AntiqueCraftsman Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Hi everyone, I just bought a 1947 Chevy Fleetline. I really don't know anything about this specific year, make, or model. I bought the car because it's in such good shape. It's basically complete. It's so complete I'm not sure whether to disassemble it for a complete restoration, or just drive it as-is. Although I guess this won't run on regular gas without burning out the valves. I just wanted an old car to drive. In fact, I was originally going to buy a really junk one and put a new engine and drive train in it. But this car is so complete it almost seems a shame not to keep it original. I wonder also if this original 6 cyl engine can be rebuilt to use modern lead-free gas? I'd kind of like to keep the original engine in it if possible. Where do I get parts for it? Like brake shoes, ball-joints, etc. As far as I know it's all there. But it I imagine it's going to need some replacement parts. And can anyone point me to a forum that might be specifically aimed at 1940 era Chevrolet? I want to put this on the road and drive as my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 https://www.chevsofthe40s.com 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbeach Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 www.fillingstation.com is also a good suppler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malo48 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Taking the car apart costs little more that a few cans of penetrating oil and a few days. To put it back together there are about 300 $100 jobs, on a Chevy. Bernie 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 AC, that car will run just fine on unleaded gas. IF the valves fail, that is time enough to do something.If it runs and and stops, drive it. Just don't expect it to behave as modern cars do. Ben 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Thanks for the quick replies. It's nice to see that parts are available at reasonable prices. I was afraid they would either be impossible to get or cost outrageous prices. But from the links given it doesn't appear that it will be too costly for general maintenance parts. That's good to hear. @ Ben Bruce, I was told that some of the older cars won't run on unleaded gas, or that it would damage the engine, especially in terms of burning up the valves for some reason. I'm not sure how important that is or whether it applies to all older cars or only some of them? In any case, if I can just drive this on unleaded gas I might just start driving it right away. I just do body work on it and paint it up as I drive it. I'm not looking to build an immaculate show car. I just want something pretty and antique to drive as my regular car. So, yeah, if you're right that I can just run this on unleaded gas, then I'll just drive it as is. It probably wouldn't hurt it if I burnt the valves up anyway in terms of a rebuild. I'd be putting in all new valves and seats by then anyway. Oh, by the way, just for the record. I'm retired. I don't drive much anyway. And when I do drive it's all rural back roads at slow speeds. So this old clunker should do me well. I'm excited. I didn't actually pick the car up yet. I'll be picking it up on Thursday. I'll post photos when I get the car home. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel88 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 (edited) You can drive the '47 Chevy using unleaded gas. The theory is the lead gets on the valve seats and provides some lubrication when the valve comes down on the seat. In normal driving it does not need leaded gas. Extreme hard use like pulling a heavy trailer up steep hills it helps having leaded gas. Hardened valve seats can be installed for extreme use. Driving and older collector car normally will be no problem. I have been driving my 1940 Buick Roadmaster for the last 25 years using unleaded with no problems Edited April 30, 2018 by michel88 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 (edited) Newby, you might Google "100% gas and area code" to find a nearby station in your area without Ethanol, still unleaded. Chevys didn`t have ball-joints until 1955. The `47 has king-pins and link-pins and knee-action shocks on the front suspension. Chevsofthe40s has just about everything for your car.. Also get yourself a shop manual for that year.. Edited April 30, 2018 by pont35cpe (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Good advice from the folks here on this site and another site worth checking out is the Vintage Chevrolet forum - http://vccachat.org/ . Another interesting site is the GM Heritage site which has vehicle information by year you can download - https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits.html Have fun! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 I just realized when I went to Chevs of the 40's they have my car up as the Vehicle of the Month. On difference is mine's blue. And not quite as shiny. Oh, yeah, mine's also a 4-door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 @ Dave, Thanks for the link to the Vehicle Information Kits. I just downloaded the 101 page PDF for 1947 Chevys. And my 4-door coupe is the first one on the Passenger Car list. It's a SportsMaster Sedan 6-passenger, 4-door, 5-window sedan, "with built-in trunk". This is pretty cool. I've always wanted an antique car and now I have one that I can actually drive, hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 43 minutes ago, AntiqueCraftsman said: I just realized when I went to Chevs of the 40's they have my car up as the Vehicle of the Month. On difference is mine's blue. And not quite as shiny. Oh, yeah, mine's also a 4-door. "Same thing, only different". Sorry, couldn't help myself. Looking forward to seeing yours. