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The ’49 Chevy Fleetline is an All-Time Hot Rod Favorite
Photography by John Jacksonhere can be no denying that the postwar Chevrolet designers got it right with several of their designs. The Bel Air two-door hardtop, introduced in the ’50s, is a favorite with hot rodders everywhere. We believe the second-generation Fleetline, made from 1949-52, is a very close second, with many believing this is the “chosen one.” The Fleetline is both a highly collectable car as well as an ideal starting point for a hot rod project.
The second-generation Chevrolet Fleetline is a fullsize fastback sedan that comes in either a two- or a four-door configuration. What sets the Fleetline apart is its distinctive sloping rear roofline (1 inch shorter than a fullsize sedan) and sheetmetal design.
Emblems front and rear are removed while the brightwork along the side has been removed except for this single beltline spear that runs from the headlights rearward to three-quarters of the way through the doors. There is a new floorpan, and while that works with the mini-tubs it was done primarily to address the subject of rust. The grille retains much of its stock appearance but has undergone a diet with the removal of the turn signals, bumperettes, and the license plate bracketry. The rear bumper has also undergone a weight loss with its cleanup with the removal of the license plate bracketry. All the sheetmetal and bodywork was handled at HRBD, with the Fleetline eventually painted in a PPG black at HRBD.
The big-block Chevy is attached to a TREMEC five-speed gearbox and through the Chevy flywheel, McLeod disc, and pressure plate; the power is delivered rearward. The rear suspension is based on a Currie 9-inch rearend with limited-slip 3.50 gears and 31-spline axles. It also utilizes a pair of leaf springs from Dunbar Spring, a sway bar, and an Inland Empire Driveline driveshaft.
We mentioned performance early on. The use of an aluminum 502-inch Chevrolet Performance crate V-8 provides plenty of umph. A Chevy aluminum intake is employed and then topped with a Holley four-barrel dressed in a ’55 Caddy air cleaner. The aluminum radiator features a pair of SPAL 16-inch electric fans. From here the cooling combo is mounted to an HRBD core support that maintains the desired operating temp of the all-aluminum V-8. A Chevy aluminum big-block water pump is used along with a traditional V-belt configuration. Next up is a Vintage Air A/C condenser along with a Powermaster starter and Optima battery rounding out a few of the engine accessories. An MSD HEI ignition and wires are used; exiting the fired gases is a set of Sanderson 1-7/8-inch primary tube headers. The custom exhaust was fabricated at HRBD and the expended gases run through the custom stainless steel exhaust tubes that divide the load between a pair of Flowmaster 50-series mufflers.
There can be no denying this ’49 Chevy Fleetline has the looks of a well-done custom, but it also has the heart of a modern-day hot rod. It would be hard to imagine any hot rodder without an ear-to-ear grin when driving this Fleetline down the highway.
Modern Rodding