1932 Chevrolet Confederate 2 Door Sedan
The 1932 Chevrolet Confederate was a direct replacement for the 1931 Independence, with only a few changes. With the depression in full swing, production was cut in half from the previous year's 600,000 cars. 1932 would be the introductory year of something called a "station wagon" from Chevrolet, and the coachbuilder was located in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles from Morgantown, PA.
For consignment, an unrestored survivor in the form of a 1932 Chevrolet Confederate 2 door sedan. This five window, five passenger automobile, as Dr. McKoy may have said, "She's got good bones, Jim!". Well, let's beam back to 1932 and examine one of 15 body styles available for the Confederate.
NO TITLE-SOLD ON A BILL OF SALE ONLY
Exterior
Rough black paint in different shades and textures covers the steel panels of the car and tells some stories that are nearly 100 years old. Meanwhile, the chrome grille, front bumper, and lightbar assembly are in good condition although lacking the radiator cap/ornament. Opening vents replace the louvers found on the 1931 Independence, and are a fantastic design cue. 19-inch wire wheels are painted black and sit under extended fenders that connect to a wide rubber coated running board. The single tail light has the Chevy bowtie cut out of the trim, which is a pretty nice feature and may at one time have had a plastic Chevrolet branded piece in that space. A spare wheel and tire are mounted on the back. The car, including its metal hardware, would benefit from restoration, but most pieces are intact, and the glass is all there.
Interior
Vinyl wood grain overlay covers the door panels and while it looks clean, the doors would have been covered in the same material as the seats, which is a brushed cloth. Our driver's bucket seat is torn and worn and the passenger bucket is rough, but the rear bench is in decent shape. The rear walls and headliner carry over the same tan cloth material. A simple 3 spoke steering wheel greets the driver and the dash is also black. The gauge surround is an amazing design of geographic shapes and patterns that must be seen to be believed. Your first guess might be that this was added later, maybe in the late 60's when abstract art was a thing. But no, this is correct for 1932 and its way "out of the box". Meanwhile, all the gauges are in place and look good. A floor mounted shifter and hand brake are surrounded by a rubber mat that covers the floor. As noted, the headliner is cloth but will need complete restoration or replacement.
Drivetrain
The 193.9ci inline 6 cylinder engine is in place and was rated at 60 horsepower from the factory. Visually, it's unrestored with plenty of patina and surface rust, but complete. We note an inline fuel filter that is a more modern addition leading to a 1-barrel carburetor. The car is propelled by a 3-speed manual transmission sending the 60 horses to the rear wheels where it meets 4.10 gears. Mechanical drum brakes, as standard for the time, are on all four wheels.
Undercarriage
All in all, driver quality underneath but complete. There's a substantial build up of grease on the underside of the engine and transmission, the inner wheel components and the rear differential. Leaf springs handle the suspension front and rear and a single exhaust is present, covered with surface rust, and finds its way to a muffler and then out the back via a corrugated pipe.
Let's face it, these were not show cars back in the day. They were daily driven on rough roads, dirt roads, gravel surfaces, and put away wet. Not many have survived and finding restorable examples is rare indeed. If you're up to owning a unique part of American automotive history, consider this Confederate.
NO TITLE-SOLD ON A BILL OF SALE ONLY
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