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobg1951chevy Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 (edited) On 4/30/2018 at 3:33 PM, AntiqueCraftsman said: Hi everyone, I just bought a 1947 Chevy Fleetline. I really don't know anything about this specific year, make, or model. I bought the car because it's in such good shape. It's basically complete. It's so complete I'm not sure whether to disassemble it for a complete restoration, or just drive it as-is. Although I guess this won't run on regular gas without burning out the valves. I just wanted an old car to drive. In fact, I was originally going to buy a really junk one and put a new engine and drive train in it. But this car is so complete it almost seems a shame not to keep it original. I wonder also if this original 6 cyl engine can be rebuilt to use modern lead-free gas? I'd kind of like to keep the original engine in it if possible. Where do I get parts for it? Like brake shoes, ball-joints, etc. As far as I know it's all there. But it I imagine it's going to need some replacement parts. And can anyone point me to a forum that might be specifically aimed at 1940 era Chevrolet? I want to put this on the road and drive as my car. FIRST ITEM ON YOUR LIST OF " ITEMS TO PURCHASE " should be a GM issued Chevy Service Manual, which includes your specific year Chevy. F.Y.I., Chevy passenger cars did not utilize ball joints until 1955. Buy the service manual, become familiar with the car through documented pages of correct information, as provided by Chevrolet. If you want a 1947 Chevy forum, go to VCCA ( Vintage Chevrolet Club of America ) Chevrolet forum. Strictly a Chevy and GMC club / forum. This AACA site, however, has more activity, faster response time, etc. Edited May 1, 2018 by bobg1951chevy (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 (edited) Unleaded or low lead gas was all they had when your car was built. High octane, leaded gas came later. Your car will run fine on the lowest octane regular gas. If you like you can add a little Redex, Marvel Mystery Oil or your favorite upper cylinder lubricant to the gas, to keep the valves free and reduce wear but it is not really necessary. Best thing you can do for your car is maintain it by the book. By that I mean the original owner's manual and factory repair manual. They do require more upkeep than modern cars but most of it is easy and cheap, like regular oil changes, tuneups, chassis lubrication etc. One weak point of your car, they have a rather primitive engine oiling system and do not like high speeds. For your car high speed is anything over 60MPH. Keep the cruising speed down to 50 -55, and it will be fine. That was a typical hiway speed when your car was built. There is no reason to change anything as long as you use the car within its design limits. The Chevrolet six was the most popular car in the world. They made millions of them and they gave many millions of miles of reliable service. Practically all parts are still available, new used and reproduction parts supply is better than for any other vintage car. Most parts can be ordered from your local NAPA or other good auto parts store. But it is usually easier and cheaper to order them online. I will leave it to the Chev experts to tell you who the best suppliers are. But I should think most things are available from Rockauto. At least routine maintenance items like brakes, spark plugs, fan belts etc. Incidentally newer versions of the same engine, have an improved oiling system and improved bearings. Many of the older engines have been replaced with the newer model over the years. If you give us the serial number, or a clear picture of the left side of the engine block we can tell which you have. Edited May 1, 2018 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradsan Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Welcome to the world of 47 Chevs. I have a 47 Stylemaster 4dr which is the same as the Fleetline but stylier??? ( actually a misnomer because the Styleline is the base model and the Fleetline is the dressed up version which has always seems counter-intuitive to me) Here is a great link to your shop manual and all other sorts of GM manuals and literature. Only wish other marques had the same fantastic resource!!! http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1942_47/index.htm Just a few comments: The 216 was the only available engine and has only dipper lubrication on the connecting rods so be nice to your motor. Keep it in the designed operating parameters of the day and it will be fine. Speaking of which, it has a pretty tall ratio rear end for easy city driving. so 50-55MPH is about the end of the world for it. I wouldn't go past that and stay below that if you motor is old and tired. In light of the above , the two most frequent upgrades are the 50 -52 Power Glide rear end ( lower ratio rear end and pretty much a direct bolt in) and the full pressure 235 engine. ( motor mounts need to be resolved.) One specific item I would check is the generator pulley. The originals were two halves riveted together. Check the rivets closely or even weld the inside groove together. Preferably before you re-core/replace your radiator and set out on an extended journey. Ask me how I know. Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 I got her home! This was a major trip for me. I also made a wrong turn and went an hour out of my way so added 2 hours to the trip! But she's home now. I can hardly believe it. I'm pinching myself. I think this is a great little car. She'll need a lot of work. But what I like about her is that she's pretty close to 100% complete in terms of parts. You can't see it in these photos but I actually have all four original hubcaps. And all the chrome trim. Even what appears to be missing. It's all in boxes. I also have the full front bumper. It's just not on the car. In addition to all this I got a special dual master cylinder brake kit complete with a heavy-duty bracket that will allow the use of the original pedal linkage. A professionally rebuilt carburetor. Brand new 6 volt battery, and brand new headlights. All the glass is in pretty decent shape. No cracks or stone chips. There is a slight scratch where the windshield wiper scraped the windshield. But I think that can be buffed out. I didn't take pictures of the engine yet. But it's all there and all original. So much to do now I'm not sure where to begin? When I find time to work on her I guess I'll look into the engine first and see if I can get her running. In any case, I'm happy with her. This car is in pretty great shape considering her age and what I got her for. No complaints here. If I can use this motor and tranny that's just a big plus as far as I'm concerned. So we'll have to wait and see how that goes. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 (edited) I forgot to mention. All the handles on the doors are all original and all there. And the doors open and shut like NEW! Unbelievable! It seems to be rock solid for the most part. Clearly there are rusted through places. Especially on the floorboards on the drivers side. I forgot to mention also that it came with brand new floor panels for the drivers side. They just haven't yet been installed. But that'll change when I plug in my welder. Edited May 3, 2018 by AntiqueCraftsman (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 Oh yeah, he gave me the shop manual for it too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Best suggestion is to go through the car and clean it out. Save any odd bits of metal or rubber even if they don't look like car parts, they will turn out to be some irreplaceable part for the car. Take note of any new parts, they were probably bought because the car needs them. Take a clip board or note book and set down all the repairs the car needs. You have to assess things realistically and map out a plan. Do you have the money and skills necessary to do the work? If not, you would be time and money ahead to sell it before you get in too deep. Don't over match yourself. It sounds like you have a shop and tools, and enough experience in fixing old cars that this project doesn't scare you. So as I said map out a plan, make a list and tick things off as you go. The general rule is to get it running right and roadworthy first. When all mechanical work is done, then do the body and paint. Finally the upholstery work. I like to get the engine running first. This is fun and feels like bringing the car back to life. It also means you can move it around under its own power. Next brakes, steering, etc as you choose. I like to buy tires last so they don't get old and shop worn. You have a cool old car there and I can see you having some nice drives when it is done. Many of that vintage have had their engines replaced with newer models with the improved oiling system. This makes quite a difference in drivability and engine life. Give us some pics of the left side of the engine and the serial number and we will see what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 Thanks for the advice Rusty. I definitely have the skills and the tools. Money, not so much. So I'll be repairing as much as possible DIY. There's a whole bunch of junk in the trunk of this car. Including a very large roll of some kind of rubber about 2 or 3 inches wide with a 1/4 bead on one side. I'm thinking this might go between the fenders and the car? It's a huge roll and brand new. Probably enough to do all four fenders (if that's what it actually is). I'm just guessing that this might be what it is. There's a whole other wiring harness in the trunk too. Complete with voltage regulator, and other electrical components hanging off it. On thing looks like a dimmer switch. This must have come out of another old car cause this car has a wiring harness in it already. There's also a spare steering column. A couple things that look like they might be old shock absorbors? Not sure what they are yet. There are several sheet metal parts that look like they must have come off of other old cars. I have three covers that go over the transmission and they all have a gas pedal attached. Plus there's on in the car but some of these look like they might be better. Someone must have been scavenging parts for this. There's also a BRAND NEW spare tire