VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Finally paint after 10 years of a labor of love!

The painter filled in one of the mounting holes which an easy fix but which way does this bracket hang. i think like this picture however pictures from my parts car show it the other way or upside down?

So if my picture is right does the license plate actually mount to the car body on the top two screws? Or did rubber bumpers go in those holes?

Your parts car was correct....

So what goes in the left and right holes in the body?
Rubber bumpers?

The factory pictures I have do not show the holes. They would be behind the license plate and it;s bracket and there is nothing there.
Was does your parts car have ?

It has a hole on the left and right at the same level of the slots of the plate holder
See the above picture
Thanks

just went to look at my 50 no holes like the ones you have pictured just the bracket my guess is someone didnt like or have the bracket and and mounted the license plate using sheet metal screws or maybe had some kind license plate lite but in my opinion the holes shouldnt be there

I have TWO 1951 Chevys, both #2 condition. One is restored, one is original.

Neither one has those two additional holes. They do not belong there, on the stock body.

Bullet holes?

Great, anybody got some fathom green body putty?

If the holes end up being behind the license plate bracket I would find two low, flat rubber bumpers and install them in the holes. Even if they need to be glued in place.

Depending upon the size of the two holes, you can probably find rubber bumpers that are of the push in type that will work and then you won't have to glue them in place.

Yes thanks I have bumpers that will work, it's just not right and would have been an easy fix prior to paint.

So I'm having troubles finding the original black rubber trunk mat.
I have tried all the usual suspects, Filing Station, National Chev, Chev of 40,
Any suggestions? 51 Fleetline, deluxe

The Filling Station lists both the black and the brown.
The early 1951 Deluxe had brown trunk lining and a brown mat.
The late 1951 Deluxe had both in black.
When was your 1951 assembeled?

Ah, thanks I thought I had checked the Filling station.
My car is an "e" and the pieces of sideboards and Matt was black.

bought the mat for my 50 cant remember off hand if it was fillin station or chev 40's but it came a rather light to a greyish looking brown my opinion is the early 51 had brown because they were using parts left from 50 production year and when that was depleted they went to basic black unless you are getting a numbers correct show car ready for points either mat would be fine but i would go with the black because i have seen the brown that is offered and myself dont care for it but its in the car now so i will live with it andy

Thety didn't use brown because they had 1950 leftovers. Going to black was one of the 1951 changes to save money and make it easier on the assembly line. Using black enabled them to use the same (pile of) mats for both the Special and Deluxe models.
The original brown mat in my 1950 is not a vivid brown but more of a dark tan or coco color.

"They didn't use brown because they had 1950 leftovers'

Confused by the above quote .... Should this read "they didn't use BLACK" ?

I believe he was referring to the explanation by stefakicoup of why the early 51's had a brown trunk mat.

I'm understanding that the 1950 had a brown mat.

I'm also understanding that the early 1951's had a brown mat, because of an excessive supply of brown mats, from the 1950 model run.

Does that seem correct ?

Thanks.

I don't know if they had an excessive amount or not, but I would think that once they decided to make the black the ONLY mat used then it made sense to deplete the stock of the brown.

Gene had said there were 1950 "leftovers", leading to my excessive comment. I don't know, if there was excess, either.

The brown mats were NOT 1950 left overs.
There may have been something in brown rubber that was scarce due to the Korean war.
1951 had a ton of changes due to the war.

"Thety didn't use brown because they had 1950 leftovers. Going to black was one of the 1951 changes to save money and make it easier on the assembly line. Using black enabled them to use the same (pile of) mats for both the Special and Deluxe models."

I was making my comments, based on your earlier comments above.

I knew nothing about left overs, or why "left overs" would even be there, based on assembly line count and procedures.

The idea that something in the brown mat was "scarce", due to th war makes sense.

I think Gene is saying that the change of colour had nothing to do with the model year change. It was decided that 1951's would have brown mats at the beginning of the model year, with the initial plan to run right to the end of the year. The decision to make the change may have happened half way through 1951. Remember, in most automobile factories they keep a supply of parts a few days long, not months. Production planning would have the correct number of mats there for the 1950 run, so there would be no need to "use up" a half years supply of mats. The decision was likely made half way through 1951, along with all of the other changes. The "using up the brown mats" would have taken a much shorter time. It could have been something as simple as a supplier being able to trim a couple cents off the cost if all the mats were black.