Hot Rod and Roll: 1933 Essex Terraplane
An uncommon maker to see, this Essex Terraplane project is a solid start to a hot rod project. Fitted with modern front suspension, and previously fitted with a V8, this may very well be the prefect hot rod project to take on! Appearing very solid this Essex is offered for $7,500. Check it out here on eBay out of Union City, Michigan.
Parked in 1991, this Project appears bare bones on the interior, but overall most if not all of the sheet metal appears rock solid. The roof panel is missing, and there appears to be no glass, but it is unclear what all is included with the project. The interior has a few parts, but otherwise there is just the floor and the dash panel to be seen. You can clearly see a Chevrolet LT1 in the engine compartment in the listing, but there is no engine provided. The front suspension is Mustang 2, and the rear axle is Ford 9”.
The body is really in decent shape, with only a few dents and dings to be seen. One thing that I am not crazy about is the fact that someone chopped off the rear portion of the fenders. Despite this concern, it appears the seller has the cut off portions. I see no engine side overs, and while there are a few dents in the running boards, they are miraculously rust free. Would you finish up this Essex Project?
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Comments
A friend of mine found this in southern Michigan barn. Evidently it was inherited by a family member and shipped from the south & put in storage some years ago. It has a mid 80’s corvette motor in it currently (mistake in my opinion) but the car is solid & he has all the pieces cut to lower the car, so with some welding skills could be made whole again. I believe the bows are there for the roof also.
Had I not bought a pair of 41 Mercury convts this would’ve been mine (minus the chevy drivetrain).
I might add a very honest seller.
Channeling has given it an awkward stance. Radius the rear fenders, add some bigger meats then give it a 2-3” chop. Handsome grill, headlights and front fenders. Who doesn’t like those rear hinged doors ?
The top looks too upright for a hot rod. Ditto on the 3″ chop.
This will be cool when finished. It’s not channeled, it just had some suspension mods done to it. What it needs now are bigger diameter wheels and tires in the rear plus the proper back spacing on them. And dropped spindles on the front. Could also use a couple inches taken out of the top.
Also needs some period correct wheels. Mopar rallyes are cool but they only seem to look right on Mopars
the only answer here is buy it and take it apart and start over again ,sell off the chev engine and tranny! why start with somebody elses screw up! if your going to do it do it right or leave it alone!
Drive train does not go with the car, so that problems solved.
Price seems fair and great start to a nice hot rod. As others stated the first thing I would definitely do is change the stance.
I thought the terraplane was a Hudson product. I looked it up and, surprise, Hudson and Essex are one and the same it seems.
Reminds me of a circus car How could everything look wrong
Would be a nice unusual rod when done. To make it even more unique since it’s a Terraplane Six, I’d try to find an unique 6 cylinder to put in it. There are some high horsepower motors that might work, look great, and wouldn’t be the the same old SBC.
That’s not even close to a LT1 one engine it is a SBC with a TPI intake on it
It would have been a beautiful car before it was messed with.
I have a freind who restored an Essex 1927 I believe. He started with a rusty hulk that was more or less there. My freind is a perfectionist and did a meticulous restoration down to the last nut and bolt, it turned out fantastic. His is a rumble seat suicide door coupe that looks like a new car. He painted the body white with black fenders and running board. It took him ten years and he did not miss a single detail. This car is at the point that it might as well be a hot rod as its half way there now. I’d chop the top at this point now too, after it was lowered it looks odd with the roof that high. A good engine for it would be the gm 4.2 l 6 cyl. Used in the trail blazer. Its not your old school engine you’d find in an older gm vehicle. Its DOHC with coil on plug ignition, variable valve timing, port injected, aluminum block and head. Quit a lively motor. Back that up with an od transmission and you would have a cool driver.
What a shame to destroy such a rare car by making it into a hot rod.
That one photo through the back, is that the garage floor showing through the trunk?
That’s where the rear roll pan went as I recall, it was removed by the person?? who attempted to hot rod it.
It may not be popular to admit it, but I have no more interest in these 1930s hot rods. I grew up in the early Sixties but never saw any on the street. It was the period of the muscle car. Of course I wanted one when I was in high school and even until about fifteen years ago. Now they just don’t seem worth the trouble.
If there is no title, there is no deal here.