VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Fixing my Dad's 1929 Chevy - Its a Surprise!

Greetings Everyone,

My Dad bought his first car (1929 Chevy) when he was 14. He has had this car ever since. He and my Grandfather packed it away very well in the barn eons ago.(My sister and I were allowed to climb and explore anywhere we wanted in the barn - except Dad's car, that was off limits. I am now 50, so I have known this car my entire life!) My Dad will be turning 80 this year and I want him to drive his car again, he has talked and talked about driving his car for years and there the car sits. He started to do a tiny bit of work on it, it has all new tires then covid hit and then our family home had a major fire. So once again the car has taken a back seat to getting the house back up and rebuilt.

I own a little coffee shop not far from my family home and my Dad wants to drive his car to Cars and Coffee "barn dust and all", so I have enlisted the help of 2 "car guys" that are regulars at the shop who know their cars. I am doing my best to learn as much as I can from this forum about his Chevy so that the "car guys" don't have use their valuable time doing research, but can spend that time actually working on the car. I actually sneak them into the barn so that my Dad does not find out, talk about mission impossible!

That is my backstory, and why my questions will be very simple.

First question: Can I use an 8volt battery instead of a 6volt battery to give the starter more juice to get the engine going? My Dad has done this in all his tractors with no issues and I thought since this engine looks very similar to a tractor engine, maybe the same rules apply.

I have gotten new spark plugs and wires, and also have the fuel pump rebuild kit. The engine does turn with the hand crank, but we want to see if a little gas will get the engine running. That is our first step.

I will keep everyone posted and do my best to find answers to questions that have already been asked. If anyone has any helpful hints, websites, or I wish I would have done that suggestions, please feel free to share. Thank you in advance and I look forward to working and learning from everyone.
Susan

Welcome to VCCA Chat! Sounds like a great project. I'll move this to General Discussions to get you a wider audience. When you get to specific questions you'll be better served to put them in the appropriate technical forum. First there's NO need for an 8 volt battery. That is a "cure" for an easily fixed problem. What you need is properly sized battery cables, (1 AWG or larger) I use 0 AWG (the smaller the number the larger the wire) and clean connections everywhere electricity passes. Second, unless the tank and fuel system was drained when the car was parked don't just dump gas into the tank and start it. Pull and clean the tank, lines, pump and carburetor before trying to start the car. There will be more folks along with further suggestions. Good luck.

There is a thread on here somewhere with details about starting an old car that has been in storage for some time. #1 change all of the fluids including draining the gas. I would highly recommend checking the breaks and tires. Would hate to get it on the road to have an accident due to not stopping or a blow out. I purchased a cheep scope off Amazon to look in the tank and cylinders. That help to determine that I needed to replace the tank and the condition of the engine.

Main thing is to enjoy it.

Susan.... here is a copy of that posting ..... about starting an old Chevy that has been sitting for years.... I followed Chip's advice in this article... when I started a 1934 Chevy, that had been sitting outside neglected for 50+ years..... it started up just fine and has been licensed and on the road ever since..... copy this and give it to the 'car guys' that will be working on your dad's car... Very nice thing you are doing for your Dad.... helping him realize his Dream....

There are a number of posts here about preparing to start a long-idled old Chevy. I'd spend a few hours using the search function in this chat room and reading what others say about it. One of the posts is here, but there are many others like it:

I recommend that you proceed as follows (assuming that the engine is in the car):

