Checked the original ad, looks like a great car to start with and I have to say that end result is outstanding. Did you keep the original interior? Don't forget your yearly termite treatment!
Great job! Really, really cool... I love that you had the balls to run red wheels and white walls as well. Got any more pics?
I don't think I have ever seen any brand of 1932 car that wasn't really good looking, style wise! Guess they all were trying really hard to sell cars in the depression. I use Joe's hand cleaner for my hands and also mounting tires on wheels as slick 'em. Grips when dry and add a little more to your hands and they clean up easy! Dave
Nothing spectacular, rubber mat floor, low-back early mustang styled seats w/red piping /perforated inserts, black vinyl covered backing board w/SS screws/trim washers, padded top fuel cell/storage area in rear. Original dash, steering wheel, park brake, window/door handles, ashtrays, rearview mirror, beehive heater, and some trim pieces.
Let the haters hate. In my opinion, you have done this car justice. You should be proud of saving what you could of the finish. Some artisan put his heart and soul into that brushed finish, flowed it from top to bottom with nary a run. You have honored that and made it your own.
I love how that came out! I have been kicking around doing something similar to the car in my avatar because it was originally black and the green is ready to fall off anyway!!! I would love to have an original black on black paint car... By the way... that's probably the coolest Early Chevy I've seen... 3blap.
Yep. I agree one of the best Chevys I have ever seen. It makes me think....how would she look full fendered with the same treatment. One of my endeavors is 1812 Era historical reenactment. I see the same historical accuracy BS in that pursuit as I do traditional hot rodding and from both sides of the argument. I have been called a "s***ch nazi" and a FARB all in the same conversation. It has been mentioned.....They never did it that way.....Well, never say never. Someone somewhere will produce a photo or do***entation proving a point one way or another. One of the arguments .....they would have used it if they had it..... Well Duh! I'm sure Travis, Bowie and Davy Crockett would have loved a couple of belt fed Brownings at the Alamo. I guess the jest of this is, Yeah....I'm sure most of the hot rodders from that era wanted a pristine paint job. That does not mean they all had a pristine paint job or even a paintjob at all. The first car my Grandfather built in 1944 was a Model T that my G Grandfather pulled home with a mule. Paint was never mentioned.... The 1950s we think of and know of in pop culture is not the same 50s I hear about. There was a major recession starting about 1958. Before that there was Korea. For some, that time was tough. As always some were better off than others. My father rode a bike with a bucket for a seat and sometimes no chain. My 2nd cousins cruised in an Old Ford V8 with the choke pulled so the guys would think they had a cam...worked too if they did not notice the black smoke. A good friend mentioned a car all primer spotted up and eventually being painted...but thing is the kid drove for a long time before he could afford to finish it..... On the other hand, 2 teenage boys would hang around my Grandfathers garage, one owned a new Corvette. To get the point... You cant tell me that nobody ever cleaned up and shined up the original paint an old hot rod car and called it good with rub throughs and all. Well.....if they did not have a nice paint job...they wanted one. Yeah OK..back to the belt fed thing. To me the jest of hot rodding then was taking old Jalopies and giving them a new, better and maybe even more exciting life. DLRIDEs with his meticulous and artful preservation of original paint that was actually there captures perfectly that rebirth of a new and exiting life for the proverbial old Jalopy. Lastly we aint in the 50s. They are just as unreachable now as they were on 0000hrs Jan 1 1960. All we can do is be inspired...some can remember, some of us can kind of recreate shadows or preserve artifacts but we can never go back there.
Heck, what a groovy lookin' car. Hate to say it, but that Ford front looks so fine. Well done man! My bro has a sweet '37 Chev roadster driver- ( yep- aussie- one of about 190) - it has beautiful patina'd original dark blue lacquer, hopped six & sits right. My car has held up OK with a fugly gay 80's daffodil yellow lacquer dusted over a hasty primer (over bare metal) from '84, and half the roof is scratched original '56 duco. I can't afford flashy paint, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Sumpin' patchy/funky/ beater- hopefully kinda neat. And yeh, Wide whites & big/lil' red rims w/ caps'n' rings & a lil' rake..
Thanks again for the kind words and compliments ! I never get tired of looking at the brush marks in the primer that is filled in with black.
Haven't gotten to the paint part yet. Still getting drivline and suspension rebuilt and sorted. A few more months and I'll be doing the paint.
I'm glad you posted your efforts. I've put in hours already and I know the work has just begun. Original paint is a little rough, but it is there, and 82 years old. I'll have to patch in some places, that need work, but the way I see it, when I take it to shows, there will be little chance I'll be parked next to another just like it.
Many thanks ! Had a milestone this week, 10,000 miles in a year ! In action on a curvy N.C. mountain road. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Awesome car. Been following this for a long time. Can you tell us some details about the removable top insert? Does it keep out the rain? Fasteners used? Fabrication details? Thanks, Andy
The top material is from a modern (dare I say it) BMW convertible. This material had the perfect look of cloth, yet with all the modern strength and waterproof properties. A gasket is glued in place at outer edge, and top is attached to car with SS snaps, and has never leaked ! Unsnap, roll it up, put it in the back in two minutes. There is a small awning type channel attached to the car at the front, that a sewn in bead slides into. This prevents the air from lifting, and water from entering under the front of top. For winter, I made an "insulator" layer from a truck stop blanket, which snaps in separately from top. This keeps the car warm and quiet in colder weather. The wood is exact reproduction for 1932 Chevrolet from Cl***ic Wood Products in Greensboro NC. Stained with leftover stain from my log house.
Forgot to mention above, that due to several tips from members here on blending paint, I reworked the rear corners where chopped. This made the third time, but it finally satisfies me !
Now thats genius and a great idea. I would like to steal your idea. Did you use just the BMW top material with no backing? Snaps every 6" or ? Could I see a cross section of the seal you used and the front awning channel? I have some aluminum round channel left over from a motorhome awning that takes a 1/8" round bead, is that it? I just love your old Chevy and that you are driving the hell out of it! Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
) Non insulated/backed material. I think the BMW and VW material is the same. ) I divided the lengths to give an appropriate number of snaps for equal spacing. It was close to 6". ) I will get you some photos. The gasket foam is high density rubber based, with adhesive made for the material. I don't remember the brand, but it is similar to the better grades of HVAC rubber foam. I scuffed the top with a ScotchBrite pad so it would adhere. ) I ordered the channel from an RV supply house and it uses a 1/8 bead. I actually used small diameter SS brake line.
Took s few photos and measurements for you. ) The foam is .75”x.375” ) Snaps are 8.15” spacing, closer in corners, and doubled on front corners. Unsnap, roll it up, slide it out, throw in back ! ) Channel size, see photos. Small foam used under channel to prevent water from entering under channel. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks so much for going to the trouble of posting all this for me. I love the idea and your ol Chev!
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