Chapter 12

The ‘30 Chevy sedan. Nobody wanted it. Everybody wanted 1932 Ford coupes or roadsters ... V8 if you could get it ... otherwise a Model B would do. Since the builder was going to put a Lasalle transmission, the old Model B tranny didn’t matter.

I had a Good Old Boy Network connection who had a connect to a high school senior called Balls whose dad owned a a wrecking yard: Smiley’s. For me, prices were either free, $5.00, $50.00, or $500.00. A bolt might be free but something like the 1961 Corvette was Five hundred ... complete and Balls Smiley removed and delivered.

However, I rescued a Four Square 302 cubic inch six from a wrecked M135 army truck. This engine had the bolt on bellhousing ... not that it had a bellhousing ... the M135 used a military only Hydra-Matic transmission. I used the starter, bellhousing, clutch, flywheel and four speed from a wrecked 1961 Corvette. The 302 had a four inch bore and a four inch stroke ... hence the Four Square. Using the Corvette transmission got rid of the enclosed driveshaft and allowed me to use a Ford nine inch True Trac rearend out of a wrecked 1959 Ford pickup.

The kids at the school ridiculed me for my choice of a six-banger instead of a V-8 but I was going for a sorta stock GM mix ... except for the Ford rearend. GM rear ends were shit ... fragile and expensive to buy and to repair. The axle C clips GM used couldn’t compete with the Ford bolt on ... in my opinion ... and I was building it.

The channel job sunk the body over the frame ... which equates with four inches. The Chevy semi elliptical springs had new old mounts welded up from 3 inch channel bolted outboard of the Ce-ed Chevy frame and the nine inch mounted between the springs and frame instead of axle under the springs. Hydraulic tube shocks eliminated the original friction knee shocks.

The front of the frame was vee notched top and bottom to slightly Zee the frame. I slung bent round tube between the boxed frame rails to make a radiator and shell mount. Eight new welded plate body mounts with rubber isolators helped cut down on rattle.

A new x support under the body strengthen the frame and stiffened the center to eliminate warp.

Once I had the car stanced the way I wanted it ... level front and rear. I had a commercial photography student blow up the photos and I began to tinker with the top. The body, channeled, was awfully tall. I could sit in the homemade from shopping carts bucket seats comfortably wearing my Michigan Centennial top hat. Not a Lincoln stovepipe but a British Gentleman’s six inch topper ... plenty of room to lower the roof.

Cut and paste involved scissors, glue and paper in the 1960’s. Experimenting with different cuts help me decide on a three inch chop.

Whereas a Ford two door of the same vintage has interesting tapers and curves above and below the belt line; just below the beginning of glass, the Chevy is square above the belt. A proper job with the Ford means cutting and notching door pillars and then welding and fairing the resultant mess for the correct look, taking three inches from the A, B and C pillars is far less complicated with the Chevy.

Often the difficult Ford chop is simply cut off to make a touring car four seat bathtub roadster. Making the Ford look right is too difficult for the ham-fisted shade tree builder.

Flat panel safety glass is easy to cut and install.

A careful cleaning of the body with isopropyl alcohol and the schools paint booth took care of dust. Shot coat of dark grey primer and the photographer and I commenced with color schemes. She came up with a pink, copper, and bronze combination that was simply stunning.

“PINK!” you exclaim in dismay.

It was gorgeous.

Copper anodizing the shiny parts, door handles, bumpers, grill and lights instead of chrome plating, was another styling feature she came up with.

The same color scheme was extended to the interior and a whole fleet of Nauga’s was decimated for their skins. Brown close weave carpet molded to fit the floor completed the job.

I sold the damn thing without ever driving it. Some dumb trust fund kid saw it as we pushed it out of the paint booth.