Vehicle Description
While Ford's Model A is a familiar sight at car shows, it's easy to
forget that Chevrolet was still the #1 auto maker in the US that
year. You don't see many 1931 Chevrolets today, especially not
ultra-rare cabriolets like this awesome red rod. Polished and
carrying the look of a much bigger, more impressive car, the
Chevrolet looks and acts like it's in a separate class altogether,
which maybe it is.
This car was built a few years ago and since then it's been driven
a bit, but nothing diminishes the handsome good looks of the 1931
Chevrolet. Beautifully styled with upscale touches like the mesh
grille guard, graceful fenders, and chrome hood doors, it looks a
lot like its bigger, more expensive cousins over at Buick and
Cadillac. The bright red paint captures the fun and upscale
attitude that Chevy was trying to emulate, and even though it's
been a few years since it was finished, it still looks fantastic
with only a few signs of use. The cabriolet is easy to spot with
its chrome landau irons on the folding top, and they've neatly
converted the rumble seat into a trunk and removed the rear-mounted
spare, so it has a very clean look. The brightwork is excellent,
with plenty of chrome on the grille, bumpers, and even the lovely
little cowl lights and twin taillights out back. Unlike the Fords
you see everywhere, this Chevy looks nothing like a bargain priced
machine.
Simple black vinyl makes up the interior of this Chevy, but as a
cabriolet with roll-up windows instead of an open roadster, it has
a few upscale design details. Note the bright red stitching on the
seats, subtle black dashboard, the beautiful door panels with
integral arm rests, and a full complement of gauges to monitor the
engine. A late-model tilt steering column houses a fat
leather-wrapped steering wheel that looks right at home here and
the controls for the Vintage Air A/C system are built into the
dash. The seats and carpets remain in excellent condition with
minimal signs of use and that big steering wheel gives fingertip
control when matched with power steering. Power windows were added
during the build and the little coupe seals up rather well given
its age. The black canvas top is in excellent condition and has an
opening rear window for ventilation on those days that just aren't
quite hot enough for full A/C.
The engine is a familiar 305 cubic inch V8, and you'll never hear a
single complaint about a Chevy in a Chevy at car shows. Wearing a
few chrome dress-up pieces and an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor for
reliable horsepower, it's always a great choice in a hot rod if you
want easy-to-maintain performance. The accessories are packed in
tight to the block and the firewall has been cleaned up to make the
engine bay look detailed and smooth. It's been driven, so it's not
perfect, but it's in excellent condition throughout and runs
superbly. Turn the key and it fires right up, idling with a nice V8
burble from the twin pipes out back and performance is energetic
given the car's light curb weight. A TH350 3-speed automatic feeds
a Ford 9-inch rear end, while the front suspension is a Mustang II
setup that offers disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering. With a
bit of a rake to its stance, it looks the part of a hot rod and
sits on staggered Torque Thrust wheels and recent Kumho blackwall
radials.
Far more unusual than a Ford and arguably even more attractive,
this Chevrolet offers a unique combination of style and
practicality that were its hallmarks then and today. Call now!