VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Forum Questions Activity

This is the first time I have noticed that I am the only member on the Forum, with 17 Lookie Loo's and 11 Spiders or Bots online.

Like you Ray I am here with 18 lookie loo's and 10 spiders. I doubt we are on close to the same time.
Tony

I too have noticed the waning activity from time to time.
Hope it's only because of Summertime activities with the old Chevys.

I am sure summer has a lot to do with it..I will say though,there has been a large drop in activity in the 46-48 forum?I personnly have had assumed new business challenges over the last 6 months and extra time has been sparse at best..Hopefully retirement will come knocking soon!!I took off today for the Greenwood car show,the bigest in Seattle over 1 1/2 miles of cars in normal attendance,but the RAIN has kept me in the garage..
I see Charlie and BackRoads in attendance presently..3 others I do not know,31 Lookie Loo's and 17 Spiders

Also where is Beamer? Have not seen him around for some time.

I would say there is a prety good list of guys who have not been around in a while

Beamer was on this site just two days ago on June 26th.

Good to hear

Guess nobody misses me...I've been busy...Fallen out of the habit of checking in every day...Out in the "sticks" with no computer will do that...

Kevin,you,Russell,Dale and a few others,were whom I was refering to..46-48 is not the same without the secific knowlege and of course the well needed humor once and a while

Must be a nice day everywhere.........only 5 members online at 6:00 pm eastern.

I've been in the middle of a kitchen & bath remodel for roughly two months (we work slow). I've been out of the Chevy scene this season and regret it, but life happens. I'm hoping to get out more later this summer and post more here as time allows. On the plus side, the '47 hasn't required anything but an oil change this year.

Without a good hearted friend to poke fun at, it just is not any fun. Really miss the enjoyment of the past few years!

Russell,poke all the fun you want,we are gluttons for abuse

So how's the car doing these days, Russell...? No problems I hope...Kevin

Must being doing well,no questions for the chat

Got to be something...Do what I do when I get bored...Just make up something...Try to "stump" the experts...Just kidding...lol

Well, If 41s and 42s were in the forum with the 46-38 there would be a heap more activity. There is no reason that 41s and 42 should be stuck in a chronologically ancient junk yard with the lacks of 37-40s. It's downright embarrassing and discriminatory. It's like having to kiss you sister. (That may not always apply in eastern Kentucky or WV, though.)

I have tried to get this changed before but none of the high order of potentates will listen to me. It's like talking to a turnip.

One of the reasons we have such little traffic is that we have beat the bushes trying to flush out any new questions only to find that everything has already been discussed ad nausea. Sort of like asking your more elderly neighbor to tell you one more time about all their ailments.

Heres a couple questions:

a. Why did Chevrolet use a 4:11 differential for so long?

b. Why did they use Huck brakes so long?

c. Why did the G-ment start using good ol' ethanol?

d. Why did folks start referring to the Chevrolet propeller as a Bow-tie?

e. Why doesn't the club recognize the wisdom of my suggestion to move 41 and 42 and make it the 1941 -48 Forum? Is it because the 37s and 38s will squeal like jealous little sisters denied going to the teen party and mom and pop then telling you that you have to take them along or no body is a-going?

When I get I charge of this here outfit there's a-gonna be some changes made. You bet chum, Red Ryder!

