Preserving history is more than just taking a picture. It takes forward thinking to realize that it needs to be preserved in the first place. It requires organization, coordination, thorough record keeping, and the effort to make it accessible, such as converting paper files into digital assets. Preserving the history of cars requires all that plus the sweat equity of maintaining or restoring them and keeping them on the road. Fortunately, someone put in that kind of time and effort into our Pick of the Day. You can find this 1932 Chevrolet Confederate Coupe 2 on ClassicCars.com listed by a private seller in Mandan, North Dakota. The included documentation covers the engine build and all the parts put on this car along with their prices.
You may be scratching your head about this Chevy being called a Coupe 2. That’s what the brand called the two-seater (no rumble seat in the back) in its detailed list of specifications for its 1932 vehicles. I know that because people within Chevrolet kept the documents and someone uploaded them decades later into a vehicle information kit on the GM Heritage site.
After buying this Series BA Confederate in a partially assembled state, the devoted seller did the rest. According to him, this definition of a frame-off restoration “was fully disassembled and restored.” He adds, “Any wood in the whole car that was questionable has been replaced.” It looks as if the bodywork was refinished in the original No. 90 color combination, which is largely Crown Maroon and Black. A tasteful amount of brightwork and red wire wheels with whitewall tires make the exterior more visually dynamic.
As part of the comprehensive overhaul, the interior received new beige upholstery on the bench seat and the door panels. In addition, the three-spoke steering wheel was refurbished and the floor was lined with a new black rubber mat. Given this car’s age, there’s no air conditioning, but the good news is that the “windshield cranks up and the back window and both side windows crank down.” If the cabin doesn’t have quite enough room for luggage or gear, there’s a trunk behind it.
You can’t tell from the photos, but there’s a lot of elbow grease under the hood. The 12-valve 194ci inline-six was equipped with new pistons, sleeves, and valves as well as main bearings that have been “rebabbitted” with new alloy. The I6 draws gas from a rebuilt fuel pump and mixes it with air in a rebuilt carburetor.
It takes a lot to preserve rolling pieces of automotive history. You can spend years to trying to get a vintage car into great shape or you can just buy this 1932 Chevrolet Confederate Coupe 2. Doing that will take $43,000 (OBO).
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com