and wheel. At least it looks brand new. Way too nice to have been the original spare. So that's nice to have a nice new spare wheel. The four wheels that are on it don't look too bad either. It's pouring down rain right now. I was hoping to get it in the garage before it rained. It looks like it's going to be raining here for a few more days. So I'll get back to my normal life for a while. (ha ha) But yeah, I can do body work, mechanical work, electrical work. And I can make a lot of my own stuff. I have lots of metal working tools: Metal Lathe/Milling machine combo Welders Drill press 12 ton press Grinders Body tools English Wheel Stretcher and shrinker Bead Roller Metal brake and a bunch of other stuff. I can also do automotive painting. I'm planning on doing a two-tone brown and beige or cream like in the attached photo. It'll be a long time before I'll be painting though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 I'm going to need to take the doors off to do the body work right. I hate to take these doors off because they open and close like brand new. They are perfectly aligned. I fear I might never get them back on as nice as they are now. But they absolutely have to come off. No question about it. I'll need to be welding up the rocker panels and floor pans. Trying to do that with the doors on would be a real pain. It would also be easier to restore the doors when they are off the car too. I just hope I can get them back on as nice as they are right now. They open and close like "PERFECT" right now. It's unbelievable that they are in such good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob47 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 There are additives to replace the lead you can use. Also you might consider using gas without ethanol - this site list the stations by state that sell it - http://www.buyrealgas.com/ Ethanol is not good for older car fuel systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 On 4/30/2018 at 10:50 PM, bradsan said: The 216 was the only available engine and has only dipper lubrication on the connecting rods so be nice to your motor. Keep it in the designed operating parameters of the day and it will be fine. I have a question about the oiling system. If this engine doesn't have an oil pump and only lubricates via dippers on the connecting rods, how does it get oil up to the overhead valve rockers? The fellow who sold me this car said that it has weak compression. And one of the cylinders actually measures 0 pressure while all the other measured 50 (in whatever units he was using). Maybe PSI? In any case I'm thinking that if one cylinder has no compression at all, that could be a broken valve spring, or a valve stuck open. Probably the first order of business will be to measure the compression myself, and if I get the same readings, then at least pop off the valve cover and take a look at the springs. Make sure all the values are going up and down properly. I'll willing to bet there's a problem with one or more of the valves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 (edited) It does have an oil pump which supplies oil to the main bearings, rocker assembly and dash oil gauge. Only the rods are on the dippers.. It also has solid lifters, valves(rocker arms) may need to be adjusted.. Edited May 3, 2018 by pont35cpe (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLynskey Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 6 hours ago, AntiqueCraftsman said: I'm planning on doing a two-tone brown and beige or cream like in the attached photo. It'll be a long time before I'll be painting though. I was with you until I got to the photo. No problem with the color selection but PLEASE do the fenders in the same color as the lower body. I'm old enough to remember the 1947 models when they were new and I cringe when I see one with dark fenders. They did not come from the factory that way! By 1947 "fat" fenders were going out of style and the manufacturers did NOT try to emphasize them. I've always been a fan of the old Chevies. I remember my grandfather coming home with a brand new 1948 Styleline, but the '46 through '48 Fleetlines are among my favorites. The 2-door was much more popular then and still is, but that makes the 4-door quite unusual and interesting. It always seemed rather stately to me. It looks like you found a nice one. Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 These are truly wonderful cars. Here are some factory color ideas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 Here is a 1948 Chevrolet Sedan I had a few years ago. