1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster

1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster Frame-Off Restoration with LS V8 Swap and Code 504 Chassis


Why This Car Is Special

The 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster occupies an interesting place in postwar American automotive history. When the war ended in 1945, American manufacturers scrambled to resume civilian production. Chevrolet returned with a lineup that was largely unchanged from the prewar 1942 models the tooling had been mothballed, not scrapped, and GM put it right back to work. The result was a line of cars that carried distinctly prewar styling into a country hungry for anything on four wheels. The Stylemaster was the entry-level series in the 19461948 Chevrolet lineup, positioned below the Fleetmaster, and it sold in large numbers precisely because demand far outpaced supply in those early postwar years.

The body style on this particular car is the two-door business coupe or sport coupe configuration low, rounded, and defined by the sweeping fastback-influenced roofline and pontoon fenders that Chevrolet used throughout the mid-to-late 1940s. It is a silhouette that has aged well and continues to attract serious builders. This 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster has been taken well beyond its original form. The frame-off restoration completed in 2023 replaced the original underpinnings entirely, substituting a 1998 Chevrolet S-10 chassis using a Code 504 conversion a well-established method in the pro-touring and restomod community that gives a prewar or early postwar body modern geometry, power steering, and front disc brakes without resorting to a fully custom fabricated frame. What sits on that chassis is a comprehensively sorted machine: a GM 5.3L LM7 LS V8 with a Brian Tooley Racing camshaft, a rebuilt and upgraded 4L60E automatic transmission, a two-tone tan and cream leather interior, and a matte black exterior finish that lets the restored chrome do the talking.

This is a driver-grade restomod built to be used, not trailered.


Features List

Engine and Drivetrain:
- GM 5.3L LS (LM7) V8
- Brian Tooley Racing NSR camshaft
- New lifters, timing chain, oil pump, water pump, sensors, and gaskets
- TrailBlazer SS intake manifold
- 90mm throttle body
- 36 lb/hr fuel injectors
- High-flow conical air filter
- Braided stainless fuel lines
- High-output GM alternator
- FiTech Ultimate LS engine and transmission controller

Transmission:
- Rebuilt GM 4L60E 4-speed automatic
- Upgraded internals for higher torque capacity
- 2,600 RPM stall converter
- Custom driveshaft

Chassis and Suspension:
- 1998 Chevrolet S-10 chassis, Code 504 conversion
- Power steering
- Front disc brakes
- Rear drum brakes
- Lowering springs and shocks
- PowerTrax No-Slip locking differential
- CalTracs traction bars
- Upgraded differential cover

Cooling and Exhaust:
- Aluminum radiator
- Electric cooling fan with Flex-a-Lite adjustable controller
- Auxiliary transmission cooler
- Custom stainless dual exhaust with catalytic converters

Interior:
- Custom two-tone tan and cream leather upholstery
- Front and rear bench seats
- Front and rear seat belts
- Custom headliner
- Dash clock
- Restored original Chevrolet steering wheel
- Black carpet

Exterior:
- Matte black finish
- Restored chrome grille and bumpers
- Original Stylemaster chrome badges
- Chrome rocker panel trim
- Dual chrome exterior mirrors
- Black steel wheels with chrome baby moon hubcaps
- Cooper Cobra Radial G/T tires


Mechanical

The engine in this 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster is a GM 5.3L LM7 V8 the iron-block LS variant that came in full-size GM trucks and SUVs from 1999 through the mid-2000s. The LM7 is one of the most popular LS swap candidates in the country because of its widespread availability, iron block durability, and strong factory output. This one has been built beyond sto