First published in the October 2004 issue of Street Machine
You wouldn’t want to be the shy, retiring type in a car like this. Debuting at the Wintersun, Al and Kerry Scott’s ’50 Chev Fleetline stopped them in their tracks and was chosen as one of the Top 12 cars. With its Hothouse paint, traditional tuck and roll interior and slammed airbag stance, it’s easy to see why. The fact that the Scotts decided to start with a rare and cool bodystyle probably has something to do with it too!

Next outing was Motorex, where it once again wowed the crowds, and walked away with a Top Five spot and the Top Custom Classic trophy.
Of course, achieving that is easy when you throw truck loads of cash at it and get the pros involved.
Except almost all the work on this car was done by Al and his wife Kerry in the back shed, and it took them less than four years’ labour. Al was supposed to be building Kerry a new laundry in that time but instead he rebuilt a fellow club member’s ’32 Ford Tourer. The laundry is still unfinished.

Al is a member of Northern Beaches Hot Rod Club and has been in the game for quite a while, so he knows his way around a set of spanners and a welder. The Tourer belonged to vice president Dennis Campbell and the re-do was good enough to earn it Top Tourer at Motorex 2003. Like I said, Al really does know what he’s doing.

Getting back to the Chev, it was purchased a while ago by a mate, but Al says: “He knew I wanted it. Finally, two years later, he sold it to me.”
Once the ’50 was home, the hunt began for parts. Doing it old school, Al scoured the local wrecking yards and frequented swap meets searching for the bits he needed. A Hyundai sacrificed its electric window mechanism, which Al adapted to the stock regulators; a fuel tank from a Toyota Crown found a new home; and Volvo armrests also made the cut. It turns out the armrests are a close match for the original Chevy parts and styling.

With all the bits and pieces collected, Al made a good start at it. By now it was early 2001. The body came off and a rotisserie was fabricated so that work could commence on the floor. Al says: “I replaced all of the floor, which was the saddest part of the car, and worked my way up to the body. My new neighbour, Grant, turned out to be a panel beater and he helped me fix the jump in the roof.”

He had to bring in some replacement panels from the US as well as the odd rubber that he couldn’t find locally. Quite a few panels ended up being made from scratch as they were nigh-on impossible to get, even in the US.
By late 2003 the car was ready for undercoat and once happy with the finish, Al laid on the popular Hothouse hue. Turns out Al’s wife Kerry loves green and we’re glad she does. The colour suits the car down to the ground.

Did someone say ground? This old Chevy sits way closer to terra firma these days, thanks to the Firestone airbag system and stub axles that have been dropped two inches. Rolling stock is 17×7 American Racing Spinnakers up front and matching 17x8s out back. Rubber is Nankang all round, with 215s pointing the way and 235s getting the power down.

Getting it all motivated is a relatively stock 5.0-litre Holden, warmed over with an Edelbrock intake and a 650 Holley put together by the guys at Wyong Performance. Backing it up is a trusty Turbo 350 with a Stage 1 shift kit, and way out the back is a good ol’ Salisbury 10-bolt running 3.08 gears.
Inside it all looks pretty traditional with its off-white tuck and roll trim, grey carpet and bench seat stitched up by John Viles, until you spy the Dakota Digital gauges. You don’t notice it at first as Al has integrated it into the original instrument cluster and it works in nicely with the rest of the interior.
It’s not too often you see a two-door Chevy Fleetline in this country but rest assured, if you’re anywhere near this one, you’re bound to see it coming.

SLIPPERY SLOPE
The Fleetline isn’t the first less-than-common Chev that Al and Kerry have played with. Back in the early 90s, Al built a sweet ’38 Sloper that was featured in the long-defunct Australian Hot Rod. Mods included a mild 350/400/12-bolt driveline, HG Holden suspension all round, four-wheel disc brakes, and the soothing comfort of air conditioning.

Love the hot pink stripe! Al still has the Sloper, along with a ’38 Chev roadster and a newly acquired ’38 Coupe. He recently sold his green and chopped ’40 panel. Why Chevs? “Because everyone else has Fords, of course!”
Al & Kerry Scott
1950 Chevrolet Fleetline
Colour: | Protec Hothouse Green |
ENGINE | |
Engine: | Holden 304 |
Induction: | 650 Holley |
Intake: | Edelbrock Hi Torque |
Fuel Pump: | Electric |
Cooling: | Four-core radiator |
Exhaust: | Extractors, single exhaust |
TRANSMISSION | |
Gearbox: | Turbo 350 |
Diff: | Salisbury 10-bolt, 3.08:1 |
Tailshaft: | VN Commodore |
BOUNCE AND STOP | |
Springs: | Firestone airbags front and rear |
Shocks: | Gabriel Gas |
Mods: | HG Holden front end with two-inch lowered stub axles; VN Commodore four-bar rear |
Steering: | Commodore power steering with LC Torana column |
Brakes: | P76 disc with VN Commodore calipers (f); VN Commodore (r) |
Master cylinder: | VN Commodore |
ROLLING STOCK | |
Tyres: | Nankang 215x45x17 (f); Nankang 235x45x17 (r) |
Wheels: | American Racing Spinnaker, 17×7 (f); 17×8 (r) |
PAINT AND BODY | |
Paint: | Protec Hothouse Green (sprayed by Al) |
Body mods: | Shaved door handles, boot, bonnet, fuel cap (also by Al) |
INTERIOR | |
Seats: | Stock |
Steering wheel: | LC Torana |
Trim: | Coral Sand marine vinyl |
Instruments: | Dakota Digital |
Carpet: | Mid grey |
Stereo: | Pioneer |
Speakers: | Megavox |
Stereo install: | Al Scott |
Thanks
Emanuel at Wyong Performance; John Viles for the trim; Ross James for wiring; Budgewoi Auto Wreckers for free run of the yard; Kerry for patience and support — the laundry’s nearly finished!
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