VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 '51 DeLuxe 2-door sedan on the way...

The starter button looks to me to be white plastic. Was that the factory issue on '51 Deluxe models in the States? (Canadian ones were stainless steel.)

The plastic starter button was another late '51/'52 change with the Korean war. I'm not sure if we had that change up here in Canada or not, as our '51 has always had a metal one.

Also, I may be wrong on this… but I was under the impression that the rear fender "mohawks" went from being a standard feature on the Deluxe model, to being an option that had to be ordered. That would make it possible to still get them on a later built '51 (or a '52?), but they had to be paid for on top of the regular purchase price. Maybe Gene could chime in here and set me straight?...

The mouldings above the tail lights were eleminated (Deluxe models) in about AMarch of 1951.
During 1951 the following changed from metal to plastic; Starter button, seat adj. knob, ash tray knobs.
The rubbber pad between the top nad the head lining changed to straw. The hand twist handle on the air cleaner became a simple screw. The full ;ength spring covers became half length. The radiator top tank became steel, rusted through in a year and had to be replaced and spare tire eleminated for a few months.
The loom covering for the direstional light wires at the steering column - metal cover eleminated.
More items but this is what comes to mind right now.
The rear fender above the tail light mouldings became an accessory. There were a few aftermarket ones made of poor quality.

Why just carpet in the back? Why not throughout, carpet or vynal?
Did they ever have carpet throughout?

According to GM Heritage, the Bel Air had full carpet.

Don't know why.

Perhaps GM tried to amplify the luxury of the Bel Air with full carpeting... OR ... perhaps the models with the front mat combo of rubber and carpet indicated a flavor of "utilitatian" design.

Easy to clean, etc.

Have you seen many 1951 Chevrolets with thick fiberglasss insulation under the hood, in the body panels, and lining the trunk area?

The 1950-1952 Bel Air was the first Chevrolet to have carpet in the front.
The 1953 1nd up Bel Air series had carpet.

I have never seen a
chevrolet prior to 1959 with fiberglass.

Ok, I guess my question now is what did my 51 deluxe Fleetline have? Just vinyl?
Or could I put carpet in and it would it be correct?

If you put FULL carpeting in your '51 Fleetline, that would not be factory correct, if I understand your question.

You folks probably want to see the rest of the pictures...

I could find room for that car in my car building.

Good pics.

Interior door panels, headliner, wash and wax and you'
re cruisin'

I sse the car has an Innerliner oil filter and the small non-fresh air heater.
A wash job would do wonders for it.
Would be great if you could find just the light gray cloth to recover the door panels.

So no carpet is correct for my car?

My 1951 Chevy DeLuxe 2-Door Sedan has the thick fiberglass type of insulation under the hood and in the trunk area. The car has had the insulation since new.

No FULL CARPETING for your car.

Re read Gene's comments on the carpeting.

"The original front mat was a dark gray rubber with fine ribbs. There were simulated carpet rubber inserts on the horizontal areas. The rear had a dark gray cut pile carpet".

Brought the '51 home today. Actually, she is in the shop getting the once over. It didn't take us long to determine that the water pump is leaking. We think only the left front brake is working. Braking results in an immediate left hand turn. She drove on the trailer under her own power. We got her running in pretty short order after genius here figured out how the ignition switch worked (when all else fails, read the manual...). Would it have killed them to mark it somehow?

I am a little disappointed, as I did not find the documentation I was hoping to find. In the glove box was a near pristine owner's manual (thank God, or we'd have NEVER gotten it started...), a quality check card, break-in folder, battery policy (blank), Good Housekeeping booklet, a registration card from '73, and the dealer's copy of the regular order document. I was hoping to find a bill of sale, or the completed owner service policy. Neither are present. The regular order shows the car to have been produced on January 25th (the car was originally titled on February 14th). There were no options listed, which means it came with the blackwalls, as I suspected. What disappoints me about this document is that the dealer and town are blank. I was hoping to know what dealer sold the car new. I've seen another regular order online, and is showed the dealer and town, but it was also a sold order, so it went to a specific dealer. I'm suspecting, back in the day, since this wasn't a sold order, that it went to a zone pool or warehouse and was distributed to the dealer upon request.

There was previous discussion about wartime changes. As I said, this car was built in late January. It has already been noted that the mohawks are present, but that the starter button is plastic. The seat adjuster knob is chrome. Looks like the spring covers are full, not partial.

Paul,

Your current disappointments should quickly disappear when you realize what a gem you have in your possession.

Its hard to imagine being disappointed with this car. Don't feel bad about the key. I did the same thing the day I brought mine home. Never in a million years would I have guessed there was such a thing as a "no key" position. What a different time. Our "new" car will lock the doors after a minute or two whether you want it to or not; and I never want it to, but it always does.

If the strater button is plastic it most likely was replaced at some time. A car made that early would have had a chrome button.

I am looking for a thread that I stumbled across a few weeks ago. I can't remember if it was here or on Chevytalk. It involved a two tone green 4 door sedan - '51 or '52. There were pictures, one of which was of the regular order card. I wanted to compare it to mine. Anyone remember seeing that?

What is a regular order card?

I can speak for myself, and perhaps Gene, as well. He and I both spent "lifer terms" in the back end of a dealership. Gene in the parts dept and me in the service, parts and sales depts.

Neither of us heard of a "regular order card". Explain, please.

To cover one more issue, when a vehicle was ordered from the factory, it was ordered from a dealership, as a "stock unit" or a "sold unit". A vehicle was not built to be stored in a warehouse, until it was adopted by a dealership. No dealership order = no vehicle built.

Going to the ignition key issue and why it wasn't marked, etc.

For us more seasoned folks (hate to say old), the ignition switch was known and accepted, as it is. Never a question, but we lived through those days of stick shift, AM radios and no PB or P/strg. A/C ...... what was that?

Using the ignition switch as an example, for the less "hands on, less experienced" person who is becoming involved with these older treasures .... that "not knowing" is the best reason to obtain and read the owners manual, cover to cover.

In addition, obtaining a $25.00 GM Service Manual 49 to 53 with 54 supplement is your very best investment.

Note that I suggested the GM reprint, not Chiltons or Motors.

Only the GM reprint service manual and you'll become your own expert, in short order.