VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Country Club wood trim package

Featured in the new G&D...Great article Dick!! Way to go 46-48 and of course Tiny's continuing saga, great stuff

Those kits used to be so rare. Now when you watch eBay they seem to come up all of the time. Likely people recreating them new, in an effort to cash in on the premium... Too bad for the people that have the original ones.

Brewster, the only thing that I feel bad about with owning an original kit is that I never saved the box...Whoops...I do have the installation manual though

In reading the articles, one stated the kit was not available in '47 that it came in '48 though it obviously would fit the'47. Another article stated, was a dealer installed option available in '47 and '48. Which is correct?????


Now, KUDOS to all! Best G&D ever! Really great to see Dick's super nice cars.

Oh, kinda' feel bad for ol' Charlie though. Maybe he won't get too down reading about all the fine '47's,'48's.

Yep, I saw that too. I would go with what the editor of the G&D stated in her article because Kate is really a stickler for accurate research.

The kit was not a dealer installed option (that should read accessory).....it was an aftermarket item that was sold to dealers by a non-Chevrolet company. It was NEVER listed in any Chevrolet literature, etc.
The dealers were the main outlet as it was not really a product that would be installed by john Q public. There were several things in 1948 like a Fulton visor and the "tube" front grille guard. 1948 was one of the last years that the dealers could really load up a new car with accessories as the 1948 chevrolet was still in rather short supply.

Then, when having a car judged, is the kit a deduction? If not, why not?

I want to hear this one?

Actually it should not be considered as a genuine Chevrolet part as it is not listed in any Chevrolet material, so far it has always been accepted. This would be like the after market
Cadillac conversion for 1956 and 1957 models.
I didn't get my G&D so am looking forward to what the article says......

WOW!!!!! So then if Kate is correct in her article, and the kit was not available until '48, then a '47 with the kit should have major points deducted?? WOW!!!! Breaking news here!!!

This is not offical but every "period" picture shows it on a 1948 only and back in my day I never saw a kit on a 1947.

Here is some other "breaking news" as well:

The VCCA judging manual states:

"It is the owners’ understanding that when they decide to have their vehicles judged, we, as club members, are comparing their vehicles to how the manufacturer delivered the vehicles to the dealer and to the public."

"Any feature, option, or accessory shown in the original
factory or dealer catalog, sales literature, company service
bulletins, or other original Chevrolet or General Motors
literature, is accepted for judging."

"A mandatory 100-point deduction will be taken for the following reasons: incorrect engine, incorrect paint color, non-authentic body or body panels (25 points per panel) and after-market air conditioning."

So....based on what the VCCA judging manual states, points should be deducted for the wood kit on a 1948 Chevrolet as well because the wood kit is an aftermarket item and not a genuine Chevrolet accessory.

I hate to say it but I agree with the above.

Ooops, there it is!

Plain as can be stated! Official, legit, but....! How come this seems to go unenforced?

Dog, thank you for taking the time to answer. You should write a article about this and submit to the G&D as I think this will surprise many members.

I can just see a big oh smile on Charlie's face!

Wnen I get my G&D and read the article I will send in my reply if incorrect or doesn't contain all the facts.
The simple thing is proper documentation.

Gene, I hope you receive your copy today as Kate make two statement that seem to differ from yours.

One is, "The Country Club trim package was a factory-approved, dealer-installed option that would fit any 1948 Chevrolet two-door."

Two is, "The kit, designed by Chevrolet". Not sure about this one as I don't remember making a comment about this.

Come on Mail Person.

Not in todaaaaaaaaaaaas mail

This would be a pretty big statement if the VCCA deducted points for The kit...

Note "this accessory could be ordered only thru FACTORY AUTHORIZED DEALERS"
If it was designed and authorized buy Chevrolet for Chevrolet in 1948,would this not be an original 1948 Chevrolet accessory

No need to wait here is the article

Yes it would if it is in Chevrolet material....which would be the the documentation.
On the other side if it was Engineered Enterprises that came around and made the contract with dealers to give them the exclusive right to sell their product and Chevrolet was not involved (which I believe was the case) it would be a different story.

I am in agreement with Junkyard Dog. From my understanding is that there is NO documentation stating that the wood kit is indorsed by GM, therefore consider aftermarket. As a VCCA Judge I would deduct points because it is not an authorized GM accessory.

BIG CAN OF WORMS

I judged the bodies on one of the cars featured this year in Hudson. We didn't deduct as per VCCA rules, If you're not sure, don't deduct. As a judge, I wasn't sure and didn't want to go there...

I do not think you could consider the wood kit "Body Panels"?

"Body panels" must be stock as they came from the factory on the vehicle, and the condition of the body panels is also considered. If there are items that are attached to the body panels and doors, such as the Engineering Enterprises wood kit for example, then that makes the body panels non-stock and points should be deducted.

However, IF actual Chevrolet documentation can be found to prove that the wood kit was, in fact, a genuine Chevrolet accessory that was authorized by Chevrolet, then no points should be deducted on 1948 vehicles that have the wood kits installed. Unfortunately, until the written documentation is found in Chevrolet literature that the Engineering Enterprises wood kits were authorized by Chevrolet, and are a Chevrolet accessory, then points should definitely be deducted since, at this point, the wood kit is considered an aftermarket item.