Need Info - "black-out" Plymouth

[ppaquet]

I recently ran across a Q & A in Old Cars Weekly regarding a "black-out" Plymouth which stirred my curiosity. I have used all the search engines I know of but find nothing about these vehicles.

It would seem to me they were either built without chrome or it was painted. I would like to know more about this subject; i.e., what companies built them, were they for both miliary and civilian use, etc.

I have the production numbers on Plymouths but none for other manufacturers.

I plan to talk with several members of our Region who are ex-military as well as some who worked for the effort at home to see what they can offer in the way of information.

A query is already in the works to our L & RC but I am hoping some of you may have something to offer, even if it is just dim memories.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Patt Paquet

[Shop Rat]

We have a 1939 Dodge Deluxe and I am sure that Bill has collected some of the "black out" trim pieces.

They are painted rather than chromed.

[Oldsfan]

You should get a copy of the December 1988 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine. There is an article in there on the cars of 1942. It should explain the black-out models. Black out trim was made manditory by the government on a certain date, but I don't what date it was, probably sometime in January. Chrome was needed for the war effort, so all chrome trim except for bumpers had to be painted. For pieces that were manufactured ahead of time and already chromed, they had to be painted over. This was required of all manufacturers so that one would not have an unfair sales advantage over the other, since these cars were still available for the civilian market. As you know, production was stopped completely in February and most cars in dealer inventory at that time were taken for government use, or held for rationing.

Paul

[Guest Stonefish]

they did the same thing with bicycles from this era...you'll find New Departure front and rear hubs painted black.

[ppaquet]

Thanks to all of you for your help.

Shoprat, was the bright work painted over when you acquired the vehicle?

Please don't let the flow of information stop. I will be monitoring daily.

Again, THANKS!

[ppaquet]

Our L & RC came to the rescue as far as the Dec '88 issue of Collectible Automobile. Kim is putting a copy of the article Paul mentioned in the mail as I write this.

However, any other information will be most welcome.

Patt

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Most auto makers that produced "black-out" versions of their cars did so towards the end of '42 civilian production, Jan - Feb of '42. Most early '42s (July - Nov '41 prodcution) still had bright trim.

The nickname applies principly to vehicles whose chromed or stainless-steel trim was replaced with painted-steel / die-cast.

In "Standard Catalog of Chrysler: 1914-2000", in the Chrysler section, they show a factory photo of a 1942 Chrysler convertible with "black-out trim". (Unusual,since this was one of Chrysler's most highly "chromed" cars, with its grille that wrapped around the front fenders)

Tad Burness's "American CarSpotter's Guide: 1940-1965" shows a 1942 Olds "B-44 Dynamic Cruiser" in "black-out trim".

There is a fellow on the "www.P15-D24.com" website for Flathead MoPars that has a '42 Dodge sedan that is an original black-out car.

And, a friend's uncle owned a '42 Buick fastback that was a black-out model.

There was also another sort of car that might have been casually referred to as a "black-out model": this would be ANY pre-1942 vehicle that had been modified for nightime driving during the "Blackout" era ("Turn out that light!").

There is an article in a 1941 Popular Mechanics magazine anthology that I have, that describes "how to prepare your car for driving during the "Blackout""; it involved "masking" the headlights with black paint, so that only a small rectangle (about 1" x 3 inches) at the center of the headlamp was left to shine light on the road, the tail-lights and license light were similarly masked, and the perimeters of the car (edges of fenders and wheel-wells) lined with white or light-gray paint, to promote visibility to other drivers. I believe there was also a national nighttime speed limit of 25 MPH, when driving with black-out lights.

[Guest elmo39]

I have a freind who has a 1942 D22 Dodge which is a blackout model, it was imported from the US to NZ in 1944 as right hand drive model, how that came about nobody has been able to answer yet ,although there are thoughts that it was built as right hand drive for the US postal service. Any way it has a mixture of chrome and stainless mouldings which were origanaly painted as were the hubcaps , the bumpers as far as i know were chromed, apparently they used what ever was available at the time of assembly

[Shop Rat]

I don't believe that it was. But then, the car was such a mess when we got it I am just not sure. I will ask Bill. I think the black-out pieces were found after we bought it. Probably at a Hershey.

[TG57Roadmaster]

When you can find painted black out parts that are not on a car, buy them. Twice in the last 15 years, I've run across 1941 Buick front fender parking light housings.

They're usually cheap, 'cause folks don't know what they are, and chroming them results in perfect, as new pieces.

Considering that you don't have to grind off the old chrome (and thus some of the original casting), you'll wind up only having to remove a coat of paint for the process.

TG

[Shop Rat]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ppaquet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Shoprat, was the bright work painted over when you acquired the vehicle?</div></div>

I did ask Bill today and our car had regular chrome on it. The black-out pieces we have he bought at flea markets, most likely in Hershey as I had suspected.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Patt:

While I can't answer your questions for a Plymouth, I can tell you that Buick's practice was to use the chrome stuff until it was gone, and then put painted items on. This practice applied only in the 1942 model run, which ended 2/19/1942. The most knowledgeable person about blackout cars is Paul Meyers of Saint Louis, who collects 1942 Buicks. He was the president of the BCA for a couple of years recently.

The oddest blackout item was something I managed to buy for Paul at Hershey about 5 years ago. They were NOS Guide Buick foglamps. Think about the idea of auxiliary foglamps on a blackout car. A real logical contradiction, but who knows what you see at Hershey.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Rusty_OToole]

My understanding was that all car makers were required to reduce or eliminate the use of chrome trim by government regulation.

This regulation came in after the US entered WW2, in other words after the December 7 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Sales of civilian cars was suspended in April 1942 so the period of production of blackout vehicles for civilian use was only 3 or 4 months.

Remaining unsold cars were locked up in government warehouses and rationed out to those who could prove a need for a new car, such as doctors (who made house calls back then) veterinarians and officials who needed a car to carry out their duties.

The actual blackout trim was the same as the chrome except that it was painted usually in a contrasting color to the car's paint job.

Leftover chrome parts were painted for the sake of uniformity. You could have one car with a mixture of plain parts and chrome parts that had been painted over.

It was not just a matter of saving chromium for the war effort but also saving nickle and copper which are used under the chrome plating.

After the war there was a period when chrome, rubber and other materials were in short supply.

Some new cars were delivered with wooden planks for bumpers, painted black. They also came with a bare wheel rim in the trunk with no spare tire on it.

2 or 3 months later these cars were recalled to the dealer where the proper chrome bumpers were installed, and a tire installed on the spare rim.

I was told, Hudsons in particular were delivered this way in late 1945 but the same thing may have applied to other makes as well.