Roadster Shop Teams Up with Harold Chapman to Create a 1937 Cord Restomod
In its day, the Cord 812 was one of the most advanced automobiles in the world. Designed by Gordon Buehrig, it had front-wheel drive, independent front suspension, and retractable headlights operated by hand cranks. Its signature coffin-nose front end became an Art Deco icon. Fewer than 3,000 were ever produced.
Harold Chapman and a good friend of his bought this ’37 Cord phaeton at an auction and, as is often the case, the car’s condition didn’t reveal itself until they got it home. The body was okay, but the engine was seized, and although this is one of the most beautiful cars ever built, it’s as obsolete mechanically as an old racehorse milling around in the back forty.
Harold’s Texas-based shop, Customs and Hot Rods of Andice, was booked solid, so he sent the car to the wizards at Roadster Shop for a fresh perspective. They saw potential in the body’s heavy-gauge inner rockers and the tall, flat under-body structure. After 3D scanning the entire car, they cut the original unibody out and discovered that the shell could receive a modern foundation with surprisingly little fuss.
A new RS Fast Track rear-drive chassis was welded in, returning the car to a unibody structure, only now with modern integrity. A one-inch tubular inner structure ties the cowl, quarters, and sheet metal together, eliminating the shake and rattle that define most early cars.
The old 289c.i. Lycoming flathead engine was catapulted into oblivion and replaced with a Harrop-blown, 650hp GM LT4 V8 inhaling through a 3D-printed aluminum intake. Instead of a traditional transmission, the team placed a Bowler-built 8L90 Corvette transaxle in the rear, connected by a lengthened C7 torque tube that allows the car to keep its rear seat while gaining modern balance and handling.
Buehrig’s perfect sheet metal remains unmolested, with only a stylistic nudge here and there. Turn signals are hidden inside the bumper corner caps as small LED units, and the old headlight hand cranks were electrified to reveal the concealed headlights via a threaded mechanism. One-off wheels from EVOD evoke factory-style steelies in a more pleasing and modern 18-inch size.
Inside, a Dakota Digital cluster was fitted to the factory dash bezel and a PCS push-button shifter was cleverly disguised inside a custom housing, Vintage Air controls live under the dash, and a Rad Rides by Troy tilt column anchors the custom white steering wheel. The distressed oxblood upholstery is simple and sublime, with a lowered seating position to align the driver with the DuVall windshield.
This incredible Cord is another home run from Roadster Shop and a classy street rod for Harold and his wife to cruise the Texas countryside.
Photos: John Jackson, Damon Lee