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 I can appreciate those who strive for period authenticity. That's a very honorable endeavor worthy of much respect. However, while we're on the topic of "history" perhaps a little history of my own experience with finding this car is in order. I started out looking for an old gutted rusty body of something from the 1930's or 40's. I was even considering mounting the body on a new chassis. I was actually thinking about using a small truck like a Chevy S-10 or Ford Ranger to use as the chassis, motor and drive train. I even obtained a fully functional Ford ranger for scrap price that I still have in the back yard waiting for a body of some sort. Unfortunately I couldn't fine a "cheap" body that I liked. And I wasn't about to pay an arm and a leg for one. The whole idea was to build this thing cheap DIY. So paying an arm and a leg for the starting materials was out of the question. I also ran into other problems. Like the body would need to be modified to such a degree to fit on the newer truck chassis that many people were suggesting that I'd be better off just building a body from scratch entirely. And I've actually been giving that some serious thought. And if I went that route I would end up with a car (actually I would make it back into a pick-up truck again) that pretty much looks homemade. And that would actually be ok with me. In fact, here's an idea of what I was shooting for. And I had my heart set on this two-tone color scheme. Actually I would love to have the truck in the photo above,. It would actually be more practical for me as I'm always hauling stuff. Well, building an entire body from scratch got placed on a back burner pretty quickly. That would end up taking more time than I wanted to devote to the project. So I set up Craigslist to notify me when any old cars are available in my area CHEAP. After all, that's the original plan. Gotta stick to the original plan right? Two things kept happening. Either I would find a totally junk car body that was completely gutted with no glass or anything and they would want like $5000 for the garbage. I'm not paying $5000 for an old rusty shell of a body that is missing 99% of the parts. I may as well go back to the idea of building from scratch at that point. In fact, I just recently saw this 1947 Chevy Fleetline for $5,595.00 for sale on eBay. As you can see this car is in really bad shape. All the glass is broken out. The interior is totally gutted. This would be a nightmare to try to rebuild. Just trying to replace and repair all the windows would cost $$$$$. There's no way I would even consider paying this much for a car in such horrible shape. Or I would find a really great deal that would already be sold by the time I could contacted the seller. I actually narrowly missed a complete 1930 Ford Sedan for only $900. I called about it as soon as I discovered the Craigslist notification and it was already sold. Good deals don't last long on Craigslist. And then I ran across the one I bought at a considerably lesser price, with all the glass, all the chrome, and everything in tact. This is like a dream come true. ~~~~~~~ And so now for the catch,.... I never really expected to end up with a car that is so complete. The car I just bought is indeed so totally complete that it truly does demand a restoration that adheres to "period authenticity". This is true. I can't deny that. I should probably call Jay Leno and ask him what he might trade me for it. In the meantime, if I get my hands on a paint spray gun, this car I have is going to end up with two-tone with dark fenders and top and a light body. Here's another paint scheme where the fenders aren't so dark: I like this color scheme even though it may not be period authentic. Your average Joe would never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 By the way, while this paint scheme may not be authentic to the year the car was made, it would be authentic to how someone might have repainted one during the 50's. So while it's not a "Factory Authentic" paint scheme, one could argue that it's still a "historically authentic" paint scheme that someone in the 50's might have done to a 47 Chevy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 AC , I LIKE the paint scheme you are going for. And paint can always be redone. I am sorta wishing I had done something different with mine. So don't let these old fuddy duddys dissuade you!?. As to the oil system. That engine does indeed have an oil pump. There is a "trough" setup that mounts in the upper area of the oil pan. Pump supplies oil to the trough for each con rod. A dipper attached to the cap of the rod dips into the trough and oil is supplied to the rod/crankshaft. Worked for a lot of years. I think you are wise to get it running and STOPPING first and drive the heck out of it. Enough time later for the rest. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 My first car was a `47 Fleetmaster 4dr sedan, got it from my grandpa for $50 back in `64, he didn`t put antifreeze in and it froze and cracked the block. Worked on it two yrs put a small block and 4spd and `55 Chevy rear-end in it, started driving it my senior year of high school. Drove it all over the U.S. while in the Navy, was my only car for 11yrs. My younger brother got it from me and still has it, even lets me drive it once in a while. Lot of memories in that `47.. even lost my virginity in it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 2 hours ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said: AC , I LIKE the paint scheme you are going for. And paint can always be redone. I am sorta wishing I had done something different with mine. So don't let these old fuddy duddys dissuade you!?. I agree. It can always be repainted. That's no biggie. If a "fuddy duddy" wants to restore it to an original color scheme at some future date they can always get out a paint gun and have at it. But just for the record, it's probably not nice to refer to period authenticity enthusiast as "fuddy duddies'. I totally respect where they are coming from. I just don't happen to share that specific goal. I don't mind if mine