VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Is there any market for 1931 Chevrolets anymore?

Is there a market for the 1931 Chevrolets anymore? I have one for sale on numerous website and in the G&D. No offers. What am I doing wrong? Is there no one interested in this vintage anymore?

not many vintage are movers and shakers...

have to find the right buyer, and agree on the right price

seen it take days, months, maybe a year or more

patience wins in the end

I'd be in there looking myself if I had the spare coin and a place to store the car right now.
But I don't.
With the economy the way it is right now, probably many are in the same position.
A little time and economic betterment may change the situation substantially.

I think "stock" cars of this era are hard. Like you said in your ad it's not really a car you can just jump in and drive to the store. For me, anything over 10k is hard to justify for a "toy". If I hadn't of been able trade a motorcycle for my 1930 roadster, I don't think I would have considered a chevy. Parts are hard to find for these cars compared to other brands and I think it shows in their following and price.

Personally I'm torn on my car. Do I keep it as original as possible and accept it for what it is? Or do I swap in a later chevy/GMC straight six drive train, stiffen the chassis, upgrade the brakes, and get more personal enjoyment out of it.

I purchased a stock 31 Chevy Independence last year this same time. Good looker but had not been run for over twelve years. Took many hours and $3000 to bring her back to a running and driving car. Fortunately I did buy it right and to date have about $11,500 invested. End result is a safe, attractive and well running example. Named her Sassy because she fought me the entire way!

Not sure why you feel parts are hard to find. Most everyday mechanical parts are quickly available from a few great vendors that are either listed and or frequent this forum. If you mean other brands like a Ford Model A, the Chevy is almost the same. Try a Dodge, Buick, Chrysler, or Olds of the era as they are definitely hard to find. Fords around me are a dime a dozen and sell cheaper than the Chevys of the same period. The chevys are much more car than an A.
My own 31' will easily cruise at 45-50 (yes, it is restored and rebuilt), stops really good with mechanical brakes, and rides fairly well. (compared to a modern car as that is what I assume you're comparing an old car to.) I drive either it or my 32 olds most every weekend much like I did my harley but now prefer the car due to the poor quality drivers who are out there and threaten my life while on the bike. Both my wife and I feel safer knowing we at least have some sort of car around us. No, I'm not real old either but I am a class A licensed driver, have over 4 million miles under my belt, and have watched the quality of drivers go down hill for the last twenty years.
The stovebolt six didn't change much through the years so swapping one out with a later one will only get you more convenience like auto spark advance or electronic ignition. Part of owning an older car is the nostalgia of driving it. What it really comes down to is people don't want to put down their phone or cup of java while driving anymore. They know nothing about how an automobile works because they lack any sort of mechanical knowledge. What people seem to forget is these cars survived on roads that weren't much more than paths in many parts of the country. Todays roads are so much better, gas is better, brake materials are better, motor rebuild items like pistons and rings are so much better, that it all adds up to these old cars just performing so much better. In many cases many people can't even drive a standard transmission vehicle and won't ever consider learning as it would mean putting down that phone or java to shift. God knows they won't do that. Today, many restaurants that offer valet parking even have signs out that say "no standard shift cars"! Companies with truck fleets are selling off their standard transmission equipped trucks because those learning to drive class B and A vehicles are taking those tests with "automatic transmission only" endorsements. Men are no longer men. Hell, don't get me going even further than I have.

I second everything Christech says.
Given the choice between a 2008 pickup and my 1946 "toy" for errands around the city etc, I take the '46 every time.

And it's a 4 speed.
No synchronizers.

I like the "Total Experience" of driving an old car. Sound, ride, smell, speed, etc, all contribute to that experience.
I drive my '35 Chevy coupe, or My '36 Chevy 1-1/2 ton truck, every week. Even my '26 Model T Ford is used regularly. I live in a rural setting and choose the times of day that will work best for driving my old stuff.
Get everything working properly and enjoy a drive through the past.
While not like a Model A, where you can almost build one from a catalog, parts for Chevys are out there and usually at a reasonable price.
To the O.P. be patient, the right buyer will come along, if your car is fairly priced. Good luck.

Mike

My observation is that trying to sell any older classic or vintage vehicle takes a lot of effort and patience. Pricing is secondary to even finding potential buyers.

The answer to your question about interest in this vintage is that there is not very much. The demographics of aging are working against you. The generation that identifies with and wants 1930’s vehicles is declining in numbers.

Model A's seem to be commanding a pretty strong and consistent prices in the northeast. Very strong local club network and every time I see one on the road the owner is in their late 30's to mid 40's.Pretty much any part needed is a credit card and phone call away. I do not think it is the demographics as much, while it is a contributing factor the local social network is not there with Chevrolet's and other makes

I guess my perspective was from a pre-war stock Chevy outsider, and the use/cost of a vintage car. I've owned a few vintage cars and bikes over the years: 1917 Dodge Brother's touring, 1931 model a, 1940 Ford deluxe, 1950 Ford shoebox, 1970 f100, 1972 bronco, a plethora of 50s-70s vw beetles and ghias, a 40 knuck, and 52 pan. Every one of the I drove on freeways and most were daily drivers for a least a few months. I can't do that in my 1930. On parts, except for the 1917 Dodge Brother's, which had a DeSoto hemi in it, there were tons of stock and hop up parts available. I wanna swap the intake on my 194 to run two or three single barrels for fun. I have yet to be able to find one, I'll probably fabricate my own. I need a new wood frame for my rumble seat, the wood guys are backed up indefinitely. I just find it harder to find parts on the chevy, but I've only had the car a month.

for me to spend over 10k on a car, I want to be able to jump in it and drive it without holding up traffic on the 60 mph road that leads out to my place in the country. For that I'm looking to convert this 1930 juice brakes and throw a 235, 261, or military GMC in it. For me, want to keep as much of the nostalgia as possible, but also get more personal use out of it. I wasn't trying to trash the car in any way.

Be safe out there, I could never do over the road. Like you said too many bad drivers out there. I hauled explosives out to the oilfield when I carried my Class A.

Not all wood guys are backed up. I’m making wood at least a couple times a month and I’m setting up my shop this week to make all the wood for a 32 Oldsmobile DCR from CN and the main sills with all the cross sills for a 32 Oldsmobile 4dr. I’ll be making the front seat frame and the rumble seat back wood for the olds also. The other wood guys aren’t backed up, they are just not producing wood for various reasons but it’s not due to being “backed up”.

That's cool, any interest in making a 30 rumble seat frame?

Maybe backed up isn't the right term but my point still stands on parts availability. I don't have the woodworking skills to make my own so I'm forced to rely on others. If the parts aren't being produced I'm stuck.

In the end it's just my opinion and observations after owning a pre-war Chevy for a short while. Not trying to step on anyone's toes.

I can make your frame. I will need some dimensions off the lid or possibly someone here with a 30 rumble can offer some dimensions and points of fastening. The 30 is different from the 31-32 models and I don’t have a pattern for the 30. Your seat springs will need to be ordered from Snyder’s. The rumble lid is usually just a wood frame where the spring is attached then the padding and top upholstery. The bottom cushion on a 31-32 is only a spring with a built in wood tack strip for attaching the upholstery. There is no wood frame on the bottom cushion. Again, not sure how the bottom cushion is on a 30. I will need some pictures of your lid, some measurements, and a cardboard pattern of the inside lid curvature if no one here can help us out. I’ve just picked up load of high grade ash that I’ll be working with. I usually post my work on the AACA restoration forums. If you want to proceed it would be best to email and talk on the phone. Lately I’ve been doing FaceTime with my customers also.