I've recently purchased my first classic car. A 1933 Chevrolet Master Deluxe sedan. It was restored in 1979 and put in storage until only a few years ago when it was brought back to life. I just wanted to get some experienced opinion about converting this to a [removed: street rod] hot rod. My main question is could I leave the frame of the car original and simply update the motor and trans? Or should I be looking for an unrestored vehicle?
Your way ahead of tge curve with a car that nice. But dont call it a street rod. We build hot rods here. Id focus on getting its stance right. Maybe drop the front down a couple inches and give it a nice rake with big and little tires, a brake upgrade and Enjoy it for awhile and youll get an idea of what you want to do engine wise. Maybe a hot chevy or GMC 6.
The negatives with trying to use that age of car in the modern traffic and the speeds that you need to stay out of peoples way....is that the gear ratio needs to be changed, but then the very low power stock motor can't move the car in all conditions with the better gear ratio. Then if you do swap to a more modern motor and gear, now you have brakes that can't handle what you did. Depends a lot on where you drive; hilly terrain, or flat, back roads only, or modern highway. On a car like that, I suppose you could start with a better 6 if the length will fit, then do something about ratio; either an OD trans or maybe a rear swap. Then tackle the brakes, and possibly a better steering box. Plan it out with some thinking. I would not sell that just to buy an unrestored car. I'd mod that one, and finally that car can be useful again in modern times
This is very good advice. Stance is everything when it comes to hot rod visuals. Be sure the mechanicals, particularly the brakes, are all up to snuff as well. A warmed-over GMC 6 would be an ideal swap...when you get around to it.
Get that things stance right and go hunting for one of these. A Wayne 12 port head! You'll have the coolest six in the tri state area!
What you do with the chassis is entirely dependent on what you do for a drivetrain. If you are going with a performance oriented V-8 then you will probably want to upgrade the brakes, and beef the chassis. if you are shooting toward low n slow then perhaps all you will need to do is upgrade the brakes. I don't recall off the top of my head but I doubt that GM had gone to hydraulic self energizing brakes by '33 so at the very least juice brakes and self energizing would be better then just any juice brakes. You are always better off or almost always better off to start with a restoration. Even a C grade restoration is better then what most of us start with and the end result will almost always be better.
They say, start with the best car you can find, although some get their panties in a bunch when you do. You have a great start there. I'd say do heaps of reading here, and other sites like Rustybowtie. Get a plan sorted, and have at it.
I'm pretty sure that's pre-knee-action front end, so 47-58 truck front brakes are adaptable. And a complete axle should also fit. But only 1947-55 axles fit. And with truck brakes you can run car hubs and drums to get car wheels, but then your wires wouldn't fit. If it was mine u would put a hot 235 or 265 in there. And if you would like a newer engine and newer trans, you could go too a 250 with the V8 bell housing, then m21 and m22 will fit. If the rear need a re-gearing an nissan king cab or hardtail rear fits and is Six lug is the same pattern. As the chevy six bolt. You could go eigth, bit I just like the look and sound of a very good build
Great find. Dropping in a 235/261 is a piece of cake and doesn't require a lot of butchering. If you are in the north-west, a trip up to British Columbia should result in finding a 261. They were used extensively in Canadian Pontiacs from 1955 until 1962. The Wayne head, if you can find one, will cost you more then the rest of the project and unless you are running the salt doesn't warrant the cost. A t5 and later rear end, possibly S10 would take care of the drive train. If it is still possible to find a good one, a Corvair or Pacer front end would bolt right in and give you a nice stance with the full fenders. We did these things back in the 60s except for the t5. Good luck Warren
I'd shy away from a Pacer/Corvair and take a good look at the 51-54 chevy independent front susp. they unbolt, lots of modern updates to fit, plentiful, cheap too.
My buddy, Bob used aftermarket independent in the front, T-5, 5 speed and a hot 292 late 60s-80s six banger in his 32 chevy. He plans to actually put some mileage on his coupe. If I had your car I'd prolly go with a 50s-60s 261 chev truck motor, 5 speed and a 6 bolt nissan pickup rear axle. I'd use a dropped front axle under it with parallel leafs from a 50s chev pickup, keeping it all 6 bolt so I could use the original wire wheels
that car is perfect hot rod material! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/33-chevy-3w-time-for-a-cool-change.863287/
I used a 53 cross member in my first rod but then changed it to Corvair. Lighter and cleaner. Used a Pacer in a 38 Chev. Dropped in like it was built for it. In fact, if you can find any of these, they all work well and are a heck of a lot simpler and cheaper then after market. Also, I used rack and pinion with the Chev/Corvair setup. Tracked like it was on rails. Warren
Any chance I can contact the owner of this car? I'd like to see if I can ask a few questions about how the suspension was done. It looks like it has the original frame.
Corvair and Pacer are from the sixties and seventies. Parts not much easier to get than 30s - 40s stuff today. In other words obsolete. If I had one I might keep it but no way would I go to the trouble of putting one in. That car would be the ideal candidate for an aftermarket Mustang II conversion. The kind that doesn't use any actual Mustang II parts.
Because it is a smaller, lighter car and you can buy an aftermarket front end specifically made to fit.
"an ideal candidate for a mustang II" "you can buy an aftermarket front end made to fit" thats not a reason, that's an excuse.............. pre 64 hot rods only
IFS is too exposed on a'33. Axle the car. Buggy spring (Ford) would look better, but an axle looks so much better than IFS on a '33.
I totally agree why would someone use a M2 front end or a insuperior ford axle when there are so many good aftermarked or drop old stock chevy pieces that will drop in its place! Being almost Plug'n'play. Except for the plumbing of the plumming of the brakes. The Chevy AD got damn good backing in the aftermarket, only the SBC (seen alone) and model A/32 ford combined. You can literally 1-800 you a new (!) Front end with a dropped I beam with new spring and hydraulic self adjusting drum brakes that will stop you on a dime all tge way uo to the brakr pedal and look factory fresh! I'm no 1-800-rodder but all the street rodders should have the parts you need, when they pull there perfectly set up I beams for the M2 (eek!) If you want that old school pic'n'pull feel that is so traditional!
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