Photos: Kevin Trower - Stance Works

For many boys and men, a father is someone who can do anything. Dads are who teach us how to fix things, how to treat a woman, and ultimately, how to be a man. Many of us probably spent countless hours “helping” our dads fix things when we were young. Everything from holding a screwdriver when we were so small that the tool seemed heavy, to actually getting our hands dirty, and greasy as we got older.

Time, however – is a an enemy that we can’t outrun. It works against all of us. As boys become teenagers, and then men – dads become gray, and hopefully grandparents. Joe Dale found this 1950 Chevy on eBay as an about to be discarded project. Dale’s father loved ‘50s cars and had always wanted a hot custom car of his own. Dale knew this would be an ideal father son project so he scooped it up. With time ticking away for his father, this car would offer the opportunity for the two to wrench together and enjoy some valuable time together. Giving them the opportunity to spend hours together in the garage, but more importantly time on the road, at car cruises and car shows.

Those of us in this hobby know the amount of work, and hours that are involved in customizing a car. The 1950 Chevy Fleetline sedan that Dale bought as a project already had most of the hard fab out of the way with the door handles and trim already shaved. The top had been chopped 5 inches and the hood and trunk pancaked, as well as the quarter panels being lengthened. Other custom touches included frenched headlights, a Desoto grille, a flipped ’54 front bumper on the rear, and ’54 taillights. The exterior is as yet unfinished with Dale describing it as a 10 footer, sprayed a dark green satin. Pinstriping is courtesey of “The One Armed Bandit” and adds the final touch.

Air bags with Viair compressors, work with a Mustang II frontend, and four-link rear suspension to get the stance right. Power comes from a simple 350 Chevy coupled to a 700R4 overdrive trans that sends power to the wheels via a 9-inch rear end.

While Dale and his father don’t stake claim that they did all of the work themselves, they did put considerable time and effort into getting the car drivable and to their liking. The two now enjoy cruising together to shows and the local cruise night scene. In the future they may strip the paint and redo the bodywork, as well as add a glossy finish. For now though we think it’s cool just the way it is.

Featured on StanceWorks, we first came across this build and just knew we had to dig deeper. Joe is happy that he got to build one last project with his Dad – and the time spent is more important than the custom creation that they breathed some life back in to. For now, they are both pleased with the outcome of their last build together, and they’re just enjoying today not knowing what tomorrow will bring. This is a lesson for all of us – get out and build something together, you never know when it will be too late.