1961 Bel Air Convert???

[1958 delivery]

There's a guy running around this neck of the woods with a restored '61 BEL AIR convertible, not an Impala. He claims it's 100% factory. Other friends of mine that are more familiar with these years than I say "No way, they never made a Bel Air conv in '61". And of course it has a 348 4spd to boot!
Does any one know if such an animal WAS available?

 

[Dick MacKenzie]

First one I've heard of, but I'm far from an expert.

 

[rstreet]

Likewise here. I have a 61 convertible but it is an Impala and I haven't seen one of those either
Robert

 

[ROYALOAK62]

1961 Bel Air Convert

Per the 1961 passenger car shop manual this is what Chevrolet offered. The convertible was only in the Impala line.

Biscayne
2-door sedan #1111 (6 cyl), #1211 (V8), Fleetmaster Series #1311 (6 cyl), #1411 (V8)
Utillity sedan #1121 (6 cyl), #1221 (V8)
4-door sedan #1169 (6 cyl), #1269 (V8), Fleetmaster Series #1369 (6 cyl), #1469 (V8)
2-door station wagon (6-passenger) Bookwood #1115 (6cyl), #1215 (V8)
4-door station wagon (6-passenger) Brookwood #1135 (6 cyl), #1235 (V8)
4-door station wagon (9-passenger) Brookwood #1145 (6 cyl), #1245 (V8)

Bel Air
2-door sedan #1511 (6cyl), #1611 (V8)
2-door sport coupe #1537 (6 cyl), #1637 (V8)
4-door sport coupe #1539 (6 cyl), #1639 (V8)
4-door sedan #1569 (6 cyl), #1669 (V8)
4-door station wagon (6-passenger) Parkwood #1535 (6 cyl), #1635 (V8)
4-door station wagon (9-passenger) Parkwood #1545 (6 cyl), #1645 (V8)

Impala
2-door sedan #1711 (6 cyl), #1811 (V8)
2-door sport coupe #1737 (6 cyl), #1837 (V8)
4-door sport coupe #1739 (6 cyl), #1839 (V8)

convertible #1767 (6 cyl), #1867 (V8)

4-door sedan #1769 (6 cyl), #1869 (V8)
4-door station wagon (6-passenger) Nomad #1735 (6 cyl), 1835 (V8)
4-door station wagon (9-passenger) Nomad #1745 (6 cyl), 1845 (V8)

Dave

 

[1958 delivery]

My only hesitation with shop manuals is they do not reflect "exceptions" to the rule. I'm not saying they may have made a Bel Air Convert but often corporate did some unsual things. I have no way of knowing, just looking for any old inside info! I never saw the vin code of this car.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Have we seen this one before?

I recall this being a previous topic of discussion, with pics to boot. While the vehicle looked well done, the general consensus was that this (if it's the one we were talking about) was a "made car". Prove us otherwise and we will all be better educated...

Some of us have seen the results of some well made (emphasis on "made") 1962 BelAir Sport Coupes with Impala cowl tags. I have no problem with this, so long as the owner isn't trying to sell this off as an "original car". One sees this all the time in the Corvette circles. Gotta be more 1967 tripower big block Corvettes out there than the General made...

Best,
TomK

 

[1958 delivery]

Tom was the car in question '61 Tourqouise?
This one is beatiful, totally original type resto. I always assume a car is bogus, most are. Since I wasn't in the market for a car like this I didn't try looking to closely at it. The vehicle came up in conversation with the manager at Cars Inc. I mentioned the car and he said he was aware of it and made the statement that they never existed.
If I remember correctly the guy even had a copy of the "window sticker" on display! Being an ex vette guy myself I'm aware of the reproduced window stickers and protecto plates, all bogus.
The reason I had brought up this car with the Cars Inc. guy was I saw another one, not restored, for sale that I was interested in, not as an original type car but a low priced convert. This car was advertised as a "clone" but what caught my eye was that I saw things that made this car look original, as far as bel air trim holes etc. Of course I wasn't able to strip the paint down to bare metal. I ended up with my '58 delivery instead.
Just curios to hear what others may have seen or heard.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Turquoise

Yes, the one I recall seeing pics of was Turquois. Looked good, but I can't imagine it to be real.

TomK

 

[1958 delivery]

Was the one in Hemmings from Calif? If so, it's probably the one I saw. Beautiful car in '61 turqouise (sp?) But....................

I'm thinking if they actually did make one, what would the vin code be?

 

[blumun53]

Like most of you, I didn't think a convert 61 Bel Air was ever made...but a car in a parking lot in Branson, Missouri made me think more about it. It was turquoise/off-white. The interior was Bel Air type, very stock looking, and I think I remember a Bel Air insignia in the interior of it. It had whitewalls and Bel Air style full wheel covers. It had a small block in it with the appropriate insignia on the grill. It had Bel Air markings outside. And, get this, only two taillights per side with no back-up lights between them. I couldn't help but try to look it over pretty good, being sort of dazzled by this thing. Now, don't try to get me to say it was legit, or bogus, because now I don't know. Royaloak62 has a very good fact sheet...but...sometimes not all things are put up for records. I found that out while working at various Mopar dealers. Who knows, maybe whoever put this convert together just wanted something a little different, or maybe couldn't find, or afford, the Impala stuff. Maybe? Dunno. I'm gonna ask my buddy who was around these cars in the day, and kept up with them very closely, and see if he remembers the convert thing. I love adding to confusion. It makes me feel needed.

 

[models916]

also this

Kinda like my 62 Delray.

 

[hrallan]

'61 Bel Air convert?

Several years back there was a supposedly factory '61 Bel Air convertible on the cover of Super Chevy magazine with of course an accompanying article inside. A couple of issues after that, the magazine reported that it had been duped, that the car was not factory original. That car was turquoise in color so maybe it's still floating around somewhere. As far as I know, once the Impala came out, the Bel Air convertible was gone.

 

[1958 delivery]

That may be the same car, I think he may have had a mag article on display with the car. Interesting, maybe he believes it to be real, was duped himself. Who knows!