Projects 37 Chevy Hot Rod tribute project

Starting a thread on my new project! My Dad Larry had a 37 Chevy coupe for awhile around 1969. I don't know how long he had it, just a couple of years, and only heard a few stories and particulars about it. One story my mom told me was it was very ugly, "14 different colors" so they had a Earl Scheib? paint job put on it. It wasn't very good, with drips on all the hood louvers, but they liked it because it was all one color, "resale red" LOL. I remember my dad said it had a Vette Fuelie eng 283? with the FI taken off and a 4bbl on it, a 4spd, 4.56:1 posi, recap tires on the back, and VW tires on chrome reverse wheels up front. I have had this picture of me in June of 69 when I'm 3, hanging on my tool box for I don't know how many years now?! I had it there kind of like the Cobra poster on your bedroom wall, lusted after this car, but knew I probably never realize this dream? I have always loved the 37-38 Chevy coupes, even if I didn't have a family connection to one. Well with the help of a good friend and some good luck, I recently found a 37 Chevy coupe of my own!! I am going to build a 60s style Hot Rod/Gasser as sort of a tribute to the one my Dad had, and with some things I've admired of other hot rods and gassers of that mid to late 60s time frame.

 

Looks like a good solid start.. Good luck
Big garage to play in also NICE !
Hope it turns out the way you want it

 

My first car in highschool was a 37 Chevy coupe....In 1966

 

Looks good. If you are on FB there is a 37 - 39 Chev group that is good.

 

So I bought this car the end of last year, the story I got with it, was it was raced in the Houston area where I bought it from, a guy named Eddie Jones owned and raced it up until 1970, have a NHRA pit pass with his name on it. He sold it in 1970 to Forrest Martin who drove it and raced it? up until 1972, that was the last date of a Texas DOT inspection sticker and registration papers. Then it was placed inside of a metal storage building on his property until 2015!!!! where a "picker" guy came to buy signs and stuff from him, found and bought it. Then was sold to the guy I bought it from. It is a very complete, rust and damage free car, including alot of original paint!!!

 

It has a bunch of really cool old decals, tow bar brackets, an Olds/Pont 9.3" rear end, really cool traction bars, and a full set of Stewart Warner gauges.

 

Traction bars are a must . I twisted up my 37 springs into an S shape without them.

 

Super cool!

 

Good find and good luck with the tribute.

 

It came with almost all of the hard to find parts, and all of the parts are in very good restorable condition. Came with new lower tail pan panel, to replace beat to death original. Came with extra glass rear fenders, has sedan fenders now that are in very good shape with original paint on them!!

 

This is gonna be epic.

 

A very nice pile of parts to go with it, 37s are tough looking nose up. nice.

 

The body on this is as close to mint as can be, except for the tail pan( a very common trouble spot for these cars) that has crash damage. The damage goes into the trunk floor, but luckily no damage to the quarters, or wheel wells on either side. Unfortunately the bottom of the deck lid has damage to the outer skin and inner structure on the bottom foot of the panel.

 

I wonder why that car has such a big trans hump, mine was flat... ,...my old 37, now in Colorado I believe...

 

Probably built to clear the trans the car was refitted with. When I built mine I had to bend up a slightly rounded cover for the trans behind my SBC, as the flat cover was tight against it.

That '37 Chevy, and all the parts is a fantastic start to a build! I'd sure keep the metal rear fenders if it was me as filling the gas filler hole is much better than using the fiberglass fenders. My '39 had rebuilt metal fenders and looked like someone welded donor lips on them, plus filled the gas filler hole. But at least they were solid.
I had a '40 Chev coupe in high school, and always wanted it to be a '39 because the grilles were so cool in comparison. Plus a '39 Chev was my dad's first brand new car, and I had pictures of him with it. When I finished my '39 gasser earlier this summer, I put my dad's name on the driver's door as a memorial tribute to him. Bought mine two years ago in April, and finished it Memorial Day this year.

 

Its hard to tell from those pictures, but the trans hump and lower angled toe boards have been modified. Compared to most race cars, I think the did a fairly professional job for the time period. I don't know what engine/trans combo(s) were in it? No clutch pedal, no holes it the floor for shifter? Had a B&M Hydro decal on the drivers quarter window?

Yeah, I plan on keeping the metal fenders. Will use the fiberglass ones for cutting and mocking up. Then when I'm happy with it Ill copy on the metal ones, and weld the rolled lips back on.
Would love to get more history on the car! Would also love to find pictures of it back in the day!! Have alot more pictures to share!!!

 

Likely the rolled lips on the fender wont work, unless you run rear tires of less than 28" diameter. I just cut a slight amount off mine until I could fit the tire/wheel on the axle. Then did the final marking after that, and final cutting. Once cut, I welded 1/4" rod along the inside edge of the radius to finish off the lips.




I'd leave the glass fenders unmolested and sell them to recoup some money.

 

Here's a little inspiration for you. The Moody & Jones '37 Chevy. They won multiple US Nationals titles in the early '60's. Sadly, we lost Sam Jones earlier this year, but Dale Moody still lives here in town.

 

Yeah, I have a file FULL of 37 Chevy pictures on the computer, including several of this one and the Don Nowell blue one!! Plus I have been staring at the picture of my Dads(my profile pic) for years and years!! lol

 

That would have to be the cleanest car (rust free) I have seen in a long time.

 

Trans tunnel and toe boards modified, rest of floor is great shape, other than welding up extra holes

 

Well congrats on the ‘37 . I would like to get my hands on one too. I have an affinity for them as well .

 

Wow man, what a find! Bucket list car for me right there.

 

awesome car

 

More cool decals. Bottom of hood has what's left of a Schiefer flywheels, and a D-A Speed Sport oil can decal. Would like to learn more information and history about the " McBride Engineered competition racing machines" company, and the "MRC" company!!! Test fitting a Rebel 15x10

 

I'm surprised to see all the speed decals, yet see those old horns still mounted in the engine bay! Does the car show signs of having a V8 swap, like motor mounts, etc. still existing?

 

The guy I bought it from, is the guy that bought it from the guy that got it out of the metal building after being stored since 1972. He started taking it apart to build his hot rod, and was going to do a more modern build with a LS eng and auto trans. Luckily with his busy work and family life, he didn't get too far along, and decided to sell to me. I don't know what the car had for engine/trans combos over the years? No clutch pedal, no floor shifter holes, or mounting?? Some non stock holes in the frame rails(eng mounts)? and some places on the frame rails that had stuff welded at one time and then torched off?? It was definitely raced at some point, but don't know how long, or how competitively?? Still had the rear bumper, running boards, horns, and a old 8 track player under the dash, and was kept registered and licensed until 1972 when it was parked?! So I assume it was still street driven? But It was raced enough that it had a Olds/Pont 9.3" rear end, traction bars, tow bar brackets, and they installed a trailer wiring plug in the front of the left front fender for ease of wiring hookup when towing?!! All of the mods were done very professionally, not hacked up!! Have lots more pictures to come

 

Your car seems to have lived a similar life like mine did. PO raced it till 73 or so then decided to build a better engine to go faster, then life got in the way. He told me he was gathering parts to build it in the early 90’s into a street car, thank God he got sidetracked, cuz I don’t think I would have ever gotten all the teal paint off! But I’m thinking the tweed interior would still be barn fresh! I’m thinking we need to get a Arizona Gasser Group going….