Miles of Smiles and '57 Chevys at Streetside Classics

"...there's magic in my eyes. I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles."

Song: "I Can See for Miles," The Who, 1967, (Pete Townsend) Album: The Who Sell Out

Marty and Linda's '57 Chevy finally was pried from his garage and is now on consignment at Streetside Classics in Lutz near Wesley Chapel. We're hoping that it will sell and relocate to a new owner's garage before the 90-day exclusive contract he signed last Tuesday expires.

From the looks of Streetside's website, https://www.streetsideclassics.com, with a Florida inventory approaching 200 cars, and over 1,500 total for sale nationwide it is apparent 1957 Chevy Bel Airs are as popular as ever.

SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! I see over and over again on their Bel Air offerings. Nearly 700,000 of them were built in six different styles in '57. Marty's two-door sedan is one of 62,751 of those produced. By comparison, there were 254,331 four-doors and 47,562 convertibles fabricated alongside the two-doors.

At this juncture, several days after we left the black and white chariot with consignment manager David Pfister, the car must still be in detail and photography as it is not yet posted on the site.

But if I know Dave he has more than a few numbers for the Streetside Sales team to call to announce their latest addition to the stable.

If you have been following Florida Pickers you know I look for garage and barn finds, and help sellers with advertising usually choosing to post on Facebook Marketplace. It's free and local, and Marketplace does tend to reach beyond the typical 100 mile radius, especially when an item is hard to find or in demand.

Over the several years I've had this car on Marketplace I received only a smattering of interest. One of the recent contacts for the Bel Air was from Dave which provided the inspiration to contact Marty with a proposal for trying something out of the ordinary.

Marty was less than enthusiastic, but with urging from his wife, Linda, a reluctant decision was made to give Streetside a try.

And why not. My last column was predicated on the topic that cars were "born" to run, and having it sit in his garage was not fun for anyone, including the car.

I must have liked the look of the '57. I borrowed a photo image of it to use in my Florida Pickers logo when I freshened it up for LakeWaleNews.net.

Marty's story is a meeting of old and new: A crossroads in which one person's loss is truly another's gain.

Marty and Linda win, too, when they receive their check.

Please take a walk through the seemingly miles of shiny happy orphan classics in the accompanying video. All of them need adoptive parents, and a new garage to sleep in.

Update on my Miata and other loose ends

When I advertise someone else's vehicle or collectible I have very little invested except for time. However, selling my Miata which I have driven for about four years now averaging over 20,000 miles per year the negotiation requires a lot more on my part. Besides focusing on the sale I also need to begin to consider more urgently what I will be driving next.

At the moment an Audi TT convertible is the top contender.

The '82 Mercedes SL I was picturing myself cruising in is too old for daily driving, and, needless to say, more expensive to repair. If all goes as expected I will be driving the 380SL to consign to Streetside, too. When there's a better way, choose it and use it. The Benz sports car is sitting in a garage in Port St. Lucie idly waiting for something positive to occur.

I have had a ton of calls on the Miata but no takers. I have reduced the price considerably, but I'm still in it. I will miss her when she's gone.

Someone from Fort Lauderdale just wrote, "I would like to buy it. What's your address?"

I feel I'm getting closer to a sale. Time will tell for me, and for Marty. Expecting the unexpected is helpful when selling a car.

In the end it comes down to the Who, not the What.