History 1939 Chevy Coupe - Drag Car? Info found

I really like how that orange one turned out. Somebody put some thought and work into that one.

 

Thanks everyone for the input. I wish we could have uncovered some more pictures but oh well. I know more about the car now than I did when the thread was started. Thanks

 

I will keep my eyes peeled...always amazed at how rare the History of many Hotrod/Customs are...but yes the Track clues helped narrow the direction in a very dry search...

 

I sent an email to a high school friend who spent more time at half Moon Bay, Fremont, And Kingdon than I did. He hasn't responded yet.

 

Thanks @Six Ball , good to have the feelers out. Just might get lucky

 

shared by @Stogy in the homogenized thread, look closely at the coupe in the upper left corner. It’s a long shot but fun to look anyhow

 

Bumping this..would still like to know more about this coupe

 

I would like to know more about the Jimmy in the car. The 302 GMC truck inline six cylinder motor that powers this beast.

 

Venturing a guess by the top 2 photos that appear to have the same guy with both sides showing I’d say there was V8 at the time the photos were taken. The left side could have 4 which actually might be a Stock head GMC. The right side has 3 or 4 but would need 6 for a 12 port GMC but definitely not 3-4 on that side.

There were a lot of 37-39 Chevrolet’s with Jimmys in the 50’s and early 60’s, more than you could count int USA.

 

Saturday morning bump..observations and information welcome

 

nothing to add but a bump.

 

Here is one for sale in Texas copped top

 

@325w Do you have any more info on that one? Where is it listed?

 

Ok a bump because inquiring minds want to know......

 

The '39 was owned by Jim Hicks in the early '60's. Not a lot of information on him or his car. However, I do remember reading a bit of history of the car before it was painted white (it was red I believe) and ran maybe a Jimmy six cylinder? I first got interested in this car after seeing it in an old Car Craft or R&C coverage of some car show where it was just barely visible.

 

Thanks @39wagon , it good to put a name with it. Someone else had mentioned the color change and the magazine coverage as well. I sure wish we could find the issue it was in.

 

So I googled “Jim Hicks Chevy coupe” and found this thread...

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/need-some-pics-and-some-ideas-for-39-chevy-coupe.306106/

Which lead me to the September 1962 “How to Hop Up Your Engine” magazine which had this...



I also found reference to Car Craft issue September 1960 but I can’t find it so if someone has that issue and can check it I would love to see it before I buy a copy

Same goes for another reference with more pictures in Pat Ganahl’s book “Lost Hot Rods II”, the coupe is featured on page 135 from what I can find. I bet it’s a good read

 

That's a big step forward towards finding more info! Would be great if by chance the family still owned the car, and it could possibly be rediscovered as it is today!

 

I was able to find Pat Ganahl’s book on google books and the article about this coupe has tons of great information. I was able to screen shot it to have for myself but I won’t post it here unless @pgan says it’s ok. From what I gathered the car does still exist in its orange paint version. I’m sure Pat could shed some light on it’s present condition.

 

I went to that show! I really don't remember the '39 looking that way though. The other pictures of it triger my old brain cells more. Funny what the memory does.

 

I was able to make contact with @pgan and he said I could post these here. This is from his book “Lost Hot Rods II”. Mr Ganahl is a wealth of knowledge

 

@RichFox may have some info as well. I think he’s mentioned HMB drag strip in the past

 

Great detective work @Shadow Creek...quite the bumper crop of info...radical Coupe indeed...

 

View attachment 5286125 [/QUOTE]
This picture posted by @cabong in another thread got me looking for more breadcrumbs again. I haven’t yet found any more photos of the car from GNRS 1960 but did find it in the background of this pic from GNRS 1962 after it was repainted

 

When my brother bought that derlict 1939 Chevy Master 85 Touring Pheaton, he was daydreaming about Hot Rodding and dismantled it for customizing........ that was 1987, note the cutlines for chopping ... ten years later the car was still laying in the backyard of ouer grandmother. She was about to fill the car with soil and plant flowers in it !
So i made a bet with my brother, that i will have the Chevy restored whithin 4 years.
That was when internet didn't exist and we lived in Switzerland.... i lost the bet, but by 2003 i had finished the car and discovered that there where only 15 build at GM Biel Switzerland Factory. Finaly over the years i found all 4 existing 1939 Touring Pheatons that remain to the world. One is in a junkyard, one now in a Museum, mine on the right ( JB 39 69 012 ) and on the left the one i found and sold to the USA ( JB 39 68 89 ) which featured in the classic custom magazine BOMBS.

 

Santa Cruz's own Cliff Busenhart (of 'Busenhart Bros. Garage') raced his satin black '39 Chevy coupe at Half Moon, Fremont, Kingdon, Salinas, and "Little Bonneville" (San Jose) between 1954 and 1960.
Popular Chevy ran a 302 GMC mill, with a McGurk cam, mucho head work, and five Stromberg 81s.
Buick Roadmaster box, Olds rear.
One Sunday at Half Moon Bay, Cliff stormed out of the hole, broke rear 'U' joint, and the Flagman/Starter did the Timber Logger boogie over the fast rolling driveshaft!
That bear had some torque...

 

Hello. I have owned the orange 39 Chevy, the subject of this discussion, for 35 years now. It is in my shop and remains pretty much untouched since its last magazine appearance in the 60's. I live in the North San Francisco Bay Area so the coupe remains fairly close to where it was originally built. It's nice to read all of these posts and see such an interest in these old hot rods.
Best wishes
Bill

 

Wow is the first thing that comes to my mind reading this...how cool is that...

Welcome to the Hamb Bill...I was wondering if you could share some images and any other history we may have missed out on...I've been intrigued by this Hotrod ever since I laid eyes on it... @Shadow Creek is going to be pretty excited you chimed in with this good news that it still survives. All to many times that is not the case...

Thanks @W.C.Bartlett...

 

I just found the HAMB and this discussion this morning. To be honest, I learned a few things from the posts that I didn’t know. LOL. All the pictures listed are pretty much all there is. I had dreams when I bought it years ago to do a little vintage nostalgia racing. The rules changed not long after and bringing it up to spec would have ruined the car, so I gave up on that. I found that the Packard transmission and the Oldsmobile rear end were both junk so I installed a 57 Ford 9 inch and a very early T10 four speed. Other than that it’s just as it was back in the day. I probably should get off my butt and take it to some car shows one of these days. In the meantime, it’s safe and covered in the corner, where it has been for 35 years.

 

You were a pretty young man when you acquired this Hotrod...it's very admirable you appreciated it's vintage ambience and kept it that way...

I have to read that article Shadow shared...

Yes get that thing uncovered and get out and enjoy the heck out of it...you might even take it to a run what you brung just to experience the ambience of unleashing the power...

Why not convert it to a street/strip Hotrod 1963...put 2 race buckets in...add rad lights plates, earplugs...how's the ground clearance might be more Custom...with power to deliver