looks like a souped-up 1050's hot rod. So it's not a problem for me if the manufacturers never made one painted exactly like mine. That was there loss, not mine. As to driving it around before doing body work. We'll have to see about that. I'm not even sure that I'll be able to get it to run dependably yet. Only time will tell on that one. I also want to install that new dual-master-cylinder brake conversion kit before I drive it. The brakes that are on it don't currently work. I have no clue why that is. I haven't even pulled a wheel on it yet to look at the shoes. I bought this thing basically blind just from the pictures in the ad. I just drove down and picked it up with only a superficial glance at the under carriage just to be sure it wasn't rotten beyond repair. With that much looking pretty solid I just loaded it up and brought it home. I got this baby at a price that I feel is very reasonable. As I say, even if I have to go with a whole new modern drive train, the body is worth what I paid for it. So exactly where I end up in terms of restoration is yet to be seen. That will all depend on just how salvageable this motor and chassis are. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 37 minutes ago, pont35cpe said: My first car was a `47 Fleetmaster 4dr sedan, got it from my grandpa for $50 back in `64, he didn`t put antifreeze in and it froze and cracked the block. Worked on it two yrs put a small block and 4spd and `55 Chevy rear-end in it, started driving it my senior year of high school. Drove it all over the U.S. while in the Navy, was my only car for 11yrs. My younger brother got it from me and still has it, even lets me drive it once in a while. Lot of memories in that `47.. even lost my virginity in it.. Great story! And you are very fortunate to have kept it in the family and still able to drive it on occasion. That's fantastic. Back in the day, I had owned quite a few cars from the early 50's. And I even had a 1949 Ford that I used to drive to work everyday. I wish I still had that car today. I had a 1055 Chevy Nomad 2-door wagon. A 1956 Ford Crown Victoria. A 1050 Oldsmobile coupe. And far too many cars from the early 60's to mention. My favorite was my 1963 Chevy Impala SS. I loved that car and would love to own it today. I don't have any of them today. The main reason was that I had no place to store any of them so I was basically forced to get rid of them. What a shame! But thankfully I finally got a decent old car to rebuild. I might end up doing what you did with the drive train. That all depends on whether or not I can salvage the current drive train. At least I now have a good body to work with if nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 Antique if I may call you by your first name, do yourself a favor and get the Chev on the road in stock form before you make any decisions. They are a nice driving car in stock form and you may be perfectly happy with it. If not, well there are ways to handle that. As I said before, Chevrolet used basically the same engine from 1937 to 1962 in various forms, the highest HP being 135HP 261 Cu in Chev truck six. This engine has modern bearings and lubrication like all of them after 1953 and is capable of higher speeds. There are other niceties on newer models like more highway friendly rear axle gears and better drum brakes, all will interchange on your car. I happen to have a 1942 Chevrolet sedan very much like yours and have been researching the parts interchange possibilities. Your car may even have a newer engine installed, many were updated in this way with a used engine when the original wore out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 I plan on keeping the car as stock as possible. This will all depend on how salvageable the current parts are. I just got the thing so I'm going to have a month of "discovery' for sure. Today all I did was get it off the trailer and maneuvered it over to the garage. The garage I have for it right now is only room for storage. No room to work in there. So I'll need to pull it in and out of the garage to work on it. I do have another much larger garage but it's currently under construction. I just bought a sawmill last year and I've been cutting down trees and making lumber. I part it in-part to build this larger garage. In any case, I just now sprayed all the lug nuts in preparation to remove the wheels and inspect the condition of the brakes and wheel bearings, etc. I'll also be looking at suspension parts while I have the wheels off. I'm certainly not going to take it anywhere until I'm confident that everything is in tip-top shape. I don't like breaking down. And I certainly don't want to take any unnecessary safety risks. So for me its "Safety First" for sure. I'm also anxious to see what's going on with the engine of course. But I can't do everything at once. It currently doesn't have any brakes so that's surely #1 priority. No point in getting it moving if I can't stop it. Surprising the emergency brake does work quite well. And that means that there must at least be some functioning brake shoes in the rear. The wheels look to be in super great shape. These must be newer wheels. They all look like pretty new wheels. I just too pictures of the front and rear on one side, but the other side look the same. Got all four hubcaps. That's a nice touch. And I just took a few shots of