Original batteries were made by DELCO, and had tar tops, (not plastic). All battery cables were black, except the 1955 and 1956 negative cables, which were tinned copper braid), and had bolt type terminals.

12.          The firewall is body color, and the inner fenders and hood underside is SEMI-GLOSS BLACK. (Although some dealers did undercoat the underside of the hood; remember that undercoating is NOT glossy black!)  Hood springs are GLOSS BLACK.  Hood hinges are CAD PLATED. All "push-in", and bolt on wire clips are either black, green or red oxide. Also, no nylon "zip-ties" were used. Bundles were held together with flat brass straps.

13.          The steering box is NATURAL METAL color.

14.          All outside rear mirrors are round, and were accessories.

15.          A few EARLY 1957 4 door hardtops had the inside rear view mirror mounted on the dash. However, due to vibration, these were replaced on many of these cars, and were then also factory supplied, with a special long bracket, mounted from above as on other models.

16.          All cars had either "Chevrolet" trim or a Chevrolet emblem on both the hood and trunk.

17.          Tire sizes: 1955 and 1956 = 6.70 x 15 or 7.10 x 15, 1957 = 7.50 x 14 or 8.00 x 14, (G78-14 or VR215-14 are modern replacements).

18.          Borg-Warner overdrive units were available options on 3 speed cars. The lockout handle should be chrome, and mounted under dash. A kick-down switch was mounted to carburetor, and overdrive harness fuse was installed near the ballast resistor.

19.          Original parking brake handle were black. Late model replacement parts were chrome.

20.          Dual exhausts were NOT used with 6 cylinder or 2bbl V8 engines. Exhaust pipes were not welded to hangars, nor were "generic" hangars used. Mufflers were either NATURAL, SEMI GLOSS BLACK, or GALVANIZED. Original 1955 and 1956 dual exhaust had oval exhaust extensions (with the "powerpack" V8).   Chevrolet script exhaust deflectors were 1955 and 1956 accessories.

21.          Fuel and brake lines were all metal (except flexible couplings at wheel cylinders and fuel pumps). No rubber hoses should go to carburetor, or distributor. Only glass bowl fuel filters were used (original units use a bronze element, later replacements use a paper element), and they were an option.

22.          All 6 cylinder and 2 bbl V8 cars had fuel and brake lines on the inside of the frame (toward driveshaft) and had single exhaust only.  All "powerpak" and 1957 Fuel Injection had brake and fuel lines on the outside of the frame (visible from passenger side, away from the muffler).

23.          Genuine Chevrolet air conditioning, either factory or dealer installed, was an "in-dash" installation and had a fast idle speed control under dash in original installations.

24.          Genuine Chevrolet seatbelts, a RARE accessory, had silver-grey nylon webbing
and chrome buckles.  Original installations used coat hooks on the pillar near the front seat back to hang unused front outer belt ends.

25.          Original floor mats were single color rubber, with small Chevrolet emblems in them.  No mats were carpeted.

26.          B/A models had stainless steel trim framing the roofline to the "C" pillar, aluminum trim panels on the dashboard, and carpeting.  The 210 Del Ray Club Coupes also had carpeting. 

27.          All radios were AM only and were supplied by Chevrolet. 1955 antennas had a pointed "teardrop" tip.  1956 cars had an optional straight antenna on 1 rear fender, but the standard antenna was mounted on the passenger front fender.  In 1957 you could have optional 1 or 2 angled rear antennas mounted near the trunk corners. The lower part of the 1957 rear antennas were visible from inside the trunk.  The 1956 radio has a little “civil defence” sign in the middle of the dial. The 55’s do not.  It was the law in 1956 to have this little indicator so you could listen and tune in easily during an emergency or air raid.  An optional electric rear antenna was available for 1957, with the control mounted on the dash under the rolled edge, above the radio.  If the optional rear speaker control was present on the dash, there was ONE 6 x 9 speaker with a coordinating color, perforated metal grille, in the rear parcel shelf. Otherwise there were no rear speakers mounted in the rear package shelf.

28.          The rear parcel shelf was fiberboard, not carpeted.

29.          Undercoating was a dealer applied accessory. Some dealerships used a lot, and sprayed it EVERYWHERE on the underside, and some used none at all (GM undercoated a few specific areas at the factory).  It was roughly textured, with an even appearance, and clean.

30.          All trunks had black rubber mats.

31.          The trunk walls and lids were body color .

32.          Blue Dot tail lamps, fender skirts, chrome pedal pads, and “fuzzy dice” are NOT genuine Chevrolet Accessories.

33.          The original glass fuel bowl had a round top with “AC” on it.

34.          All lenses had “Guide” on them.  Original headlamps had "GUIDE" on them, and 1956 and 1957 had a "T3" in a triangular emblem on them.

35.          Original wheelcovers had painted details, not self-stick decals.

36.          Sill plates had "Body by Fisher" embossed in them.