After 25 years providing the Feature Truck of the Month series, we have found this beautifully restored 1937 Chevrolet ½ ton nicely dressed for Christmas. The proud owner is Janna Chevalier of Bellingham, Washington (about 20 miles from the Canadian border).
She purchased the pickup from the owner of a Texaco Service Station in her town. This person had given it a ground up restoration 45 years earlier. From time to time Janna would see it beside the service station and she was impressed.
About three years ago she asked the owner if it was for sale and could she see it. It was yes on both counts! The person had not been able to drive it for several years and for him it was time to sell.
The ½ ton was just as nice as she thought. Janna lost no time to make the purchase. It had the correct Brewster Green with Black fenders.
The engine is not only a 216 cubic inch six cylinder but it was pure for a 1937. It has the standard 3 speed floor shift transmission, synchronized in 2nd and 3rd gear. A closed drive shaft connects it to the 4.11 ratio differential ring and pinion.
The pickup was restored to be as much as in 1937 as possible. It even has the rare correct accessory front bumper guards! The only change we noted different was the chrome bumpers. Whatever the first owner used, they are attractive.
She and her husband Jim drive it on many days in the local area. A big attention getter for those that see it.
They show it each July to the local “Veterans Car Show”. Last year 325 vehicles were on display.
Now for the most unusual item on a 1937 Chevy ½ ton. Beginning that year General Motors (not passenger cars) moved the gas tank to the inside of the cab where it remained through 1972. For this first year, it was not fueled through a pipe on the tank exterior.
FOR THE REAL ENTHUSIAST
Many years ago we wrote this article. Such an unusual feature!
1937 to Early 1938 Chevrolet /GMC Gas Tank and Seat Cushions
So unusual to place a gas tank under the seat with no fill pipe outside the cab! To engineer this big change for 1937 was expensive and very different from earlier years when it was under the bed. Why was this done? What advantages could this have been over an outside fill spout? Was gasoline theft during the depression years a big problem?
To add gasoline on a 1937, the right lower cushion half was raised up toward the back which exposed the threaded 'bung' on the surface of the tank. It meant a person stood outside by the right side of the cab, raised the cushion half and added fuel. This is how it was done! If it was raining or snowing, the driver, passenger, or the attendant stood there fueling. Maybe you kept an umbrella stored in this small cab for emergencies. Maybe gas station employees knew that when a 1937 Chevrolet or GMC truck drove in to get gas in the rain, a raincoat was needed. If some gasoline was spilled while filling, the vapor was smelled throughout the cab. If you were a cigarette smoker, well-----!!!
We were fortunate to recently obtain a set of 1937 original seat cushions. Even the upholstery on the two lower halves was still intact. The non-spout gas tank from the same truck came in the set.
Before they were requested by a serious collector, pictures had to be taken. Finding a pure set again in one place would probably be impossible.
An interesting feature is the plywood bottom on the right side removable cushion. The rectangular hole in the plywood prevented the springs from ever sagging and touching the electric gas sending unit. This must have been placed there to also protect the gas tank and bung from contact with a passenger's weight on the seat. Engineers knew that a spark from an electric short near gas vapor would be a disaster!
We think these photos will be very interesting to the 1937 GM truck enthusiast. This way of tank filling continued into early 1938. Probably during the depression years, the manufacturer used their extra bodies and tanks that were left over from 1937 until supplies were depleted. Of course, this changeover would vary depending on the assembly plant.
The in- cab gas tank is also unique. It lies neatly inside the seat riser. The twist cap (bung) hole for adding fuel is at least 10” away from the sending unit (protection from a gasoline pump add nozzle). For some reason the tank is built with two drain holes. One is always plugged and therefore the tank can be used in two type cabs. Maybe the gasoline outlet is different for right or left hand drive trucks!
Amendment to 1937 to Early 38 Chevrolet / GMC Gas Tank and Seat Cushions:
Several years after the above article was posted, a pair of original bottom cushions appeared at our shop.
The owner stated they were from a 1937 pickup that had been in the family since it was a year old.
As the underside is covered with a sheet of rusted thin metal, it would appear it is original GM. We now wonder if the wood plywood bottom in the first article is factory installed or the result of a very skilled carpenter attempting to add additional years to a deteriorated set of original cushions. You be the judge!
SURPRISE: As of December 2016, new 1937 gas tanks are in stock. Just like GM made them 8 years ago!
Contact Jim Carter Truck Parts!
You can contact Janna at: jjchevy5525@gmail.com
