BODACIOUS BEATERS – and Road-going Derelicts): VINTAGE CHEVY in DRAG
Since I’ve gotten myself started on a racing theme ( see a recent entry in my “Memoirs of an Independent Repair Shop Owner” column), I figured I’d keep it going with this BB entry.
Harkening back to the day when a wide variety of motor racing was solidly positioned in the Greater Los Angeles Public Consciousness, we have this fine example for your perusal.
As if straight out of a ‘60’s time capsule—when what were essentially racing cars were allowed to legally roam the streets, being frequently driven to their owner’s track preference—this 1940 Chevy Coupe certainly has the appearance of a proper DIY, “grassroots” Street/Strip Drag Racer.
From the modified Chevy “Small Block” not-under-the-hood, to the flat black paint, appropriate stickers and decals (o.k., there are some that post-date the ‘60’s by at least a couple of decades), Grant steering wheel (missing horn button mandatory), shrunken head hanging from the inside rear view mirror, and other bits of memorabilia—not to mention the overall “work-in-progress” theme—we are pretty much all set for a cruise/race weekend, circa 1968!
While it is becoming popular to perform high-end restorations on vintage drag cars from the era evoked by our case in point, it is also kind of cool to see an unrestored “working example” of one—even if it might not be a bona fide, pedigreed vintage racer (although it certainly could be).
One advantage to running such a car on the modern streets of SoCal, is, since it is a 1940 model, it (ironically) is now exempt from all current forms of emissions testing—the dreaded bogey to performance enthusiasts who choose to motor in later-model chariots.
Drag-On, you BODACIOUSLY VINTAGE CHEVY!
Phil has written features and columns for a number of automotive periodicals and web-based information companies. He has run a successful Auto Repair Business in the past for many years (See “Memoirs of an Independent Repair Shop Owner” on this ttac site). He can be contacted through this very site, or http://www.linkedin.com/
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I always thought that 1941 was one of the truly standout years for GM styling - the Chevy , Cadillac and Buick in particular .One of the first times , if not the first , when Chevy became referred to as a " Baby Cadillac " or Buick .
Well I like. I have seen many old cars that are like this one. But one thing about a lot of old cars you see that are like this one. Is a lot of the time the car would have been scraped. But someone resurrected it. Many times it is not the best work or just god awful. But many of them would have been melted down many years ago.