Charlie

Reply to a....why did Cherolet use the 4.11 for so long?
It just worked well with the 216 engine in the pre Interstate days. The cars had good high gear power for climbing hills or city driving. Would run at 65 MPH all day. You could run it up to 85 MPH for short stretches which few owners did.
Up to 1950 you could order the car from the factory with a 3.73 ratio if you lived in the flat lands or like to cruise at 70 MPH. Consumer Reports recommended this option if you did a lot of high speed driving. After the Power Glide came out with the 3.55 ratio the Power Glide Chevrolet was rcommended by them for a high speed driving low priced car.
In the 1949-1954 range both the 6 cylinder Pontiac and Oldsmobile 6 (49& 50) came with a 4.11 with standard transmission. Small Buicks used a 4.44 and 4.11. For other "low priced cars" Ford had a 3.73 in 1949-1951 and and 3.90 in 1952-54. The majority of Plymouths a 3.90. Studebakers, big Nash and Hudson a 4.11. Small Nash a 4.44.
So you can see a 4.11 was rather common.
And the Chevrolet dropped to 3.70 in 1953 when it put a 235 in stick.
Now if Chevrolet would have made an overdrive available in the 4.11 years it would have been a perfect option. Pryor to 1955 Chevrolet talked down the overdrive says it would take X number of miles to pay for its self and wasn't necessary. They just didn't want to pay Borg Warner the royalities for the use of their product.

Now Huck Brakes is another story.
By 1949 they should have changed over and Chevrolet was the only maker to use them. There again probably a royality thing and if the could save a buck a car and that would be a milllion dollars a year.

Charlie -

While I have no answers to your questions, I did enjoy reading your ranting (or were you raving?) :-)

Gene -

You mean I can really be driving my '48 at 65 mph??? I've been hesitant to drive for long highway stretches at over 55-57 mph - worried about my babbitt failing on me. Cousin Dave would really appreciate it if I'd kick it up a bit on these long trips to get to Central Meets or 6-Cylinder tours.

Back then the speed limit in Wisconsin was 65 MPH and most of our customers drove that fast.
The break-in speed from 300 to 500 miles was 60MPH.
For years I drove my '39 at 65 MPH with 4.22 gears
Go to old car manual site....read Floyd Clymers report on the 1949 Chevrolet.He drove a 1949 wide open for 100 miles on a California dry lake.
Four Chevrolets were entered in the 1950 Mexican Road Race. All four finished. The only make to have all entered cars finish.

I drove my '34 betewwn 55 and 60 for years. The present owner drove it to Colorado and back at those speeds this summer and it had a poorer rod oil system than a 1948.

Heck yes! I have a 1951 Chevrolet with 4:11 gears and I normally drive it on the freeway at 65 MPH with no problems. I have been doing that for decades!

Dale, go ahead and give it a try. If it works out, then come April you can let the top down, go over and hit I-75, and drive that thing down here to middle Georgia.

Remember, if she blows, you can drop in a small block (or big block) AND still be welcome here, now!!

Russell, Russell, Russell.

Too bad I don't have 16" tires (mine is a late '48 with 15" tires). It would probably save me a few RPMs.

Hmmm - 6 cylinder tour in September is in Verona, NY. 350 miles away. Direct route is I-90. May have to see how she does.

I suppose you can really drive a 216 with the 4:11 gears but here's the rub: You have to ignore the sound of the seemingly high revolutions that tell your ear that you are exceeding safe RPM and/or a mental redline.

There is no cure for this except wads of cotton or custom made ear plugs. I remember that right after flying piston engined aircraft all day my 41 Town Sedan ran really quit on the way home. Speeding right along didn't cause me any anxiety during such runs - until my normal hearing returned.

Right now I can't hear so good and still it bothers me when I get the 41 coupe above 45 or so. It makes so much noise that it seems the pistons want to swap holes and all the other parts go a-flying in different directions. Stressful. Last time I pushed it hard it erased a section of the timing gear. That acerbates the caution factor even more.

Charlie

Hey Charlie, Maybe if you had a 3.73 rear end like my stock '37 Master you could keep up with it! Seriously, I can't tell a great deal of difference between it and my '48 Fleetline with 15" tires. (not sure what ratio the '48 has)

