VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Introduction, first purchase

Hello all. I wanted to introduce myself, since I just registered and you'll be seeing a lot of me around here. Today I purchased a '41 4door Fleetline at auction and I'm very excited about restoring it. This is my first "old car." I haven't done a car restoration before, but I have some experience with a tractor and motorcycle.

The car I purchased today looks in fair shape. It will need a paint job, but there's not a terrible amount of rust through. The good news is pretty much all of the knobs, handles, etc. are present and in ok shape. The glass is all present and unbroken. The bad news is that the left rear side was hit some time ago and may have tweaked the frame a bit. All doable, I hope.

The main things missing are the rocker molding strips on both sides. I suspect they don't grow on trees, and the couple of sources I checked seem to start at 1942. If you have a good '41 source, I'd love to hear about it.

My goal is to take my time restoring the car to its original beauty. Nothing fancy, no modifications, and no need for car show quality. Just something to appreciate and preserve for another generation.

Paul

Welcome Paul,

It is real nice when new members introduce themselves and give us a little background on themselves and their project. You will find that we are an awesome resource. We can help you with the names of part suppliers, web sites, what to do first advice, and walk you through all the repairs you can ever imagine. We have posts that go back 11 years, and an index for them that will try your patience but is worth mastering. Hopefully, you will even get to know some of your local VCCA members and find a state chapter to join. Ninety nine percent of us are jealous of you because we can remember the joys we have had learning from our awesome hobby.

My first advice is to learn as much as possible about your car's history. Anything from previous owners to any mechanical work or accidents the car has been in. Try to find when your car's last brake job was done. Is the engine original, and has it ever been rebuilt? Test drive the car with the greatest of care if a complete background is not available. I would do nothing with a car until I had inspected the brakes thoroughly and found all its parts in perfect working condition. That includes a working emergency brake system. Plan on doing only one repair at a time and documenting it well. I use a video camera and pictures. I have over 26 hours of unedited tapes of the repairs I have made on my car.

Purchase a set of 12 ton heavy duty truck jack stands. Being completely safe under a car must be a top concern. I have 4 and today will purchase 2 more to help me work on the underside of my body this winter. The stands can lift the frame about 30 inches. You will never regret spending the money on these tools. Harbor Freight is selling a set of two for $89.00, but don't be surprised to see sets for well over $150.00.

Purchase both the shop manual and body manuals for your year.

Another thing you may not realize is the importance of your family in your new hobby. If they are not supportive you are going to have all kinds of complaints and second guessing through the years. Never take a family member on a ride without being sure the car is in good mechanical condition. Any problem that might occur will be etched in stone in their memories. They will see the car as unsafe, unreliable, etc.. Don't get near an expressway, or drive over 40 miles an hour until you know your car well. A friend had his hood latch fail on an expressway taking his wife on her first ride. The hood ended up blocking there view of the road, and was damaged along with the hinges and top of the firewall. Will she ever feel safe in the car again?

Best wishes, Mike

Welcome!
As the proud owner of a 41 that I just recently completely over 17years, I know that restoring a classic has it's happy times and it's frustrating times. Always remember that in the end, it will all be worth it. My wife tells me that I have a smile on my face everytime I drive my 41...I don't realize it but that's what she said.

There are lots of parts available for the 41. However, there are a few things that will take a while to find. Ebay many times has the hard to find items and you can usually find the rocker mouldings there that you mentioned. Other sources include:

www.chevsofthe40s.com
www.obschevy.com
www.fillingstation.com

There are others that are less known but provide quality products too. Hemmings Motor News has been helpful to me also at www.hemmings.com under their classified ads.

Welcome to the world of classic cars....I hope you got deep pockets

Paul, another welcome from the VCCA here. Thank you for sharing your story about your Fleetline. I'm kind of partial to them, but don't know as much about '41-specific parts. If there's anything you need a hand with, this is the place that provides a wealth of information. The VCCA as a club is a great deal of fun and there's always a tour or a meet to go to. I'd recommend joining and taking in all the organization has to offer. Its well worth for the friendships you make alone. We hope to see you 'around' the chat site in the near future and shout if you need a hand with anything!

