Want to start a spat on the internet? Then go on any classic car forum and begin discussing the differences between hot rods, street rods, rat rods, and lead sleds. Naturally, enthusiasts will take sides, and purists will pick fights.
So how do we define this custom (or is it “Kustom?”) 1952 Chevrolet Deluxe for sale on eBay? Let’s stay above the commotion and simply call it totally cool.
Individual Customization
If we had to slap a category on this Chevy, we’d probably label it as a lead sled. The term is defined by these mods:
- a chopped roof
- a channeled floor pan to further lower the body
- head and tail lamps frenched into the body
Of course, many won’t consider any Bowtie a lead sled because the standard for the style is the ’49 Mercury driven by James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.
Nonetheless, this ’52 Chevy had much attention paid to its exterior. It shines with wild metal flake blue paint offset by green flames—and green and blue patterns across the hood, roof, and fastback trunk. It’s distinctive.
The seller notes that a few things need to be addressed on the exterior—specifically the chromed bumpers that have seen better days.
Meanwhile, the interior looks like a work-in-progress, with diamond-quilted materials on the door panels and rear seating area. Black leather seats from a Ford Thunderbird are used in front.
The custom steering yoke is special, as is the candy-flake green column shifter. The glove box panel was painted in a style reminiscent of Big Daddy Roth’s Rat Fink characters, which is subject to taste.
There’s work to be done on the headliner. And adding electric door poppers would make it easier to open the handle-free doors. Hints are available in this blog post: Shaved Door Handles Give that Smooth Custom Look.
Something Different Underneath
A glance under the hood of most show cars often reveals a boring sameness. Most street rods gravitate to the classic small-block Chevrolet V-8 for power—no matter the badge on the nose.
But we have to applaud the builder for keeping the original Chevrolet inline-six and three-speed manual transmission. The extra power from a built V-8 isn’t all that necessary when most of your drives are low and slow. So keeping it simple and reliable is a win.
However, the suspension has seen work as an air-ride setup allows the car to be driven somewhat normally—but slammed for cruising or parking. We might consider modifying the system to put the air tank in the trunk rather than the back seat so we can bring the family along on a drive.
A Custom Is All About the Builder
Buying an already-built custom car creates a dilemma. The completed mods reflect the builder and not necessarily the buyer. This ’52 Chevy, offered with a $30,000 Buy-It-Now price, is a solid compromise.
A few things still need to get done. The chrome and the interior could use some love. But it’s mostly ready for a show today. You can upgrade as you see fit over time.
We’d suggest upgrading to front disc brakes and adding an aftermarket air conditioning system to make longer drives more comfortable. But this ’52 Chevy Deluxe is a great way to get into the hobby quickly. Just don’t try to pigeonhole it.
