1939 Chevy Master Deluxe Is A Brush Of Brilliance

Article and Photos by Joe van Zyl

Jeremy shared the backstory of his masterpiece on wheels, the 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe. “I’ve always wanted a '39 Chevy,” he told me. “To me, it’s the original gangster car, the kind of ride Al Capone would have cruised around in. But I never thought I’d actually find one.” 

In 2001, Jeremy’s luck changed. He was out shopping with his mom and decided to hang out on the pavement while she went inside. As he stood there, outside Goodhope Cars, he watched the showroom floor come to life as they moved vehicles around. And then, like a scene straight out of a movie, a black 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe rolled right up in front of him. “My jaw just dropped,” Jeremy recalled.

The car he’d been dreaming of for years was suddenly right there in front of him. He made a beeline for the driver and started peppering him with questions. Turns out, the Chevy had been sitting there for a year without a buyer. When Jeremy asked about the price, the driver told him—25,000 big ones. Jeremy rushed home, scraped together every cent he had, but it wasn’t enough. So he called up his cousin and convinced him to go in on the car together. The original plan? Paint it pearl white with roses airbrushed on the back and rent it out for weddings. But, like many plans, that one never came to fruition.

Instead, the car sat for a while, gathering dust. With the wedding idea scrapped, Jeremy decided to go in a different direction, giving the Chevy his own flavor with a matte black paint job. “The car is still stock,” he said. “All we did was convert it from 6 to 12 volts, and Simon from Old Mill Rod & Custom sorted out the motor and running gear for me.” Despite the changes, the Chevy still runs with the original straight-six 216 engine and a three-speed tranny. As for the whitewall tires? “I painted them myself,” Jeremy grinned. “A friend mixed up a special batch of paint for me. I couldn’t afford to bring in new Cokers, so this will do for now. The tires really make the car stand out. It’s got a presence.”

Over the years, Jeremy’s been adding more art to the car whenever he has the time, logging over 120 hours on the project. The Chevy’s now a canvas showcasing everything Jeremy loves—from Ed Roth’s Rat Fink to Von Dutch’s Flying Eye, and even a nod to Iron Maiden. The artwork is a mix of freehand and template work, a true labor of love.

“I started with a layer of silver as the base and then used three different types of black to get the depth I wanted. It’s kind of like I did it in reverse,” he explained. “The outside is basically done. I’ve still got a few things to add to the bonnet and roof. People keep asking if I’m going to put clear coat over it, but I like it the way it is.” 

Next on Jeremy’s list is the interior. He’s already working on some steel door panels and has plans to go wild on the inside, maybe even redoing the seats. But for now? “She’s perfect,” Jeremy says with a satisfied smile.