Jimmie Wolf's 1939 Chevy

Jimmie Wolf’s 1939 Chevrolet is a picture of serenity, but when he flips the ignition, its 520-horsepower V-8 jumps to life with a rumble that shakes the ground. When he hits the throttle, the engine erupts with instant fury.

 Wolf, a pipefitter for 28 years at the General Motors Fairfax plant, is a tall, soft-spoken enthusiast who lets his car do the talking. He lives in Leawood.

 When I asked Wolf if he was like his car — quiet on  the outside but powerful inside — he chuckled and answered wryly, “Yeah, I guess I’m full of spunk.”

 Ken Billings, of Liquid and Powdercoat Finishes in Kansas City, built Wolf’s car, and he confirms that Wolf is “definitely full of spunk.”

 Why did Wolf choose a ’39 Chevy for a street rod? “I’m a Chevy guy,” he said, “and I just like the look of that year.” Wolf is such a Chevy guy, Billings said, that he had to persuade Wolf to use Ford parts such as the Mustang II front end and 9-inch Ford rear axle.

 It took Billings more than two years to complete the car. He removed the body, reinforced the frame and built the interior. Custom touches include leaded-in drip rails on the roof, a one-piece stainless steel grille designed by Billings’ son Mark, and windows that have been filled so the glass fits flush. The top looks chopped, even though it isn’t. The top of the hood opens electrically.

 Yancy Automotive in Smithville built the engine, which is a 350 Chevy bored out to 383 cubic inches. The GM automatic transmission has a B&M shifter.

 Wolf’s Chevy looks low and mean, in part because of the one-piece grille. The Candy Apple Wine paint that looks a yard deep costs $1,300 a gallon. Billings used an electrostatic paint sprayer that makes metallic particles stand on end.

 Wolf said he had his Chevy built to be a show car, and it received a second-place trophy at last year’s World of Wheels car show.

 The real beauty of Wolf’s car is the subtlety of its detailing. It gets your attention without being gaudy, and that’s just like its owner.