Hello everyone, Locally i can buy a Chevy master project. Whole car is in parts and a long long time ago someone starts restoring it. Body and frame are solid, no rust or dents. There is no engine and gearbox, just the body and interior, axles, wheels , steering and some loose parts. I am a Ford guy so i dont much about old pre war chevy's. Are these Chevy master cars easy to hotrod ? Will other engines fit ? I thinking about putting a V8 with automatic, disc brakes and so on. Looking with google for hotrodded Chevy masters but i dont find much. Can anybody tell me more about these cars ?
It would be easier if you'd tell us what year it is, and if it's a 85 or standard, or deluxe....they went through some serious changes from the mid 30s to the late 30s.
its a 33 Chevy, i dont have much information, dont see the car in person, only a couple pictures from a car that is buried under a lot of stuff. Its a 2 door, original engine was a six, its the coach version. Seller talks about : Chevrolet master Eagle.
Those old Chevy bodies were all made of a wood structure with sheet metal over the top. Unless the wood is in really good shape or you are a darned good woodworker, I would proceed with caution and check it out really well. Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
A friend of mine has been in the process of restoring a 1936 Master Sedan for the past 8 years or so and the restoration is currently stalled, due to the lack of available parts. As mentioned, the interior is supported with wooden structures throughout. There is not many, if any, aftermarket support of parts for the early chevrolets. He had to source an original door hinge from an obscure junkyard out west, cost-$100, plus shipping. He's currently stalled looking for two replacement fenders, no aftermarket support, so he has to find original fenders, not likely. For a V8, the frame will likely have to be boxed or strengthen somehow, also the original rearend will most likely not support the torque of a modern V8, so that will have to be upgraded. The other issue to me is the fact that if someone has already started a restoration/disassembly, I would be leery of missing fasteners and/or irreplaceable small parts that could derail the restoration. Of course, any problem can be overcome, if you have enough time and money to throw at it.
As stated above ^^^ the body panels were originally nailed to wood structure. Inspect thoroughly and good luck. Keep us posted. 33 Master Eagle sounds like top of the line
Thanks for al the reply! Before i buy it i will see the car in person, seller told me that al the wood is been rebuild and in good shape. He didnt ask much money, a couple thousand bucks But, for hotrodding i better buy a Ford ?
You can hot rod anything. It might be easier to do a Ford, but it won't be as interesting. I think the main obstacle will be the body style...a coupe would be more hot rod friendly than a coach.
Just finished and driving a 33 Eagle Coupe,original front axle and springs converted to disc brakes and cross steering. Nailhead Buick engine and SP turbo 400 with ot C2 rear axle. I have cardboard patterns I could send to box frame rails if that helps. Unless you are doing a concourse restoration I would not be worried about finding parts and pieces if body and doors are usable. I understand your location can be difficult to find stuff,but there is a lot of aftermarket parts for Chevys or anything can be fabricated. Sure lots of Fords but to be different with a Chevy! I hope it can work out for you. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That sounds good! Do you have some pictures from your project ? You are right, all (clasic) USA car parts parts are not much avalailable here, but with internet its easy to get acces to the USA suppliers, only expensive problem is shipping...
This was a OLD customer of mine 20 years ago.. They might be able to help with shipping. Amerikaanse klassiekers en onderdelen - Glory Days They still come this neck of woods and send a container back full of parts and cars..
I have pictures of build I will post,but being 70+year old grease monkey I need help posting pictures on my iPad.I posted a picture on Friday 13 black cars post #58. I have owned car since 1984 which had been stored in a old fire station since last registered in 1952. Started build in last January and after being delayed with rebuilding motor and transmission I was driving it in first of October. The seat is done and headliner and door panels will be done in black leather before spring. I only hope that car activity can get back to normal this year! Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Didn't the Master have that awful knee action front suspension? Don't remember what year that first came out. Finding parts for these would be a real headache.
