The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Hood divider question 41 chevy

I want to know if anyone can tell me with certanty is the front hood divider on a 41 chevy stainless. I've found out that the side mouldings on the hood are stainless but they do attract a magnet, how about the little divider just above the horiZontal grill pieces. Dave

The center hood strip (hinge) on my 38 is chromed steel. I'm not familiar with the grill divider you refer to. My 38 has an emblem top center on the grill that is chromed pot metal.

It's not a grill divider it's the HOOD divider. Look at Jim Arribitos 41 in the gallery, it's the second one in the 41 catagory. Just above the horizontal upper grill, you can see it vertically between the halves of the hood. Dave

Dave, Mine is plain old steel. I have seen some that have been chromed but I think they all were originaly painted steel.

George

If you look at the "Sweetie Now" link in my sig, except for the hood bird it is quite similar to the 41 you refer to. My 38 is all one piece of chromed steel. You may be able to tell by the current condition of the piece. If it's pitted it's not stainless. If it's not pitted, being 68 years old, it most likely is stainless.

Good thought Tiny, I just inspected it, it is heavily painted but absolutly no signs of rust or pitting. It is attracted to a magnet but so are my other stainless pieces. I know of no other way of telling what it is.Does anyone know of a quick way of telling if it's stainless. I've taken a piece on the back side and put salty water on it, if it's carbon steel I would think in short order I should know. Time will tell.

it is steel

Mine is definitely not stainless steel

most definately steel "and not stainless" been looking for a replacement for mine due to the excessive rust

Daniel, repos are being made, they were not stainless when new but some of the repo pieces are made of polished stainless.

I'm not sure what I have, salty water left on over night showed no rust, sure acts like stainless. Dave

Wash it with a good degreaser and leave it set for a couple of days. I’ll bet it rusts

What degreaser do you recommend?

Carbon tetrachloride. Too bad you can’t get it anymore (carcinogenic). My dad used to get it from old fire extinguishers, never saw anything work so well. Iron and steel would begin to rust within an hour after cleaning with that stuff.

Anyway I use “Simple Green” and a scrub brush now

I think the wife has some, I'll try it. Dave

I put 409 degreaser/cleaner on it, no rust at all after 4-5 hours. Dave

After days, still no rust at ALL. I'm begining to think the piece is stainless, I wish I had a way to tell for certain. Dave

I've owned several of these trucks and never found a stainless piece as you are refering to. I have found other parts that came both in stainless or plain steel. Like the strips on the side of the hood, the crank hole cover and the narrow trim pieces on the grill, oh and the dash trim and maybe more. So I'm sure anything is possible with these trucks in which parts varied so much through the war years. I had one with stamped tin outside door handles and a military truck with a GIANT metal glove box.