The dusty & rusty feature on This Day in Automotive History is generally reserved for vehicles listed for under $10 grand. I had to make an exception for this 1934 Chevrolet Standard Six found on Craigslist near St. Louis for $12,000. More often then not, I find myself questioning the high pricing of cars that so obviously need, well, just about everything in this case. While I would bet you could haggle on this to get it under $10,000, I don’t know that the tag on this is too far unjust. As trends in the auto restoration, rebuilding and hot rod industries sway, so to do prices. With 1950s style hot rods and The Race of Gentlemen trending upward, steel like this is becoming a hot commodity. Alas, hot rodding is all about personal preference. So if you drug this home, what would it look like when completed? Restoration? Street rod? Rat rod? Before deciding, let’s take a closer look.
The 1934 Chevrolet Standard Six series followed up the one year only 1933 Chevrolet Mercury Six. Oddly, Ford Motor Company would release the Mercury brand just five years later. Advertised as the cheapest enclosed six cylinder car on the market, in 1934 a buyer could have have one as sedan, roadster, touring car, rumble seat coupe or coupe, the latter of which we have here. Each had a 181 cubic inch straight six that could power it to a top speed of about 65-70 mph. The seller of this one says it ran when parked, last firing up more than 30 years ago.
The interior of this coupe is virtually non existent, though the dash components, steering system and pedals all remain intact. Considering there’s hardly anything left, a true restoration may start to feel a little pricey for the finished worth of the car. Perhaps a period rod or even a complete custom build would suit this Chevy better?
Then again, patina is in, right? Or no? I can’t tell. It feels like a swear world in the automotive world sometimes. I for one, dig it, and this car has plenty of it. If it was my car, I’d update the drive train, add late model seats, install new glass and go. I also don’t have a lot of money, so even that’s a stretch!
Less than 100,000 Standard Six Chevys left the factory in 1934, with about five times as many people opting for the higher end Master series. Of those Standard Six models, 16,765 were coupes like this one. Those numbers would double for this model the next year, and again for 1936 before being discontinued in 1937. Undoubtedly, there are likely few 1934 Chevrolet Six coupes out there ready to be built to suit. Considering the parts included, this is a great launching point for any sort of project, depending on your desires and budget. So, if it was yours, what would you do with it?