1933 has straight axle just a narrower version of a later Chevy car or pick up truck. 34 master had knee action but Standard still had a straight axle but shorter wheelbase Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
These early 30 Chevy's are nothing but a Wooden Apple Box inner structure with Tin cladding nailed over it. No kidding at all! This is a 34 and yes it's a Hot Rod I guess. There is NO way in HELL I would ever do this again. No matter the step in price RUN my friend Run! You won't know what little pieces are missing till you go looking for it. Then you'll learn it's one of those that just fall off while driving due to the nails falling out and you can't find another one. Behind what you see above here is where I started. The Gray primed Body Panels are all that are metal in this car. All the new raw steel was Wood including the main lower Body Beam that runs front to back and mounts the Body (such as they are) to the Frame. If you look close you can see the nail holes that attached the body panels to the inner structure. Now, I'm calling them Nails but in fact they are nothing more than Carpet Tacks and a million of them. The Door skins are exactly that and nothing more a Skin. Do I sound Opinionated? Yes I am only because I have actually done the work myself. I could have built several other cars in the time spent on this one with far less grief. Lot's of better choices out there.
Have a couple of friends here locally that play with those Chevys. You can do anything to them just like a Ford. One has an old CenPen drop axle airbag setup that I sold him. The other has OT IFS under his. I have also seen Ford crossmembers and transverse leaf swapped in. The engine bays are long since they were originally 6 cylinder cars. You can put any motor tranny you want in them.
My second old car was a 28 Chevy 4 door sedan. Wood was a nightmare. I am no carpenter so I was lucky to sell it. But if a Chevy still has good solid wood, I would not hesitate to buy one if it were a good deal. They look just as good as the Ford. And you can replace the wood with steel tubing or conduit albeit that would be a big task.
That Chevy is for sale on our local national MarketPlace site. Bad pics taken in what looks like a shed full of caravans. Make sure your buying from the owner of the car and not the guy renting out the storage spaces. That car has been there a long time. btw, the ad has changed to reserved for someone. Pics show what is called a basket-case
A V8 fits fine. Granted there are going to be some that fit easier than others. They have a lot of wood as has been noted. You can and probably should replace it with metal. You will also be replacing the rear end as well. It could be a hot rod or a custom or a gangsta car depending on how you decide to screw it together.
What year? Or did I miss that anywho, the 30s gm products look better as sleds, tail draggers or low riders. Rebuild the drums, drop a full pressure 235 in White walls and lots of chrome.
33 could go either way. Still a bunch of wood. Since the OP is a ford guy I say drop a ford engine in it.
Chevrolet is the only wooden car I know of that has a Tuning rod built into the doors, fastened at the top door hinge and fastened at the bottom rear corner of the Doors to try to keep the doors from shifting and sagging while driving them. That should be a flashing Yellow light. Something else to know here. None of the sheet metal crosses over between Master and Standard of any years. That little lesson cost me $230.oo just in freight. Sure was a nice Grill though. The seller listed it as a Standard not knowing. He and I eventually worked it out but I was still out the freight.
arj, as others have stated the early GMs like the 33 Chevy you are considering do have a lot of wood structure as do the early Fords. Having good wood in the doors and mounting points is important. Mopars of this vintage had mostly metal in these key areas. By 1937 Chevy had converted to all steel body which includes the top. While replacing the wood with metal can be done, it is not always as easy as many people think. We sold a 35 Chevy 4dr Sedan last year that had excellent wood structure. The buyer wanted to build a Streetrod so the condition of the wood and how everything lined up convinced him to make the purchase. Hopefully the information everyone is passing on helps you with your decision.
If it truly has already had the wood replaced, then the toughest part is done. It's a lot easier to hotrod one of those vs. restoring it, so I don't see it as a deficit to start with a '33 that's not rotted out wood and metal. But it really depends on how truthful the seller is, and how good the sheet metal is.
If all the sheet metal is good , have doors and sills , sills are important !!! The wood or metal can be fixed . I wouldn't back away .
The 33 3window has no wood left in it Will fix with steel tubing . 3rd car I will do with tubing now .The 4 door has beautiful wood 98 % of the wood is like new . The 2% of bad wood is in the roof .
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