Paul Sheridan's 1947 Chevy Convertible (from Volume 12, Issue 134) Palm Bay resident Paul Sheridan has owned this 1947 Chevrolet convertible since 1970, when he bought it while stationed in Colorado Spring, Colorado. It was purchased from an Air Force friend of his that was stationed in North Dakota, so he flew there and drove it home. That made Paul the third owner of the car, and while it was still in original condition he drove it across the country at least a couple of times as he was stationed in various parts of the country. Paul told us it wasn’t a bad cruiser....as long as you weren’t in a real big hurry and not looking for a lot of comfort. After spending a number of years in a barn in upstate New York the car was brought to Florida (luckily just shortly before the barn collapsed). Paul then redid the car as an original, and brought the car back to New York state where, a short time later, the engine blew (so much for the Babbitt pounder). A couple of years later Paul again brought the car to Florida, but this time decided to create a good looking, driveable street rod. Six years later, this is the result. Power is now provided by an LT-1 engine, which is nicely dressed and coupled to a 4L60 automatic transmission. Other updates include a Mustang II front end, Camaro rear end, sway bars front and rear, lowered ride height all around, power disc brakes, power windows, power top, power trunk, air conditioning, 10 disc CD stereo system and cruise control. Body modifications included a shaved hood, deck and doors, pie cutting the hood for a sleeker look, molded-in fenders, and routing the exhaust out the side through bow tie shaped tips located just in front of the rear tires. The headlights and taillights were also frenched, the license plate recessed, an inset third brake light and retractable back-up lights. Inside you’ll find a center console that was fabricated by Paul’s friend Toby Anten of West Melbourne, who unfortunately did not live to see the finished project. Lots of aftermarket billet items found their way into the interior, and Pete’s Upholstery in Melbourne took care of stitching the leather upholstery and canvas top. We all know it takes a lot of friends to complete a project like this. For Paul that included getting the car built and painted at the Patrick Air Force Base Auto Hobby Shop. Plus, it would have never been finished without the help of his friend Bob Erb, who is a superior fabricator, welder, painter, electrician, designer, and all around gear head. They say that life is a journey and not a destination, and I guess the same applied to Paul and his ‘47 Chevy. Over the last 30 years it has taken on several looks and has been used in a variety of ways...but in the end the journey has always been filled with miles and miles of smiles. CN