VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1939 chevy convertible...need some infornation plz

How you guys doing?

Well, I was wondering if there was any way of getting a hold of a copy of The Generator & Distributor that featured a 1939 convertible built by one of your late members Harry Thomson.
I am not sure what year or what month it was featured but i'm hoping someone here will know and might be able to help me get a hold of a copy.

Well, thanks in advance. I have been a surfing this forum for a while and really like what I see.

Thanks again,
gcsfc

Its on the cover of the Aug. 1983 issue. Harry has passed but son Todd still drives the car to meets. I have seen it in the last year or two.

thanks for the reply chev nut.

wow 83 huh, its probley going to be a hard issue to find huh.


well, if anyone has it and would be willing to possibley sell thier issue or scan it. i would be interested in it and can send some money for your time and trouble..

I believe the 39 covertible you're referring to is pictured in another thread on this site. Try going here, it's midway in the bunch, close to Gene's Nomad:
http://picasaweb.google.com/62Impalaman/VCCAMiddleWestMeet2009#

thanks!
yes thats the one i'm/we're speaking about.

If there is other threads or pics, ect on this car, can you guys please point me to the right direction? (links?)

If you are a member of the VCCA it might be in the members only section of past G&D articles

Hey Andy,

Seeing as how you are a member (45201), I'd contact editors of the G and D and inquire about purchasing a past issue.

I think I've read in G and D's that past issues are available. $3.00 (????) each. Even if it's double that if you want it, that's cheap....

Good luck!

Bill.

thanks for the replys guys.

no, i'm not a member but i am interested in buying a copy if possible. $3 dollars or double that is fine with me.

If a copy is no longer available send me your emil address and I will scan the cover and send it to you.....or if you just can't wait.

The workmanship on that car is sooooo good you would swear it was a production model. The first time I saw it was in Omaha in 1982.

hey thanks again chev nut!

I would like to find a copy but if your able to scan it for me also that would be much appreciated!

thanks!
gcsfc

Harry's car is on the cover of the Aug. 83 issue, but the "My Story" is not in that issue. We're all going to have to look a little harder for it...

In those days thee wasn't always a "My Story" to go with the cover picture. In this case there is a paragraph with information on page 17.

thanks guys for following up on this subject.

sure would like to see the paragraph of info on it.

again thanks!

gcsfc

Hey Brewster,

I could swear than an hour or so ago the picture was so small I could hardly see it!!??!!

It's much better now.

Neat car.....

The 39 convertible that normally is here, is at the top shop, then will come back and I will strip and disassemble for new paint.I will post a pic when it comes back. The roof line is alot different than the one pictured above. They were also still using wood in Australia in 39, and a 39 convertible from Aus. is a roadster. No side windows, only curtains.

Bill... we've got a new scanner, and it took me some time messing around with it before I realized it wasn't the scanner, it was because I had my photobucket set to import tiny pics! There's an hour I'll never get back! At least I spent it looking at a beautiful Chevy!

61Vert... Hurry with those pics... I would love to see a genuine 39 roadster..

Gcsfc... The paragraph says...

"Unusual 1939 Cabriolet owned by Harry Thompson of Liberty, Missouri. This is how a 1939 Cabriolet would have appeared, if GM had produced this model. The car was a good Master 85 Coupe when purchased. The Chevy underwent a complete restoration and conversion in Harry's basement; all the parts from the belt-line up were handmade. The project took 18 months in Harry's spare time. It's truly one of a kind!"

Here is an old picture before the car came to the US.

Brewster, thanks for taking the time and posting the paragraph.

61vert, thanks for the picture and I do notice the difference on the tops.

Did the one Harry build have a rear seat for passengers or did he make a rumble seat like a 38 would have?

I can't get enough of looking at Harry's car. it beautiful and truly a work of art. I would love to see it in person.

I'm not sure of the back seat or trunk... I've only seen the few pics that you now have.

I always find that the roofs on the Holden bodied cars look 'off' proportionally speaking. Is there a fix for this that you are going to have done? The header bar looks kind of wierd, and the windows seem to have a double layer of material that makes them look thick. Not that it is not a beautiful car... but if you look in the picture that Jack39rdstr has for an Avatar, the car looks sporty, and correct. The real photo makes the car look big, and the top small, and ill fitting.

Well I noticed on the aus 39 roadstars they have a longer trunk and a rumble seat and in turn looks like they have a short roof.

"Is there a fix for this that you are going to have done?"

Not to sure what your asking me here but if your asking if i'm going to have a 39 convertible done...well its an idea that I have.

I asked on chevy talk if it was possible to use a 1940 chevy convertible to make a 39 chevy coupe into a convertible and they pointed me to this forum. They said that a member here owned one and he used a big 39 gm convertible to build it.

Now, coming here I learned the owner has since passed away and his son still owns the car. Also, someone mentioned he used a 38 convertible donor to create the 39 convertible.

The 40 chevy i have is a complete donor car. I would have to use a coupe to complete the car and restore it, so I started toying with the idea of using it to build a 39 chevy convertible.

Whatever I decide in the end to build, either a 39 or a 40, I will be keeping the car for as long as I can. I do not plan on selling it at all, so why not buld something different and something i'll be happier with. I know this is a sin to some of the purist but I would try to reach a goal of it looking as stock as possible.

So in short, thats why I have been asking for pictures and information on the car. Just trying to do some homework on a big project.

I just hope you guys are ok with the idea and can possibley continue helping me.

Thanks again,
gcsfc

My comment about the fix for the roof was directed at 61vert, since that is the car he is restoring. Your project, if done like Harry's likely won't have the problem, as you have a '40 roof from a Fisher bodied car that looks 'right'. I'm sure that you will have a lot of support on the forum and from VCCA members, as you're goal is to complete a stock appearing car. Do you have plans for a back seat/rumble seat?

Oh ok, I misunderstood you on that question, sorry about that.

I have plans for a rear seat. I figure if chevy did make a 39 convertible, by the way the roof was made it would have had a rear seat.

Well, glad to hear that I should have some support from the site!

I hope to start on the project hopefully by summer time. In the mean time, i'll continue doing as much research as I can.

Thanks again guys!

Putting it back the way it was even though the top mechanism on the Holden car is somewhat crude compared to the US made cars of the same era.Holden 39s do not have a rear sear but have an exceptionaly large trunk. I am betting 3 of me could get in there and I'm 6'4".