VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1938 Master Deluxe vs Master 85

Please tell me the difference between the 1938 Master Deluxe VS Master 85. I have a chance purchase a decent Master 85 4 door for $16.5k and have been educated somewhat by vcca members-mostly Mario
1. Master 85- front axle
2. Master 85- minimal chrome
3. Different gear ratio
4. Master 85- fixed quarter windows
5. Master deluxe-independent shocks up front
6. Rear window shade
7. ???
Thank you
PS Is $16.5k fair for a good original conditioned car
Thank you
Michael

PS I SOLD MY 38 over a year ago, bought a 60 impala and realized I prefer the 30s so I sold the 60 impala and intend on buying another 30s Chevy but 4 door this time

No Master 85 in '38. Master or Master Deluxe. The differences I know about are the front axle, rear axle ratio and trim pieces.

Mario mentioned knobs alps are brown.
Thank you
Keep you posted

Master were brown MD were ivory.

You get a heat gauge in the MD!

oh no, you don't know you Master is overheating until you see steam coming from your engine compartment? That is a bummer. I am going to have to install temp, oil pressure gauges, hidden of course somehow. my MD had a temp gauge, always worried that she was overheating

In 1937 the temp gauge was an option in the master, my '37 Master has one. I imagine that '38 was the same. They fit right in the gauge cluster.

Other Master Deluxe features:
Door switch to turn on interior dome light
Passenger arm rest
Right tail light
Ash tray
Rear metal leaf spring covers
Worm and roller sector steering gear with a slower ratio (easier to steer)
Rubber covers on Brake and clutch pedals
Starterator
I do not know if the rear shocks were double acting.
Master Deluxe had the 4.22 rear axle. Accelerated better but not as good for traveling at 60 mph.

If you want an honest opinion, that price seems high unless it is a great award winning car. I strongly recommend that you shop 3 to 5 other similar cars before you make your decision. Just look at the ads in the latest G&D as a starting point.

16.5k in my opinion is high. How high, I haven't a clue.

Here's the thing that may make a difference to you:

a. Is this the best bang for the buck?

b. Do I really want a "bottom of the line" car?

c. Will I be ashamed to be seen in it? Pride in ownership can be had only if you spring for a few more bucks and buy a 41 SD coupe or any year Fleetline. (check out the Fleetline owners association.
Membership qualification is a tough process. It means you must have a tux. The process of application for membership can be helped if you a PHD, old money, superior command of proper english, a trophy wife or girlfriend and a long nose and acceptable use or the "pinkee" when sipping tea tea , among a sundry list of other things.) Traversing the membership gauntlet can be right maddening. That's why members act the way they do. Yep!

d. Is it appealing to women? Importance of this item may have a direct relationship to your age but not to whether or not you are married. . For some, anyway.

e. Will I be tempted to modify or personalize it? The instant car will stand up and beg to be street-rodded. Well, not in everycase but, nontheless, it will serve as a good prompt for you to start asking yourself "what can I do to make this critter better." Will too!

If you answer positively to any of the above questions then you may want to keep looking. Think 41 or Fleetline.

Best,

Charlie

Since selling my 38, I did not renew my prescription. 4 doors 30s Chevys on the west coast go for much more than anywhere. She looks like an 82 year. At that was taken decent care of. A show quality would go for 25-30 in my opinion. Beautiful 35 Master Deluxe with full restoration then put in storage for years, they are asking 27k. I would buy her if I had the funds. San Fran Bay Area Craigslist

Anything fitting a 36-39 4 door on membership ads?

Rusty
If you find one in show condition or even close for that price range, I will buy it this weekend. I will fly there and have it shipped home. I see nothing available to start with and what I see is a wreck at best. Questionable 39 Master Deluxe 4 door in Craigslist Maryland but owner doesn’t respond and he wants 15k. I’ll wait til tomorrow to see what you come up with.i think the 30s 4 doors are getting harder and harder to find, especially in nice drivable condition. A guy was selling a 39 Master Deluxe in the San Fran Bay Area Craigslist for $35k and she needed a new interior and paint job to start with, she had a 235, peckat visor, banjo steering wheel which adds up to around 6k worth of stuff but that still leaves a tired 39 going for 29k that needs restoration

Our opinions of pricing are just that: opinions. .

And asking price is exactly that: asking price.

What counts is the transaction price.

I will agree that 30’s cars are getting harder to find. Likewise there are fewer people interested in owning 30’s cars.

That is why it is a called a market. Supply and Demand.

I appreciate the advice based on actual samples. If I saw a 36-39 Chevrolet 4 door in very good condition going for 16.5k, I would have already bought it. I havent seen one over the months of looking that fall in that category. This leads to November 6, 2020, nothing available in that category even in the 20k-30k range. Again, there is a 1935 Master Deluxe 40 year ago full restoration then stored for 27k which i think is low but what do i know.

****If someone has a 36-39 Chevrolet 4 door in very good condition willing to sell to me for in the 16k range, please let me know or else I will probably be buying the 38 tomorrow unless I find rust.

Thank you Gents
Michael

https://vermont.craigslist.org/cto/d/hardwick-1940-chevrolet-deluxe-original/7211700355.html Maybe you need to move uo a year. I have not seen a decent 35-39 for sale in my area for a long time and any that are for sale have been rodded.

Note that a 1936 is completely different from a 1937 and up. It still has the wood rienforced body, three main bearing engine and othere old style parts that were replaced by a more modern drive line in 1937.
Not suited for freeway speeds.

That’s a very good point. Was thinking of changing tranny and rear end to enable the 35-36 to go in the highway. I think this is what many folks do to get to events if backroads and streets don’t link.

So changing out the tranny and rearend of a 36 would not be easy. You would probably end up changing the engine too just to make it work. All that changes with the 37.

35 talk is all mute now. I am picking up the 38 Master, she is beautiful but needs the interior redone.

Congratulations! Sounds interesting and a good project.

So time to renew your VCCA membership!

Solafied I sent you a PM.

Congratulations! Can’t wait for the photos!