In this edition of Fan Car Friday we take a look at Larry’s 1939 Chevy. This build starts off with contradictions. Every attention to detail was taken care of, the paint continues into the door jams, everything is coated to seal out rust and Larry took meticulous care getting the car to its current condition. Yet, he doesn’t think twice about driving it 400 miles away and he doesn’t think twice about driving in the rain. Not many guys would do that, let alone write something down on a piece of paper using the hood to back it. Even though Larry spent countless hours working on his car, he enjoys it worry free and without hesitation knowing that it can handle what he throws at it.
Fan Car Friday is a segment where we want to share with the world the automobiles that our fans have. These cars are not for sale and we have absolutely no affiliation/relationship with the cars, the build or the owners, we simply saw the photos and felt they should be shared with the world to inspire others on their build. Or, simply put, its great eye candy for those of us who can’t make it to car shows or meetups as often as we would like. This post was made with verbal consent from the owner.
After spending the last 15 years of his life as a truck driver, Larry still can’t wait to do more driving. This time for fun though. After 15 years he had one idea on his mind, find and restore the car of his dreams. Originally he had a few ideas in mind. Like many, a Ford Roadster came to mind as well as the 1940 Ford Deluxe. After almost closing a deal a few times for these vehicles it was the 1939 that caught his attention. Not just catch it, but make him start thinking about the vehicle in a way the other two didn’t. When he started looking at the ’39 he wasn’t just thinking “What a great car” he had an overall feeling towards the car that he couldn’t describe.
After a bit of searching he happened upon the vehicle you see today. Not being one to use a computer, Larry snapped it up not knowing when he may find another. It was originally full of rust, out of shape and nothing about it was too stellar except for the chrome-which is all original. He proudly spent many hours working on it with just White Diamond to get it into the shape you see today. Then comes the arduous process of getting the body back to an acceptable level. A process that required many hours and months to remove all rust and shape the body the way it needed to be. It wasn’t easy but with the help from some good friends he was able to get it where he needed it to be.
From there Larry moved onto getting the vehicle painted. He decided to go with someone local who everyone he knew spoke highly about. He always knew that a two tone would look would perfectly suit the car with a pinstriping to break up the two colors. He decided to let a new guy take a crack at doing the pinstriping because he looked like he had a steady hand. Larry recalls the “kid” not even needing to brace himself painting against the car, it was all freehand.
You don’t want a car to just look good, it has to run well too. That’s where a virtually new engine, transmission and carburetor come in. Couple that with a chassis that has been reinforced, a low center of gravity, some tweaked suspension and you have a solid driver. When Larry and I spoke about his vehicle it wasn’t the first time we had seen it. Just about anytime there is a show in the area, his car has been there. It wasn’t until the most recent sighting that we were able to meet him. Larry will take the car to any “local” show from Delaware, to North Carolina and out to West Virginia so long as the show benefits the kids or troops in some manner. If it doesn’t benefit either of those groups, you wont see Larry in attendance. Larry says his favorite aspect of the vehicle is just getting out and driving it.
