VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Did Chevy use rubber fender washers?

Does anyone know if Chevy installed rubber fender washers on the fenders of late 30's cars? Are they legal - do judges like them? Are they a good idea? All the repro houses seem to carry them.

no,no,no and no....They also sell rubber pads for mounting the head and tail lights are they are not "legal" either.

The head and tail light pads may not be original but they are in the parts book from February 1941 as part 2.544 head light pad and 2.660 tail light pad. They even indicate that the pad on 33-36 headlights was fibre.

Maybe they didn't have them on the cars in the show rooms that year but this is enough evidence to use them on the cars.

Brian

My understanding is a blackish gasket was used under the headlight stantions but not the rubber pads with the rib sticking up around the outboard edge of the stantion.

In the parts book the tail light is called out as rubber.

Maybe the shape was a little different but it still had a pad.

Brian

All models had a pad-most were fiber-some rubber-but they could not be seen when the part (bracket or lamp) was installed.The ones the vendors sell have a thick flange around the outter edge that is very un-original.One exception that comes to mind is the rubber pad for the 1937-39 accessary fender lights....also I was refering to a 1939 as that is what I assume 39chevyaker has.

Whoops. Guess I have to take off the tail light pads after the car is finally painted. 'Course, I could just cut away the rubber that shows. Sure hate to mar the new paint though.

Doc

Very enlightning... I'm worrying about fender washers and never thought about the box of new rubber light pads I bought.

And then a long dark shadow falls, My 1940 town sedan used steel fender washers, about 1" dia, backed up by one lock washer. Fender welting was installed after all painting was completed. I think I am right on this. Chevgene is absolutely right about my front headlights, front parking light, rear taillights, Fibre or rubber, no gasket material is visible. Exception is rear license plate light tower--- junction to trunk lid has a flanged rubber gasket. Sorry if I further muddied the waters!!!! Chevy40

No, I think the water is running again, there were pads, probably rubber. Did they have an edge? I porsonally have never seen any original pads without edges and I'm not old enough to say from experence. So you have to rely on other people's memory here and cut off the edges to be absolutely correct.

Considering that most of the replacement gasekets and spacers I have bought have not been exactly like the parts that came off the car, I'm not to worried about the edge.

The fender welting is the gasket for the fender to body joint. I'm sure after looking at the fender welting you buy today, it's not the same as the type you had originally but it looks the same. I used it also.

Brian

The license plate light on a 1939 has a rubber flanged gasket also.
Tail lamps on the 1941-48 also.