Search for family hotrod sold to someone from Emporia

EMPORIA (KSNT) – A man from Mississippi is on the hunt for a hotrod believed to have been sold to an individual in Emporia, Kansas back in the 1970s.

Mike Jarrett was still a youngster when his family owned the car. His dad and uncle used to rebuild cars all the time and the car was sold when he was just old enough to remember it. In 2019, Jarrett’s dad died, sparking a desire to find his family’s old 1931 Chevy Hotrod from his childhood.

Jarrett shared how he was on the hunt for the car with a Facebook page called Lost Muscle Cars in hopes of finding the Hotrod. The Lost Muscle Cars page helped KSNT News contact Jarrett.

The car was sold in Denver Colorado in the late 1970s to a man believed to be from Topeka or Emporia Kansas. The car had been featured in several Hotrod magazines including Rod Action Magazine in 1974. Jarrett said a three-page feature on the car was published in an all Chevrolets book. Jarrett was around 10 years old when his dad sold the car.

“I mean just, the thought of finding it brings tears to my eyes, it was the car my dad built when I was three to five years old.” Jarrett said. “It was the first car I saw my dad build and I’d love to find it.”

Jarrett said he bought a 1931 Chevy because he couldn’t find his dad’s. Over the weekend, Jarrett continued the family tradition by taking his son to a car show where their Chevy took a first-place trophy. “It makes me remember back to those days, but I want my dad’s 31,” Jarrett said.

Jarrett described the car as a gangster-styled sedan with an olive green and translucent flame paint job. There were several notable features to the car: it had at least one fiberglass front fender after one was replaced due to a wreck, had a brushed aluminum dashboard, featured a one-of-a-kind paint job and possibly had a Chevy 350 engine.

A fiberglass mold was made and poured to replace at least one of the front fenders. Jarrett noted the front fiberglass fender because typically the 1931 Chevys had steel fenders and if the car had been repainted it might be a good identifier.

Jarrett said he had a license plate from the car he planned to give the DMV in Denver to see if he could find the VIN number.

If you know where the car is, contact Mike Jarrett at 832-922-2993 or email [email protected].