Post-war domestic cars were built for a customer who wanted a new vehicle because World War Two shut down automotive production for many years to make military equipment.
The net result was a huge demand for new cars after 1945 as car builders switched back to civilian products.
Jim Sutherland
The 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster was a part of the post-war auto production and is a good example of a car that delivered old school design and engineering in a new vehicle to customers. The most important factor for buyers was a desire to own a new car, so domestic builders had little time to design a new look for their products until the 1949 model year in most cases, including the 1948 Chevy models.
Nevertheless, the 1946-48 Chevys enjoy a loyal legion of fans because they are a distinct reminder of the post-war automotive era in North America. Fred McIlwane became a fan of the post-war Chevy models and is now the proud owner of a 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster 4-door sedan that he restored back to stock-with some minor changes.
The process was not easy because so many owners choose to upgrade their ’48 Chevys to newer engineering features and forget about their factory roots, so stock replacement components have become scarce over the years.
Fred told MyStarCollectorCar he “always wanted a truck” but spotted his 1948 Chevy and bought it. The car had been sitting for a long time, but Fred was able to fire it up and drive the classic Chevy on the first day.
He was instantly taken with the Chevy and decided to do a complete restoration on it. “I changed every nut and bolt in it”, in Fred’s words. The ’48 Chevy still has its 216 cubic-inch six, along with its factory three-on-the-tree manual transmission because Fred felt no need to resto mod his 77-year-old car.
The car show was about 75 miles (125 kms) from Fred’s home, but he drove his ’48 Chevy to the event because Fred believes in driving his vintage vehicle instead of trailering it. According to Fred, it is comfortable at about 50-55 mph (80-90 km/h) on the highway and performed well at higher speeds on the trip.
He did replace a U-joint shortly before the trip and had to deal with the complications of a torque tube to access the U-joint, but Fred is very confident in his Chevy’s reliability.
The car has undergone a complete cosmetic restoration that includes a new two-tone paint scheme and brightwork rejuvenation. Fred also paid attention to the car’s interior and refurbished the seats and door panels, along with hydro-dipping the faux woodgrain metal surfaces to restore them back to their original glory.
Fred also paid attention to the gauges in his Chevy and brought them back to their factory look. He noted his gauges all work and look like new. He did a minor upgrade to the ’48 Chevy’s signal light system because the original turn signal was beyond repair, so Fred added a vintage aftermarket system that reflects an upgrade from a bygone era.
The net result is a car that looks and drives like it just left the showroom in 1948-a time long before Fred was even born. But he loves to drive his retro ride and already looks forward to the next road trip in it.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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