A true show stopper that embodies both performance and style, this 1932 Chevrolet 2-door sedan has the look of an old rat rod but the feel of a modern sports car, making it our Pick of the Day. We found this classic rod for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller located in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I’ve driven Deuce coupes, woodies, muscle cars, and this car drives, handles, and performs well above any of them,” the seller says in the ad. Despite its shabby-chic appearance, the rat rod drives so well that you can cruise at 80 mph and take your hands off the wheel, the seller adds. “It’s everything great about a new car with all the style of a hot rod.”
The seller says the car is titled and registered as a 1932 vehicle, with countless hours spent designing and fabricating the car to be user-friendly to be enjoyed, driven and easily maintained.
The car has been built from the ground up by the current owner with servicing in mind, allowing for the entire drive train to drop from the car for major service if ever necessary. Sitting atop a complete drive train, suspension and braking system from a C5 Corvette. The owner says the car runs and handles fantastically, and it “rides like the Corvette the suspension came from.”
The car features independent front and rear suspension, rear-mounted 6-speed transaxle, and a chassis that was custom built to mate the Corvette drive train to the ’32 sedan body, with square tubing that is powder-coated with a removable X-member.
Powered by an LS-1, the GM computer has been re-programmed for performance but still uses the MAF and upstream o2 sensors to allow the engine to adjust for altitude. The car also features a check-engine light and can be read by modern scanners.
According to the seller, to ensure the brakes have the proper pressure and volume, the booster and master cylinder are from the C5 Corvette using the OEM proportioning valve, which makes the car stop extremely well. The brakes are mounted under the dash perpendicular to the driver using a custom set of pedals that have the same ratio as the Corvette’s. This allows for extremely natural and predictable brake pedal and clutch, the seller says. The emergency brake is from the Corvette as well and was modified and clear-coated to match the rest of the interior.
Other performance modification include an Edlebrock Pro-Flo intake, computer-designed aluminum fuel tank, Aeromotive A-1000 fuel pump, complete AN fittings and push-lock hose front to rear. A custom set of headers were built and jet-coated, plus an aluminum 1-inch core radiator and computer-controlled electric fan, fabricated aluminum overflow, Hurst short-throw shifter, and grand-sport wheels with 285 front and 335 rear Nitto tires.
The interior of this ’32 sedan is simple and clean, complete with U.S.-made gauges by New Vintage that are computer controlled. The seats come from Eddie Barrett in a stressed brown, according to the seller, with the front and rear torque tube covers and e-brake boot in hand-sewn leather.
The roof of the ’32 Chevy was chopped 6.5 inches while the back window was removed and chopped 3 inches, the seller says. The wood structure was removed and replaced with steel tubing while the roof was braced and has steel cross bars with a Sunbrella snap-on top, which can be removed and stored in the car. The entire floor was fabricated from steel tubing and sheet metal. The cowl was lengthened 3 inches and the firewall shaved. The front of the vehicle has a ’34 Chevy grille with a one-off insert.
The body was blasted and epoxied, painted with base coat and satin clear coat, and the rust finish was applied as the final step – it is a product that is self-oxidizing and doesn’t affect the steel body.
As an added safety bonus, the car features a five-liter fire-suppression system that in the event of a blaze, deploys a firefighting foam over the fuel tank and pump, passenger compartment and the top of engine.
The 1932 Chevrolet is being offered at $65,000. According to the listing, the seller will also consider a partial trade for a first generation Camaro or a 1971-1972 K5 Blazer plus cash.
