VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 my new 1918 chevy pickup

Hey there guys im new to your fourm and have just bought a beautifull 1918 pick up restored many years ago. However that is about all i know about it. The truck is in unbelevible condition and i bought it only from veiwing pictures(strictly thinkin RESALE) BUT!!! when i went to pick it up i sat in the drivers seat and fell in love immediatly. Anyways I am curious of its value and a good source of parts. the truck is in unreal condition (body wise) however is missing a feew things under the hood . the restoration did involve a plywood firewall and a couple of other things im sure are not stock,however i have no good information to go by as in pictures or specs. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the forum.

Have you considered joining the VCCA? If you do there's more than a few benefits. You'll get a magasine that will list an expert for each year, including yours.

There are also a few parts of this forum that are only open to VCCA members.

Meanwhile, someone with more brains than me will be along and help you with the questions about your truck.

hey
your pick up sounds very nice. wish you luck in your quest, google 1918 chevy pick up and start looking for info. have fun.

ken

Welcome,

The '18 pickup could have been a Model G built by Chevrolet on a 490 chassis. It could also have been a chassis with body built by someone else or a modification of a passenger chassis. Pictures and/or descriptions will permit us to determine which.

Post the parts wanted and likely someone will either have them or a suggestion on where they might be obtained.

DAN
I HAVE A NUMBER FOR EXPERIENCED MACHINE SHOP HERE IN ILLINOIS THAT COMPLETELY RESTORES EARLY CHEVY ENGINE STOCK FASHION 3 TO 4 K. ANYONE OUT THERE AWARE OF EXPERIENCED RE BUILDER FOR LESS.

KEN

Hey there guys ive been away for a while and have not been able to check in. i appreciate the input so far and i am goin to try to post some pictures please be patient as i have never done this before. please try this link.[img]http://i413.photobucket.com/a[IMG]http://i413.photobucket.com/albums/pp218/shuswaptime/timsride3.jpg[/img]lbums/pp218/shuswaptime/timsride.jpg[/IMG]

Hi Dan,

Some of the non stock items which you say were used during the
restoration, Include the front and rear fenders, as they look like model T ford to me.

The wheels have 4 lugs for the demountable rims, where as chev used 5 lugs between 1917 and 1922, with the 1923 superior wheels having 4 lugs.

Your Chassis is prior to 1919 , as the 4 running board mounting brackets are the same shape, and a change took place for the 1920 model.

You will find a date casting on the cylinder head and side of the engine block which will identify the year they where made.
There is also a stamped number around the circumference of the flywheel.

well there Chipper i have posted some pictures above and am hopping the knowledge on this site will help me figure out exactly what i have gotten my self into. I got a Chevy repair manual that came with the truck and it is missing front cover but looks 90 yrs old. the book refers to different models ("g" "fa" "fb" "t" and the "four ninty".There are diagrams and lititure on everything to do with the appropiate models as far as servicing. VERY neat book can barly touch the pages without them breaking! As far as parts missing i belive most of them are under the hood ,carberator,igniter,starter,generator,etc.. Basicly i have the rad,block,head,tranny. The block unfortunatly is cracked. Anyways enough babbling my hands are getting sore . Hope you all know a little something each.

thanks

hey Jack! Thanks for the input as i am totaly out of my comfort zone here. i have never owned anything this old. My other car is a 1950 Meteor (street rodded)SORRY) I have not spent much time at the truck as of yet been little busy but was able to grab a couple of # yesterday. The block has P-1 on it as well as 4/1918.
the only numbers i saw on the head so far were on the top and read 327772 with HW below them. the only # i found on the tranny so far reads 5900061

Dan,

The block casting date looks like 4 19 18,
which would be 19th April 1918.
327772 is later 4 cylinder head,
Original part number for the 490 head is 407 and then the superior 1923-4 part number was 24114.

As a side note......the radiator emblem is 1929 - 1931.

:) :grin:

I am really hoping someone has pictures of a properly restored 18 pickup including engine compartment(both sides) and dash.

thx Junkyard Dog

so what im gathering i got me a mish mash of everything! I need some Damn pictures

Dan,
here is a link to a magazine article for sale on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Manuals-Literature__1918-CHEVY-MODEL-490-LIGHT-DELIVERY-26HP-TRUCK-ARTICLE_W0QQitemZ370090560845QQadnZManualsQ20Q26Q20LiteratureQQadiZ2872QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item370090560845&_trkparms=72%3A543%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

Dan,

I have a 1918, but it looks like it has a roadster top and cab. The bed looks like it is the wood accessory bed for another model. My engine is 11 27 17 and head 407. 1918 was the first year for truck manufacture and they came with the vertical windsheild as opposed to the cars with slanted. The light delivery chassis was mabe by Chevy without any bed which was added by other manufactures. I can send you more pictures if you PM me your e-mail address.