Welcome, Paul... Just like Daryl said, for the most fun join up with one of the VCCA Regions, or hit a show or tour! Our magazine, the Generator & Distributor (G&D) kicks butt too! It feels like Xmas comes once a month when it gets to your house!

Paul,

Welcome aboard.

Having chosen to restore a 41 shows that you have real good sense. They have beautiful lines and appointments. You'll be proud to be a 41 owner. You won't be afraid to speak right up when someone asks you what year Chevrolet you own and are restoring. Most owners of the other years just mumble the year if not 41. Do too!

I have been a 41 fan since my first one in 1953, then one in Alaska in 1955-56, another one in 1967, and several more over the years. Right now I have a 1941 Special Deluxe 5-passanger coupe and restoring a 41 Cabriolet. (Please don't ask me how that is going)

I have several old parts for 41, as do many here on Chatter, we'll be able to help in some things you might need. And, our advice is cheap and right on, in most cases.

I believe the 41 Fleetline was the first of the fleetlines and was a beautiful car for a 4-door. It had the special rear door windows and special rear "dash" and the front dash was woodgrained top and bottom. Real elegant. I think I'm right about all that.

Good luck with the frame. If you need to take the body off, see Mike. He's doing that right now and if he doesn't hurt himself he'll know to do it the best way by the time he gets it back together again.

Good luck and stay in touch,
Charlie

Wow, thank you all for the warm welcome! I'm already benefiting from your experience; 30 inch jack stands? I never knew they made them that high. I'll have to check out my local HF.

I've spent the last few days reading and reading. I'm the sort of person who wants to consume the entire internet when embarking on a project. So at least today I can now interpret my factory label. It says 41-1069, which I understand confirms that it is indeed a 41 Fleetline; Body 354, which makes me wonder how many were made in the 41 Fleetline run; Trim (I couldn't read cuz i was out in the middle of the night with a flashlight, but it's the tan cloth interior, and the Paint is the Maroon color.

I'm not wild about the Maroon color. I pulled out the spare tire and saw some relatively unfaded color. I'm interested in seeing this color on a restored car. Maybe it's nicer than I'm giving it credit. Of course, I could paint it another color (I like the blues, but a part of me says follow the paint code.)

I think I'm ok on the frame. I thought it was tweaked because a) some guy at the auction thought it was, b) the left rear fender got whacked in an accident and, c) the front door isn't lined up quite right. Looking more closely today, I think it's just a question of adjusting the hinges on the front door. The rear door is aligned properly.

The license plate on it is from 1952, which makes me wonder if it's been sitting since then. I haven't even thought about turning over the motor, which I suspect will take some unsticking. The mileage is 25xxx. No radio was installed.

Today I cleaned out about 10 pounds of rat turds. Found some old receipts from when the owner would take milk to town to sell, listing the percentage butterfat. I always enjoy thinking about the original owners when I do this sort of thing.

BTW, I did join the VCCA last night, but I haven't gotten a confirmation email or anything. I'll give it another day or two before I try to contact someone.

Oh, and how do you post pics around here?

Thanks again for all your comments. You guys are great.

Paul

Best wishes for a positive experience with your 41 restoration. The hardest part sometimes is trying to project the cost involved and knowing when to be patient and when to "jump" on the items you'll want to get. Just a suggestion on color, original is nice but go with your favorite color for that year and model. The color code on the tag might not match, but you'll be much happier after all the effort it takes to restore an old car. VCCA is THE PLACE for information and help. My old Chevy is a 38, but I do have a nice 41 LaSalle bicycle.

Hi Paul,

I sent you a Personal Message. To read it you must be logged in and click on the blue heading topic "My Stuff" next to the heading "Forum." Select Messages" under the heading to read my message.

Good luck, Mike