1937 Chevy

Albertan's two decade rebuild of classic coupe 'Trade Up' is the hot rod of his dreams

It took Alan Klain of Cardston, Alta. nearly 20 years to build the hot rod of his dreams. Now, he's out on the road adding significant miles to his 1937 Chevrolet coupe, nicknamed Trade Up, and enjoying every minute of it. "It took a long time," Klain says of the build process, "because it was built while raising our six children, and although I did well enough with my career, that car's budget had to come from sources other than the kids’ college funds."

Klain traded labour for cars and bought and sold a few more to raise money to complete the hot rod, a car he originally found in Battleford, Sask. Dropping by Main Street Auto Body in that city, Klain asked employees working there if they might know of any 1937 Chevy coupes for sale.

Klain was looking for this particular make and model after he’d initially started collecting pieces to build a 1940 Ford. Enamoured by fat-fendered cars of the 1930s and 1940s, he’d acquired a Ford frame and body but changed direction after seeing a photograph of a ’37 Chev. Luck was on Klain's side that day at the body shop as bodyman Tom Smith happened to have a ’37 Chev body shell sitting on a rolling chassis. Although missing engine and transmission, this didn't matter to Klain and he bought the project car.

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Next, from Chilliwack, B.C., a Bougie's Rod Shop custom frame was made to accept independent suspension components from a C4 Corvette and an upgraded 1996 Camaro Z28 engine converted to LS technology. With the body on the new frame, the car went to King's Classics in Edmonton. There, it was discovered the passenger side was perforated with rust pinholes. It was cut off, and a replacement body half harvested from a donor ’37 Chevy shell was welded in.

Several subtle modifications were worked into the car while at King's Classics. The overall profile of the body wasn't changed, as the roof wasn't chopped. However, the headlights were lowered, the top corners of the doors were rounded, the hinges were hidden and the door handles shaved. The front fender openings were altered while the rear fenders were widened 2-inches to accept larger wheels and tires. A gas filler door from a Ford Taurus was the exact shape Klain wanted, and that was welded into the body just above the driver's side rear fender. A 1953 Chev car dash was narrowed and welded in.

I first wrote about Klain's build in 2019. At that point, the Chevy's body had been metal worked and painted, and the running gear was operational. Although Klain had been able to drive the car when that story was published, he has now completed all of the finishing touches. "I had to install some new tires, and we put in the interior," he says.

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Klain's background is in design and drafting, but he spent his career in marketing. He does, however, often put his creative skills to use and worked up design ideas for the car's upholstery. "I provided a model of the door card, and Tory Wilcox at Ripstitch Upholstery in Saskatoon took my design and turned them out in walnut veneer and ostrich hide accents," Klain says. "He also made what look like two luggage cases that are in the trunk. They both tilt away on soft close hinges, and the one on the right exposes the battery while the one on the left hides the fuel filler tube."

Last year, Klain drove the car in convoy with several friends in their own hot rods from Southern Alberta to Northwest Deuce Days in Victoria, B.C. "We drove over the Coquihalla Highway, which was interesting as there was much construction due to the floods in 2021 but everything went perfectly," Klain says.

Driving his ’37 Chevy is a pleasure, Klain adds, because it, "Rides like a new Cadillac and corners like a race car because of the Corvette suspension."

The Deuce Days run was a 2,700 kilometre round trip. With more than 18,000 kilometres on the odometer, this spring Klain entered his custom 1937 Chevy coupe in the 2023 Calgary World of Wheels "I wanted to celebrate finishing the car and honour the people who did a lot of the work," he says. The custom Chevy was displayed on a 360-degree rotating turntable, and Klain says people were amazed he actually drives the car – it's that clean.

"I didn't intend to receive any awards, but I was delighted and surprised to have received Best in Class and Top Rod Interior," he says, and concludes, "These awards truly belong to the talented craftsmen involved in this build."

Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or [email protected]

Car. Trucks. Motorcycles. Even bicycles. If it has wheels I’m curious not just about the machine but the role they play in everyday life and the stories people have to share about them.

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1937 Chevy "Rides like a Cadillac"