Vehicle Description
1932 Chevrolet Confederate 4 Door Sedan
In the midst of the Great Depression, auto manufacturers were
selling half of the cars they sold in prior years. In 1932, the
Confederate replaced the Independence for Chevrolet which was still
the sales leader in the U.S. with Ford hot on their trail with the
introduction of the V8 in the Model 40. Ground clearance was
important in the 1930's, the cars often travelled on rocky dirt
roads better suited for tractors, so the wheels were at least 18"
in diameter and in most cases, even larger.
For consignment, a '32 Confederate that took a different route with
ground clearance. Dipping its lowered body into the rat rod realm,
this dropped Chevy is intentionally rougher than a stucco bathtub,
yet the wheels and tires look fresh. And its low bomber seats will
make you feel like you're driving a bathtub, and that's the point
man!
Note: This vehicle carries a reissued VIN branding on the
Pennsylvania title.
Exterior
The body is painted Dark Ivy Green Metallic and the paint is
pleasantly imperfect. That being said, starting at the front the
radiator, which has some bent splines, is topped with a Rat Fink
hood ornament. And it's rusty...which is great. The exposed
suspension and brake parts look great and lead to the open engine
compartment with four carburetors under tall velocity stacks. The
body paint itself is scratched, has some surface rust, patches, and
rough surfaces. Put away your Griots Garage chemicals, you won't
need them here. There's some gap misalignment, a rear taillight is
cracked, and metal work is pitted. And it has a wood luggage rack,
bitchin' side pipes, and an intimidating stance. Plus, the rear
doors open suicide style. Perfect.
Interior
The only thing soft on the interior of the pads on the bomber
bucket seats and the cloth rear bench. Everything else is bare
metal and wood in true patina. The steering wheel looks 60's era
but has a patina of its own. Handwritten labels, hanging wires, and
the original dusty gauge cluster are all part of the ambience
inside. The speedometer is inoperable, but there is a modern Sunpro
tachometer mounted on the column. There is no carpet to speak of
and the headliner is wood framed with a burlap like underside and
vinyl or fabricated top.
Drivetrain
A 503ci V8 is perched out front fed by four 2-barrel Weber
carburetors. This is connected to a TH400 3-speed automatic
transmission which sends power to the rear wheels where it is met
by a Ford 9" rear with 3.43 gears. Disc brakes are up front and
drums out back.
Undercarriage
Mostly clean and flat underneath with a bit of surface rust in
various places, some oil on the pan and some residual moisture on
the transmission pan. Heat wrapped headers and exhaust are side
mounted as noted and have a chrome heat perforated heat shield
before dumping outward just before the rear tires. A transverse
leaf spring, visible to the world, is seen up front with a 4 bar
with coil overs in the rear.
Drive-Ability
Our initial excitement to roll this car out was tempered somewhat
by some backfiring carbs which will need some tuning and perhaps
attention to fuel delivery. Despite that, the car is appropriately
raucous and loud and low. It's got a lot of power but this is a
cruiser, not a racer. The low center of gravity certainly relays
road bumps, but the 16-inch wheels with high white walls absorb the
imperfections a good bit. It stops well and we can resume
conversations once the key is turned off and as noted earlier the
speedometer and odometer are inoperable.
If you're not a bad boy or tough chick, you will be after driving
this rat around. It's got a patina and attitude and showiness. Even
if you're not looking for attention, these things get more looks
than a Kardashian on Rodeo Drive. Sick of polishing your show car?
Consider this retro ride!
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
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