Modern cars are better than old vehicles in almost every department. But while there’s no argument regarding safety, technology, and convenience, most modern cars have one big problem: they look rather dull. Yes, you got me, I’m a sucker for 1950s and 1960s American designs, and I’d trade just about any modern vehicle for a restored rig from that era.
But being a classic car enthusiast comes with ups and downs. On one side, I really love the fact that we live in an era when more and more vintage vehicles are being restored. On the flip side, there are still hundreds of thousands of vintage cars that are rotting away in backyards, fields, and barns. It’s a sad sight, but most of these cars are in such an advanced state of decay that they can no longer be saved without major expenses.
It doesn’t happen very often, but some wrecks get lucky and receive a second chance. And in these moments, I get more excited than seeing a perfectly restored classic hit the road.
Things get even better when the car in question has been sitting for several decades. It’s the case with this 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air, which was put back on the road after sitting in a backyard for no less than 45 years.
Abandoned near a field with the wheels removed, the Bel Air looks downright awful. The paint is in really bad shape, and most body panels are covered in surface rust. It’s the kind of car you’d just go by thinking that it will never run again. But the guys at Mortske Repair saw beyond the weathered exterior and the messy interior.
They put a set of wheels on the car, loaded it onto a trailer, and took it back to their shop. That is where this type of video usually ends, but not this one. The lengthy footage documents the crew’s attempt to get the Bel Air running again. And amazingly enough, the 62-year-old sedan fires up, and the 3.9-liter Blue Flame inline-six engine runs for the first time in almost five decades.
Not only that, but everything works well enough to make the Bel Air drivable again. Just hit the 52-minute mark to see the owner take his dog for a drive in what seemed to be an unusable wreck a few days before.
The video is also a pretty solid tutorial on how to fire up a car that’s been sitting for so long. If you’re into all that stuff and like to delve deeper into the oily bits of a classic, it’s worth spending all that time watching it.