VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Stupid question

I am in the middle ( I hope) of frame off restoration of two 1932 roadsters. One belonged to my father when he was sixteen and was his first car. The other one I bought this winter thinking it was no harder to rebuild two of them at the same time, than to rebuild one car. HA! HA! I forgot about money and time! My dads car was a basket case but a labor of love, it sat outside in the woods of northern Michigan for 40 years before he found it and bought it to restore. My father got into restoring cars later in life and left this one to me when he died. He never got to do anything to the roadster before he got sick, he left it to me because of my interest in old cars. My question is, my dads car had a 1934 GM truck engine that I removed and rebuilt.This is the engine that the car had when he drove it 1948. I have learned to respect the detail that people put into restoring these old Chevy's and a part of me does not feel right about putting the wrong engine back into a car like this, on the other hand this what my father drove. Let me know what you guy's think.
Thanks
Jay

Not a stupid question. I would put the 34 back in since it was already in the car when you got it and since the sentimental value is worth more than originality in this case. Put the correct engine in your other roadster and enjoy them both for different reasons. Good luck with the time and money thing, I can hardly do 1 coupe and the parts are generally a little cheaper for them.

Thanks for your point of veiw, its a hard choice to make. I have come to repect the hard work put into these restoration projects.
Jay

I completely agree with speedy

Does any body have an idea as to how many restored 1932 chevy roadsters are floating around?
Thanks
Jay

Even though I am a "dyed in the wool" original person, in a case where "original" to your family differs from the way it was built I would opt for the family. Once you change engines it will no longer be your father's car. In either case you are preserving Chevrolet history. It is far different than modernizing for convenience and comfort.

I have a '28 Canopy Express that has many defects and modifications. Often people ask if I am going to "restore" it. It was worked on in the 50s and 60s with little done since. In this case "restoring" it would destroy its history. Upgrading would also. So as long as it is operable I will continue to drive it as I got it (except for new top material to keep rain of the BOSSes head).

Thanks for taking time to let me know what you think. I was certain every one would think I was crazy to intentionally put the wrong engine into this car. I respect what you guy's have to say.
Jay

1932 Roadsters are worth big bucks.....and unless you are going to spend tons of money to restore the vehicle into a number one show car trailer queen, I am with everyone else.......leave the car your "father's car". That is the way he had it and to me the sentimental value far outweighs the monetary value of the car.

Won't be a trailer queen as I promised my dad I would take the grand kids for a ride when the car was finished. Might be their kids that actualy get to ride in it. I am trying to do the best job that I can.
Thanks
Jay

Good going! Ya, driving the car and having fun with it is what the hobby is all about!

Hello Jay,
You are on the right path, I guess.

To restore an old car better than new is one thing.
But in this way all history of this car will get lost and it is just a car ready for beauty-contest as 100 others...

To keep a car how it is means the history es visible all the time, and for me this is more worth than everything else.

before I bought this chevy, I had a split-window VW-Bus. I got it as a student from somebody in my childhoods neighborhood.
This first owner, an old man, had a stupid accident in 1962 when the bus was just one year old.
At the rear right corner there was a how to say, bulge? bump? sorry for my bad english...and he did only repair, what was necessary, this was just the tail light...
I bought the bus for little money, and did repair and paint it.
But I was unable to pull out the bump. I could not do it. I told all people. This is an original bump from 1962, ok?

The old man was happy, because this was the sign he did see and did know "Oh, this is my old bus and it is still alive"...
I had the bus about 25 years and did not repait the bump until the old man died.
He was so happy all the time when he could identify "his" bus with this bump...

and I thought, let's respect the history of this car.
Of course my "african" chevy now shows marks from about 78 years on the road, and I will keep them, because it is part of the history of that car.

wrong engine or not, your dad had of course reasons why he did it like that.
So, dont worry, an old car with living history is more fascinating!

Stefan from germany

go with your heart. will it diminish the value? yes but only monetarily, if you would decide to sell it. not the sentimental value of it belonging to your Dad.

Thanks guy's
I have already promissed this car to my 9 year old daughter and she says she will keep it forever. She actualy helps me with the restoration some times. I feel beter about putting the wrong engine into the car and besides I have another one I can make correct.
Jay

Good choice J. You have the best of both worlds that many of us could only wish they had.

Keep your Dad's car as is to knock around in and if you want to restore the other one to original factory condition go ahead.

You have TWO ROADSTERS! You lucky dog!

Thanks for the support, Like I said I thought you guy's would not agree about putting the wrong engine into the car. I am certain many cars ended up with swapped or exchange engines before they were retired to the barn and I guess that is part of a cars history and early recycling.

I was wondering if any one knows how many restored 1932 Chevy Roadsters are out there?

Normally, we don't like to see the wrong engine installed into a car, however, from time to time there are circumstances that warrant it.....such as in your case. You want to keep your car like your dad had it to promote more the history of how the car was rather than how it came from the factory. I would do the same thing if it were my dad's car.

Isn't this great Jay?.........There are no stupid questions. I love this chatter!!! C

Yes, it is great and the help here is even better.
Thanks to every one
Jay

The value Chevrolet and any auctioneer can come up with will never be more than the value you set for your dad's car. Family will always be more important than any bluebook value. Go with your heart on this one and leave the engine your dad drove around in. You will never regret that years from now when your grandkids enjoy the car passed from you to them.

Well it's done, I put the 1934 GM engine into the chassis yesterday and it looks great. Another week or two of running lines and small details and it will be time to start on the other chassis. I am going to bring them both to the same finish point and then start on the wood. It really helps having two cars to compare to one another when you have small parts missing or replaced with non original pieces. Again thanks for all the input, it was 100% go with dads car the way he drove it. This was a hard choice to make and you guy's made it much easier. I sent in my VCCA membership two weeks ago, when I receive I will try and post a picture of my dads car for all those that made comments.
Thanks again for all the help so far!
Jay