Preston Carden Sr.'s '37 Chevy Rules The Streets

When your first job in 1963 is working at the local gas station, it’s easy to see the groundwork for a long path into the automotive world getting its start. For Preston Carden Sr. of Newark, Delaware, the sounds of a hopped-up V-8 was all it took to get his adrenalin flowing. Since the station was in a very busy area near Wilmington there was always a constant flow of the latest iron from Detroit making itself known on the streets, vying to see who would rule the region known as Hot Rod Alley.

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Working alongside many of the area’s top mechanics, it wasn’t long till the older kids brought him to Cecil County Dragstrip to experience the scent of nitro and an endless stream of Gassers, Funny Cars, and ’Rails on a regular basis. That was all it took to propel his tabletop kit model building to the next level. It wasn’t long till he bought his first car, a ’55 Chevy two-door wagon, and from there it was all about high performance and camaraderie with his many hot rod friends.

Over the years many cars passed through the family garage, however Preston always hoped to build a double-duty hot rod that could make an impression on both the street and ’strip. He eventually began a search for an elusive ’37 Chevy coupe he had heard about. Finally, in 1980, a lead led him to a local farm where the former drag car was in a barn serving time as a chicken coop. A deal was made, and the chickens were relocated. The Chevy was pressure washed and hauled back to the family garage to begin its rebirth. The Chevy was pressure washed and hauled back to the family garage to begin its rebirth.