Well I was told that I should share the build so here it is. I have been a vintage VW hot rodder for many years and was looking to do something different. I sold the bugs and went out to find something that I could really sink my teeth into. I headed into the mountains of North Carlina looking for something to keep me busy for a while, I looked at a few cars and on the way home I found a 32 Chevy coupe stuffed in the back of a garage in the north Georgia mountains. It took everything I had in my pocket but I made a deal. The frame was boxed, a Mustang II front end, a tired 350 Chevy with a turbo 350 on it and a camaro rear-end with 373 gears and a new 1/8 plate steel floor that looks pretty good . Nothing was tied in or hooked up. How in the world am I going to build this car is all I could think of on the way home. So with that feel free to give support and <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->give criticism as needed. Keep in mind this far from anything I have ever done. I have the tools and the shop, I just need some cash and with a little help from some fellow Hambers things will work out just fine. Here are a few pictures to get this started.
Carl, not a bad looking chevy, but it is not a 32 chevy, it is a 31 chevy. 31 chevy has a visor and the 32 did not, was more round with a body line around the windshield. There are other items also different on these two years. PM me if I can help, had a 32 sedan for 20 years.
Looking at the inside of the drivers I recall why I passed on 35 Chevy a few years back ... price was right but I couldnt get past sagging wood framed doors mentally ... they are almost wood framed / steel skinned stage coaches ... You have your work cut for you ... it is a beautiful looking car though ... Good luck.
It took a while to sink in what I have done but I'm rolling pretty good now. Here is one of the motor cranking for the first time in many years. This is a video so you will have to click on the picture.
Wow I should have listed it as My 1st 31 Chevy Build. I have sent for a title also. I guess it will be a 32 on paper. I plan on buying lots of 1x1 steel. It will be fully framed inside the way it should be. Carl
Carl it look good.Looks like your gonna have fun re-framing the body but otherwise looks real solid. If you want to see the sufferance between the 31 and 32 take a look at my album. Good to see another Chevy being saved! Good luck with your build.
Thanks for posting your build I will be watching closely. I found a 31 a couple of years ago and hope to start on it this spring. Yours looks in better shape than mine. Good luck.
Cool man cool. Let's see some pictures of the frame and the work you've done. Looking good so far. I'll be darned it's a 31?
You will have a project that is for sure. After a few weeks of playing with the car. I reworked the rear and springs. I wanted to lower it so I put the front springs on the back and they seams to fit well. After I fitted the rear and did a tire mock up The rear was off so I had to adjust things a bit. Here is the mock up tire. Its a 31" tire. Look at the center and you will see where I had to move the rear.
im a chevy man,,so id rather see a chevy than a ford any day of the week,,good luck with you build,,,and i also have a love for vw's too
Chevys, I love them to. That is what Dad kept us rolling in when we were kids. I here the rear ends hold up pretty good also, even on the way to a show. LOL A little private joke. Well its time to remove the body so where are all them boys that hang out all the time.
Time to do some work on the motor since its just about dragging the ground. The motor mounts needed reworking and setting the motor in its new home would not be as bad as I thought it would be. PS don't leave vice grips on the hoist on the lowering side of the twist nut that lowers the motor. It will come crashing to the ground when your just about under it. I hope its in the right place. I will have to cut the floor a bit since I raised it up about 4-5"
I hated the Mustang II frontend, It had to go. It would cost me a good bit to replace but definitely will look better with an open wheel car. Big grinders and cut off saws make short work of big jobs.
Cool project...my first rod project was a '30 Chevy.....didn't get too far with it. Smart move removing that ugly front suspension....
Damn brother....looking good, and thank you for cutting the mustang front off. and always remember, no burnouts in the company parking lot...it might hurt you rear
[FONT="]Next I welded a new cross member in and welded all the holes in that were left from brackets and other parts and pieces that were one on the car for the past 80 years. Cleaned up the frame and did some bondo work. Now its starting to look better. [/FONT]<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->[FONT="]Getting ready for primer is always nice. Its seams like your turning the corner. Good job Rip, Keep that sander running. How about another cold one.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT]
I agree, who does would do a burn out in their company parking lot anyway? That causes nothing but trouble. HE-HE-HE
Love to see more chevys being put together. I have found that the old 48-54 chev pickup front axles make for great donors. You have to weld bat wings on, and cut off the spring perch to make it a transverse, but perfect width. Also keeps the 6 lug pattern for the early chev wheels. Keep it up!
Very nice. (I really like my chevys.) There is a guy here in Colorado selling the complete cowl from a 32 chevy including the windshield framing on craigs list. $85.00 if he still has it?
Great to see another Chevy build! I'm doing a '29 sedan. Future plans include a dropped axle, 327/th350 and a 9" rear. I just got some Wheel Vintiques 15" steelies with 6 lugs to fit my bias ply wide whites. Good luck with the build and keep us posted!
Looking good, do you still have those front frame horns, i see they are missing in the current pics....if ya still got them put them off to the sides, i'll pay ya in beer for them next time i'm in town
The windshield frame sounds good. I'm going to contact him. Jeff, I think horns are in a box, I will check. The frame is getting prepped and ready for primer, I just need to finish some welding and mocking up the front end. At this point I wish I had spent the extra bucks and gout the I beam instead of the tube but money is tight so this is what I got. Its still cooler then the M-II front end that's for sure. I'm wanting to put a pointed cross bar on the rails up front so that's coming also. I had to heat and bend the beam tabs for the hairpins to align with the frame. I guess the ford frame rails are closer the the chevys. Its all fitting pretty god now.
Looks good Carl5Coupe! Good idea using the rear springs on the front, wish I thought of that. I'm working on a 1932 Chevy 5 window, also my first street rod. The guys here have been a GREAT help! You're moving right along, mine is going a little slower. Time and money are big problems. Keep posting! Jim
Thanks Jim, Im hard on the hunt for a rear today. Looking at the Chevy or GMC 4x4 rears. The rear I had in the car had water damage inside. When I opened it about a quart of water came out. Carl
Glad to see the mustang front go,project is looking good.I also removed a mustang front on my 33 chevy.When you get to the doors on this project is where all the heart ache starts,with all the wood,mine about drove me crazy.Keep up the good work and it's nice to see another chevy in action..
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