Where Have All of The Chevrolets Gone?

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Vern wuz makin' a TIGHT "U" turn in his'29 Chev, the SECTOR shaft popped, VERY EXCITING. Last I heard, he ordered a wood kit for the L/F door, didn't fit, returned it & wuz makin' his OWN, frum a small tree trunk! (GOOD LUCK!)--LOL
Bill Ford

[jhowes]

I had and drove a 29 2-door chevy to college in the late 50's and never had a problem. It was 4 hours each way and therefore only made on weekends and a lot of guys borrowed it as there dates loved the old car experience. Jack

[Roserock49]

Here is a survivor that my Son in Law owns. I believe it's a 1927 and been in his family many years. Still runs and still has the original license plates.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

But Ford used wood in some models and plenty of them are still around. A nekked Town Sedan shown...




Now that would certainly contribute to the lack of Chevy survivors.

Yup, I have some pictures like this. Only the chev was a '30 businessman/doctor coupe...THREE window !

[d.]

as above... the Chev. had:


>wood framed bodies
>cheap rear axles
>bushings instead of bearings

[jimalabam]

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Fords with wooden body frames were supplied to the body vendors, Murray/Briggs, etc with excellent hardwoods from Iron Mountain, AND even then, over time, both wood decay and termites took it's toll. A lot of wooden sub frames and /or pieces have been replaced over the years. Hmmmmmmmmm...

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Growley bear

I have read accounts that a Model A Ford front axle contained enough steel to make five Chevrolet front axels. Also the fact that there were so many more Chevrolet's made than Model A's, they were of inferior quality and ended up in the scrap yard early on. Now the Model A is still going strong and the Chevrolet, if you ever see on is a rare and valuable collector's item.
That's the way I heard it anyway. Sorry

Except for the front axle part I've heard the same thing.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

In High School, I had a '26 Chev 2 door. Even drove that dude to the coast! Only had 1 flat tire. With only 2 wheel brakes, it went down Cuesta Grade, REAL FAST!
Bill W.

[KenCoupe]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

In High School, I had a '26 Chev 2 door. Even drove that dude to the coast! Only had 1 flat tire. With only 2 wheel brakes, it went down Cuesta Grade, REAL FAST!
Bill W.

I've driven that Cuesta Grade in a modern car and it is scary - lots of accidents on there! I would guess that with only 2 wheel brakes, it would be even more scary.

[dave in australia]

It's interesting to read about it being wood that was one of the reasons for low survival. The Australian A Phaetons and Roadsters have a lot of wood, including wood body subframes. A lot of them survive today compared to A era Chevs. Most Australian made bodies from the A era were wooden framed. My 29 Durant sedan and 29 Desoto Phaeton are also wooden framed.

[pooch]

Even Aussie A/s have steel cowls and doors same as USA .

Chevs were all wood, so the first thing to go is the drivers door when the body weakens.

When the 27/28 chevs were being pulled out of the paddock in the early 70/s with rotted wood, there was a guy named Wally Brown in Canberra that was a guru with wood,

He actually offered a 27/28 chev exchange body.,

I beleive he went broke when the tax office got him for not adding sales tax on each body.

He did a good job.

But really now in OZ, all the early chevs are already restored and that era is ended.

Where as there are still a lot of unrestored A/s.

BTW I detest chevs, I helped a pal restore a 28 tourer and I owned a 34 master coupe with knee action shocks and they were a turd of an idea.

[Larryejoh]

My grandfather had a 31 Chevrolet when my mother was little. He told me he traded it in for a 36 Ford because he would always break an axle.

[noboD]

While you are discussing this ask where all the '57 Fords are. Ford outsold Chevrolet in '57 but I can't remember the last time I saw a '57 ford. "57 Chevies are like belly buttons.

[Bob-A]

First album.jpg

Me and my '29 Chevy 2-dr Coach on July 4th 1967. I had just returned from an antique car show with my first trophy. My dad bought the car for us when I was 15, I'm 16 in the pic. The coach was all original except for the paint and tires. The odometer showed a little over 20K and I added another 10K during my 3 years of high school. Replaced 2 rear axles (see note at bottom)
one leaf spring, one tail pipe and relined the brakes. "Great" car and I have another one pretty much just like it, original unrestored, runs great, today.
My '29 coach, the one while in high school, had the rare optional wooden artillery wheels. While the one I have now has the stock steel disc wheels.

Note: The rear end under the 6-cylinder '29 Chevy was the same as the 1925 to '28 4-cylinder Chevrolet. From 1930 on up the axles steadily
improved. And, yes you can get replacement axles for the old Chevy's
from a retired NASA engineer/machinist in Calf.

Bob-A

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

A Friend popped his '29 Chev axle, on the Black Bart Run, in our Gold Country. An Old welder slipped a pipe coupling on it, welded it & "straightened" it in an OOOOOLD LATHE, & he drove it back to Fresno!
Bill W.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by pooch

Even Aussie A/s have steel cowls and doors same as USA .

Not ALL model As have steel doors. And mine seem to be OK...

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

Not ALL model As have steel doors. And mine seem to be OK...

Gotta' clean my glasses, at first, I thought that read, DYNAMITE !!! Been watchin' too many Old Westrerns---LOL
Bill Idiot

[pj's junkers]

In this same vain what Chevy/GM plants are preserved or revered like Piquette, Highland Park and Rouge.

[pooch]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

Not ALL model As have steel doors. And mine seem to be OK...

Old geezer's 4 door sedans made by outside suppliers do not enter my mind when I think of A/s.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by pooch

Old geezer's 4 door sedans made by outside suppliers do not enter my mind when I think of A/s.

Wow, So the 608,405 Fordor Model A Sedans that Ford Motor Company labeled as a Ford and sold as Ford Model A Cars are not really Fords according to YOU...

Gee, you learn something new everyday, don't ya??? Your a Frigging Genius...

Are all of the Body Styles that are built by outside suppliers, other than Fordor Sedans, also included in what you consider being not As. How about Budd built PUs? Roasters? Briggs built Coupes?