long story short found out the previous owner really REALLY fubard some elements on the 41 chevy i have. It's not a lost cause but it is beyond my technical means and cash to fix right now. Given that the frame is excellent and i have 2 diff 6 bangers and a 350 plus a t5 trans and brand new mustang 2 front suspension and the rear leaf conversion kit from chassis engineering installed, i am wondering what options (if any) i may have. some fabrication is ok and to be expected, but basically i am wondering if there are any other bodies from those years 41-48 that will fit on without super insane crazy work. im content to sit on this one for a while or even pass it along (with all disclaimers laid out), but if i know what to look for id love to use what i have. thanks in advance for any insight - jason
well the PO decided to hide everything behind some black spray paint. the front body mounts were held in place by 2 x 3 blocks of wood hidden behind riveted galvanized steel painted black to blend. he did similar things all over the place in order to make it appear solid. there is galvanized everywhere. been trying to install 1k worth of floor pans and everywhere we start there is an issue. now he had used street signs to make riveted patches between the rear wheel wells, and on and on. like i said its not impossible nor a lost cause, but given that its not easy to find a 41-48 chevy around here that isnt in even worse shape, i was wondering if i had any other options. the frame and all that is great. the body isnt horrific - acvtually what IS there is pretty good. the prob is that whats NOT there is important and not quick to fix, resulting in a crap ton of cash that i simply cant spend on it right now and is beyond my level of experience. hope that makes sense.
I feel for you Jason. Sorry to hear that. To answer your first q, I'd say that a buick, olds, or Pontiac would fit. But...I'm no expert! Good luck. Paul
Don't know the answer to the orig question but if I hear of a local donor car for you I'll hit you up. In the land of rust and shitboxes that is new England you burn alot of wire and gas unfortunately
thanks all. ive got my hands full with other proj so if this one sits for a bit its ok, just figured with Spring finally getting here (soon anyway) if I can be on the lookout for something I can drop on that may help. i'll try to find that interchange manual - great tip thank you!
I would just wait a bit. You will find a car that someone took apart to restore and never did anything else. 41 - 48 Chevy's are not really hard to find. Just start asking around at cruises and shows, you will find one in less then a month.
41-48 Chevrolet bodies will all fit the others frames. There will be slight differences in frames for special bodies like convertibles and woodie wagons but nothing a person can't handle at home. So, coupes, two-door sedans, four-door sedans, coupe-pickups, convertibles, woodie wagons, sedan deliveries... get out and start looking.
You'll find that GM (and more particularly Chevrolet) seldom changed things year to year just for the sake of change (unlike Ford). The frames are identical '41 to '48, including body mounts, which is important to you since all you want to do is change bodies. Nearly any coupe, two-door and four-door sedans and Aerosedan bodies will simply bolt back on the frame you have. I'd suspect even a convertible and sedan delivery body will bolt on altho an X-member may have been added to the frame to stiffen it some. Seeing as how you are in Boston, bodies from the deep south, the southwest and west are nearly rust-free (no salt used on the roads)...you might find some in the Mid-west that are in good shape as not a lot of salt was used on the roads prior to the fifties... Those year bodies are still out there...and the prices are still decent...look at internet sites that have listings for "Projects." Good Luck... R-
Nope...chevy used the pressed tin "top hat" frame while all other GM cars used heavy steel channel frames. And Roger, chevy also changed their frames almost ever year for awhile in the late 30s/early 40s. 37 and 38 are all by themselves, 39 will only fit a 39 and same with 1940. I believe 41 to 48 is all the same tho. Pontiac used the same body in 41 for their series 25 cars but changed the floor pan to mate with their own frame layout. I had a 41 Pontiac series 25 and can assure the frame/floor is different than a chevy.
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