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| 37 Chevy Coupe with 350 Chevy engine |
Chevy in the Late 1930's
For the model years 1937-1939 Chevrolet made a lot of improvements both in styling and with their engines. Advertising at the time touted the 1937 Chevy as "The complete car, completely new". Designing of this Master Deluxe model is credited to Jules Agramonte who is also credited for the 1934 popular and stunning LaSalle.styling. Jules Agramonte designed the Chevy Coupes, working for and under Harley Earl.
The late 30's Chevy designs looked so good that their pickup trucks were also well known for their good styling.
In 1937 the Chevrolet Master replaced the Standard Six and the Master Deluxe was a luxurious version of the Master model.
The late 1930's were good years for Chevrolet. For 1937 Chevy came out with a Master Deluxe Coupe that weighed 2,840 lbs with the hardtop and 2,770 lbs with the convertible. The wheelbase for the 37 coupe was 112.0 inches.
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| Classic 37 Chevy Street Rod |
An important note for restorers, many car models can look remarkably similar from one year to the next, so to be certain that you have the correct year when restoring one of these you need to identify the vehicle and it's parts. Car models, in particular Chevys from the late 30's although similar in first appearances usually do have subtle changes.
A New Automobile at a Low Price
The country was still feeling the effects of the Great depression so prices were relatively inexpensive in the mid 30's, especially compared to what the automakers were asking a decade earlier. The 1937 Chevy Master Deluxe Coupe convertible sold new for about $620. The hardtop coup around $680. As with most vintage cars, the convertibles are deemed more popular with collectors.
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| Flowing lines of the late 30's Chevys |
1937 Chevys came into street rodding via the dragstrip. The Chevy Coupes in particular were very popular gassers.
The automobile featured in this article has an all steel body and has had a frame off restoration.
The engine is a Chevrolet 350 cubic V-8 with aluminum heads and the ZZ4 Chevy Performance Package. Horsepower is 355. Chevrolet engines are the standard engines for just about all street rods.and Chevy rods in particular.
Transmission is a Turbo 350 and the car is equipped with Ford 9 inch Positraction. Positraction will only let a wheel to spin a little before the power is applied to the other wheel. This works very well in low traction areas like conditions such as mud or ice.
See additional Muscle Car Journal articles on the links below...
1937 Buick Coupe 455 Street Rod
1924 Dodge Brothers Hemi
From our AutoMuseumOnline site see Serial Number Locations on Vintage Vehicles
Good reference material regarding 1930's era Chevrolet hot rods and street rods include..... How to Build Chevy Hot Rods by Richard Johnson.....Hot Rods, Roadsters, Coupes, Customs by author Dain Gingerelli.....Art of the Hot Rod by Ken Gross.
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| Fine custom paint job |
First of all, most of the 37 Chevy Coupe street rods you come across today have been modified, customized and have creative paint jobs. These cars have been and remain popular and as such command healthy asking prices.
As of this writing you'll find many of these vehicles with price tags in the $30,000 range, mostly in the high $30,000 range and into the low and mid $40,000 range. We have seen a beautifully restored 37 Chevy Coupe with a modified 355 engine with power brakes, power seats, tilt steering and a lot more with an asking price of $45,000.
(Article and photos copyright Muscle Car Journal)
