1951 Chevrolet Other

Business Coupe Coupe

V8

Automatic

Clear

"Garage find" 1951 Chevrolet Business Coupe. This is a 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe Styleline coupe also known as a "business coupe". This is a fairly hard to find bodystyle and the "COUPE" model (short roofline long trunk) Chevrolet made from 1949-1953. The difference is that the "deluxe" had a clock, sliding rear windows, more chrome and a back seat. Car originally had a 235/powerglide....now has a partially completed 265/ powerglide swap. The car is really NOT as rough as she looks! First pics were taken shortly after I bought the car and when I pulled the original 6 cyl a few years later. You can see the early 70's repaint that mostly came off when I powerwashed it! Last 2 grungy pics are about 6 months old or so...I will try to post pics of it as of the last few days. I bought this car nearly 10 years ago from a woman that stored it in a garage from 1978-2003. the car originally came from Spokane Washington. The second owner purchased the car from a school teacher in the 70's and did a "light restoration" (cheap paint job and some detail). he showed the car in Werstern Washington with a chevy club until selling it to the woman I bought it from. She drove it to High school and college until getting married and having kids. The car sat in the garage almost continuously until I bought it. I was assured that the 74,000 miles were original. The car has been garaged almost the entire time I have had it. (so that's 1978-2012). I cleaned the car up and drove it as is for a while until a few stuck valves and bent pushrods (on 2 different occassions) prompted an overhaul. Instead of rebuilding the original engine----I swapped a complete 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air drivetrain in from a restored '56 Bel Air. The drivetrain is a 265 power pack, powerglide and '56 chevy rearend. The swap was never finished. Not much else needed to get her running! I just can't seem to get excited about the car anymore (I have car A.D.D.) Convert to 12volt and finish hooking everything up---should be pretty straight forward (I have 99% everything needed). This would make a GREAT 1959 era "high school car" '56 chevy drivetrain...nothing newer than 1960........ I am willing to throw in a genuine set of original "chrome reversed" wheels. they are from the very early 60's and are WELDED real chromed and reversed wheels!!!!!!!!!!! The car is NOT all torn apart. The engine is sitting under the hood. The entire front clip lifts off as a unit and the front bumper is off. NOTHING ELSE has been taken apart. Finish the engine swap (engine is complete and was running...will need to be buttoned up), do some simple wiring and linkage...if you have mechanical ability, you know the drill. There is a good driveshaft of the correct length, the rearend is in with lowering blocks installed. Otherwise, you will need an exhaust system. BODY: The body is VERY solid. NOT RUST FREE....but CLOSE! Floors are solid and VERY nice....if any rust...only pinholes after stripping (I can't see any rust through). The 1/4's are solid and look rust free...i did notice some rust in the bottom of the front fenders (common) and SURFACE RUST along the trim down the side (I scraped it and does not appear to go through), pinholes near the bottom of the doors (see pics). Most of the paint you see in the last couple of pics (the lighter color) is FACTORY 1951---so no hidden bodywork or rust. Also, NO RUST in the rear filler panel, trunk floor looks good.....VERY, VERY solid old car!!!!! Again, most of the paint you see is ORIGINAL 1951!!!! The "light restoration in the 70's included a TERRIBLE respray....most of it came off with a powerwash when I first cleaned the car up! I have the front bumper and it is pretty nice (one piece). ALSO....the only rust to speak of (That I found) is in the battery tray/ heater box area. It's ROTTEN. Not Northeast salt car rusty...but ROTTEN as is replace the inner fender, and heater box tube rotten or fab in good metal. That is the worst rust on the car (likely from a bad battery leaking on it for 20+ years). I have a NICE battery tray replacement. All of the original trim is there including the grille (still shines up) and ONE PIECE BUMPERS!!!!!! INTERIOR: The inside is 60+ years old BUT........ mostly ALL original! The "Rayco" style seat covers protected the original gray pinstripe seats!!!!!!! Are they any good? I don't know? But they are all original and look nice underneath. The door panels are coming apart...but are all there. The headliner is stained but there and not falling down. The rear carpet is there... front floors have a mat. The dash is all orginal down to the clock and radio. The interior has deteriorated a bit more than the pics here (I drove the car for a while)...but looks pretty much the same. The trunk is nice with some surface rust...but no rust through. The spare looks original if not at least from the 50's!!!!! The windshields are good as is the back window. The flat side glass is mostly cracked....but windows roll up and down and the rears slide. I have the fender skirts, some extra trim and parts for the car as well as a CLEAR title ready to go into YOUR name!!!!!!!!! GREAT PROJECT!!!!!! I am downsizing. One car in paint and a frame up Studebaker truck close behind it. NEED to sell something......... NEVER WANT TO SELL ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This poor Chev has been on the back burner for FAR too long. If it sells....GREAT. If it doesn't, I'll probably make getting her running a priority. SOLD AS IS. Vehicle must be transported (does not run). I will help in any way I can. Thanks. . On Sep-25-12 at 21:56:16 PDT, seller added the following information: I just added a couple of photos from TODAY. I rolled the car out of the garage, hosed it down, and snapped some pics. Just to be clear: the 265 power pack v8 was a running engine from a restored 1956 Chevy Bel Air. I personally won't run an engine on someone's "word" ... so I mounted the "Hurst" style front engine mount and dropped it in the '51, then pulled it back out and "opened it up" to see what it looked like. The crank, rods, etc (bottom end) have NOT been touched...but I did "Plasti-guage" the rod and main bearings. The engine is ready to "button up" and comes with a DELUXE Fel Pro gasket set and some extra bits. You will need a few odds and ends (radiator hoses, probably a belt)..the 4 bbl intake is there, Carter/edelbrock style 4bbl carb, the CORRECT rebuilt 265 distributor, correct 12v generator, correct starter, etc. ALSO..... included ANOTHER 265 v8 engine rebuilt by Pacific machine in the 80's and is low mileage (internals match that story)...it's a 1957 block low HP from 150/210 style '57 chevy. Between the 2 engines, you should be all set to do whatever you want to do! Both engines are "Runners" and both WERE rebuilt with not a lot of miles put on them. (I bought the '57 engine...then found the '56 power pack engine shortly after. You can see the goodies in the trunk (fender skirts, battery tray and holder, engine stuff, gasket set, hubcaps, etc). 90% of the trunk floor looks just like the corners...original paint---let alone... NO RUST! The floors up front look good...just surface rust (the windows do leak)... you can see the front seat upholstery!!!! It might disentegrate as soon as you sit on it, but it's ALL THERE. I have more photos on "flikr".. i will add the link...but we'll see if Ebay tolerates it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/87686401@N04/page2/ ANY additional questions? Email me! .On Sep-27-12 at 11:01:49 PDT, seller added the following information: ** More photo's on this Flikr Account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/87686401@N04/page2/ . On Sep-28-12 at 21:12:24 PDT, seller added the following information: I Added several photos of the underside (floors, rockers, etc) on the Flickr account. Auction ends tomorrow....ask any questions, I will try to answer promptly!!!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/87686401@N04/page2/ .