Found In The Wild: 49-52 Chevrolet Styleline

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How many times have you found a derelict car in the woods? We often wonder what happens to a car that it is banished to the wide open spaces of nature. This Chevrolet convertible has certainly shared its fair amount of time in the woods and it wears it well. Surprisingly there is still original paint on this one. Priced at $3,000, we suppose someone out there may be in need of an old Chevy convertible. Find it here on craigslist out of Eau Clare, Wisconsin. Thanks to reader George G for the submission!

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This Chevrolet Styleline relic has a certain appeal. We would think after living in the great outdoors this Chevy would be further reduced to rust and wear much less paint than what it currently has. The famous Chevrolet inline 6 is still present, though we imagine it has more in common with a lump of iron than it does a running engine. But who knows, this engine may not be locked up. The engine looks fairly complete, minus the carb and air cleaner.

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The interior is rough, but it looks like it was all there when put out to pasture. The red dash and the red seat upholstery is surprisingly vibrant. One would think that the sun would have faded the lovely shade of red. The top frame looks surprisingly clean. It would seem apparent someone found this car at some point and took on the childish enjoyment of breaking glass. This Chevrolet looks like it was a straight car before taking on its Zombie like look as of now. We wonder why the owner gave up on this old Chevrolet? There is plenty of rust in this one, but all it would take is time and money to make it a car again right?

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Easy to appreciate as “modern art” we wonder what someone will wind up doing with this old Styleline convertible. Obviously this could be yard art, but we don’t imagine many folks have a place or money for such a thing. Restoration could be possible for the brave, head strong person, who really would want to save this. But sadly this Chevy will likely be destined for parts and the scrap yard. What would you do with this old Chevrolet?

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Comments

  1. Bingo

    Wow! I think it’s a typo? $300 right? Not $3,000.

    Like 0
    • P

      300 seems right.

      $3,000???
      You’ve got a better shot of seeing Rex Reed Jr.

      Like 0
      • Woodie Man

        YOU pay ME 300 to take it! Sheesh

        Like 0
  2. MH

    I wish I had this car. I would spend the 20 years to fix it. These cars are getting very hard to come buy. I love it!!!

    Like 1
  3. Jay M

    Love it. What a great project car. The before/during/after pics will be dramatic for sure.
    I hope it gets restored to the way it left the factory.

    Like 0
  4. Anthony Rodrigues

    Its a 1951… one of 20,172 convertibles made that year

    Like 0
  5. Dave Wright

    Great start of a long term project. I had a 53 Pontiac convert that was breath taking, red with leather, curved one piece windshield, straight 8 that ran as smooth as a sewing machine chrome for ever……one of the cars I regret getting away.

    Like 0
  6. Jon

    I know what I would do with it…

    Like 0
  7. Rocko

    I would leave the patina woodsy fungus exterior and build up the interior and underneath to better than new. There is something about the natural surreal look of that thing thing coming around a corner !

    Like 0
    • Tommy

      If you just fixed the running gear and left the outside would it need to be watered once in a while?

      Like 0
  8. Mark

    That actually looks like an inline 8…

    Like 0
    • Don

      chevy never made an inline 8

      Like 0
  9. Nova Scotian

    I’d watch a documentary on putting this back on the road. Go ahead. Dare ya’

    Like 0
  10. Mark S

    It maybe better than it looks. If this were my project my first stop on the way home would be the car wash to pressure off most of that nature to see what’s really there. This will be more like archeology to start with then a resto. I would think that you’d want do some serious bracing before removing the body off the frame. This will need to be restored in two section body on a rotisserie and chassie and mechanicals on some stands. I hope there is someone out there with the skill that will be needed that will take this on even if it’s just for the challenge. What a cool process it would be to do a video store of just such of an undertaking.

    Like 0
  11. Eric Dashman

    If it were near me, I’d snap it up just to have it and look at it. Restoring it or resto-moding it, would not be for the faint of heart, but what a father-son/daughter project!!!

