VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1931 Single bar bumpers

Folks,
I received an email concerning if single or double bar front bumper was correct for a January 1931 assembled pickup. Being a almost diligent TA I did a bit of research using genuine Chevrolet literature. Part of my response to the email sender was -

"I don’t have any definite date for the introduction of the single bar bumpers.

Genuine Chevrolet documentation available to me.
The “Master Parts Price List” effective February 1, 1931 only lists the double bar bumpers for Independence models. The “Master Parts List … Six Cylinder Models” effective on and after May 1st, 1931 [Canadian] still only lists the double bar bumpers. The sales brochures for the “Three New Chevrolet Models” and “The New Chevrolet Six” [Form adv. CC6224-1-431] (publication date 4/31) show the double bar bumpers on the cars illustrated. Unfortunately the brochure “A Complete Line of Genuine Chevrolet Accessories” (blue cover) which shows both single and double bar bumpers only has the “Lithographed in U.S.A. 31” to indicate publication date.

I personally consider April/May 1931 to be the date that the single bar bumpers were first available. It is based on the genuine Chevrolet literature that I have reviewed.

The VCCA currently instructs judges to consider both bumper types to be correct for 1931 models. It is based on practicality of the judging process and not historically correctness."

Anyone out there that can shed more light on the subject?

Chippy Dippy:

The literature that I have agrees with your date of April/May 1931 for the switch over from the double face bar bumper to the single face bar bumper. Also, the accessory Eagle radiator cap, which replaced the accessory Viking radiator cap, came out about that same time as well. As a general rule of thumb, because of the time frame that the accessories were released into service, if a 1931 vehicle has a double face bar bumper then the Viking radiator cap should be used. If a 1931 vehicle has a single face bar bumper then the Eagle radiator cap should be used. Since these accessory items were installed by the dealer they would install whatever the customer wanted, depending of course, if the specific accessory was in stock at the time. There is no general date rule as to when the double face bar bumper or the single face bar bumper should be used, or when the Eagle radiator cap should be used in place of the Viking. However, on a January, 1931 vehicle, the double face bar bumper and the Viking radiator cap should be used since neither the single face bar bumper or the Eagle radiator cap were available at that time.

The "Release of Parts" manual would give the exact date that the single face bar was released into service, but there were several different editions of the Release of Parts manual for 1931. If we had all of these manuals for 1931 then we would know the exact date that the single face bar bumper came into service. The only 1931 Release of Parts that I have is the number 144 edition and it came out in September of 1931, which is too late to list the release of the singe face bar bumper.

It would be nice to have all the release of part bulletins. I only have a few of them and none for 1931.

A car could have been assembled in Jan. and delivered to the dealer in Jan. but not sold until June. The dealer could have installed the single bar bumpers from his parts inventory in June.

Also a car delivered in Aug. could have had double bar bumpers installed by a dealer that had six sets of them in stock and sold very few cars.

Also, a person could've taken delivery of a car & then decided they wanted bumpers several months down the way. After all they were an accessory.....Joe

I have often wondered what the reaction would be to a 1931 Standard Coupe being presented for judging with NO - Zero - Sans All Accessories. Specifically the Bumpers...As far as that goes any 1931 Chevrolet with no Bumpers. Since they were a dealer installed accessory !

It would be great but where are you going to find the 9/16-12 round head machine screws that filled the holes where the bumper bolts were installed? I wonder how many know that those screws were installed at the factory? BTW, I do have several of them as they are found in rear spring hanger of the 1/2 ton trucks (they don't have a rear bumper).