Projects 1936 Chevy Business Coupe

Hi all,

Been lurking for years now, always loved early Willys Coupes and never going to be in my price range.

So last weekend found a 36 Chevrolet Standard Business Coupe in my price range.

Car has been sitting in a shop since 74, the ***les is from 38 and last stamped/registered in 62. The car was taken apart to rebuild the engine in 87 and engine was in another shop which burned. So what I have is a roller with 65,000 miles, decent wood (36 laat year GM used wood in their cars), some rust repair needed to where the fenders bolt , and fenders either repaired or find replacements.

First direct sunlight in many years.


So the plan is as it's a factory straight axle is to do a G***er build. Have a few engine choices,

1. 57 392 Hemi, needs a full rebuild, 1 sleeve. Reality is I would need a go fund me to get this done, but one day.

2. 59 401 Nailhead which is the cheaper route as have a complete motor and B262 manifold, 65 Gran Sport Bellhousing.

Just picked up a 57 Pontiac 9.3 rear axle with a 3.23 gears, no posi, but that can come down the road.

Well here is the start, let's see how far I get, may take a bit as have a few other projects that have been neglecting, that need to get done first.

Regards,
Jim

 

That’s awesome ! Here is my 36 I just got last November! I’m doing a tail dragger - chopping it next month !

 

I hear that Chevy calling......."Chop me, chop me"....

 

Worked on a Buds , many times . Installed a 35 grill , flipped the door hinges when removing the wood . Now that was cool lookin . Nice find good luck with the build . Just look for termites .

 

Here's mine. It was a former g***er built in the mid 60s and raced here in Tennessee at Maryville Dragway. When the track closed around 1970 it was gutted and parked. Has a 57 Olds rear that had welded spiders and 5:38 gears when I bought it. Home built square tube traction bars. All the usual early Chevy problems with rotted wood. It's getting there slowly. Swapped out the rear end center section for one with 4:11 gears and put short shackles on the front of the traction bars where they attach to the ch***is. The frame had been repaired multiple times from the traction bar mounts ripping loose. Common issue back in the day with leaf spring cars. The traction bars have to be able to move fore & aft a little bit or that's what happens. Thanks to a friend he donated a disc brake conversion kit that was made for a 55-59 half ton Chevy truck and with some creative fabrication I made it work. Hydraulic clutch master & Corvette brake master under the floor with remote resevoirs on the firewall. I'm replacing all the rotten wood with square steel tubing. Luckily there was just enough bad wood left to use as a pattern. On to yours..For the fenders they are extremely hard to find in decent condition. Speedway makes Fibergl*** fenders though. Following this post with great interest to see where it goes. I still need a grille for mine and that's another tough thing to find. If you score a better one than you have I'd be a buyer for your old one. I'm considering cutting off part of the bottom anyway and installing a Moon tank in front of it. First pic is the day I brought it home. Floor ? What floor ?

 

Hi all,

Not much progress on the project, still collecting parts and pieces (Thanks again for the reams NHBandit) still looking for cheap 55-59 truck steering knuckles.

Thanks all for the inspiration been wet winter and just cold enough to unmotivate much progress.

Regards,
Jim

 

sounds like a plan, here's my old 37 for more inspiration...

 

Keep it up.

 

Don't get discouraged... You have a great foundation for your project! I've always thought 36-39 Chevy coupes were the coolest looking g***ers. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress... No matter how long it takes.

 

Nice size and shape for a hotrod, great start!

 

looks like a good solid start. those fenders don't look too bad.

 

I like your vision for it

 

Hi all,

Not too much progress, did get a 56 front axle/knuckles for the conversion, also a set of 3.90 gears for the Pontiac axle.

Thanks for the encouragement

Regards,
Jim

 

This is a friend's 35 that's been in the family for 6 decades

 

Nice !

 

I owned a 37 for many years , 35 is my favorite

 

Hi,

Nice 35, like the suicide doors, will be a while before I get it going, personal goal is to get it running and driving by 26, as have a few projects in the queue before the 36.

Still looking for a drivers side rear Fender is really the last big piece I need besides a new welder as mine fried the circuit card, to weld in a few patches.

Thanks again for the inspirations

Regards,
Jim

 

In my neck of the woods...a lot of 1936-38 Chevy coupes ended up looking like this...


this is the late great Don Mactavish in his ride...
Good luck and keep us in the loop...looks like a really cool start to a project...
MikeC

 

Hi all,

Well few updates on the parts collecting front.

April last year bought a sedan parts car basically a tub that someone stole the roof off it, also got 2 extra front fenders and a p***enger that needs a little repair.

Fast forward to this week and one of members gave me a lead to a drivers rear fender, picked that up yesterday near Traverse City. It is supposed to be NOS, it's black and doesn't have a taillight hole on it which might make me think it is.

Rear Fenders and originaldrivers side:



Regards,
Jim

 

Jim,
Just stumbled onto your '36 Chev g***er project and thought I'd mention a spindle option for your '36 front axle. A swap guys did to those old axles was to put Econoline beam axle spindles on them from mid 60's E100 vans. They have the correct kingpin angles, and can use the E100 drums and hubs, or swap on disc brake conversions cheap.
I did this E100 spindle swap for a guy's '37 Chev front axle, and also swapped it to disc brakes using mid 70's GM calipers, and Jeep Cherokee rotors. Under $100 for the whole swap then to disc brakes. Not counting the Econoline spindles.
Those pre WWII Chevy coupes make fantastic g***ers!

 

Hi,

Interesting about the front axle, but already coping NHBandit using 55-59 Chevrolet truck spindles on my 36 axle, Speedway sells a kit for 5 lug conversion and disc brakes.

Regards,
Jim

 

Yes, I used the Speedway disc kit on my '58 truck axle I put in my '39 Chev coupe. The axle was much too wide though so I narrowed it 5" to make it fit like I wanted it in my '39. I'd have used a '39 stock axle, but my coupe was a Master Deluxe and had control arm suspension.

 

Jmos4, nice g***er look. Slow and steady will get her done. Just completed my 36' chevrolet Master coupe resto-mod. This was a frame off, nut and bolt restoration. MII front from Heidts, Ford 8.8 posi (3:73), CE Engineering rear spring kit, power windows, power door locks, power cowl vent (linear actuated), power steering, 4 wheel disc brakes, original ch***is boxed, built LS1 gen3 engine with Texas Speed cam, all custom sheet metal including custom built lower and upper dash, electric wipers, vintage air, custom radiator, Spear tech custom wiring harness, PPG tri coat paint, all original wood replaced with flat or steel tubing, too much more to list. I did all the work except interior which was done by https://chrisstrimshop.com/. Thank you for posting your build, I love a great g***er.

 

love the 36 coupe...best wishes ..

 

Hi,

Ronf.

You say Master, which I thought had A-arm suspension, but you in progress pictures show leaf springs or was that a temporary frame? Mines a standard so has leafs and a top hat shaped frame.

Very nice looking car, one day mine will get there, I hope...new welder is my next big item as my old one gave up the ghost a few years ago.


Thanks again all for the inspiration and kind words.

Regards,
Jim

 

The Master 85 had beam front axle, Master Deluxe and Master Deluxe Sport Coupe was control arm suspension.

 

My first build was a 36 chevy

 

Hi again,

Well learn a new thing everyday, either way the frame construction looks different, more like a boxed rectangle vs top hat shaped.

Regards,
Jim