Description
A Five Seat 1941 South African Right Hand Drive Chevrolet Special Deluxe. The car is standard (Stock), i. e. there have been no major alterations to its specification as delivered from the factory.
Manufactured in 1941, the Special Deluxe was supplied new to South Africa, being assembled by General Motors South African Ltd, in Port Elizabeth, with coachwork by Fisher. Fitted with 3. 5-litre straight-six (Stovebolt 216) engine with a three-speed manual column change (3 on the tree) transmission, the Chevrolet is finished in the striking colour combination of two-tone Blue paintwork, with a complementary Blue and Grey interior upholstery. The body was built by Fisher South Africa.
The mileage is recorded at c. 95, 500 miles, with the Chevrolet employed in military service with the SAAF (South African Air Force), with SAAF/ SALM 8S stamped into the chassis plate on both edges and has been confirmed by the Air Force Museum in South Africa.
‘OXS 713’ has window winders that are embossed with a Springbok jumping in a blue roundel, the insignia reputedly used by the SAAF unofficially from 1947, becoming official from 1950 to 1958, and that adorned all SAAF aircraft during the Korean conflict. Discovered in Paarl in late 2020, the Chevrolet was imported into the United Kingdom in March 2021.
The above detail is taken straight from the H&H auction website where we bought this car just under a year ago. Then, the car was barely running, and we have spent a considerable amount of time and effort in bringing the car into a good running order. Do not be fooled though, there are still things to do which we will mention later.
Since we have had the car we have completed the following work:-
Inlet & Exhaust Manifold removed and reinstalled to remove leaks.
New Firestone Whitewalls installed all round. This cost just under £1, 500.
Carter W-1 Carburetor rebuilt with kit from US including new float.
Exhaust Repaired - new bottom piece to header installed.
Sump removed, fully cleaned and reinstated. There was loads of sludge in there.
Oil Changed 20/ 50.
High level distributor fettle.
Gearbox oil dropped and replaced.
Diff Oil checked.
Extensive clearance of grime build up around front axle and brake assembly.
Twice fully greased throughout. This appears to have not occurred for many years.
Full Service of brakes - wheels off, drums off, all cleaned, rust removed and reinstated. Linings in good order, rears were replaced
Localised rust treatment around sills.
Full inspection of underside of car by qualified MOT mechanic - all OK. It does not need an MOT so one was not obtained
Removal and refurbishment of front seat rails - reinstated.
Localised repainting in engine bay.
New fuel and vacuum hoses - including a fettle of wipers.
Installed master cut out to battery terminal.
Fettled Battery Leads.
Further general cleaning of car inside and out.
Dropped petrol tank, replaced intake and installed fuel sender (imported from US). Fuel Gauge now works.
Second brake fettle to balance and further replace worn pipes. New bleed nipples, T piece, and middle rubber hosing installed. Latter all imported from US.
Still to do, the clock needs wiring in, as does the radio. We do not know if either of these work. The paintwork is average, but more than serviceable, but if you want a show car it will need respraying. A new front seat adjuster is needed.
The car is being sold for several reasons; our interest is really in pre 1930's cars, and this is just a bit "Modern" for us. We also need to make space for another project.
The car will be sold with a spare set of wheels. These were obtained separately from original auction, with a view to maybe renovating a really good set of wheels. Please see picture.
