1940 Chevrolet Master Deluxe
In 1940, Chevrolet released an expanded line. The Master 85 was joined by the Master Deluxe, with the Master Deluxe being the fancier, more expensive model. All 1940 models, while similar in style to the 1939s, had received enough of a facelift to give them a more modern, streamlined appearance". The Master Deluxe would also be offered in a top-of-the-line convertible called the Special Deluxe series. Both the Master 85 and Master Deluxe lines were offered in a business coupe, two-door town sedan or four-door sport sedan. The 85 line also included a woodie wagon, and the Deluxe line, a Sport Coupe. The Master 85 retained the solid front axle, with the Deluxe series coming with "knee-action" independent front suspensions. The standard engine was the 216.5-CID in-line 6, which provided 85 horsepower. Perhaps the wording in a 1940 magazine advertisement summarizes the 1940 Chevrolet best: "The Crown of Beauty Belongs to Chevrolet with New Royal Clipper Styling. Chevrolet's First again! Eye it . . . Try it . . . Buy it!"
With this consignment wrenching is an understatement. More like a total transformation and now we give you a fully custom rod version of the 1940 Chevy Master Deluxe. This rebuild has taken many styling cues from the street rod culture such as snappy paint, the absence of body chrome, a lengthened and chopped top, tons of smoothing, a custom chassis and an amazing drivetrain. Read on to learn what it takes to make a rod this mean and nasty!
Note: This vehicle is sold with a Pennsylvania reconstructed branding on the title.
Exterior
Mostly true to its original design, we see straight steel panels, honed to their final curvaceous form with fat fenders, sporting filled running boards, a rounded roofline that has been lengthed 3" and chopped 2 1/4" in the front and 1" in the rear, and curved trunkline with hidden trunk hinges. The hood comes to a shiny point with the body matching horizontal lined "Groucho Marx" mustache style front grille clip and is framed on either side by large bullet style headlights that have been sunken 1" into their pods and sit proudly on the front fenders along with smaller lower marker lights. The hood has been smoothed and filled and makes its way in a Vee design as it races rearward to the Vee shaped dual pane windshield and all of the chrome trim has been shaved or painted body color save for the wiper arms. The gently sloping trunk lid leads back from the full on custom roof and has also been shaved and filled, making its way down to the custom rear roll pan. All of this body has been dipped in the deep end of the pool ivory pearl paint that shows with a few chips and dings, but one must look closely to see them. Traditional old skool kewl American Racing Torque Thrust wheels in 15-inch form adorn each corner for that "just right" look.
Interior
Light brown tweed in a smooth pattern covers most of the custom door panels which now have billet for the actuators as well as padded armrests, smooth ivory inserts, and the rocker switches for the power windows and locks. Moving inside we are greeted with a pair of modern power bucket seats with movable head rests in light brown tweed with tuck and roll inserts and nice body hugging bolsters. This pattern continues to the rear seat which is a fold down split bench and looks nearly new. These seats are supported by light brown carpeting with clean light brown carpeted mats. Upfront, looking to the dash for more inspiration is a 1976 Cadillac tilt and telescopic steering column, a tan wrapped LeCarra wheel, and a modified simplified custom dash with the full gamut of LCD green gauges. Also noted is an AM/FM/Cassette radio and the controls for the Vintage AC/heater system. A clean light brown tweed headliner hangs above and shows as new.
Drivetrain
A lift of the rear hinged hood reveals total bling in the form of a 425ci Buick Nailhead V8 resting in the closed side engine bay. Very clean and spit shined with smatterings of aluminum for the valve covers and air cleaner assembly. Feeding this healthy mill its dose of air and fossils is a custom built Tuned Port Injection EFI unit and on the back is a TH400 transmission, which is a 3-speed automatic. This sends the power rearward to a 10-bolt Positraction 3.08 geared rear axle that puts the power to the pavement.
Undercarriage
A nicely done custom frame, flooring and body hangers are finished in black with a smattering of minor surface rust but no structural issues are seen. The front of the frame is a G-body front clip and ties to a 1966 Buick rear clip via 2"x6" rectangular tubing side rails. An independent coil spring front suspension is on along with power disc brakes and for the rear we see a 4 link with coil springs and power drums. Lest I forget, this car has a stainless steel fuel tank and a stainless steel dual exhaust system which snakes its way rearward and ends well in polished tips.
Drive-Ability
Upon the fire up we were met with a nice throaty sound. Popping it into gear is effortless and we were off to the test track. This car had good acceleration, a nice ride, good brakes, and superior handling. All functions were working well during our test drive.
Overall a very nice rodded Master Deluxe, now even more deluxe than ever. Plenty of work to modernize the looks and the mechanical innards, but no fear of chipping the paint during spirited driving, and you can have a turnkey showstopper whether it be up main street or at an actual show.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