Regards, Mike

okay ive spent many hours just trying to find a picture of this truck on the net and cant find anything that looks anything like it. So the question is WHAT the heck did i buy?

Okay i have spent a good part of the day dealin with this darn vehicle.Talk to a couple of guys from the Kelowna Customs Car Club, and a couple of guys from the vintage club and it is a general opinion that this is not even close to 1918, definitly earlier, but no one can say a year for sure ive been all over the net lookin at everything from 1909 to 1918 and no luck.We figure the box is definitly not a match to the body. So is the body even a chevy? im loosin it!!!!

Dan

No matter what, it sure looks like fun to drive.

thanks jerry im sure it will be fun to drive when i actually get it running. Right know ill setttle to know what it is.Thanks thou

Dan

Like a lot of really old cars, they often have a mix of parts. So while it appears that you have a Chevrolet, my question would be, what part are you going to use to validate the year?

Should it be the frame?
Should it be the dominant body part?
Should it be the engine block?

Usually, an older car is titled by it's engine. I'm not saying that this is right, but when you don't have anything else, a lot of States use this as the determining factor.

In this case it appears that you have the information showing that your engine block is from April 1918. REFERENCE POSTING HERE
So for starters you probably want to consider this a 1918 Chevrolet.

From then on, it's the detective work of the other pieces that will help you determine whether you want to change the year or not. But as a starting point, you've got way more information than a lot of guys have when they pick up a new toy!

Good luck.

I think that you have an assembled group of parts that appears to be powered by a 1918 engine. Too many items do not add up.

Dan,
When you get a chance to check your chev over again, you may want to see if it still has a leather cone clutch, or if it has
been updated to the flat plate type of clutch with pressure plate.

It will make it a lot more pleasant to drive with plate type clutch. This could be the reason why it may have a later model
gearbox fitted.

As a lot of the replies have suggested, chevrolet did sell rolling chassis assemblies, for body builders to build the body that they really wanted for themselves.

Or it may have been a tourer or roadster body , removed to continue the useful life of the vehicle, after it became less modern.

You havent said how big the crack is in the block, but modern welding methods can and do weld cast iron, so the block may be
able to be salvaged.

Carburetors and manifolds do regularly appear on ebay. So keep a seach on Ebay for a "Zenith 04" carburetor and a updraft manifold which is a long tube version to suit up to about 1924 model chevs.

Patience is a virtue, and very needed when driving and restoring
a vintage age automobile.

First of all: I love your truck/pick up. In my opinion this is a lovely mixture of several parts put together, based on Chevrolet. Use as many as possible of the parts you got if they work, because this truck tells a really good story about its long life and the owners. Change non-working or missing parts to "the right year" of Chevrolet.

I can offer a correct/good working Zenith carburetor for sale, if you need one. As to other parts you will see some on eBay from time to time, and not too bad priced.

I have an original leaflet for 1918 Commercial cars and may copy it for you.

The fenders of your truck are somewhat the same, but not equal to the passenger car of 1916, and not like in the leaflet. Have a look here at my 1916:

http://img386.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1949pr1.jpg

Your front fenders are too short at front, and have rivets along the edges. The rear fenders are looking like being to a roadster, as they are not so curved at the rear end. The wheels are not belonging to a truck, but to a passenger car, however not a Chevrolet. Yours have 4 rim nuts, Chevrolet had 5 from 18. My car has none, as the wheel rims are nondemountable. You may of course still use the wheels, as they are a part of the truck's history.

:vcca:

everyone here is being very forthcoming with there thoughts and idseas on this truck and i do feel that i am slowly starting to peice a few things together,and i do really appreciate it! What i have been using as a base for trying to figure a body year has been the hood to firewall being 90 degrees with no slopped cowell. Also using shape of the rad.thinkin that once i narrow down to a year i might be able to determine what body style this started as? Sound very logical????


thanks all

Dan

Dan, everyone is here to help you with your project, that is what the chat site is all about.

As i mentioned ealier, Your chassis is a correct chevy chassis,
Not a 1916, as the springs are different .

I have a 1916-1917-18
parts manual and can scan pictures and email them to you.

The quarter eliptical front and rear springs are correct, the radiator,and grill surround and bonnet is correct.the differential and torque tube looks correct, the front axle and springs look correct.The Headlight mounting forks are also correct.Steering box is correct. Hand brake lever is a correct 490 item(but later year)
You have a lot of correct parts there, so you can get what you have running, and drive it and enjoy it, and if you so desire,eventually find the correct fenders and side splash panels to make it more an original chevy.