1936 Chevrolet Coupe- Red & Rare

Ray Andrew's '36 Chevy coupe should serve as a testament to homebuilders everywhere that hard work and dedication can produce one heck of a nice street rod. Built at home in his modest garage, Ray and his brother, Bubba, turned out one of the finest '36 Chevy coupes we've seen in quite some time. But, it shouldn't surprise anybody who knows the Andrew brothers; it was only natural for the two to continue the family's automobile tradition given their father's history of racing and building cars as the two boys grew up.

Ray bought the car from a friend who had driven the wheels off the thing back in the mid-1970s, and it was in need of an overhaul a few years later. Ray and Bubba tore into it, replacing all the crossmembers and cleaning up the stock chassis before installing a 9-inch Ford rearend hung on POSIES springs out back and a Heidt's Superide II IFS up front. Wilwood disc brakes were then installed at all four corners behind a set of Billet Specialties Rebel wheels. Next, a small-block Chevy engine was dropped under the hood, backed by a Turbo 400 transmission and topped with an Edelbrock-equipped dual-quad induction setup.

With the foundation of the coupe complete, the team moved on to the body, shaving the door handles and trunk lid and lowering the headlights 3 1/2 inches on the grille, which features an Alumicraft insert. From there, it was brought over to the Houston, Texas, shop of Two Guys Paint & Body, where the coupe was covered in a custom mix of DuPont red. Dooley & Sons upholstery shop in Magnolia, Texas, covered the coupe from floor to ceiling with Chablis Ultraleather, including the Grand Am bucket seats, custom center console, and rear speaker tray. The Ultraleather treatment was continued into the trunk, covering a pair of Pioneer speakers and an Infinity stereo amplifier.

Altogether, Ray told us, they have a short three years into the coupe, including the paint and body and extensive leather interior-not bad for two guys in their garage. Since completing the coupe, Ray and his wife, Dennie, have been spotted at numerous rod runs throughout the South having a blast enjoying their Chevy and the folks the car draws no matter where they go, and that is what it's all about.