In
February of 1989, I located this 1941 Chevrolet 4 door Special DeLuxe
in
Boulder, Colorado.
The
car had a brushed on black enamel paint job (really), the original interior in rough shape, but was complete and driveable.
The owner said this was a
father/son
project that was never completed. Actually, it looked like the
project
was never started, but I knew this was the car for me.
We agreed on a
price,
I bought the car and drove it home.
I
decided the best course of action would be the total disassembly of the
car, replacing or restoring parts as I proceeded,
and storing them for
later reassembly.
My
advice
to anyone new to car restoration... take plenty of photos.
This makes
the reassembly of these 3 dimensional jigsaw puzzles much easier!
- Some parts were bought from VCCA members through the classified ads of the
monthly
Generator & Distributor
- magazine.
- Some were found at the annual Tri-State Swap Meet and the rest came from Chev's of
the
40's in Washington state.
The
frame
was scraped and painted. The engine was restored and detailed.
The chrome went to Classic
Chrome
in Denver and the rest was done by me with help from friends.
A friend, Paul King, helped with the body (lots of rust) and
paint.
We painted
the
car a color close (I thought) to ruby maroon, an original 1941 Chevrolet color,
using
modern paint.
The interior headliner and door panels were done in taupe
colored material.
The
gauges, clock, steering wheel and radio were restored to like new
condition.
All the rubber and glass, except for the curved rear window, was
replaced.
The dash and window surrounds were stripped and woodgrained. This was
quite a learning experience, but I was motivated to learn the
technique after checking prices by professionals!
I
am not sure how many hours were put into completing this
project,
but
the restoration was finally finished in September of 1996.
To make a
long story short, I believe I touched every nut and bolt on this car
during
it's six year restoration!
The
options on this car are as follows:
Harrison
Model DF - 151 heater/defroster
Heater
shutoff valve
Chevrolet
deluxe 6 tube radio
Guide
6002 directional signals
Grille
guards
Rear
fender guards
Outside
rear view mirror
'Fishtail'
exhaust pipe extension
AC glass
bowl fuel filter
Cat's
Eye cigarette lighter
Flying
Lady hood ornament
After
some minor adjustments to the vacuum shift assembly, we
were ready to roll.
I am happy to say the car, 'Big Red', drives and
looks
sweet.
I did replace the clutch and pressure plate since the
restoration,
but other than that and some minor 'tweaking',
no other work has been
needed.
It is a reliable and fun car to drive and always gathers a crowd where
ever it goes.
- I
am convinced that anybody with patience and perseverance can restore a
vintage auto themselves.
- Research, time, and money will equal a vehicle
that you will be proud to drive and own.
I know my car would not show
well
against a full professional restoration costing many thousand dollars
more
than what I spent, but that was not the idea. I wanted a classic to
drive
on nice days and weekends, not a professionally restored auto trailered
to car shows for awards only.
These cars definitely have their place in
the world of classic car collecting and investment, and are truly
wonderful
to behold, but do not let that stop you from doing the restoration
yourself,
if you are willing to take the time.
*Additional
photos of this 1941 Chevrolet 4 Door Special DeLuxe Sport Sedan*
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