THIS IS THE STORY OF MY 1936 CHEVROLET MASTER BUSINESS COUPE AND ITS FULLY DOCUMENTED RESTORATION.
ME IN FRONT OF THE ORIGINAL CAR IN 1954.
This will be a 1936 Chevrolet Master Business Coupe converted to an early 50’s Chevy Street Rod. I purchased this car in 1952 when I was 15 years old from a lady down the street that was going to buy a new 1953 Chevrolet. I bought the car for $150.00 and had to sell my JC Higgins (Sears) bicycle, Lionel electric train, chemistry set and do odd jobs to get the money to buy the car. After all this I was still $50.00 short and my father gave me the rest of the money I needed.
After I bought the car I was able to find some inexpensive used equipment to convert it to an early 50’s Chevy Hot Rod. An uncle of a friend had some Chevy speed equipment and was able to find me a later model 235 in3 Chevy six cylinder engine. In the winter of 1953-54 my father and I made the car an early 50’s Chevy Hot Rod. We installed the 235 in3 engine which was bored 1/8 over, head was milled and a high lift cam installed. The engine also had a Nicson aluminum manifold with two Stromberg BXOV-2 carburetors, Fenton headers, Mallory Magspark Ignition and Auto Pulse electric fuel pump.
Even though this engine didn’t make a lot of horsepower, it was enough to take second gear out of the Chevrolet transmission quite regularly. It handled Oldsmobile Rocket 88s and Buick Centuries pretty well. The 1954 Ford OHV V8 police interceptor was no problem either.
I had a pretty big pile of broken 1936 Chevrolet transmission behind the garage. Earl Bostick, the owner of the local junk yard liked me because of my interest in cars, and I could buy a 1936 transmission from him complete for $6.00. However, I decided to install a 1937 Packard floor shift transmission to solve the second gear problem.
The car performed quite well when it was built and I had a lot of fun with it. In fact when it was finished my mother and father liked to drive it when they went out to a movie. The car guys I used to hang out with played tricks on each other. I remember one time I was driving past the movie theater in my father’s Oldsmobile and my mother and father were getting ready to drive off in the “36”. One of my friends thought I was in the theater and had put a whistling smoke bomb in the car, which went off when my father hit the ignition. Needless to say this bomb really took my mother and father by surprise.
We started a hot rod club in Port Huron, Michigan in about 1953 called the Road Knights. The club was a charter member of the Michigan Hot Rod Association. I still have the club plate.
Well I have had this car since 1952 and always planned to restore it like I would have in the 50’s if I would have had some money. The car has probably been in more different garages then any car in history plus a trip to California and back. I must say however with the price increases it’s still difficult to afford today.
So finally after all these years my son and I are restoring the “36” again. It looks like it might get finished this year so I can enjoy it for at least a few years.
The car now has the following equipment:
Engine
- 261 in3 Chevrolet truck engine bored 1/8 over (same as my old 235 in3 engine but a little bigger and with pressure oiling to the rods
- Milled head
- Clifford cam
- Original Nicson manifold and carburetors
- Original Fenton headers
- Original Mallory Magspark ignition
- Original Auto Pulse electric fuel pump
- Aluminum Wayne reproduction valve and side covers
- Original chrome ignition wire looms
Transmission
- Replaced 1937 Packard 3 speed with a 1948 Packard overdrive transmission converted floor shifter using my 1937 Packard 3 speed shifter.
Front I-Beam Axle
- Found a rather rare 1935 Chevrolet master chassis with the I-beam axle option to replace my 1936 knee action chassis (I-beam axle better for hot rod in my opinion).
Chassis
- Converted 1935 chassis to 1936 hydraulic brakes using passenger car and pick up truck parts.
- Frame modified to accept Packard overdrive transmission.
Rear axle Dana 44 (AMC Corporate 20) using open driveshaft.
Wheels are early Chevy 6 bolt 16 inch wheels using early Chevy stainless steel full wheel covers.
Tires 16 inch radial white walls
600-16 radial equivalent front
750-16 radial equivalent rear
July 2007 Update:
Engine is almost fully dressed with original Nicson manifold and carburetors, Mallory Magspark ignition, Auto Pulse electric fuel pump, Aluminum Wayne reproduction valve cover and chrome ignition wire looms. At this stage, I still have to install the Aluminum Wayne reproduction side cover.
Engine fully dressed.
Body
- Here is my original 1936 Chevrolet Master Business five-window coupe body.
We rolled the chassis from the garage to the barn to install the body on the frame.
There it is back in the garage for adjustments to the converted floor shifter.
October 2007 Update:
Ready for Bodywork and paint at Mike's Body Shop.
November 2007 Update:
December 2007 Update:
Radiator shell is painted and ready for assembly.
The restored wood frame doors, trunk lid and running boards have been fitted to the body.
The body has been re-painted in it's original color.
The instrument trim surround and glovebox door are now painted bright red.
Chevrolet optional clock, ashtray and cigar lighter installed in the glovebox door.
The accessory "Banjo" steering wheel is restored to its original like "new" condition.
Final Assembly completed February 5, 2008.
Next; Electrical, Glass, Exhaust and Upholstery and maybe it will be finally done by summer.
I will post more pictures as we go along with the restoration.
There are probably not many people who have managed to keep their first car for over 50 years and also managed to keep it garaged all that time. I plan to have the car finished this year so I can enjoy it and bring back lots of good memories. I know my son will also enjoy the car very much in the future, as I have. It’s a nostalgic car like the early 50’s, there were no small block Chevy’s, Mustang front ends or Jaguar rear ends when this car was originally built.
