VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1931 Firewall Pad

I'm pre-assembling my '31 Phaeton in prep for painting. Now fitting in the firewall mat. Fits great. Never did a '31 before, so a couple of uncertainties:

-- I assume the mat goes in first (after painting), then the through bolts for coil, wiring harness clips, side mount brackets, etc go through the mat and the firewall?

-- Looks like mostly 3/4 long stove bolts with square nuts. Do they get fender washers everywhere they pass through the mat, even where a wire clip will be on the bolt?

-- Which way do the stove bolts face? Looks like they should be inserted from the front side of the firewall.

-- The side mount angle brackets have 5/16" hex cap screws with split lock washers and hex nuts. I assume the mat basically gets clamped between brackets and firewall, since they were a dealer install?

Can anybody confirm or correct?

All the Best,

Chip

My 31 had the bolts going from the inside to the outside. The ugly side was in the engine compartment. It is a Fisher Body.

I have seen many run the other way and it does look better.

Dave

I should add the ones I have seen going from the engine compartment to the inside were done by the restorer to their taste.

Hey chip bob from asheville.My 31 sedan was the same as you said.My car is getting there.if you get out 2 swan city its a the shop.

I'm fitting my wiring harness now. have the complete old one, the coil harness has metal ends.I`m looking for them.

I'll give you a call and stop by over the holidays. Glad to hear the car is coming along well.

All the Best, Chip

Although I can't locate the pictures at the moment, I am pretty sure mine was heads inside originally and that's the way I installed the new ones.
I cheated on a few of them and went to next longer.

Yes, the mat goes on before other parts.

Don't have the length but 3/4" seems right. There were just regular washers not fender washers. Where there was a clip like holding the wire harness, speedometer cable, etc the clip was all.

The nuts were on the engine side of the firewall.

Yes the brackets were installed on the outside of the firewall mat sandwiching the mat between the bracket and firewall.

Now for the kicker. I am not sure but seem to remember that the Roadster and Phaeton did not use the firewall mat in 1931. Thinking that only Fisher Bodied cars had firewall mats. Will need to verify that.

Did the 29 standard coupe have the mat?

No. 1931 was the first year for the firewall mat. Also, since 1929 and 1930 did not have a firewall mat, the bolt heads for the clips, ignition coil and etc. were on the engine side of the firewall, not the compartment side of the firewall like 1931 and 1932.

The 31 roadster was not a fisher body correct?

The Roadster and Phaeton did not have Fisher bodies. They were build by a Chevrolet contract body company.

Thanks Chipper, that's exactly what I needed to know.

Now about whether the open cars had the mat in '31, please keep in mind that I've already trimmed the mat for an exact fit, added the holes for the side mounts, and reglued the backing to the rubber. If you tell me the car doesn't get a mat, will you also tell the Filling Station that they should take back this modified mat????? Love it!

As an aside, I think the car DID have the mat, because there are extra holes in the upper part of the firewall which don't get used for anything else, but do match up with pre-punched holes in the mat -- they must have been put there to hang the mat. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

All the Best, Chip

The firewalls are the same stamping regardless if a Fisher or Open body or truck. So even thought it might seem logical the extra holes are not necessarily proof of a mat.

If you put on a mat, even if I verify they didn't come on a Phaeton, I won't tell.

The 1931 Chevrolet parts book indicates that the 1931 Phaeton, Roadster and Sport Roadster all came with the firewall mat (the parts book calls it a "Dash Panel Mat").

Got a chance to look at two references. The Dog is right "Dash Panel Mat" is listed in the Feb. 1, 1931 parts book. Also the 1-31 Sales Data page for the Roadsters and Phaeton both list "Insulated driver's compartment". That means that my memory was incorrect and there was a firewall mat for all 1931 Passenger models. Guess trucks were the only models without firewall mats.

Just when I was about to send it back to Steve Kassis and insist on a full refund! Dang. Guess I'll have to keep it.

Thanks guys!

All the Best, Chip

So on a 1929 the Heads of ALL the Bolts and Hardware go on the Engine Side of the Firewall with Washer & Nuts (if Applicable) on the inside under the Dash ??

The trucks did not have firewall mats, however, the 1931-32 Sedan Delivery did have a firewall mat.