Reader Ride: 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air

DUNNELLON — Wayne and Joan Szakal have a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air named Turk, which has been a member of the family since they adopted the car in 1983.

Joan Szakal said the name is derived from the "Twilight" turquoise and "India" ivory paint job on the four-door sedan

Wayne Szakal said Turk is driven at least once a month.

The Szakals adopted Turk in good condition from two brothers they met in Hershey, Pennsylvania, while they were living near Duryea, Pennsylvania, 36 years ago. The car was in good condition, with 103,000 miles on the odometer.

They meticulously restored and detailed the car to the exacting standards for Antique Automobile Club of America judging and began showing the car in 1984.

THE DETAILS: The '56 Chevy has many factory options, including gravel guards, seat belts, a tissue dispenser and a "prism" on the dashboard to allow the driver to see traffic lights directly overhead while stopped underneath. Wayne said that external sun visors used in the 1950s, which mounted on the roof above the windshield and interfered with sight lines, may have made the viewers necessary.

The Szakals' Chevy has a 265 cubic inch V-8 engine, two-barrel carburetor, oil bath type air cleaner, generator and 12-volt ignition system.

According to the Concept Carz website, "for the performance-minded public, the 1956 Chevrolet offered three 265 cubic-inch Turbo-Fire V-8 engine options: base 170 hp, 205 hp 4 bbl and the 225 hp dual 4 bbl.

"Chevrolet produced 1,574,740 cars in the 1956 model year, of which 41,268 were Bel Air Convertibles. The 3,320-pound car cost $2,443 with the base V-8. You could literally load your new Chevy with factory options and accessories and stay under $3,000."

"I had painted the engine orange and then found out in 1956 this V-8 was painted red and had to repaint," Wayne said about keeping the car true to its factory original state.

THE TROPHIES: In the early days, the Szakals often drove Turk more than 100 miles, even in thunderstorms, to compete against cars bought to shows on trailers.

Once, Turk's external radio antenna was sheared off before a show and Wayne made a grommet to remount the antenna by cutting up Joan's wallet.

The car has won eight Antique Automobile Club of America trophies including the "Junior" and "Senior" awards. Two of the trophies were awarded at club winter meets held in Ocala, in 2017 and 2019. The Szakals have earned five preservation awards.

THE OWNERS: Wayne, a music teacher from 1972 to 2005, and Joan, formerly a secretary, moved to the Dunnellon area about 13 years ago and soon joined the local Kingdom of the Sun Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

The couple has a collection of 228 1/18th scale model cars, including a 1948 Tucker, 1954 Hudson Hornet, 1956 Chrysler Norseman concept car whose prototype sank with the Andria Doria, 1958 Ford Thunderbird, an early 1960s Chrysler turbine, numerous Mustangs and a late-model Volkswagen Beetle.

The collection includes two 1963 Chevrolets, one black, the other white. Wayne's first car was a white 1963 Chevy with a six-cylinder engine; his brother had the same model in black.

Two of the models are exactly like Turk.

"She's like one of our kids," Joan Szakal said.

If you have a ride to share, email aflaneranger@yahoo.com