Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


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a rumor occasionally circulates that immediately after WWII steel was in such short supply that GM fabricated some fenders of aluminum which is said to have been more available, in order to meet post-war consumer demand. Is there any truth to this?

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First of a aluminum was in very short supply during WWII. So short already that the 1942 cars that used aluminum pistons were forced to use cast iron.
The only two cars using iron pistons were Cevrolet and Pontiac.

The aluminum replacement fenders (left side only) were after market. Only the lefts were made and it was in the 1950-1952 period. They were not made by GM.
At this time frame there were probably 3 million 1941-1948 Chevrolets on the road that were able to used these fenders. This fit well but the painters did not like to paint them as there were no good aluminum primers back then.



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Thank you!

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I still have my aluminum fender that I posted about in 2014. I think I will post it for sale when I return from Florida in a couple of weeks. As I said in 2014 it would make a good novelty item for someone's garage or "man cave."

1941 Aluminum Fenders

Thanks, Mike


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Have any articles about this appeared in mainstream (ie. Hemmings Classic Car) publications? Am particularly interested in how aluminum performed in stamping dies and molds of the day (warping etc)

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Didn't Ford create a couple of complete cars of aluminum in 1936 or 1937?

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They did some in stainless steel. They appear once in a while.




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Originally Posted by Mike Buller
I still have my aluminum fender that I posted about in 2014. I think I will post it for sale when I return from Florida in a couple of weeks. As I said in 2014 it would make a good novelty item for someone's garage or "man cave."

1941 Aluminum Fenders

Thanks, Mike


Aluminum fender that lead to this question is mounted on (as stated above) a '47 Chev sedan delivery (probably identical to a '47 stn wagon fender). Were alum. fenders fabricated for other models . . . incl. pickups?

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No they were not made by GM. I worked in the dealership parts department at that time and we had two of the Gyp aluminum fenders in stock that were purchased from and ouside supplier.
There is only one fender that Chevrolet sold for 1941-1948 models all all body styles used the same fender EXCEPT for the business coupe and sedan delivery that had no gas filler hole in the right rear fender. In the later years that fender was discontinued due to low demand so they sold a plug to fill the hole.


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Originally Posted by Chev Nut
No they were not made by GM. I worked in the dealership parts department at that time and we had two of the Gyp aluminum fenders in stock that were purchased from and ouside supplier.
There is only one fender that Chevrolet sold for 1941-1948 models all all body styles used the same fender EXCEPT for the business coupe and sedan delivery that had no gas filler hole in the right rear fender. In the later years that fender was discontinued due to low demand so they sold a plug to fill the hole.


And of course the pickup gas filler hole is in the cab's right/rear corner


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