Any one have any original data on these freaks?
VIN - Sedan Delivery
One piece rear door - Sedan Delivery
etc etc etc
Mine was originally owned by the US Dept of Agriculture
It is my understanding these were a fleet order for Uncle Sam.
That they went to the Navy, the TVA and the Dept of Agriculture.
One of 92 made in 57. I believe they were made in 55 and 56 as well, in fact in the final scene of North by Northwest the old Hitchcock movie, a 56 version is used. It has the handyman glass and yet the Sedan Delivery rear door...
Does anyone know more about this thing than I do?
Thanks
Craig
Hi Craig. I've seen several, including a 56 windowed Delivery at the Arlington TX swap meet about 5 years ago. Original paint was a drab green color (it had been repainted red a long time ago), and the cowl tag paint code was SPEC, not a number. They are rare indeed.
In the NXNW movie, look closely. The windowed Delivery shown in the first scene is a true Delivery, with a one-piece liftgate, shot on location near Mount Rushmore. The second scene, shot on a sound stage to look like they are in the woods, shows what looks like the same Delivery, but it has a liftgate and a tailgate! Not many folks would know or care, but it stuck out like a sore thumb to me.
Good catch on the movie... all I saw was a "handyman" with SD glass and went WOW!!!!
Mine also has original paint... basically army green but glossy not drab...
And SPL is on my Cowl tag.. .2 or 3 times.. Id have to check to be sure... paint and trim and maybe acc too?
Bought this one in 1977 in Houston thinking I was getting another 150 handyman... then things didt add up....
one peice rear door.. and the D in the VIN...
No rear seat... windows in rear seat area are fixxed etc etc...
I keep trying to find someone that knows some details... but all seem to agree on about 92-96 made in 57... and that they were also made in 55 56... and were for Uncle Sam on a fleet order and they dont appear in any Chevrolet literature or sales material...
This one is still 99% stock, 6cyl, three speed on column...
But.. I have always wanted to do another BB in a 57...
Maybe when the next streetrod is done?
Thanks
Craig
I have one with windows on both side. Many people think that it is a delivery that someone put glass in the sides, but it doesn't show braces removed for windows to be installed. Talked to a guy by phone & he said mine was one of 97 windowed deliveries, some of the origial paint shows it was 1 of 17 ordered by TVA. I bought it at a, I thought, high price until the guy I bought it from called me & said a person came by to see it & offered me 2 times what I spent. If he was willing to give me that, I think I had something & turn him down.
Those are fairly common. It was an option from Chevrolet and often found on various government cars.
What style tail gate does it have? One or two piece.
On another forum (ChevyTalk.com) a member there has had a 57 windowed delivery for many years, his user name is rj_ly. He might have some info about these wagons.
I am not that familar with 57 SDLs but I know there were a few 59s that were popped out for the government (specifically the Atomic Energy Commision) that had a fixed window where the right rear passenger would be.
The General also manufactured a few for the military with Impala trim as opposed to Biscayne.
Also the cowl tag would show a Ohio assembly code and the actually car was assembled in another plant ... in my case Oakland. All station wagons and sedan deliveries started out in Ohio and were assembled in other plants.
I am talking fifty-nines here so maybe this doesnt apply to the tri-fives.
CraigB, just out of curiosity, which engine is in your SD? What color is it? A couple years ago, I was at Chevy meet in Vicksburg and saw a nicely restored '57 SD with a yellow 265.
Sid
Sedan delivery and wagon bodies were all made at the Cleveland Fisher body plant and shipped to the assembly plants around the country.
Early 1957 265 engines were chartruse and late were orange.
Thanks Chev Nut. Not being knowledgeable about colors, I had to look up chartreus and learned that it is halfway between yellow and green. Still seems like a really different color for a Chevy engine. The man who owned the SD I saw explained that his engine (and car) was an early one, and that was the color they used on the 265s at that point. It was a very impressive restoration.
Sid