Projects 1934 Chevy Coupe Build.

I just bought this 34 Chevy on Wednesday. A friend of mine had owned it for about 5 years or so. He was going to build it (he's a bodyman by trade), but never had the time, so he decided to sell it. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

 

Looks like a great start. What are your plans for it? Good luck with the wood.
Mat

 

Some more pics.

 

very nice start, now you got wood ( both types )

 

Thanks, I got lucky with this one. Plans are for a 331 Caddy, (with factory dual quads), either a Chevy 3 speed, or a Muncie 4 speed. Not sure on the rear axel, either 57 Chevy, or 57 Pontiac. Fortunately, most of the wood looks really solid.

 

As far as the sheetmetal, there is very little rust. The worst part on the whole car is the lower left corner of the grill shell. When my friend bought it, (from his father in law), it had been sitting inside since the mid - late 50's Somebody had pulled the engine out, to rebuild it. Unfortunately, it looks like the grill shell was left sitting upright on the floor, and the one corner rusted away.

 

wow looks like a cool project.

 

Look pretty close at the wood. Mine was inside since 1960, most was okay, but split and rotten in all the critical areas. Looks like a great project, keep us posted.

 

Thats damn nice, GL with the build

 

looks great , you have an excellent start .. keep the progress coming!

 

Looks like a good start. Master parts are way more scarce than Standard parts and very little interchanges. I've had one for 26 years and some of the odds and ends has been a bitch to find. Good luck.

 

good deal, the sheetmetal looks good on your Chevy. Always liked those 33-34 Chev five windows.

 

Great starting point , keep us informed as you build.

 

WoW, you lucky son of a....

kiss and tell, just how lucky $$$

Very nice score!

 

As far as the price, it was a fair price It wasn't real cheap, and it wasn't real expensive. Fortunately, it isn't missing many parts. About the only things gone are the glovebox door and the radiator cap. Otherwise it's complete.

 

A really nice start! I like it!

 

WOW!

Keep those window garnishes close and guarded. There are guys at every swap meet saying there are none left in the world ;-)

Keep us posted as you go.

Vance

 

What a great start! The caddy engine sounds cooooool....

 

CONGRATS!! looks like a good start-good luck on your build..keep us posted

 

Congrats on the Chevy. Looks like a very solid candidate. Not often you find a Chevy (or any GM car of the era) that has the wood in even good enough condition to make patterns, let alone use as is.
Keep is insformed on the progress.

Frank

 

Man, That Chevy looks to be a good start. Have fun with it !

41 Dave

 

Thanks. I've had the engine for almost 20 years, but just never found the right car to put it in,..... until now.

 

Hey just dont strip it with aircraft stripper and paint it flat black with spray cans cause it can get pretty nasty here for guys that do that
Ken

 

Nice start on a car you don't see everyday. Well, except the one less than a minute from my place that's sitting behind a storage facility and driving me nuts

Good luck.

 

Actualy, I'm planning to leave the paint as it is. At least for right now. After all, it took 74 years to get that look, (I think it's the original paint).

 

Ive got a 34chev 5 window but mine has no wood left at all could I bug you to take some critical measurments. Across the floor from the front bottom of the 1/4 and diagonally up to the bottom of the lower body belt line so I can square up my body. Aswell as mine is missing the wheel tubs so a measurment from the rocker back to the bottom rear of the 1/4 as so I can line it up aswell.

 

When I was a kid my father had a '33 Plymouth 3 window coupe that I begged him to keep (I was only 8). Yep, he sold it. Then i found out my buddys dad was selling his 34 Chevy coupe...I begged him to buy it. Nope, he didn't.

So I figure somehow, someone owes me... Hey, I'll buy it off you! JK - congrats, have fun, keep us up on your progress...

 

It's been a few years, but there has been some progress.

I was able to find a very nice grill and shell, about 3 years ago. This came from South Dakota, where it had been hanging on a wall since about 1946. Not only is it good and solid, but the grill is in excellent condition.

Also at this time, the headlight buckets, rings and bars were all rechromed.

 

In October 2012 it finally went into the fabrication shop. My original aim was to build it as a hot rod / drag car from about 1958 - 1960, somewhat similar to "Ohio" George's Willys coupe. As a result it is ending up as a 1959 - 1960 style gas class drag coupe, with the nose slightly up, but not sky high.

Although, most of the original wood was still solid and usable, a complete steel floor and substructure was installed. I figured that a steel floor would make a much better foundation for the seats, roll bar, and competition style seat belts.

So far about 90% of the parts used are era correct. The steering wheel is from a 59 Impala. The steering box and column is out of a 59 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup. However, the bucket seats are 1968 Opel Kadette. The price for the seats was right....Free from one of my older brothers. Plus they kinda look like VW buckets, which were sometimes used in the 1958 - 1960 era.

The front axel and springs are from a 1950 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup, while the rear axel is a 1959 Pontiac Posi-Traction.....With 4:88 gears.

 

The headers were custom made, using oil filter cans from a 235 Chevy six, as the collectors. The engine is a 331 Caddy with factory dual quads. One of the non era correct parts is the transmission...A Muncie 4 speed. The shifter body and linkage is a Hurst Competition Plus for a 1968 Camaro, with a Hurst shifter stick for a 1958 Pontiac with a 3 speed.