When I was 2 yrs old (1980) my dad bought a 1933 Chevy 2dr Sedan in Gunbarrel City, TX. He drove it back south to Bishop, TX where we lived. After a fresh 350/350 combo was installed, some '54 Chevy front drum brakes, a GM 10-Bolt Rear, and some NOS S-W Gauges he had laying around were installed, he drove the car to work everyday and all over town. I remember standing up in the front seat and sticking my head out the window and holding on to our German Shephard. We used to cruise this car all over the place. Soon after my younger brother was born, so the car wasn't driven as much due to the need of a family car. And the car eventually got stuffed into the garage in 1984 when my youngest brother was born. We moved about 30 miles north to a new house in 1987, so the car was trailered to our new place, where it was parked in the garage and used for storage. When I was young I used to sit in the drivers seat and imagine I was driving it around, pickin up chicks, going to the drive-ins and drag racing on the streets. My dad had LOTS of old cars while I was growing up, but the '33 was always my favorite. I remember him teaching me about brakes, valves, carburetion, engine rebuilding, ignition, etc. We would clear out a path and get working on the '33 for a couple of days, only to be sidelined by something else coming up like baseball practice or BMX racing. Well, skip ahead about 19 years, when after watching my 3 dvds of Mad Fabricators Society with my dad in the living room while visiting home. Well, he got a wild hair up his *** and got the car cleaned up and running again about a week after I came back to Austin. He went through everything all over again, and bought a set of chrome steel wheels and mounted a set of used tires we had laying around. It originally rolled on 15" Fenton Chrome steel wheels with wire inserts and FAT bias-ply rubber. He pulled it out of the garage and dusted it off, took it out for a cruise around the neighborhood in all it's primered glory. He called me and I could hear the excitement in his voice. My mom called the next day saying "Listen to this.........Can you hear it?" It was my dad and two brothers cruising around in the '33. Which was their first time to have ever ridden in the car in their life. I know this isn't a big story or anything, but to me it's everything. My dad always said he'd never sell the car. His plans for it were always changing, but life got in the way. This car has been a part of my family almost as long as we've been a family, so to me...that just plain kick ***. The car still sports the stock straight axle front end with '54 chebby drums up front. About 10 yrs ago they yanked the pleated buckets out of it to put into my younger bro's '66 Chevy C-10, so right now it's just got some junkyard seats in it. He's planning to have his leaf springs dearched and reversed eyes to get it to sit lower. Planning on some wide whitewall tires and some fresh upholstery. No plans for paint anytime soon. Here's some pics of how it looked in the garage for 19yrs and how it looks now...
Wow! Turned out real nice and looks right at home with todays rods. Or should I say todays rods look right at home with that. Cool, Mark
Way cool story. Tha HAMB is all about family and hotrodding. So cool that he was able to keep the car while putting the the family as first priority. You should be real proud of your dad, I am.
The car is almost as cool as the story. That the car and story go hand in hand together is cooler still.
all my dad liked was beer and sports. that car and story is way cool. it's good to have an old car that you'll never sell. even if it sits in the garage for 19 years.
Jeremy, nice to see some pics....I've been curious about what it really looked like... that is cool....hopefully you and your bros can help him finish it. Thanks for sharing! JOYO
Nice car, great story! Maybe this is the summer I get my Dad's Roadster out after being in the garage since 1983.
I love this hobby.....that story is just flat out COOL. It reminds me of when I was a young guy and my dad had this 32 five window hot rod he got as part payment for some body work done on that coupe...and it sat beside the house for a couple years and I would drool over that car, dreaming of the day we would take it out for a drive, which we finally did..together. I cherished that event, just like you did this one, Texas HC. Great Warm fuzzies....
You could have left the rest of the page blank and this thread would still rule on the strength that you bought an old car in a place named Gunbarrel City alone, the rest is just icing on the cake.
great car great story looks cool i like those late 70 early 80 s style rods they rule for me hot rod memories with family are so wonderful i remember my first drive in my 34 sedan with my older brother 30 years ago we still both remember it like it was yesterday if only i could get that old 34 back a friend still drives it lots and he wont sell
What a fine looking Chevy. Great story too. Nice to see an old thread as good as this one back to the top.
Great story with a real cool car! I'm working on my 33 Chevy with my dad. Keep us up to date with more pics. Enjoy the car!
Great story! I can relate well. I grew up in my parents '32 Chevy sedan. SW gauges, stock front end, 54 Chevy hubs, german shepard and all!
Wow this is old! Glad you guys liked the story, I've got some more pics somewhere... Update: Dad yanked the straight axle in favor of a Heidts MII setup. The stock front end was wobbly and he wants to drive the hell out of it, so he bit the bullet and went with IFS. He has the front end tacked in place, but he got sidetracked restoring a Willys Jeep, and a '62 Buick Wagon, as well as building a vacation home in the hill country and building a new shop at the house. I'll try to dig up those other photos I have, and when he gets the front end done I'll get some pics. Here's the car in 1980... Dad & Me, a couple of months ago at the new vacation house in the hill country...
Super story and history that's unique to the car. It gives me hope that I'll get the '32 5w out that I bought in 1973 and have only driven it about a 1/2 mile. Long story.....life and about 150 cars got in the way...........maybe it's time Frank
Man, that IS a great story. I wish my dad was that cool. He's retired and all he does is play golf, go on trips, and drink wine. Lame.
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