I may acquire a 1931 Chevrolet coupe that's been in a barn since the early 70's. Have known the family for many years.

One owner. Body is in outstanding condition, no rust, no dents.

Interior will need to be completely redone as windows were open.

I've worked on cars since I was a kid and worked for dealership and Napa store in hs and college so not afraid to tackle a project.

But, I have no idea where to start on something like this and am looking for advice. Can anyone recommend some sites to start a restoration project?

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

I would take one of those in a heart beat and turn it into a rat rod.

Whats the frame look like?

Agmechanic said:

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Whats the frame look like?

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The frame perfect in terms of straight. It's never been wrecked. Surprisingly, what little rust there appears to be is very minimal and surface.

I have not given the car a thorough going over and problems may appear when that happens. But, other than cloth deterioration and some wood deterioration on the cab, the car seems to be very solid.

Solid enough to post pictures of?

That's a rat rod in the making!

Gonna need to air up those tires...

Canyon99 said:

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Fix it up and rob banks with it as your getaway car.

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Hell ya!

I retract my previous statement, I would NOT turn that one into a rat rod.. That is straight gangster(30's gangster, not current gangster obviously)

If I were you, I would...

1) get the engine to start
2) get it to where it would drive (brakes, tires, etc)
3) do interior
4) do exterior

Gangster Octopus said:

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Clean it up and drive it around, but only talk like a prohibition era gangster while in it. "MMMYeah, see. I want a #5 with a Coke, see. And don't put any mayo on it or I'll give you the business, see. MMMMYeah."

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Username check out

And awesome car OP

lb3 said:

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How is that a 1 owner car? The owner would be 101 if he purchased it on his 16th birthday.

Clean it up, rebuild the drivetrain, replace the interior, put radial tires on it but don't touch the exterior.

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The bold is what I was getting at. That is great looking patina.

CDUB98 said:

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Don't rat-rod something that is that solid on the metal.

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This. It's very rare to see one that doesn't have a whole lot of missing parts or where it's supposed to be "complete in boxes" but actually isn't. This one is museum-level complete IMO.

Interior looks a lot better than I thought it would, unless there's maybe a whole lot of mouse damage hiding in there out of view. My opinion is a little different - I lean towards a sympathetic restoration. Basically I would go ahead and take care of anything that could further deteriorate with use or by sitting. I'd have areas where the paint is gone taken care of by a competent body shop but leave others alone. Hopefully the upholstery would be able to stand up to people sitting, getting in and out but would understand that the seat(s) and door panels may need to be done if they start to fall apart due to use.

As far as wood goes, I don't even know where it's used on that kind of car except for where it looks like I can see it on the roof. That's something else I'd keep in in mind for replacement if it starts to deteriorate.

I'd also look into the engine/mechanical/electrical all at once instead of chasing problems as they pop up.

lb3 said:

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How is that a 1 owner car? The owner would be 101 if he purchased it on his 16th birthday.

Clean it up, rebuild the drivetrain, replace the interior, put radial tires on it but don't touch the exterior.

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Owner died about five years ago and his wife died recently. I've known the family over forty years.

Unmolested survivor =\= Rat Rod.

The Wonderer said:

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lb3 said:

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How is that a 1 owner car? The owner would be 101 if he purchased it on his 16th birthday.

Clean it up, rebuild the drivetrain, replace the interior, put radial tires on it but don't touch the exterior.

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The bold is what I was getting at. That is great looking patina.

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It's interesting some of you don't want the exterior touched. Is it because of originality? The paint is dull and I'm sure a good body person could restore some shine.

But there are areas that seem to be beyond a good "buffing."

I just assumed the car would need a complete paint job.

Thank you for your comments and help.

Is this the same model?

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/925807/1931-chevrolet-5-window-coupe-for-sale-in-harpers-ferry-west-virginia-25425


Has some potential but would take a while to get there

Complete Idiot said:

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Is this the same model?

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/925807/1931-chevrolet-5-window-coupe-for-sale-in-harpers-ferry-west-virginia-25425


Has some potential but would take a while to get there

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It's similar except the spare tire is in a different location. And the barn find has a rumble seat it doesn't appear the WV car does.

Wow, the description says that car is unrestored!

It is originality to a degree, but it's also just that the patina/worn paint give it a character that you just cannot replicate. It makes it unique, a reminder of the story of this individual car.

While I am always one for character and originality, I'm leaning more towards a new paint job, especially if you're not going to be able to keep this thing garaged and you plan on driving it. That body is in exceptional shape, but it does look like some surface rust is beginning to occur. I love character, but protecting the condition of the metal is more important, IMO.

hillcountryag86 said:

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The Wonderer said:

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lb3 said:

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How is that a 1 owner car? The owner would be 101 if he purchased it on his 16th birthday.

Clean it up, rebuild the drivetrain, replace the interior, put radial tires on it but don't touch the exterior.

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The bold is what I was getting at. That is great looking patina.

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It's interesting some of you don't want the exterior touched. Is it because of originality? The paint is dull and I'm sure a good body person could restore some shine.

But there are areas that seem to be beyond a good "buffing."

I just assumed the car would need a complete paint job.

Thank you for your comments and help.

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Survivor cars are just a rarity in the automotive world and are prized by some, and appreciated by many for their originality. The warts of a car don't matter to these types. They love seeing the way things were when they came off the assembly line back in the day. QA/QC was not as rigorous, so each car has the chance to have special quirks to it. Some restorers see those and keep them/add them back during restoration, but many will just bring the car up to perfection levels and lose them.

Quote:

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It's interesting some of you don't want the exterior touched. Is it because of originality? The paint is dull and I'm sure a good body person could restore some shine.

But there are areas that seem to be beyond a good "buffing."

I just assumed the car would need a complete paint job.

Thank you for your comments and help.

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I would say the first thing you do is wash it up a bit, tear that headliner out (but don't throw it away, put it in a box and throw it in the back), lay some blankets across the seat or a piece of plywood with blanket on top if the seat is that far gone. Get it running (not as hard as you might think), get it stopping (again, not too hard). Then, let it be like that for a month or 2, enjoy it, do some research to know what you have (rareity of that condition), THEN make the decision to either sell it, keep it with some small fixes (headliner, seat, etc), or keep it with large fixes (paint, etc.)

Depending on what part of the hill country you are in, I am very willing to help you out however, from extracting it from that barn to getting it running, anything to help that beautiful car be enjoyed again.