VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 What to do with my 47 Sedan delivery

Newbie here hoping someone might give me some advice. I am a hard core air cooled VW guy. I am 32 now and have been into them since I was like 4. However I have also always liked cars from the 40s. A friend of mine who inhereited a farm along with several cars wanted the barns cleared out. I managed to obtain from this a 47 Chevy sedan delivery that has been in a barn for 35 years. It is in good condition, very complete and original. If it were a 57 Beetle I'd be all over this thing right now. However its not and while I am considering selling it, I am interested in POSSIBLY restoring it ( I would NOT hot rod it). Its an ideal resto candidate from an era thats intersting to me. however, most people I know have little knowledge or interest in these cars. My friends tell me to shove a small block in it. Not gonna happen. My delimma is I am used to being able to call up my VW buds for help or obtain any info I need on the net. There seems to be little in the way of this info on these Chevy's in stock form. I'd like to get it running and driving but do not know where to begin-someone at some point did some work and disconnected some wiring and cables, and I am clueless about em. So, does anyone know how I can find info or help in the Chicago area, or should I just sell er and get a sweet Bus???

Welcome to VCCA Chevy Chatter, volks67.. :grin:. You have come to the right place if you intend to preserve and restore your vintage 1947 Chevrolet. There are many very knowledgeable Chevrolet experts here that will be very willing to help you with your questions. The Vintage Chevrolet Club of America (VCCA) has regions all over the world....if you go to the home page and look on the left side of the page (in red) you can click on "REGIONS" and find the one nearest to you. Information obtained on this site is free for the asking, but by joining the VCCA, more will become available to you including our magazine, the Generator and Distributor (G&D), access to free technical advisors and some great friendships and activities. Look around this site in other forums, do some searches for particular topics and by all means ask some specific questions at any time.....I guaranty someone will help. 40s era cars are very interesting.....40s Chevrolets are really cool. Hope you decide to become a Chevy lover and restore that sedan delivery. Good luck with your project. :) :cool2:

Hi volks67,

First, welcome to the Chevy Chat Forum. You have come to the right place if your desire is to make a correct restoration.

Before you jump in the river, purchase an Owner's Manual, Repair Manual, a set of 1947 Chevrolet Service News, and a parts book for the car. All of these items are available and in reprint. The cost is not prohibitive. Sit down and study these publications and see if you see your picture in the mirror.

Attempt to find someone in your area that has performed a restoration on a vehicle near your year and seek his advice.

At any time you may return here and post your problem. I assure you that you will get a serious answer to your concerns.

Thanks guys, that is what I would like to do. At this point I do not plan on investing a whole lot of money into this project as I have not decided for certain whether or not to do this. Joining the VCCA and getting a few books seems worthwhile however. One thing that I was always impressed with with the old VWs is how beautifully put together they were-everything works so smoothly and feels like it could last forever. I have owned many and currently have two-a daily driver and one I am Cal Looking if anyone here knows what that is. However I have NO idea what a 40s Chevy is like to drive. The oldest car I have driven is my dad's 51 MG TD, and my old '56 Beetle, both of which I imagine are nothing like an old American car. Are they cool to drive? Not expecting it to handle like its on rails or to have neck snapping acceleration-I still drive my VW year round everywhere and I am aware and acceptable of its shortcomings, as I would be of the Chevy's I would th ink.

Hey Volks - you have taken the first step toward you conversion to a Chevrolet lover. These are GREAT vehicles and if you decide to take it on, I am sure the project will prove rewarding. I would not suggest driving in northern winters, more out of fear of someone sliding into me than anything else. As far as the wiring, it's not all that complecated. I rewired my 48 cabriolet. Follow the road map as shown in the wiring schematics commonly available and you will be fine. A copy is in the reg manual, but you may want to order the supplement. It's a larger copy and is generally easier to work with. Not difficult to follow. If you run into specific issues, drop us a note, someone out there will be able to help. Good luck.

Welcome aboard!! What a great car to start with, very drivable, workable with, very afordable, parts a plenty. Check out the web for Chevs of the 40's. They are a great parts source. Consider joining the VCCA then look into the Great Lakes Region. There are a lot of members in the Naperville, Chicago Metro area that are very knowledgeable of the 40's era cars. Again welcome ! Some day maybe you can help me with a VW as my wife would love a 60's-70's Convertible.

VOLKSWAGONS ??? FARFEGNUGGEN ??? :grin:

Whats going on around here :confused:

Now 47 sedan Delivery THAT, is a thing of BEAUTY !!!

You have come to the right place...

Welcome to the last best place for old chev owners. One thing about posting a question here, you will get lots of answers about any problem, most of the time none of them will agree but this provides a lot of options as almost anything that can go wrong with an old car generally has more than one cause. These good folks have experienced it all.

Don't forget skirts, visor, a nice lowering and dual pipes . Seriously though, if you went for an accesorized look (which is unusual and fun on a delivery), Fleetline "stripes" (trim pieces) on the fenders and skirts would really look classy. I know volkswagen guys like accessories, welcome to the Chevy world where there are some of the best! Please don't use radial whites though...

That is a very sought aftr, very desireable car. There are not too many around these days. I wish that I had a friend like you have with a full barn!