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Owner: Ken & Sharla Mees
Where do you live?
Huron, SD
Vehicle: 1930 3-Window Coupe
How long have you owned this vehicle? Purchased in 1998 (25 years)
Where did you get this vehicle? I bought this vehicle from an 83 year old gentleman in Irene, SD
What is the story behind the vehicle? The gentleman that I bought this vehicle from told me that the first time he saw it was when the midwife that came to his family's farm to deliver his baby sister was driving it. He was so impressed by the way this vehicle looked, that he told the midwife that he wanted to buy it someday, which he did. I am the 4th owner.
What condition was it in when you got it? This vehicle was completely restored in 1965. It was a completely original running and driving vehicle when I purchased it. It has all of the original sheet metal, wood structures, roof insert, seat frame, and running boards that came from the factory in 1930.
What kind of work have you done to this vehicle? I did a complete frame off restoration. I did not want to ruin the integrity of this vehicle, so I found another 1930 Chevy frame to modify. I C-channeled the frame and built new mounts for the shocks, engine, transmission, and brake pedal. The front axle is a 1952 Chevy pickup half ton which was modified to achieve a lower stance. The rear axle is a 1982 Chevy S-10 pickup with 3.42 gear ratio. I used the original leaf springs with the exception of the main leaves. I had new main leaves made with reversed eyes and removed some leaves to achieve only 4 leaves per spring. I made new spring shackles front and rear. This allowed a lower ride height. The brake system consists of front discs, rear drums, and a Mustang master cylinder. The brake pedal is out of a 1949 Chevy car. The steering is a cross steer with a Vega steering box and the steering column is out of a 1981 Chevy van. The engine is a 1966 Chevy 327 bored out 0.030 which was rebuilt with 9.5 compression pistons, camel hump heads, Comp Xtreme Energy cam, Edelbrock 3-2 bbl intake manifold with 3 Rochester 2 barrels, MSD ignition. I made 2-inch-high carburetor spacers. The transmission is a rebuilt Turbo 350 with a Hughes 2,800 rpm stall converter and a LoKar shifter. The exhaust system includes full length headers and 2.5-inch exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers.
I also found another 1930 Chevy dash to modify so I would not ruin the original dash. The only modifications made to the body were to drill 3 new holes in the firewall for the throttle pedal and then I made a bracket to mount the ignition coil to the same holes. I completely rewired the whole vehicle with a Ron Francis wiring kit. The Interior work consisted of new modified floorboards, sound deadening, carpet and re-upholstery of kick panels, door panels, and the original seat frame. The vehicle was repainted as close as possible to the original factory colors. I still have all of the original parts to convert this car back to its original state.
What was the hardest part to find? The hardest parts for me to find were the parts for the inside of the doors. I needed different inside door handle relays and relay straps to go from the door handle relay to the door latch. This being a 3-window coupe made it more difficult to find those parts.
What other vehicles do you own? Other vehicles that I own are a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with a built 396 engine and a built Turbo 350 with a 3,000-rpm stall converter and 4.10 rear gear ratio.
Also, a 1935 Ford 5 window coupe with a Chevy 327 and Turbo 350 transmission, Mustang front suspension and 9-inch Ford rear axle. This car is still in the building process.
Do you have any other projects that you are currently working on or planning to start soon? My next project to build is my 1935 Ford 5 window Coupe which will also include a complete frame off restoration.
Do you have any advice for people thinking about starting a restoration?
My advice for people that are thinking about starting a restoration is to do your research and have a vision of what you want before you start. For example, I found a frame that I wanted to use on this project, not realizing that it was a 1931 Chevy frame. The wheelbase increased 2 inches between 1930 and 1931 so I had to find another frame that was a 1930 Chevy frame.
Are there any interesting stories that you can share with us about your experiences with this vehicle? One interesting thing about this car is that under the running boards, I found words that read “Patented in Canada in 1929”. It is amazing how you can get different years of parts to work on your project with a little foresight of what you want your project to be and look like. People that see the car are amazed that it is a Chevy and not a Ford and that it is all a 100% steel car with no fiberglass parts on it. When I talk to other people about all of the different years and makes of parts that I used, they can’t believe how well it looks and works together. It is a good feeling when you are the one that built the car, and you are driving down the street and you get all kinds of smiles, waves, and thumbs up. At this time, I would like to thank all of the staff at The Filling Station for their help and advice when it came to ordering parts that I needed to make the completion of this project possible.
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