Frame Up Built Outlaw Coupe 350 Ram-Jet V8 700R4

Time to think outside the Ford box. This 1935 Chevrolet 3-window coupe is for the guy who loves the classic shape, but thinks the Ford 3-window is just too ordinary. Thanks to the guys at Outlaw Fiberglass, it's possible to build a super-clean 3-window coupe with Bowtie DNA flowing through its veins, and this black and red rod has been stuffed full of all the best parts to create a unique Chevy that can be driven cross-country and shown at a national level.

Finished in classic red over black, there's no doubt that this pro-built rod is ready for prime time. As good as fiberglass bodies have gotten, you don't get a rod this nice by just pulling it out of the crate and spraying paint. There are hundreds of hours tied up in the surface of this Chevy, buffing, sanding, fitting, adjusting, and polishing, and it has really paid off big. The shape is familiar, but subtly different than what you expect, which is exactly what this Chevy is about. Fit and finish are superb, and the upright Chevy grille combined with the solid hood sides gives it a cool long nose/short deck look that's pure hot rod. The paint is two-stage urethane, and as a result the finish is deep enough to swim in, with a beautifully executed and superbly simple silver pinstripe dividing the red and black layers. Body mods include shaved emblems and door handles, a flush-fitting gas cap lid, and the slight rake on the roof, giving the side windows a subtle wedge shape. A billet grille and large headlights give it a smooth yet old-fashioned look that I like a lot more than the tiny King Bee headlights on most rods, and the tail lights appear to lifted from a 1937 Ford for a period-correct look.

The great thing about building a Chevy rod is that you won't hear any critics complaining that the engine doesn't match the body. In this case, there's a 350 Ram Jet under the three-piece steel hood, and it has been fully detailed to match the body. A lot of work went into hiding the plumbing and electrical under color-matched and hand-fabricated steel covers. The distinctive Ram Jet intake makes big power and torque, yet idles like a production car thanks to modern fuel injection technology. The polished accessories and serpentine belt drive are from Billet Specialties, while the air cleaner, water pump neck, and fuel line are from Street and Performance. A big aluminum Walker radiator keeps it cool, assisted by a powerful electric fan, and there's a transmission cooler stashed up front as well. The thing that strikes you most is how well-coordinated and designed it all is, the essence of hot rodding, but executed to a very high standard.

Underneath, however, you'll find a genuine 1935 Chevrolet frame, suitably enhanced for use under the coupe body. The transmission is a 700R4 4-speed automatic overdrive, so it cruises effortlessly, and out back there's a Currie 9-inch rear that's been finished to show standards, and you'll note the oil pan, transmission pan, and rear end sport matching finned aluminum. The front suspension is a standard hot rod setup with upper and lower A-arms and coil-over springs, while the rear is suspended on a polished 4-bar. The entire exhaust system has been ceramic coated, so it'll look that good forever, and a custom aluminum fuel tank was fabricated just for this car and feeds the small block up front thanks to -6 braided stainless lines. Billet Specialties also handled the rolling stock, with staggered 17x6 front and 20x9 rear wheels wearing 205/40/17 and 245/40/20 performance radials, respectively.

Blazing red leather is the interior theme, and the execution is flat-out jaw-dropping. Created by Chuck Hanna, the incredible driver's compartment is built around a pair of deeply bolstered Acura Integra sport seats that have been fully refinished, including the knobs and controls. Artful door panels continue the exterior theme, with black and red leather separated by aluminum trim that matches the billet door handles. Stewart-Warner gauges were fitted to the smoothed dash, along with a pair of cool eyeball vents for the Vintage Air HVAC system. An Ididit steering column has been topped by a matching red leather wheel, while a powerful AM/FM/CD stereo head unit is housed in its own overhead console. The trunk is not just a place for luggage and tools anymore, either, with matching red and black leather, sculpted panels, and trick polished hinges with hydraulic struts.

All the paperwork and manuals that came with the various components that went into this rod are all included with the sale of the car. This is extremely important for future servicing, and makes this one of the most thoroughly documented builds we've featured in a long time.

So if you're looking for something a little different from the run-of-the-mill Ford, this awesome '35 Chevy is a fantastic choice. Professionally built at a cost of over $100,000, it's simply spectacular in person and poised to start collecting some seriously big trophies. If your fashion tastes run more towards bow ties, perhaps this is your kind of rod. Fully sorted and expertly finished, it is an top choice for the upcoming cruise season. An extremely polished rod that couldn't be duplicated for the asking price.