Hello all! First time on the forums. About to buy a 1940 chevy special, the 4 door version. This is the info I got:
Style number: 40-1019
Body number: t-3730
Trim:87
Paint: 271

So far in my research I found, 271 is battleship grey, trim is tan, and that the 40 in 40-1019 means built in 1940.
Of anyone has any info to the rest, it would be helpful. Going to restore this car, not rod it, and would love to know some of the originals to the vehicle.

Thanks for any info!

40-1019=1940 Specai Deluxe 4 door
T-3730= 3729th Specilal Deluxe body to be made at the Tarrytown, N.Y. Fisher Body plant.
The serail number will give the month the car was assembled and the engine number determine if it is a 1940 engine.

Congrats and welcome !! Just my 2 cents worth...check out Old Online Chevy Manuals.( Keith Hardy ).....loads of info !! Also there are several members on here who are experts and have lots of info stored in their brains ( like a Rainman ) Good luck in your restoration as well.

Lordaiden,

I commend you on your desire to restore this car rather than rod it.

I feel that someone should point out some things to you. It might as well be me. So consider this as you get ready to forge forward:

a. Make sure that the transmission is 1940. It is the same as the 41-48 except the hookup for the speedometer being farther back toward the rear than the 41-48.

b. The engine is equipped with dome pistons as from 37-40.

c. It will take some will power not to change something out to increase speed and efficiency.

d. Don't add anything to it that is not original or an authorized accessory. Especially no stinkin' Fulton ” type outside sun visor.

e. Go for a set of shark-teeth rims. They are the best looking rims ever made by Chevrolet.

f. Paint it the original color. If you choose not to do that then pick a color that was factory for that year.

Now two really important things to consider before you start.

g. Consider not doing this car. It is generally not as considered as sporty as a coupe is. It is better than a Master Deluxe but not much. A four-door is family looking.

h. It will cost you about the same to do this 4-dr as it will to do a coupe or convertible (cabriolet). They will be worth much more than the 4-dr owing to their being much more attractive and desirable for collection. A full and proper restoration of a 4-dr will cost you more than the car will be worth. Restoration to show worthiness is expensive. Bringing a car up to "driver" status is not near as expensive.

Now there may be some who will tell you that I am wrong and inconsiderate in the above advice. That's fine but they all know that I am right.

The only reason to do a 4-dr is that you have fond memories and some other special reasons to do so. In that case, have at it. If not you may want to reconsider for a coupe or cabriolet.

I agree in advance that it's your car and you can do whatever you want to with it. I don't much like that statement when good advice is warranted. Such as in the instant case.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do. I have some mechanical 40 parts and they may be helpful in your restoration. 40 parts are not too hard to find.

I hope you view this advice with good feelings. It has not been my intention to make you feel bad or disrespect your decisions in any way.

Best wishes,

Charlie

Charlie,

I appreciate the advice and all the kind words. I found this car at a really awesome price here in florida (at least I believe) at $600. I am fond of the suicide doors as well. Also I like the look of the 4 door. I do take what you have written into consideration, I'm not really looking for resale but it would be nice to know I wouldn't be upside down if I chose to part with it.

Trying to post photos and cant figure out how

You have to be a dues paying member of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America to post photos.

Lordaiden
Welcome to chatter.
It is good to hear another Chev is to be restored, there is a lot of information here on Chatter and the Keith Hardy site has good accurate information as well.
Junkyard Dog is correct in that to post direct to Chatter you need to be a dues paying member of the VCCA though you can put you pics on a hosting site and post a link on here (havent done that myself though).
Tony

It's GREAT that you plan to restore the car. I strongly encourage you to join the VCCA. You get a great monthly magazine about these old cars, access to a ton of technical information, lots of meets and tours to enjoy your car habit with like-minded folks and lots of help from Technical Advisors and others on doing the restoration. Enjoy the project and welcome aboard.

All the Best, Chip

Welcome to the VCCA site. Good luck with your 40. Here is the GM spec pack, you can print it our if you like. It tells everything about a 40.

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/do...mation-kits/Chevrolet/1940-Chevrolet.pdf

Picked up the car today. Missing 3 chrome trim pieces, right front hood, driver side rear and I forgot the last piece,lol. Definitely needs a full interior, has floor pan rust, needs new pan for sure. Has all the glass, only driver side door glass has cracks. Original engine, seller says it fires if you turn it over. Also need to rear fenders where the 2 tires are. Finally where the hood meets the body, both side pieces are missing.

For $600, feel it is a great deal. Will start removing pieces, labeling and then sandblasting. Will look into becoming a member to post the process

A friendly recommendation. Seriously consider abandoning that project. Save what you have as a parts car and go on the hunt for a restorable car.

I agree with the above. There are a good number of the cars around in older restoration condition that old guys are selling because they no onger can drive.

Is the consensus that the car is in too bad condition to restore? Curious to know what the reason since say to not restore

A vehicle is only beyond restoration when you get 1 in better condition. In saying that there is a lot to do with your ability to do the work or your pockets ability to pay someone else to do the work.
As i have said before it is your car do it your way.
Tony

Hi Lordaiden,

Here is a link to posting pictures: Posting Pictures The first thing mentioned is you need to be a member of the VCCA (Vintage Chevrolet Club of America).

Your first thing to know about this website, besides there is always someone willing to help, is how to do the SEARCH process for accessing old posts.Search Process

Documenting the condition of your car and everything you do to it is important to reassembling. Use photos and notes for this or better yet videotape your work. Buy a cheap camera for this or use a phone that records a movie (don't be afraid to narrate the movie, that kind of forces you to learn the names of the parts). Start the restoration process with a general cleanup of the trunk, interior, car body, engine bay, You need to get to know the car before taking ANY of it apart.

Get all manuals available for your year, they will help with disassembly, assembly, correct operation of mechanical parts, plus help with identifying the names of parts. 1940 Manuals

Get a paper copy of the Chevs of the 40's catalog to help ID parts and know the cost of available parts. Their online catalog is Chevs of the 40's. Also be familiar with ebay for parts that you are missing or need to be replaced.

$600 is a great price to get to learn about the restoration process, but as mentioned above your car may not be mechanically, structurally, etc. in good enough condition to be a good project.

$600 is an awesome price for most PARTS cars. If you never restore it but just take it apart you should be able to sell a lot of its parts for well over your original investment. Many restorations are best complimented by having one or two parts cars to salvage parts from. I had 3 and have sold over $7,000 of parts off them!!!

WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET? WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET? WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET?
Best restoration projects have a well conceived plan before taking anything apart. They also have an annual budget, full support of their families, a storage facility, a garage, tools, etc. You will need an extreme amount of free time, be mechanically inclined, and have some buddies with restoration experience to support you. You will soon be emotionally committed to your car, but that doesn't mean it is in good enough condition for you to fall in love with and be married to.

Your safety should begin with wearing a mask during the cleanup process. The germs (all varieties of insects and rodents have typically made your car their home) associated with a project can lead to respiratory problems, an up-to-date Tetanus shot is a must. You should not underestimate the importance of jack stands. Buy only truck stands, and never be under your car without a backup plan for if a stand fails.

There are several members of the chat site that are or just have completed frame off restorations of 4 door 1940's. "Alligator", in Germany, has done an exceptional job of documenting his restoration with numerous pictures on the chat site. I just finished a 41 restoration and would also be willing to help. Send me a PERSONAL MESSAGE (PM) to find out my phone number and schedule.

Best wishes,
Mike

P.S.. Most of us on the chat site are envious of your taking on this project.