# Question : 35 Chevy Coupe / Suicide Doors



## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

I'd bet there was a piece of chrome that went there.

Do a search around the internet, you'll find plenty of photos of restored '35 Chevys.
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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

One of our members Cocobolo is restoring a 35 Chevy right now, I bet he will know. http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/shuswap-life-204029/


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Love it. Love that body style and they look fantastic restored numbers matching or modified.


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

You're close, I think that's a '36 Chevy, not a '35. I think the roof on the '35 coupe wasn't as rounded as the '36, unless that is a Master Deluxe Coupe shown in the picture, in which case that could be a '35.

What Chevy did back in those days was to use the previous years Master Deluxe body style for the following years regular sedans and coupes. So the roof on a '36 should look like a '35 Master Deluxe...am I confusing you enough yet?

I used to have a '35 Chevy, now I'm doing a '33 Plymouth. Mine was a sedan though, not a coupe.

To the best of my knowledge, there was nothing attached alongside of the cowl section there. That sheet metal was clean top to bottom. Someone must have done some sort of damage there in the past in order to have to try and fix it.

Hmmm...just did some checking and there's something not right with that car. I have a friend who has a '36 Chevy coupe, rumble seat version, and it does not have suicide doors. And neither can I find a '35 with suicide doors.

Most of the manufacturers had suicide doors for just a year or two in that time period. Those door handles do indeed look like they are stock, so I'm a bit confused here. Nothing unusual about that.

I have some original Chevy information buried in the depths of my computer somewhere, I will see if I can find it and get back to you.

I will also email my friend up in Alberta with the '36 and see if he can shed some light on this.

One more thing, I think the '35 Chevy's had three chrome strips on the hood sides, not two. The '36 had two I believe.


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

This is getting more confusing by the minute.

Now I have located photos of what are supposed to be '35 Chevy Master 5 window coupes, one has regular doors and the other has suicide doors. They both look like factory to me. Plus some of the '35 coupes have just the two strips on the hood. Actually, I think these were vents to let the engine heat out.

The three window coupes are different again, maybe that's where the roofline is confusing me.

Now I am wondering if there wasn't a door change mid way through 1935, although I have not seen this before. I know there was quite a bit of controversy regarding these suicide doors back in the day, which is why they didn't last very long.

FWIW my '33 Plymouth has all four suicide doors. Some sedans had two regular and two suicide.

Do you know if this car has a rumble seat?

But I have found nothing at all where your sheet metal was repaired. Maybe someone cut two holes to tie a rope to tow the car???

I will get back to you again when I hear from my friend Bill with the '36.


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

OK, heard from Bill....he says that '35 was the last year for the suicide doors on the coupes.

His '36 has regular doors, but they are 2" wider than the '35. This is definitely odd, because of the way that Chevy moved from the Master Deluxe of one year to the regular coupe of the next year, as I have already mentioned.

His coupe, however, is the top of the line version for '36, and that may have something to do with the door size changing. They don't make these things easy, do they?

And no, still nothing mounted down on the side of the cowl. I'm quite sure there was nothing stock there at all.

Sorry I cannot be of further help. But I tried! :smile:


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

cocobolo said:


> Do you know if this car has a rumble seat?


There was not a rumble seat on this 35.

But it does have nice wooden rocking chair bucket seats now for being a daily driver. lol


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

I gotta admit I like those seats. What happens when you come to a sudden stop? Do they rock gently for you?

The interior on my '35 had long been destroyed by mice in the barn where it was kept in Saskatchewan for donkey's years. The body was complete and generally OK. But everything was going to need completely rebuilding. I sold it on to the son of a friend of mine.

Last I heard he was still working away at it.

Your friend's '35 looks to be in excellent original condition, very few around like that. I'm definitely envious.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Here is a link to a spec sheet for the 35 chevy that I found on e-bay for sale .

Might be worth $10.00 for the data and pictures to you or your friend.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1935-CHEVY-...m542e4912ab:m:miQvqisWOQafSuWU4Ua8vbA&vxp=mtr


Those look like patches to me where someone patched holes in the body.

Maybe at one time someone had a one- piece tilt forward hood on it, with some kind of latch in those holes.

ED


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Is there another hole- centered (or about) just below the bottom edge of picture--- maybe an after market radio antenna... like on this '36 deluxe- on drivers side though; http://www.automobilemag.com/news/1935-1936-chevrolet-master-deluxe-collectible-classic/

You have seen these on door change; *pp 7-* https://books.google.com/books?id=t...35 chevrolet coupe in popular science&f=false

*pp10-*https://books.google.com/books?id=Z...35 chevrolet coupe in popular science&f=false

*pp 12*; https://books.google.com/books?id=0...35 chevrolet coupe in popular science&f=false

*pp 5A*; repeat; https://books.google.com/books?id=u...SAhXorFQKHUatASgQ6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

I found a poster of the different model for '35, but lost it.... I was looking around in this one, I think... https://www.google.com/search?q=193...FsjJpxHf9gQqRTplqyoSCYVnaUkvX_1WKEU7cVclaicxt

Gary


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

Perhaps one of the most reliable places to look for info is the GM Archives. It's free. Sorry I don't have a link, but I think it's pretty easy to find. When I had my '35 I was able to find out just about everything about the car from that source.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

The pic in Popular Science ( IIR correctly ) pp7 is surely to be as original as we can find.


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## cocobolo (Dec 16, 2008)

Yes, quite likely. It looks like a typical advertising photo of the day.

Incidentally, if your friends' car still has the original VIN, you can find out the build date and the plant where it was built. It's all very interesting information.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

cocobolo said:


> Yes, quite likely. It looks like a typical advertising photo of the day.
> 
> Incidentally, if your friends' car still has the original VIN, you can find out the build date and the plant where it was built. It's all very interesting information.


I'll check on that.

thanks


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

QUOTE Gary in WA: Is there another hole- centered (or about) just below the bottom edge of picture--- maybe an after market radio antenna... like on this '36 deluxe- on drivers side though;

*************************************************
We didn't see anything that would indicate that.

thanks


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Probably someone had a nice set of hooga horns screwed in there years back. Now them are some cool stuff....


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Allow me to regress just a bit. I visited with my friend about a possible after market antenna on the driver's side. He is recalling something different on the driver's side below the patch/filler angled area and will check it out .


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