VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1940 chevy sedan trunk panels

Finally getting around to finish the trunk on my 40. I am attempting to form cardboard panels to use as a pattern.

Does anyone know if someone supplies original panel patterns or panels for sale for a 1940 chevy 2 door sedan?

Thanks everyone

I have never seen anything from EMS other than sheet metal panels. Hampton Coach would have it, but they would want to sell you the panels, not give out their patterns or any measurements. I have a 40 coupe but that doesn't help you with a sedan.

dtm

Ya got me. Pays to take time to read it correctly eh? I read panels and immediately went to patch panels. My mistake.

40Original

I have Hampton Coach's version of the 2 door sedan trunk panels and they do not duplicate the original burlap covered panel boards. My Town Sedan had the original panels in it when I bought it in 1963 but by 300,000 miles later there was nothing left of the original panels but dust in the corners of the trunk. The origianl panel burlap covering had a bluish "+" figure repeated on brownish burlap like material.

I did not realize that Hampton Coach did not duplicate the originals until I unpacked them about a year after I purchased them. Did not try to exchange them since I had had them so long. They look good but they would not be considered original by someone who had seen the originals (who would that be at this late date?? I do remember that the passenger side panel is different than the left side because of gas tank filler tube. My car still has the little clips behind the back seat and on the trunk floor to hold the panels in place.

If I was to redo it, I would make my own patterns (tough to do)for the panel boards and cover them myself. I would be interested in the patterns if you decide to draw them up.

Do the new panels fit like the originals? Could you cover them with burlap material.

My '40 Special Deluxe Two Door Town Sedan still has the original panels.

No, the Hampton Coach panels that I got back in 2002 are made of burlap type material that you must use adhesive to install to the rear panel and fenderwell. They cover the rear fenderwell and the rear panel from the back of the seat around to the trunk opening. They are really just coverings instead of panels as was originally installed. They look nice but do not look like the originals that I remember.

Back Roads - could you send me a pic of each side? Please send to deluxe1940@aol.com

It is my understanding that EARLY 1940 Chevy models came with the burlap and later models came with the flat cardboard. I wrote an article for the G&D some 15-20 years ago from an original 1940 2 door Special Deluxe Sedan, and the trunk was covered with burlap type material over the rear wheel wells. I wish that I had written down the build month for this vehicle, but I didn't.
I wonder if this difference between burlap and cardboard was assembly plant related or simply a cost reduction for Chevrolet? I lean towards believing that it was a cost reduction by using the cardboard. I do not own any original literature which talks about the difference in these 2 materials.

dtm
an owner of a 1940 coupe for 47 years now.

If the burlap pattern & color is the same as the '38 sedan, can use my high-res pictures. PM me and I can send you pics, they are about 3MB each, you can zoom in and see the specks of dust.

The trunk picture of an early 1940 Special Deluxe from the GM proving grounds (Feb 1984 G&D) shows a plain cardboard panel on the front of the trunk (behind spare tire).The side wheel house covering is shown as being a one year only part with the 1938,1939 and 1940 all being different. A thing I learned (from the 1941 parts book) is that there were two colors used in 1939, brown and black.
The is only one cardboad front panel listed for 1940.There are two different for 1941. Brown for Special Deluxe and black for Master Deluxe.

May I add yet anothert variable. The panels in my trunk were panel boards covered with the patterned burlap. The wheelhouse panel was made of a tarpaper like substance much like the sound deadening stuff they used back then. I know this because in 1967 I discovered that the right panel had broken and crumbled into pieces. The burlap was still usuable so I attemped to use a mattress cardboard cover to make a new panel using the left panel as a pattern. I was only halfway successful because the cardboard would not hold form.

The car was my work car and I didn't pay that much attention to things like trunk panels as long as it ran well. By 2000 when I quit driving it daily and started reworking things the panels had completely disappeared.

The original panel boards I had were formed over the wheelhouses and around the back panel to the trunk opening. I could never get the cardboard to hold that form. Back then I didn't know that upholstery panel board even existed other than at car manufacturers.

I think more original panels could be constructed from todays panel board if we could find a good pattern. Burlap is readily available.

Thank you for the reply regarding 40 chevy trunk panels. Looks like I will have to form panels from cardboard and cut cardboard door panel material to fit.

Because I am not overly interested in original burlap material as a cover, I'm just looking to cover with left over interior seat upholstry material just to make it look good.

If you have a photo of your trunk with panels and would not mind sharing I would appreciate it. At least I can see how they were originally installed.

Thanks

40 "O" .....I took a bunch of pictures of my `40 trunk panels....I can e-mail to you if I have your e-mail address ...