-- Remove oil pan. Check inside of crankcase for cleanliness, rust, debris, moisture, etc.
--Using a small mirror and flashlight, check that oil galleries above main bearings are clean and free of debris. Examine cylinder walls to confirm there is no rust and that they are free of scoring and wear.
-- Remove one rod bearing cap, being careful to note the position of the shims so they can go back in the same places. Inspect rod journal and bearing. If they're new/resurfaced, it will be obvious. Reassemble and torque to correct torque, reinstall cotter pins.
-- Same drill with one main bearing, looking for condition and cleanliness.
-- While oil pan is off, lubricate cylinder walls, rod and main bearings, piston pins, camshaft bearings, cam lobes and lifters with clean motor oil, reinstall oil pan with new gasket.
-- Remove side cover, inspect push rods and lifters and check for rust/cleanliness. Lubricate lifters, reinstall side cover with new gaskets as needed.
-- Remove valve cover. Check for cleanliness, rust, etc. Lubricate rocker arms, valve stems and push rods with Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO). Leave cover off for now.
-- Remove spark plugs and squirt one teaspoonful of MMO into each cylinder. This will act as a penetrating oil and both free up any sticky rings and lubricate the pistons for startup.
-- Check that plugs are clean, reinstall.
-- With engine either in car or in test stand, lubricate starter, generator and water pump, check fan belt tension, etc.
-- Fill engine to full mark on dipstick with good quality oil, ensure radiator is topped off.
-- Remove distributor and using a slotted piece of 1/2" round stock to engage the oil pump, turn oil pump with an electric drill until oil pressure is raised to normal. Continue running oil pump with drill until oil is observed seeping from all rocker arms. Run the oil pump for at least five minutes to fill all the galleries and oil reservoirs with oil. Reinstall distributor and reset timing.
-- Crank the engine over slowly by hand and check that all rocker arms and valves are operating. Statically check the valve clearances. Reinstall valve cover.
-- Prime the fuel system to fill the carburetor bowl with fuel.
-- You're now ready for a short test run. (Don't be alarmed if there is heavy smoke for the first ten seconds on startup -- that's the MMO burning off). If the engine really is freshly rebuilt, you don't want to rev it up too far above idle or to run it for more than a minute or so the first time. The new bearings can generate a lot of heat until they wear in a bit. The idea is to run it for a minute or so, shut down, check for leaks/problems, wait an hour or so, start again and run a bit longer, shut down/cool down, etc. After 2-3 short runs like that, you can extend them and then begin driving the car gently. The main point is to avoid overheating the engine when it's brand new.

Sorry to rattle on for so long, but I hope that's the info you're looking for. One final recommendation: On the day you plan to start it up, find someone in your area who has done this before and ask them to stop by and give you a hand -- you can learn a lot from the voice of experience. Good luck with it!

All the Best,

Chip

Susan,

What you are doing for your Dad is totally awesome!!

When I acquired my '28 truck, it had been sitting for close to 60 years. My approach was to get all the vehicle systems working while the engine was soaking in in oil (squirted into the spark plug holes). I left the engine until last because I knew that if it started, I would want to drive it right away! ;-)

Here's link to a list of the things I did to get it rolling again: https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/359959/re-1927-landau-imperial-restore.html#Post359959

When you attempt to start the engine, have someone make a video of the event so you can show it to your Dad. Also, video the surprise reveal! If you put your videos on youtube, you can post a links to them here so we can experience your journey from afar.

Keep us posted on your progress (and setbacks). Remember, every tiny step forward is a good reason to celebrate!

Cheers, Dean

One more thought. The brakes on a '29 have a lot of moving parts that will become stiff and drag. Roll around underneath the car and oil every part that pivots, moves, slides, turns, or pulls with 30 weight oil. WD40 will not be good enough, it dries out and does not leave any lubrication. All the way from the pedal, and the emergency brake lever to the wheels. You need to do this at least once a year before touring season. There is also an odd little equalizer at the front brake trunnion as well that helps the shoes adjust in the drum. If the car has been sitting, or that area has never been lubricated there is a good chance that the front brakes won't be as effective as they should be.

You can reach out to virtually any one on this forum. Either by the chat site, a private message (PM), or a direct email you can print off as a reference. We all enjoy seeing and hearing stories such as yours. Many of these cars are getting torn down to make rat rods, and hot rods. There are getting fewer and fewer. I believe you don't have to hot rod them all, and you don't have to save them all.

For parts the Filling Station in Lebanon OR, Marx Parts, or 20schevyparts online are a good start. Or if it is something else you need you can post in the "parts wanted" forum further down this page.

Please keep us posted as to your progress.

Thanks