the engine. I can't read the number on the side. I'll try to get that number later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 I still think you need to at least try to get it to run before getting to the brakes. It'll make the brake job feel more enjoyable. You could just try refilling the master cylinder to see if it leaks anywhere when you pump the pedal. Unfortunately it's not in an easy place to get to and sometimes the cap alone is a bear to remove. By the looks of the new parts on the engine and the rebuilt carb, the PO must have given up when he found the low compression. Maybe all it needs is for the cylinders to get a good soaking of 50/50 ATF and acetone. I've read lots of good success stories of stuck engines freeing up that way, so if there are any stuck rings, maybe it'll help if that's the problem. I like your new toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiqueCraftsman Posted May 5, 2018 Author Share Posted May 5, 2018 Hi Bleach, I agree that getting the motor running would be a real confidence booster and probably everyone's #1 agenda at this stage. But in addition to being AntiqueCraftsman I'm also known as A.K.A. My Mundane Practical. I realize that the motor is often seen as the central most important piece, but for me the suspension and frame integrity are actually even more important. So I'm actually more interested in doing a very thorough inspection of the chassis parts. Knowing that I have a rock solid chassis to build upon will actually make working on the motor more enjoyable. I'm also anticipating some possible problems with the motor. Hopefully nothing too serious. After all I took a real chance buying this car the way I did. The motor could be blown. A broken rod or something deadly serious. I hope that's not the case. I would actually be thrilled to see a broken valve spring instead. I am a bit anxious to remove the valve cover and take a peek at what the rockers look like. I'll no doubt be doing that pretty soon. It's been rainy here on and off and I'm working outdoors. So work will be weather-dependent. Not only that but I'm really quite busy with other things and shouldn't even be working on this toy right now at all. I was distracted by this deal and had to run out and grab it while the grabbing was good. I've already invested the better part of four days just arranging to pick it up and getting it into the backyard. But now that I got it home I really need to get back into the other projects I was original working on. I'm in the middle of building a deck on the front of my house, and building a larger garage, as well as quite a few other projects too numerous to mention. So my plan right now is to remove one wheel a day and check out the brakes, bearings, and chassis parts associated with each wheel. I'll probably try to pull the valve cover off at some point as well. I need to limit myself to doing just one wheel a day, simply because I need to be spending most of my time on my "everyday projects". I didn't buy this car because I have time to work on it. I bought it because the deal was hot-to-trot and couldn't wait for a procrastination period for a better time to do it. I imagine it will be quite some time before I found another old car in this great of shape at the price I paid for this one. And then when I do, someone else will probably buy that out from under me as has happened so many times before. So I'm just glad to have her. No rush. At least I got her in my back yard. That a HUGE achievement already. I should go buy a case of beer and just sit here drinking beer looking at her from a lawn chair for a while to soak in the find. I'm still in a state of disbelief that I actually got her. She is ROCK SOLID in terms of body, glass, and trim. So there's no rush at this point. I'll be starting an actual restoration thread at some point. But right now I feel like I'm still in the "Discovery Stage". I'm not done looking her over. But yeah, I know everyone wants to see her brought to life. Me too. That'll be surreal. We'll get there. Be patient. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligermachine Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 On 5/3/2018 at 3:27 PM, AntiqueCraftsman said: And one of the cylinders actually measures 0 pressure while all the other measured with use this some time will fix it's self . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 Yup. Brakes.Thats what us guys around here were taught by the old guys when we were kids. Made sense that stopping is more important than going. Renew/replace EVERYTHING in your entire brake system. Then you can use silicon brake fluid , and your hydraulics should not need much more attention from you. Check out the basement too. Pull the pan and clean out all the sludge and mung. Check your bearings by pulling one main cap and a couple rod caps to begin with. If they look great and measure or plastigage within spec , you might not have to do too much. If they are a little questionable , you have to check them all. If they are bad , and you also need head work , you might ought to find that Chev truck engine Rusty recommends. You have a whole bunch of friends here. Welcome AC ! Always fun to watch another old car come back to life here. Thanks for sharing with us ! - Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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