VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1916-1922 - Model 490 The Chevrolet 490

The Chevrolet 490 was designed to compete with the Ford Model T. While there were no where near the same number produced and the 490 was only made from 1916-1922 it is a deserving car in it's own right. There are many Model Ts still in existance today. So, I have been wondering in the year and a half since acquiring mine, a 1917 Chevrolet 490 Touring (built in St. Louis, MO), just how many 490s are still out there? In that year and a half I have seen approx. 16 other 490s from all years. My question to you VCCA members is if you own a 490 tell us a little about it. Year, Body Style, where built, etc. Would be interesting to see how many, high or low, are still around. Running or not.

Thank you for your time,
Gary

Have 1920 "490" touring made in Canada. Purchased the car in Canada several years ago. Drove the car around before purchasing it. Presently started restoring car. Plan on repainting,new top, interior, replating parts and any other items that require attention.

My boss has 7 490 touring cars at the present in his collection..1916-keeping,1917-for sale,1918-may part out,1919-keeping,1920-may part out,1920-keeping,1921-keeping.He would like to find a nice 20,21,or 22 490 roadster.He would also trade up for such a roadster if someone wants to make some money and still have an old car to tinker with and drive.

Hello All, Proud to report there are two 490 tourings in S.W.
Louisiana. A 1922(mine) and a 1918 which belongs to a family friend. Dex

As to my knowledge there may be only around 300 possible restorable or running 490s left totally of all the several 100.000s. Our 490s are very special and rare today.

Let's keep the running! :vcca:

If my memory serves correctly, I believe I saw total production figures on the web for the Chevrolet 490 1916-1922 total production at a little over 600,000 vehicles. Though I can't for the life of me remember which site it was.
Thanks to all who took the time to tell us about their 490. I can't help but believe there must be more out there.

Solan, where did you get the figure that around 300 490s are still out there? It sounds like a realistic figure. Thank you for the info.

regards,
Gary

Chevrolet records in the mid Twenties show the total production of the Chevrolet cars and trucks since the beginning in April 1912 with the Model Little Four to reach the one million mark on Washington B-day, February 22, 1923.
If you subtract the large Chevrolets (D,F,FA,FB,& T) = about 100,000 units. Subtracting about 30,000 Model H's and 4000 for others 1912-14 models and about 200,000 Superior/UE gives about 665,000 to 667,000 units.
kenK

Thanks for the valuable information about our 490s, Ken.

My comment to around 300 totally is certainly a guess. But I imagine the main remaining part of 490s (in any condition) is concentrated in USA and Canada, and clearly that majority would most probably be belonging to VCCA members. Still that is a minor number.

Adding together the very few left overs in Nordic countries (Norway 9), GB and remaining Europe + the Oceania + South America have led to my conclusion, but as I say: It is only a guess.

Our 490-models are extremely rare compared with the production numbers and all the numerous, remaining T-F**Ds. To their excuse it is possible to buy a T-F**D in NORS parts, but it will cost, of course!

So, let's show them to all the world. Drive and forget about the silly comments about which year this F**D is.

If my assumption is near to the truth each 490 has had a survival % of only 0.00045. So take good care of your precious 490!

:vcca:

Hi Gary

My 1922 490 Touring was built in St. Louis. It is not restored, except a repaint probably 1988 and a new top probably 1995. The car was imported to England 1990. I bought the car 2006 and had it shipped to Sweden.

On the torpedo is a plate from "AACA Spring Meet, Eastern division, June 1963" On the plate there is the logo for "Chemung Valley Region, NY". Unfortunately that is almost all I know about the history of the car in the US.

In Sweden I know just one more running and 4-5 restorable. So I guess there are less then ten 490's left in Sweden.

How many 490 owners have a Mason engine? Both block and head Mason.

During Classic Car Week in Rättvik/Sweden 2007 I was offered a Mason engine by a man nearby, but I did not complete the trade.

Is Mason written on the engine or what? Have not discovered any here.

:vcca:

I have not had the car out recently, but I know the block is marked Mason and fairly sure the head is also.

There are at least 40 or more 490's in Australia, with at least 15 on the road. One of my mates has 4 and another mate has 2.
You guys are lucky, try looking for parts for an Amesbury with only 8 known world wide
Chris

You are lucky too to to have so many 490s running and plenty of roads for all 40 as well.

I certainly understand the dispair of spare parts for your Amesbury model. Hope we all can contribute to the search if possible.

:vcca:

Solan,

I see you have seen that beautiful 1922 490 roadster on eBay. Have to add that roadster, the celebrity owned touring, and about 4 more tourings that popped up on eBay in the last 4 months. Wondering if your earlier estimate of 300 490s remaining is a little on the low side?

Cheers,
Gary

Nothing could be better than coming nearer to 400. But the "survival" percentage is still extremely low, about 0,000006 % (400:665000) and the available parts in some of the same bad situation.

We have to stick together and help other 490 owners as much as possible to keep them running. Let's do that, folks! Let's show the T-F**D people we still are around and on the roads.

:vcca:

Hi Gents

I have been playing with 490's in Australia for more than 20 years and have traked down as many leads on cars and owners as I could find while trying to restore my 1916 Chevy 490 Roadster. While there are remains of parts of 490's scattered across Australia my records show at best just 20 cars or enough of a car that could be restored left. From these 22 cars from 1916 to 1922 that are left there are only 9 or 10 of these that are running and even these are not rallied or torued on a regular basis because of the fragile nature of the car and the limited parts here in Australia.
I would be happy if Chris and I could compare our records on the 490's left in AUS because he may have found some that I was not aware of.

Hello, Dave, Nice to read your information.

One of the main reasons I unfortunately believe there are so few left is that there are sooooo little parts available or offered all around the world. We even have to rely on NORS T-F**D production of equal items, but limited to such as ring gear, pinions, wheel bolts, steering parts + a little extra.

F.ex. we have looked for several years to find fenders and springs for a 1919 roadster, but they will have to be new made by hand, as it seems now.

Hopefully there are enough parts left for us to play/drive another 10 - 15 years. That is my preferences. Keep running the 490s.

:vcca:

There are about a dozen complete or roadworthy 490s in New Zealand that I know of and at least as many again unrestored projects of varying completeness including my 1918. A previously unknown unrestored barn find 1916 tourer turned up a few years. A genuine 490 speedster was found in NZ some years ago and restored by Denis Belch but I believe this is now in the US (was featured in the VCCA mag some years ago). Spare parts are virtually none existant down here so we search ebay in vain or manufacture what we need.

Dave (twin 4) and I have compared notes and came up with 13 running and 11 under restoration, I'm sure there are more but my memory has faded somewhat, Dave and I will keep thinking and update our list accordingly
Chris

Keep on digging minds and earth.

Till now there are 490s in following countries:

USA, Canada, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Norway.

Anybody knowing about owners/cars in other countries, such as England, Denmark, Germany, South America, etc.?

:vcca:

Solan,

I have an old Filling Station catalog from 2007 and on page 19 is a 490 from what I think to be a very early 1918. The caption says it is owned by Gary Arnold in South Africa. Very nice looking restoration too.
Keep the stories coming!

Cheers,
Gary

Thanks. Good working. I hope it still is there. Somewhat later I will check the roster of VCCA too to find out more.

:vcca:

Hi would he happen to have a radiator forsale for a 1916 chevy model 490?

Micky