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1942 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Sport Coupe.contemplating to restore or sell.


Guest 15of15

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Guest 15of15

Hello, I purchased a 1942 Chevrolet 2 door special Deluxe Sport Coupelast year up east of Cleveland from an old farmer that had it in a shed for 50 years plus. Evidently near a wall on the drivers side. It wasn't washed prior to storage either, by the then 27 year old father to be; which is why it was shedded, I was told.

Mind you, his age as operator was from 18 to 25, meant the car was USED well not treated well. I bought it in October 2013 and focused on getting the engine operating better than it was. I pressure washed the under carriage, removing a substantial amount of Northern Ohio and Pennsylvania clay and dirt.Let's say clay is a good preservative for some areas, just not all. The stainless was carefully removed and fasteners and bolts reattached. Removing the rear right fender I discovered the 2nd owner had his practice in Bond-o, and the painting of the dash red and black to honor his home town HS team has less sentiment to me than he.

.I presoaked the hand wire brushed fender mounting bolts with Wintergreen alcohol based muscle rub (works great om salt water corrosion and heavy set rusts), followed by a compound mix of ATF and acetone. Let set for 2 days. When I tried to remove the rear driver side fender bolts, I became aware the seal worked greatly as a harbinger of destructive rust. All in all? my project runs, moves, as soon as I get replacement brake system purchased and installed? It will hopefully stop as well. I have a long way to go and a short time to get there.

I am at a quondry. I am 57 and a Navy retiree, with a war time car. I paid for it and hauled it down to the Cincinnati area. My BIG IF is whether to try to restore it, stock rod it, or sell it to some one that would enjoy a piece of American Auto history. Suggestions are welcomed.

Edited by 15of15 (see edit history)
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These old cars are generally a lot of fun to drive around. If you restored it in the true and complete sense of the word, that fun would be gone along with your retirement income for years to come.

"Stock rod" is a new one on me. In my experience, a car is either stock or it's a hot rod, not both. Maybe you mean you want to hot rod it. Go ahead, a lot of people have ruined many cars trying to make their own version of a car that Detroit never made. A '42 Chevy isn't the best raw material for a hot rod, but hey.

You could fix it properly mechanically so that everything works just the way it did in 1942, clean it thoroughly everywhere, rub on it so it sort of shines. and drive it and enjoy it. Maybe you can perceive which option I'm a fan of.

Or you could sell it.

Those are your options, stated by you, re-stated by me. What do you want to do?

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If there is a question on how or if you want to restore a car, I'd say sell it. If you truly loved the car and were willing to spend the time, money, and energy, you would know exactly what you wanted to do with it. Restoring is not for the faint of heart. You really need to know 100% in order to really make the process worth it.

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Is your '42 a black out version or a chrome version ? By that I mean is what would normally be chrome plated appear to have been originally painted. IE Grill, Exterior Trim, Bumpers. Preserving the history of these cars is part of the fun. Driving down the road in the cars of that era is a breeze. You will find that mechanical parts are readily available via places like Chevs of the 40's and The Filling Station. I would suggest joining AACA and VCCA as they are both great sources for information.

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