The 15" wheels in 1948 is NOT an early/late thing. The 15" wheels with low pressure tires were an option. The low pressure tires were much fatter and were designed to improve riding quality. 24 pounds of air was all that was required.
the tires used by GM were the US Royal Air Ride, The Firestone Super Baloon and the Goodrich Low Pressure.
Engine RPM"s were almost the same.
All 1948 Plymouths had low pressure tires (Good Year Super Baloons).
1948 Fords used regular 6.00X16 tires. In 1949 and 1950 Ford still used a 16" tire with the 15" low pressure optional.
The 1948 Chevrolet Engineering Features shows the advantages of the low pressure tire.
The disadvantages were they wore out faster, squealed more in n, etc and steering was slightly harder for parking. Most owners inflated them to 26 or 28 pounds (cold)

A 1937 Master with the 3.73 will not sound any better at high speeds than the 1948 with the 4.11. This is due to the larger, noiser fan blade used with the factory 3.73 gears. The better insulation used in 1948 may have helped also.

I agree! I think the improved insulation etc. was a big factor in the sound and vibrations transmitted.

It's usually not a good thing to disagree with Gene, so I'm treading lightly here. :-) I had come to the conclusion that the 15" tires were a late '48 addition for a couple reasons. When I read the August-September 1948 Chevrolet Dealer News, it talks about the new 6.70-15 low pressure tires. I just always thought this was their introduction to the dealer network. My rationale was supported in my mind since I can't find any evidence in my April 15, 1948 Master Parts Catalog that 15" tires were an option yet. No speedometer gears for passenger cars with 15' wheels (Group 4.337). Only 16" wheels available for passenger cars (Group 5.803). Based on that, I jumped to the conclusion that late in the model year, they introduced the 15" tires...

Just looked at my 48 spec pack and it shows 16 x 4.00E and 15 x 5K. Don't know what the letters stand for. I heard the 15's were an option, but don't know when they would be an option. I have my original 16's in the garage. I bought a set of 15's for my 48.

1948 0ption list dated 2-1-48.
Tires with 15" wheels.
6.70x15 4 ply option #287A
6.70x15 6 ply 288A
6.70x15 white wall one side #290A

Page 21 of 1948 Engineering Features(published Jan of 1948.
Regular production options, first item
The selection of regular tire production options has been enlarges for 1948. Newly designed 6.70x15 4 and 6 ply tires may be obtained in conjuction with 15x5K wheels..............almost 1/2 page of description.

1948 production began in Feb. of 1948.

Thanks, Gene! As I said - usually not a good idea to disagree with you. :-)

When you have the first hand experience backed up with Chevrolet literature and take the time to consult both the advice is as close to 100% as humanly possible. Gene is truly a wealth of knowledge and VCCA asset. Proud to have him helping us all better understand Chevrolet history.

Yup.....Gene is the man.

Just remember, if you don't listen to what Gene has to say.........you're probably gonna make a mistake!!!!

Was there ever a point in 1948 production where 15" wheels became standard and not an option?

No....you could have the last 1948 made and if the dealer didn't check the 15" option box on the order it would have 16" wheels.
I would suspect early in the year the dealer didn't understand or know what the option was all about so just did't order the 15" wheels. Also the cheaper Stylemasters would be less apt to have the 15" as it added to the cost of the car.

Seems like a read somewhere that the Fleetline Series in 1948 came standard with 15" wheels. Now I will have to research where I saw that.

Dale - did you run the '48 up to 65 mph ?

We just had the discussion a few weeks ago. The 15" wheels were optional for all models.Just look at the beginning of this thread.

A '48 with 15" wheels will easily run 65 mph. and the engine is not that noisy at that speed.

Yep!

I have enjoyed all of the information relating to tire size for a 1948 Chevrolet. I learned a lot. I guess that the only thing left to do is for me to challenge Cousin Dale to drive 65 mph and try to keep up with me at the Six Cylinder Tour in New York. I will be the one in the Battleship Gray 40 Coupe driving 65 on the interstate.

dtm

I'll be the guy in the Oxford Maroon '48 driving 57 mph. :-)

Dale just put a tow rope between cousin Dave's and yours so you can follow at 65 mph. Will save a bunch of gas to boot.

I look a it this way. If the car can maintain 57 MPH whats few more miles per hour...and drive 65.