VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 bumper jack

38's were so good they didnt need a jack.
Tony

Thanks to Gene again we have a scan of the GM universal jack. I'm glad this thread started. I was always under the impression that the hook on the end attached to the bumper itself and was concerned about damaging the chrome. Now I see they were intended to jack against the bracket instead. Thanks to all who helped educate this old fat man.

Very interesting...And Made in Canada!.....ED1938

Chevegene....I just noticed you asked if I can send you some pics of my jack. Will do today..got to get my Daughter-in-law to get them on the computer...I'll send them to you in a PM and possibly you get get them on this Forum for me? (at's way beyond this old man!) I'll learn some day.....thx.. Billu38

I'll help you. Send me the photos you want posted on the forum. Anything private send to someone on email. I do it all the time. A photo is worth a hundred words.

wawuzit@comcast.net

Thanks Steve,...as soon as the Grandkids find all the Easter eggs I'll get some photos! Billu38

Bill,
You don't really need to send the photos. That's because I have finally figured out this here riddle of the phantom 1938 bumper jack. (Read on.)

There is no bumper jack that is unique to the 1938. You see, the 1938 was just another 1937. Owing to the 1937 being such a neat, good looking and reliable car the executive board at Chevrolet met and discussed what to do about the 1938 model year. (Keep reading.)

Some wanted a hybrid incorporating the benefits of the 1937 with the radical change forecast for the 1939. So as to not belabor the points made during the melee that took place at the board meeting (name calling, tossed water bottles, toupees askew, etc, let's just say that the consensus was to just give the 1937 a minor facelift, i.e., with the most radical change being a change from vertical grille bars to horizontal ones but fewer of them (I think, I haven't counted them).

Now pay attention: this is important to the thread.
One of the engineers at the board meeting asked about changing the bumper jack just to help identify the model as something new. He was shot down. No, not "shouted down" but the other one. After that, no one else had any comments so the proposal went forward from there. Did too!

Accordingly, the 1938 is just another 1937 with a different serial number, and grille, but no other significant changes from the 1937. They even used the same, really nice looking, by the way, hubcaps!

See?
Charlie

BTW: Since there has been about a bazillion posts on this subject with no unique 1938 bumper jack identified, my theory, even offered as nothing more than tongue in cheek, would seem as good as any others. At least as of this post.

Same with my '47...It's NEVER had a FLAT...Wouldn't DARE...!

Billu38 photos.

41specialdeluxes, or is that ...deluxe's, story is all hokum! They didn't have water bottles in 1937, at least not the kind one would take in a boardroom because bottles all had nipples in those days!!
By the way; is that a "real" '38 jack in the latest photos posted by wawusit? Beamer

Story is all hockum.
Don't know about the bumper jack but it looks like a 37 to me.
Charlie

My jack looks just like the 37 jack but doesn't have the screw piece and the base plate (that sits on the ground) has an indent instead of a hole and the bottom of the jack shaft has a rounded end instead of the small post. Is that a 36 or a 39 or some other year? Or do we need photos?

Brian

Yes, photos wold help

Here are some shots of the jack.







Hopefully this will give you a good idea about the jack.

Thanks,
Brian

Wawuzit has posted the photos of my jacks on Sun. 1:15PM..post #239294..thanks Steve..a few comments about them..the round Universal one is identified as "Auscolift" of St. Joseph Mich. The other is what I think is a 37/38...it has the pointed bolt, the base has a 9/16 in. thru-hole and the rack has a small ball on each side of the rounded bottom, 180 degrees apart. What I don't know is if someone added the spring shown in the end view of the ratchet mechanism.???? thx..Billu38

This jack is just like mine. Wawuzit posted photos of my jack for me earlier in this thread and Chevgene ID'd it as a '39. Beamer

Though they be "correct" for certain cars, those jacks with the round bottoms and dimples in the plates look like accidents begging for a chance to happen. Carry them for looks, but use something a bit safer for actually jacking up the car!

Beamer,

They're close but not the same. Yours doesn't have the rivets under the sleeve where you insert the handle to crank it up but mine does, the main support shaft on yours is square tubing with a cap on the base end while mine is an I beam with a formed base, and your has rivets on the side of the jacking mechanism and there are none on mine.

To be honest, I don't think mine is for a chevy but could be something from another manufacturer. Just wanting to know what it is, maybe it's the only known surviving jack from a 33 Duesenburg...

Brian

Richard,

The base doesn't seem to be an issue since the weight of the vehicle will hold it in place. The jacking mechanism is the weak link and if that is worn or damaged could be a hazard. I've used mine to test the mechanism but still would only use it if all else fails.

Brian

Jacks often got switched around when the cars were traded in. Some owners would keep the jack and when the car was sold the dealer would swipe a jack out of another used car if the customer demanded a jack.

More jack pics courtesy of Gene.

Well, that's interesting. The photo jack has a trapezoidal tube shaft while the pictures on the jack tag have an “I” beam shaft. Based on the evidence, the “I” beam style jack shaft would seem to be more correct than the mechanical tubing design.

Brian

I should have mentioned that the tag is NOT for thr production jack but for the universal jack.

I remember taking that picture of the 1939 jack with their owners, Gene and Carol. It just seems like yesterday.....

dtm

DTM,
You took a great picture.
Charlie

It doesn't appear that Gene and Carol even blinked when the powder flash went off. Just saying.