1937 Chevy Coupe

05/06/10 20:57 Filed in: Auto
I have owned a 1937 Chevy Master Deluxe Business Coupe for over 41 years.  The following picture shows it back in October 1969 when I first found it near Rabbit Bay in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan while I was attending Michigan Technological University. The owner of the property where it was sitting gave it to me and I was able to get a "red" lost title in Michigan.  Since then, it has been licensed in Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Minnesota.

1937 chevy old

In 1969 and 70, I fixed this car up pretty well replacing all the running gear with late model (50's & 60's) parts.  I drove it on its first major trip of about 600 miles to Ames, IA (Iowa State University) in August, 1970.  My wife and I took it on our honeymoon in May 1971 and it was our primary car for the first 5 years of our marriage.  I drove it over 70,000 miles in the next 15 years, but after 40 years, it deteriorated until several years ago when I started to fix it up again.

The following picture shows how it looked last Fall after I put in a rebuilt 350 V8 engine, new headers and a new aluminum radiator.  Any auto purists will note that it now has a 1938 grill and "dog house".  Only the front end including the hood differed between 1937 and 1938.  I still have the 1937 parts which I hope to restore in the next couple of years.

37 chevy

I currently have the rear fenders and wheels removed as well and am repairing the rusted frame on the rear driver's side.  I have four fiberglass fenders that I actually bought 25 years ago and plan to put on next week.  It is registered for the "Back to the 50's" street rod show in two weeks so I hope to be driving it again by then. Over the next year, I hope to refinish the whole body and interior.

 

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