I have some very fond memories of a Chevy coupe that was similar to this ’49, it was a ’50 Torpedo back. Jesse bought it to drive to and from high school and would often give me rides in it. His lacked all the patina that this ’49 has, it also lacked all the rust. Seeing this car was a fun trip down memory lane! And with a current bid of just $1,950 here on eBay, it’s quite tempting. Thankfully for my wallet and my marriage, it is just out of my read in Venango, Nebraska.
These old Chevys really are nice looking cars, with a great front end. The chrome bits really make the curving body lines pop. The visor is a nice touch, but I like these better with it off.
The interior of this car is toast, but amazingly the floors look solid. I don’t know if a serape would even be able to save these seats!
From a style standpoint, I’ve always liked this generation of Chevys more than their Ford counterparts. Looks are subjective though, so feel free to disagree with me. One thing we can agree on is that the Fords had one advantage over these and that was their engines. This 216 cui inline six is a great motor, but the Fords were offered with an inline six and a flathead V8. I’m always a fan of having options, especially when one of them is a flathead V8!
I’ll always have a fond spot for these Chevy Deluxes and might have to find one someday soon. This one is going to be a major project, but it appears to have good bones. My biggest concern is with finding replacement glass, but I’m sure a little hunting could resolve that issue. So do you have any good memories of the late ’40s and early ’50s Chevy Coupes? Are any of those memories strong enough to inspire you to save this one?
Go for it. Here is mine and it’s got 32K on the clock and a repaint other then that it’s pretty much original.
A ’49 Chevy Styleline Deluxe, that’s where the jellybean design originated. Truth be known I’m more partial to the Ford Shoebox but since I own a ’49 Chevy it has grown on me. I kind of like the drone and mechanical racket that 216 Stovebolt makes; it tells you that its alive and well, and still ready for action. A nice easy car to work on and relatively easy to get parts for. This one is going to need the works but it will be a worthwhile project.
I owned a 50 deluxe 2 door sedan in high school, my dad bought it in 1966 for 35 bucks. Then he found a coupe with a bad motor that we used to keep the other one running. I even had a wreck with it and replaced all the parts from the doner. Drove it all through high school. Wish i had it back now!
Here’s what I did to my ’49 Chev Cpe, back in the summer of ’62. Most fun I ever had with my helmet on. NASCAR Hobby Division #104, Dirt track, Bakersfield, CA.
seen one for sale near me now…was thinking this.
even better would be PRO MOD 900 c.i. Mou7ntain motor .
This is a great looking car with some interesting potential. I have always wanted to get something like this and swap in a 60’s straight 6. There are speed parts available.
Just doing one different instead of putting in a small block.
I agree with that line of thinking, a 250 or a 292 otherwise more or less stock with a driver quality repaint after some body work. I’m a fan of the Dodge mostly because I have a 51 hardtop with a flat head six and a three on the tree. This is another good example though of a car that can be brought back to the road on a budget.
Installation of a modern six would definitely make for better performance. A 235 would bolt right in while a more modern engine would require some work. The torque tube affects your transmission choices for sure, but I’ve seen guys do it.
I learned to drive on a 1951 Belair Deluxe, 2-door hardtop. It was butter yellow with gray and black. Interior. I had to sit on a boat float ation cushion to see over the dash. My dad bought it off our next door neighbor who was an old maid school teacher. The car was a powder puff only 6 years old when we got it. My dad would drive out to some seldom used country roads. I was only 9 at the time. I remember him fussing with me more about “staying in the tracks” than managing the three on the tree. Oh, those fond memories.
Hi Geomechs I know your a fan of the old stovebolt engines. And I’d like to know more about them, can you recommend some sites to go to and become more schooled on them, thanks.
Hi Mark. The information I’ve used is mostly right from the manual, which I picked up at the Skunk Wagon Swap Meet in Great Falls, MT many years ago. There’s a lot of vendors selling manuals there and I’ve seen some vendors selling manuals at the swap meet in Lethbridge, AB (bought some Ford V8 stuff up there). The shop I worked for had all the manuals, which somehow disappeared when the place closed back in ’84 (I know this because I went back to rummage through them, only to find them gone). There are some links which I can’t seem to attach here. Drop me a line at geomechs@netscape.net and I’ll send you what I’ve got.
I worked on a local race car in the late 80s/early 90s that ran straight 6. There are plenty of upgrades to go faster. Pistons, port/polish, roller rockers, the regular old upgrades. Clifford intakes and bigger carbs. Don’t know of any websites, but there’s bound to be something out there. At the time, we were running a 235 with a 194 head (when we could find one). Custom cam made for our engine builder. 1 bbl carb in our class. No port/polish allowed, etc. Ran 19s? in the quarter. Don’t sound too god till you factor in a quarter mile OVAL…had to turn left twice… Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, NC. It was fun.
I love ’em…owned quite a few..started with split manifolds, then dual carbs, then big Jimmy motors, and finally Buick nailheads…I want another one!!
In the late 60’s and early 70’s these Chevy models were cheap to buy. In three years I had 2 1952 Chevy coupes. Both ran very well. They would never fail to start in the dead of winter during the winter months in the UP of Michigan. Both had so much rust. I finally upgraded to a 67 GTX.
My first car in 1962 was a 1952 red Chevy convertible deluxe with radio and the fender skirts and automatic transmission. Then some A Hole in a truck ran through a red light and broadsided me and totaled the car. What a shame and experience for a 16 Y O kid with his first car.