Many classic cars end up in barns following accidents or simply because their owners are no longer able to drive them. Some, on the other hand, are retired to be restored but life gets in the way and they remain in storage for decades. This 1953 Chevrolet 210 is one of those cars.
Described as a “restoration project that was given up,” this classic Chevy spent decades in storage. The story goes that the guy who started the restoration sold it in 1981, but there’s no info as to when it was first retired from public roads. What we do know is that the next owner also parked it in a barn and never got around to working on it.
After more than 41 years in storage as of 2022, the 210 got rescued by YouTube’s “Alv Arne Sælevik,” who wants to give it a second chance. But is a classic that’s been sitting for so long worth the effort?
Well, even though four decades in a barn is a very long time and usually results in a big amount of rust, this 210 is actually in pretty good condition. Sure, it needs a repaint on the outside and an overhaul under the hood, but it’s still in one piece and shows a surprisingly small amount of rust. Does it still run? Well, it didn’t when the new owner bought it, but he managed to get the old mill to fire up again.
This four-door sedan is a first-year, first-generation 210. Yup, it’s the 1953-1954 series that Chevrolet produced right before it introduced the iconic Tri-Five in 1955. And unlike its successor, the first-gen 210 didn’t have a V8. All cars were sold with Chevrolet’s then-ubiquitous 235-cubic-inch (3.9-liter) OHV inline-six, which is exactly what this example has under the hood. Yes, chances are it’s a numbers-matching unit.
Chevrolet offered both a three-speed manual and a two-speed Powerglide in 1953. The 235 delivered 108 horsepower with the former and 115 horses with the latter.
Now running and capable of driving under its own power, this Chevrolet 210 is pretty much ready to enter a restoration process. Hopefully, one that will see this classic American sedan recapture its former glory.