Hi everyone...just picked up a sweet '46 and was wondering if anyone out there can tell me more about the orig. paint color, trim, etc. Also, is there anyplace on the body/frame where I can find the VIN number?

The body tag shows the body code as K2272; Style 46 1027, Trim 130 and Paint 336.

As always, any help and insight is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Bob

Your car is a 1946 Fleetmaster 4-passenger coupe. It was built in the Kansas City factory and it was the 2,272nd Fleetmaster 4-passenger coupe built in that factory in 1946.

The original paint color was Mayland Black with Tokio Ivory striping and black wheels.

Trim 130 was Gray striped pile fabric.

The vin. number is on the left front door hinge pillar.

Skip,

I thought Chevy changed the name of the sort of 'cream' colored pinstripping from "Tokyo Ivory" to "French Vanilla" due to the attack on Pearl on 12/7/41. (Same paint code, same formula, same color etc. etc. - just a name change. For the obvious reason.)

I've heard for years that was done in a "Bulletin" to the dealers (likely along with other info) in early 1942.

Just a 'good story' or true???

Bill.

The trim was Tokio Ivory rather than "Tokyo"
The name continued thru 1946.In 1947 the black cars had a Argent silver stripe.The "French White" was used on Dove gray,Silver Gray Green,and Satin Green cars in 1948 and was a lighter non-cream color.Was also was used with some color combinatons in 1949,1950 and 1951.Would be best described as a off-white color.Other than Scout Brown for the beige wheels 1947 used silver for all color wheels.

To All..as always, thanks much for the valuable insight and info...much appreciated!

Bob

As Chev Nut stated the correct term is "Tokio" Ivory not "Tokyo" Ivory. Tokio Ivory is listed in the Chevrolet parts books (up through the 1953 edition), on the paint chips and in other Chevrolet literature pieces of the period as well. I can't find where the name was changed because of Pearl Harbor.

Well, for Pete's sake, look harder JYD!!! JUST KIDDING!!!

Re Toyko Ivory - correctly spelled "Tokio Ivory" pinstripping: Must have just been a "good story."

Having a '42 Chev with Tokio Ivory striping on the black wheels, I've told the 'story' many times. Whoever told me sounded like an "authority" so I had no doubt it was true. It sounded quite reasonable, under the circumstances of the time.

There's a good example of how things can get messed up.

Bill.

Well....there is a chance that the story could still be be true, but all of the literature that I have definitely shows the "Tokio" Ivory. Maybe there is something floating around out there that can confirm that story. Hey....Chevrolet Motor Division did some goofy things back then (as they are still doing today) so who knows? :p

I don't have any documentation about the paint name, but I can tell you that in most of the languages of the world (except modern English), the capital city of Japan is spelled TOKIO.

Also, Japanese artists and craftsmen have been producing world renowned carvings in IVORY for centuries. (earliest known from the Nara Period 7th century AD)

So you guys figure it out... You think Tokio Ivory has anything to do with Japan?

(Hey, what do you want from me? I live and work in Washington DC where "conjecture" is a way of life! )

DCMatt

42Bill is right. The supplement to 1942 color
bulletin No.17 effective 12/15/41 has the Mayland
Black com 308 with French White striped headlight
rim stripe and fender joint moulding stripe. And,it
has the wheel stripes as French White...Other changes or reactions to WW2 were Martial Maroon,
Volunteer Green, Torpedo Gray, Chevron Gray, Ensign
Blue, Fortress Gray, Wing Blue and Fleet Blue Metallic. The grille stripe on all combinations is
French White. At the bottom of the page it says
Issued Jan. 15, 1942..Form #A-2850...

PDXjoe beat me to it!

I have been doing some digging around in my literature collection this afternoon. I first checked my April edition of my 1942 Chevrolet parts book....it still shows "Tokio Ivory". However, while I was looking through that particular parts book a single page supplement fell out of the book, and I didn't even know that it was in there! Anyway, it is a supplement to the 1942 color bulletin #17 of 1-15-42, and it was issued on March 2, 1942. This document does show the change to "French White".

But....apparently Chevrolet didn't make this change across the board because in all subsequent parts books, including the April 2, 1945; July 1, 1946; April 1, 1949; April 1, 1951, and the April 1, 1953 "Tokio Ivory" is listed instead of "French White. Also, it is interesting to note that the April 2, 1945 parts book lists "Tokio Ivory" all the way back to 1937.

Checked the color chips and they list "Tokio Ivory" as well. Weird!

The "story" I repeated is true per PDXjoe and sorta true per Skippy. Same bulletin number (17) but different dates issued.

Good 'research' by the pro's.

Well whatever, I still think it's an interesting story, especially if you're familiar with 42's or interested in "history."

Bill.

They late date of the change suggests to me that the stripe color changed for the "black out" models.The black cars had gray painted chrome parts and the french gray was used for the stripes on the wheels and head light doors plus the extra striping used on the painted trim on the black outs.The off white French Gray looked better than the ivory color....just a thought

Have had an oppertunity to dig out the DuPont 1942 Chevrolet color bulletin dated 12-15-41.

It reads as I suspected.Mayland black cars will have grille and hub caps painted
silver French Gray metallic,outside door handles black, head light rim stripe and wheel stripe French white.

All other color cars had French white for the head light door stripes except maroon cars had silver.All colors had French white grille stripes,head light retainer ring and hood emblems painted Sport Beige.

Dark green cars had light green grilles,etc.,etc.

So it was the blackout cars that recieved the revised stripe color and had nothing to do with the Tokio name but rather a color change to better blend the trim colors together.

That makes sense, and it also explains why all of the parts books listed "Tokio Ivory" in the section that covers paint combination numbers. Thanks for the update Chev Nut! :cool2: