VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 What Gas

I'm new to the really old car hobby. I have a 55 Chevy DelRay with a 350 from 76 Corvette. I just finalized the deal to buy a very nice 41 Chevy Special Deluxe 2dr sedan. I plan to pick it up before the new year. The car has been in storage for 22 years, but has been driven on occasion and started and idled for a while a year ago according to the owner. Question is: What gasoline should I use. It seems reasonable that the engine should have leaded fuel???

Also, can someone decode the cowl information plate (I don't have the car and obviously can't get the data plate from the floor on the passenger side) in this photo:

You will get every opinion in the world about which fuel to use. I will be crazy enough to start the debate.

Because you do not know a lot of detail history of the car, your least risky move is to use non-ethanol gas. Ethanol gas is fine if all the rubber parts in the fuel system have been converted to ethanol resistant materials. The limitation is that you do not know if that has been done.

Even though I gave my recommendation, don’t be overly concerned if you do not have access to non-ethanol fuel. There are lots of regions where you can only buy gasoline with ethanol. If that is your situation, use the 10%. All those people with classic cars who live in your area do it.

A big unknown for you is the condition of the fuel system. Depending upon the range of temperature and humidity where the car was stored there could have been water condensation in the fuel tank and lines. That could have created rust. The other concern is if the fuel has evaporated and formed a varnish or shellac type coating within the fuel system. My best guess is that if you have issues it will probably be due to the long periods of little if any use rather what gas you put into the car

I would not be concerned with the lack of lead in the fuel. You can do all the Googling you want and will get the full range of answers. My experience is that in these classic Chevy’s you do not have to worry about valve seat recession/wear due to lack of lead. The valve spring pressures are low as are the engine speeds. Plus I doubt if you will put 50,000+ miles on the car.

I’ll let a ’41 expert decode the body tag.

. Paint code 288 = ridge green with Chantilly green stripe. .
Trim #116 = Tan striped pale fabric on 1941 - 1000 series. . .
See chart at <http://home.znet.com/c1937/paint.htm>. .
Lou .

You can use the cheapest gas you can find. Lead is not necessary and there was no lead in regular grade in 1941.
Leaving an engine idle does more harm than good.

The owner told me it had been repainted. I wonder what kind of stripe it refers to? If so, they did a fairly good job of it including under the hood and elsewhere. That makes me wish I knew the original owner who supposedly owned it until the person I am buying it from bought it. It had supposedly been garaged it's entire life??? The second owner never registered it and that's who I am buying it from.

Very interesting stuff. Can't wait to get it in my hands and drive it. Thanks everybody, great job!

Thank you, kind sir. I know it's been driven since the second owner bought it. He said he put at least 500 miles on it in the 22 years he's had it, but he never registered it. If you saw his car collection you could understand that...lol. Crusty old timer. The guy that cares for his collection said he had it running and idling about a year ago. ???

I wonder what's under the seat covers???

The pin stripe whatever that was on the 41s. I'm not familiar with the 41s so can't guide you with specifics. Someone will be along who can.

The stripes on a 1941 werw on the wheels and a red stripe on the stailess steel belt moulding.