Thread: '51 Chevy- Project coming to a close

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Some of you may remember when I got this car.IIRC I bought this car in 2005. Same year I joined here whenever that was. It wasn't a basket case, it was a complete car with a workable interior that had been in storage 1973-1998 when the previous owner got it and did some work on it. Rebuilt the brakes, did some not so great work on the floors, ( but they are solid )
He drove it a bit when the fuel pump went and he couldn't get it changed ( Was an older gentlemen ). Sat till I bought it, and it was about 6 months from the day I knew it would be my car, to the day I handed the man $800 hard earned dollars and it became my car, which was almost a whole season of working at the ski slope. My parents paid the bill to get it home.. I got it running pretty quick, worked on it summers ( worked/ school winters ) did a lot wrong as that is how I was shown. Never got very far in school, but I eventually got it straight enough it could be painted ( I thought ). The color came out wrong and the surfaces weren't as good as I thought, but $400/gal paint it is what it is. Never happy with it, I put it up and never even peeled the tape. Started my rat rod shortly after.. Fastforward to last March, I decided that I needed another old car to drive, and this car needed less work go get on the road than the '73 Beetle I had, also sentimental value as my first car that ran ( Had the Mercedes/ blown engine that was getting a SBC swap for those that may remember ).. Fastforward to now, I'v been working on it every chance and it's finally at that point. Tapes been peeled ( won't leave it again.) I put a new fuel tank in, new fuel lines, exhaust, front brakes/ cylinders ( was pulling hard to the left ). New light sockets in the parking lights. Remounted bumpers, visor. Heater hoses, rad hoses. Now it's time to put it on the road so I can drive it to a glass shop and get the left windshield replaced, and then last, to get it inspected.. It's far from perfect, it wasn't done right ( will need/ get re-restored eventually ), but it's drivable.

It's purple but it came out too light. It was supposed to be dark purple with a red cast. I wanted a basic color that would have been obtainable circa mid 1950's

While it's not a color I would've chosen.. It ain't so bad.. I've definately seen worse. Just drive it and enjoy it for what it is. It's the summer - so have some fun!

Yea, the color seemed like a good idea when I picked it out, but it's also the reason I let it sit for 2 years. The interior kit I bought ( before the paint ) matches the paint, but the interior company made the front seat cover wrong to the point it will need a pro to make adjustments, and they were bought out by a larger company who changed the product lines. Not in the budget now so the orig seats and headliner is still in.

This was when I brought it home in 2004 ( my actual join date was Jan '04, but the car came in May ).. I have the trim, but some clips are missing, so I'm leaving it off till I have clips. 4dr trim is very hard to find given most think there parts cars and the trim is often junked regardless.

Hey Matt, My first car @15 was a 50 2 door coupe.rattle caned the black brushed on gloss black, with metalic purple,got about half way done and figured out the budget wasn't gonna support a bunch more rattle cans.So Bought some bright orange rustoleum and a new brush and painted her with that. Looked pretty good too ! Then my 16th birthday ,I went and got my license in pops car. Came home from that ready to roll the streets and The Old Man says, when you paint that thing black is when you can leave the driveway.#$#$#@^%$^^*&^. Lets just say the new gloss black was dry for the next mornings ride.

Lol. Funny thing is my dad suggested this color and I just stuck with it.. It's left the driveway a few times now, just around the block and back. Figure it needs a few of those drives before I take it off the hill.. I'm sticking plates on it tomorrow when the DMV opens, and I have found a closer glass shop to use.

Matt have some fun and no worries , looks good and let the waves begin from the people seeing it out and about .


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Have fun with it, Matt. It's still a great 50's car and will be a head turned because of it's still being on the road 60 years after it was built. You can always change it later.

I do have fun with it. Glass shop doesn't seem interested in doing the windshield, but there are still a few others to call.. I bought a gallon of Ace Rust stop paint matched to a paint spray out I had done of the color, so that I can actually paint the rear wheels without getting more hardner or epoxy primer ( only had 1 set of rollers, so fronts were never broke down and painted ). I think I can also use it for touchups. The lady got it to a dead match.