    Like 0
  12. geomechs geomechsMember

    Obviously a ’51. Definitely in better shape than the ’52 they drug out of Foss Lake in Oklahoma a couple of years back. I guess they HAD to make that one into a convertible to get at the interior (bizarre story). If I had a chance at this one I would take a page out of Mark S’ book. Give it the Summer’s Eve treatment and clean it from one end to the other. Get it as level as possible then pull the entire interior out. With all that out of the way you know what you’ve got to work with. Have at it and enjoy. It would be a trememdous amount of work but the journey would be fabulous….

    Like 0
  13. AMCFAN

    Most do not have twenty years of good life left in us to take on such a project. I KNOW I DON’T. Especially for a early 50’s Chevy convertible. If you ever completed then maybe drive it 300-1500 miles a year. Or it becomes a refugee at an estate sale from sale to sale each time loosing more and more parts.

    A better idea since we can see only the topside leave this for the guys who do custom builds since it most likely needs a frame and the pans are Swiss cheese.

    Spend the money and buy a nice one. Make the minimal changes you feel you would need to do and just drive the wheels off of it. The time made up here could take your family on a nice vacation that they could remember for the rest of their life.

    Being a convertible is an unusual find and is better then most but we can’t save every dog in the pound. More power if you can.

    Like 0
    • Lion

      That is right AMCFAN. The guys that can build those wonderful rods and customs should be starting with something like this. NOT the survivors they mutilate on those reality shows. That is why I quit subscribing to HOT ROD mag.

      Like 0
  14. Daytona

    So cool

    Like 0
  15. The One

    Three thousand dollars worth of laughs.

    Like 0
  16. Rob S

    At least it’s not sinking in the mud. They had good foresight putting those rims under it, they had to care at least a little

    Like 0
  17. AMCFAN

    Rob S,

    Yes, The guy is all heart. Throw rims under it. Nice! How about ordering some HD tarps at Harbor Freight and a tub of tie downs? for under $40? Put 3 at a time on it.

    Costs money that is why. Other alternatives in tune with his style (which has little to do with preservation and more like being able to load it quickly would be s shower curtain. A used kids pool. Barn metal (under the car rims would be a nice touch) but still try and keep elements at bay. A vintage car topper placed on 30 years ago would have done wonders.

    Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble but no way the seller/flipper or original preserver cared much about this car.

    Like 0
    • Rob S

      LOL!! Very true! I am glad someone read ‘into’ my comment.

      Like 0
  18. Clinton

    Anyone else want to get it running and driving while maintaining the plants growing on it? Ok maybe it’s just me.

    Like 0
  19. gregg witt

    I see some potential here, but $3000.00? Really? Someone will probably end up paying the asking price for God knows what reason, and just exasperate the problem of overpriced pieces of crap that are out there offered by money-hungry morons.

    Like 0
  20. stillrunners

    What MH said…..some forget ALLOT of cars were not collectible through the 70’s 80’s like a tri 5 chevy….so anything other like 1958 Chevies are a little rare – I crushed alot per the boss….nothing was selling off of the early 50’s cars…..like the rust bucket convert Mustangs….buy a solid coupe and transfer the convert stuff…..that’s what they were doing to the Mustang converts in the 80’s 90’s…..and the fastback’s continue….

    Like 0
  21. 68firebird

    $3000? Um, what? Junk. Sad sad junk.

    Like 0
  22. David J David J

    Wow! No bullet holes. This one, obviously, was not found anywhere near southern AZ.

    Like 0
  23. Rolf Poncho

    Cool car but Y do people always brake the glass so sad

    Like 0
  24. Wm Lawrence

    Love the lichens growing on the rear deck lid.

    Like 0
  25. Peter R

    first car I ever bought – paid $300 running and licenced – had no rust but lots of miles – eventually threw a rod and not worth the repair – amybe looks like this one today lol

    Like 0
  26. ELMER TURNER

    In 1962 I bought my first car for $275.00 which was siting on a dealers car lot. It was a 1952 red chevy convertible, Fender skirts, wide white wall tires with a black top. It was a cool cruiser until a heavy cargo truck ran through a red light and hit me broadside on the passenger side and totaled the car. what a shame.

    Like 0

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