VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1928 model?

I HAVE A 1928 CHEVY CP WITH A TITLE THAT REFLECTS YEAR FIRST SOLD AS 1928 BUT IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE MODEL YEAR. THE ID # IS 3889313. CAN YOU HELP ME WITH INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP CA
DMV IDENTIFY THIS CAR AS A 1928 MODEL?


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Note: I posted this for Charlotte. She will check back here later. I asked her to provide the engine block number also.

...Tell her that the 1928 National AB was sold from late in 1927 thru fall of 1928. If it has a 2 port exhaust manifold, 4 cylinders, front wheel brakes, and a extended radiator shroud it is a 1928 year model! That is the only year model of a four with front wheel brakes and a two port exhaust manifold and the extended radiator shroud, an easy I.D.

Looks as though the confusion has arisen because it was registered with the engine number for title purposes. The # indicates a very early '28 National series AB engine..possibly built in December or early January 1928. The casting date code on the block should indicate if it's the original engine of course! Letters indicate Month with L for December and A for January, 1 to 31 for the dat and 7 or 8 for 1927 or 1928.

The AB had the taller front end and a revised Carter carburettor [RAKX-0 or C-RAKX-0].

The number in question, (3,889,313) is likely the stamped engine block S/N.

Below is an excerpt from David Hayward's :
PART 1: 1924 to 1928 CHEVROLET 4-CYLINDER ENGINE CAST NUMBERS AND SERIALS Part 1

Ferro had supplied Chevrolet with castings until Chevrolet Division took over the Saginaw Products Company plant in the Autumn/Fall of 1927 and renamed it the Chevrolet Gray Iron Foundry and introduced the first design of Chevrolet bow-tie into the castings. 1928 castings therefore had the Chevrolet bow -tie. 1928 Sales Year motor production started at around # 3,557,001, depending on when the summer break ended: the first Monday in August was the 1st. The official start of 1928 motor production started with # 3,863,596.

Roger

Many years ago I was endeavoring to own one of every 28 model Chev made, silly me, silly unrealistic dreaming. However I put out a few leads looking for a roadster and a mate who's not into Chevs asked how he could identify a 28 model. I told him it was very easy, 4 cyl 4 wheel brakes.
Well he found one and it was a good one and the price was right. (This bloke has found literally hundreds of old cars in his farm country region of western NSW, including the remains of 6 Little's which have been restored into one car).
On went the car trailer and off I went. Disappointment! it was a 27 roadster, but it did have 4 wheel brakes. The original owner told me that in that small country town the GM dealer had 4 brand new cars available 2 were Chevs and 2 were Oldsmobiles. The Olds sold straight away but he couldn't sell the Chevs so he ordered from GM Sydney 2 Olds front ends and fitted them to the Chevs, which now sold easily.
Not only was it a 27 Chev with 4 wheel brakes it didn't have a Holden body (99% of Chevs in Aus had Holden bodies). I never found out what brand of body it had but it was quite different, with a one piece front windscreen and a one piece roaster lid.
Thought I'd bring this up as you can never be sure when offering advice on what model old Chev you have.
I eventually passed the 27 on when I found a 28 4 door on a rubbish tip.
I hope you all enjoyed the story.
Chris

Interesting tale! Yes there were of course body-builders in Aussieland other than Holden's. But that tends to get forgotten!

In the UK we had GM Limited-built bodywork which aped the N American styles plus a host of specialist ciachbuilders. These are the ones that I know of officially:

1927 MODEL AA CHASSIS SOURCED S.U.P. FROM OSHAWA ONLY:
1927 [JAN.] MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA CHASSIS
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA 5-SEAT TOURING
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA 5-SEAT SALOON
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA CABRIOLET [“PICCADILLY” BY GROSE?]
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA SPORTS CABRIOLET WITH DICKEY
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA LANDAU

1928 MODEL AA CHASSIS SOURCED C.K.D. FROM BLOOMFIELD:
1928[AUG. 1927] MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA CHASSIS
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA 5-SEAT TOURING
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA 5-SEAT SALOON
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA CABRIOLET [“PICCADILLY” BY GROSE?]
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA WITH DICKEY
MODEL 21.7 H.P. CAPITOL AA SERIES AA LANDAU

1928 [JAN. 1928]MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB 4-DOOR 5-SEAT SALOON
MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB WITH DICKEY
MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB 5-SEAT LANDAU
MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB TOURER
MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB SPORTS CABRIOLET [“PICCADILLY” BY GROSE?]
[AUG] MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB FABRIC TRAVELLER’S BROUGHAM BODY BY GROSE LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON.
MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB L.W.B. CHASSIS
MODEL 21.7 H.P. NATIONAL AB SERIES AB L.W.B. 8-SEAT LIMOUSINE/HIRE CAR
THOUGH THE NATIONAL AB SERIES CAR CHASSIS WERE ALSO USED FOR COMMERCIAL BODYWORK AND POSSIBLY VICE VERSA


I should add that Light Delivery chassis were often bodied as taxis, which of course meant that special provision had to be made for the fuel filler.

It's also nice to see my name being mentioned. I am rather sick of seeing, after all these years, wholesale lifting of my information and pasting without acknowledgment. [BOWS]

FWIW I have the reverse - a 28 in need of a full restoration (which may or may not happen) which has only two wheel brakes and the 27 type narrow felloe wheels. I could not find much about the history of this car, but suspect it might have sustained front end damage during WW2 when no parts were available, though there is no evidence of this, and been fitted with an earlier replacement front axle and a full set of wheels to suit.

Frank.

Interesting, nothing surprise me with these ol' girls
Chris

I remember when Chris brought that roadster home It puzzled a lot of us for some time I now believe that it was a US body, from what I can remember about the top swag line. This is different from the US and Holden Bodies.