PROJECT: 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster

We always have our eyes and ears open for area in-progress builds and one we stumbled upon recently was this 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster. The man behind the machine is Skip Gallagher, who is building this cruiser in his Palatine, IL home garage.

“It had been restored about 12 years ago and so the bodywork was in excellent condition. It was a nice restoration but things were starting to show wear and tear,’ said Skip.

He bought the coupe three years ago in Dixon, Illinois and has since taken the body back off the frame and slid in a Mustang II suspension in the front. A ’57 Chevrolet rear end is installed in back while a 295hp, 5.3l V8 is responsible for propulsion duties.

Skip informed us: “I bought the brand new crate motor from a Chevy dealer out of Tulsa, OK that was going out of business. It’s what you would find in an ’08 Avalanche or Escalade.” A 700R automatic shifts the gears while power steering and power brakes will make for effortless open-road motoring.

The interior is also receiving a major refresh by way of blue leather upholstery, covering late model BMW seats, for the ultimate in posterior comfort.

“The only thing I’m not doing by myself is the interior, which is be farmed out. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to talk my wife into doing that much sewing!’ said Skip.

Three point harnesses will keep the auto enthusiast couple planted firmly in place during moments of spirited driving.

Exterior paint will be a 1967 Pontiac/Buick sourced pale yellow, highlighted with Indigo Blue accents. The color scheme will also carry over into the cabin, tying everything together quite nicely.

Skip expects the whole project to be wrapped up by next spring and just in time for cruising season.

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Check out our photo galley below to see how Skip’s custom coupe is coming along: