VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1937 Battery Cover

Hello to all. This is my first posting although I have been registered and viewing all the great information in VCCA Chat for about a year. I have joined VCCA.
The project car is a 1937 Master Coupe (GB) with just over 49,000 miles. The body and interior are in very good condition. Most of my work is to repair and replace items tc get the car running safely again. The car has been sitting for 6 to 8 years. Overall things are going very well and I'm starting to get to some of the finer points. I anticipate I'll become a regular for posting.

So the first question: Can anyone describe the battery cover for this car. The cover I have is a nicely cut piece of plywood and retained by 4 machine screws. Is this correct?

Thanks

Rusty,
Yes, that is correct. The 1938 was the first to have a metal cover. Some say that their '37's have metal but this does not agree with the Chevrolet literature.
Welcome and nice to see that you have joined the VCCA also. :)

I had a '37 Town Sedan that had a manufacture date of April, '37 and was from the Janesville, WI. plant. That car had the metal, snap-in cover and had no provision for the (4) screws.

My present car, a '37 Sports Coupe, has a manufacture date of 12/36 from Tarrytown, NY and has the wood cover.

Would be intresting to hear from other 1937 owners.
Rusty, From your serial number we could determine when you car was assembled.

Hello, folks. My '37 Master, Ol' Satin, has the wooden cover with the screwholes; she was built in March of '37, at Norwood, OH.

Ya know, I never get over what I learn from this place, I've assumed for years that someone had lost the lid and replaced it with plywood. Then, I read a thread here somewhere regarding how the 6 volt battery you get today is a little different-sized from the originial, so I figured someone put the wooden lid on to keep things from getting grounded out (or something?!).

As it turns out, the thing is the way it is, because that's just how they did it in the good ol' days! And that ain't bad; I don't have to go buy a proper replacement...

Thanks to all for the confirmation. Things sure looked correct to me, especially with the threded inserts in the flange of the opening in the floor. Then I started wondering when I would see pictures of a metal cover. Just like Obob I thought my wife's uncle did it to for one of 2 reasons: Either prevent shorting of the terminals of the larger battery or replace the rusted metal cover.

Let's just say that Uncle Jimmy was "frugal". He really loved this car, but he would not spend more than necessary to keep it running. I'm putting in new steel brake lines. In some cases I'm replacing copper ones with nut and ferrule fittings.

The serial number is 14GB01 10032. I'm assuming it was built early in the model year. Based on the information I have found there were about 55,000 coupes built that year.

14=built in Baltimore,Md.
GB=1937 Master
01=assembled in Jan. (production began in Nov 1936)
10032=production sequence number

How did it get to Iowa?

The car belonged to my wife's uncle in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In the fall of 2006 he had to move into assisted living. She went back and bought it at the auction of all his property. We had it shipped here that December.

As best he could remember he bought it sometime in the 1950's from a family that he knew who had owned it since it was new.

edit test

My 37 also had the plywood battery cover. I assumed it was wrong and installed a metal cover instead. Don't do it. The newer batteries are taller, and on a bumpy road, will hit the metal cover, ground out and explode. Been there, done that, wood is back in. Actually wife did it!

Per Pinky Randall, the wood cover is correct for 37.