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Ken Leonard | all galleries >> Galleries >> Good Guys Del Mar Car Show 2005 Vol. #1 > 1937 Nash Lafayette 400 - Click on image for more info
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04/02/2005 Copyright 2005 Ken Leonard

1937 Nash Lafayette 400 - Click on image for more info

Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA

Nikon Coolpix 8700
1/352s f/6.6 at 17.8mm iso50 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Guest 26-Oct-2020 18:34
My first car was a 37 LaFayette which I bought for $80.00 in 1953. I traded it in that same year, ago but would love to locate another one. bakerjames08@gmail.com
jim smith 09-Jun-2017 19:12
where is the Vin on the 1937 Nash 400 lafayette
Darrell 14-Aug-2015 13:44
The copper colored oval tag was probably the Seaman Body tag. It was located on the right side outside just in front of the right front door lower corner of base of the cowl. Seaman Body Co, Milwaukee, WI then was a wholly owned subsidiary of Nash Motors
Ryan 22-Mar-2010 15:23
Your car is awesome, it has inspired me to do the same type of restoration to mine. I have a 1938 Lafayette 2-door sedan. The car is in amazing shape but the person who owned it before me took out the engine, and transmission and junked them. I am in the process of installing a 350 and 700r4. I can't find much info on these. Last week I was at a car show, talking to a few guys and asked about my car. They advised me to scrap it, told me Nash is junk and not worth fixing. I assume they are talking about the later Nash, they probably have never seen a Lafayette. I have found alomst everything I need except for headlights. Any advice on where to find them?
Gene 17-Jan-2010 18:23
I have a piece for A Lafayette Nash for sale.
Its a Copper colored oval with an extended cross shape at the bottom
with Lafayette Nash on it and it has a very nice sparkly cameo of Lafayette.
I'm guessing it decorated the inside or maybe a hood ornament. Can you advise?
Thanks Gene ragnar.2@live.com
Guest 13-Nov-2009 23:42
I am restoring a 1937 Nash LaFayette 400 (restorod) and would like to talk to someone about the hood hinge area, aparently a chromed device with an emblem. any info would be much appreciated. 870-819-1778
Denis Stoddard 11-Jun-2009 02:14
My dad owned a 1937 Nash Lafayette and when the engine wore out dropped a 1950 Nash Ambassador engine into it. My older brother inherited the car when my dad bought a 1950 Nash Ambassador. I then learned to drive via the LaFayette and it became my car during my teenage years. My dad, brother and I used to sleep in the "bed" on trips to our mountain property in California. The bed was created by moving the front seat bottom into the back seat floor and then lifting the back of the back seat to reveal the trunk space. The truch floor was plywood. During world war two we had a black pull down shade in the back window for air raid drills in California. Thanks for the memories.
james o. smith 08-May-2009 20:13
my dad had a 37 at the start of WW2, he could not get tires or gas. we put it in a old garage in the country, covered it with blanketa and moth bals, we would ride out every month for 5 yrs. taking care of these things. the war eneed and we got the car out in spring of 46, new brakes, tune-up, fresh gas, new battery and it started. when i got married in 49 my dad gave me the car, i drove it till 55 and traded it in on a 46 chrysler club cpe. many good trips and enjoyment . Jim Smith Pgh.Pa.
Carl 14-Nov-2008 03:27
Really great looking car. Like the wheels. Did you do the headlight modification to sealed beams? What kit? Hagan? I had a kit from the old days but had to make two buckets from the many that I had and then figure out how to put the chrome rings back on the forward edge. Thanks for the picture .

I own a 1937 Laf 3710 sn 10001 that is now a street rod. I had another 3710 and a 4 door I think it was a 3713. The one that I now own has several things that were not on the other cars. Things that were chromed die cast items are polished aluminum on this car. The sun visors are 1.5 inches shorter than the other two.

Fyi the fenders and hood are shorter than the Amb car. I got to measure all three cars for several years while the project was underway. I would have restored the car except that it was a failed project that I bought and corrected the original failures. It has a C4 Corvette susprnsion both front and rear. The car weighs 3460 pounds which is about 320 less than the corvette donor car. Handles, stops, goes better than the donor.

I have researched and worked with this thing since the early 90's and figured out that there are werry few people who really KNOW about these cars. One of my cars had a sway bar on the front axle that caused a bunch of conversation.
joe 12-Nov-2008 20:30
i owe a 1937 model 3710 which seems to be rare i cant find any info on please email me laserboyjoe@yahoo.com thanks joe
Guest 19-Jun-2008 20:52
My dad bought a Lafayette new in 1937. This is the car in which I learned to drive. In 1947 after the war I worked with my dad in tearing down the engine. We had 115,00 miles on it and since dad was a skilled auto mechanic he felt it was time to open her up. A great car. We put on another 15,00 and then traded it in on a 1946 Nash in 1949.
Ken Leonard29-Oct-2007 21:13
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Ken Leonard29-Oct-2007 01:03
Eddie

Rick Johnson has provided us with just about as much as I know about this car. Cannot recommend any books. I did find a short blub here on the car however:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaFayette_Motors

Ken
EDDIE 28-Oct-2007 23:38
WHERE CAN I GET BOOKS AND /OR INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS 1937 NASH ?
Rick Johnson 06-Apr-2005 17:55
1937 Nash Lafayette. The Lafayette was first introduced by Nash as a separate marque in 1934 as a low price alternative during the Great Depression. The car never achieved the sales success Nash had hoped. In 1937 it ceased to be a separate marque and was merged into Nash as the entry level "Lafayette 400" series. It was distingished from the senior Nash line via a slighltly different grille treatment and a different hood ornament. In 1937 Nash did achieve its highest production level of the decade.
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