"MOM'S"
1939 CHEVROLET SEDAN
By
Ray Lange
The 1939 Chevrolet 2 Door Sedan owned by Ray and Paula Lange was purchased new in 1939 by Ray’s mother, when she was a schoolteacher in rural South Dakota. It was used as the family’s primary transportation until 1951, when it was replaced by a 1951 Chevy
Bel-Air hardtop coupe. The old Chevy went into the garage and was put up on blocks. For nearly 40 years it sat in that garage. Ray’s father, Raymond Sr., changed the oil every year, added fresh gas, and would let it run for several hours three or four times a year.
After Ray’s father passed away, the car was transferred into Ray and Paula’s name. It was transported to Lake Havasu City in 1989 and driven as a true stock model for five years. The body was in excellent condition with
only one tear in a rear fender and a dent in the lower quarter panel that resulted from an encounter during the infamous blizzard of 1949. The interior of the car was in pristine condition with the original interior preserved under “army blankets” and the side panels covered with a treated material. The original WW II gas-rationing sticker on the windshield was removed, and preserved. The car had been ordered with no options. There was no radio or clock and only one vacuum wiper. The odometer was at 74,325 original miles.
In 1994 Ray & Paula decided to “street rod” it, while maintaining the original appearance as much as possible. The work began on August 1, 1994. Prior to disassembly, the first chore was removing all of the South Dakota “gumbo” which had accumulated in the wheel wells, underside of the car, and every open spot in the box frame. Literally, they hauled away several wheelbarrow loads of dirt.
All of the work was completed in 15 months. Steve Edwards was the man in charge, providing Ray with the guidance and supervision in skills that had long been extinguished or were simply non-existent. Steve also did all of the welding since Ray didn’t have a welder at that time, nor the skill to weld had he had one. During that time Steve made sure that Ray did as much of the work himself as possible and that he learned everything about every part that went into making the car. Steve’s Dad,
Waldrip, spent a lot of time giving Steve & Ray the benefit of his many years of building and racing everything from sprint cars to pro stockers. Paula was responsible for picking out the color combinations, upholstery details, the sound system, and providing mountains of food and gallons of refreshing beverages during the construction process.
The first step was to “shop” for all of the parts necessary to make the modifications to the car. All that shopping took place in junkyards from Phoenix to Las Vegas. Paula always went along to make sure that the car budget didn’t exceed her shopping budget. They selected a 305 Chevy engine taken from a running
1983 Chevrolet Malibu. They scrounged a TH 350 transmission, Lincoln Versailles differential, Mustang front end with power steering, Camaro column, Cordoba turn signal lights, and a Cadillac overhead console. Over time some manufactured street rod products were acquired (swinging brake pedal, under floor brake booster and battery mount, Mullins steering parts, I & I rubber gaskets, Krueger links, Block Hugger Headers, a custom radiator from Any Radiator, West Coast Stainless bolts & washers, a Vintage Air system, and tires and wheels from Big O).
Ray spent hours at the wire wheel cleaning every part, bolt, and nut that went into the car. The engine was torn down and re-built, with a new 4-barrel manifold and carburetor added, along with chrome valve covers, dip stick, breather cover, etc.
The car was built from the ground up. They put the running gear together, put all of the sheet metal back on, making sure everything fit along the way, and made the few exterior modifications by removing the bumpers and rolling the front and rear pans. Then everything was taken apart and the body was taken to “Big Blasters” in pieces. The car was put back together and final checks were made before taking it apart one last time and carting all the of pieces and parts to “Freddie” at Havasu Auto Body for painting. The seats were taken to Howard Fabricating for re-upholstery by Vic Kitchens. The garnish rails were chromed by Juan’s.
After the car was painted it’s beautiful Mustang Laser Red metallic with clear coat, the car was re-assembled with all of the rubber, gaskets, welting, etc., in place. The car was wired and the stereo system from Sound Bank Electronics was installed. A custom dual exhaust system was made by Jeff, at what was then DeAnza Muffler. All of the original glass was tinted by a local shop and re-installed, and Ray was ready for a test drive using a plastic milk crate for a seat. The shakedown cruise took the car back to Howard’s for completion of the upholstery. The car was finally completed on November 22, 1995.
There are a few facts that make this car interesting: [1] It’s been in the Lange family since new and will pass on to a family member and eventually to one of Ray & Paula’s five grandsons. [2] It was built entirely in Lake Havasu
City with Steve and Ray doing all of the work except for paint and upholstery. [3] The majority of providers were local businesses. [4] There is still a “glove box” even with the A/C and stereo systems. [5] Less Ray’s “sweat equity”, a grand total of $15,994.26 was spent building what is a nice cruiser. Ray says “knowing that we built it from scratch provides a great deal of satisfaction”. So much so that Ray has started another project; “We are working on a 42 Chevy Torpedo Coupe that is chopped 3-½ inches and has a 454 Chevy power plant”.
But that’s another story for another day……..
