VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1916-1922 - Model 490 New 490 owner introduction

Just wanted to introduce myself the the community, as I expect to be around a lot. In about a week I will take delivery of this 1919 490 touring:

http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=HF11&CarID=r101

It was purchased via internet from the recent auction in Hershey. I'm hoping it looks as nice in person as in the photos! Anyway, I've been out of the antique car loop for about 20 years, just getting back into it. My experience consists of a '41 F**d owned in college and a '57 Retractable restored in the 90's. My Chevy experience consists of one (1) '57 four door hardtop owned in high school. By age 23 I had gone through about 75 cars, but most were post 1960.

I've purchased the shop and parts manuals for the car and have been looking them over prior to it's arrival. And getting my garage ready. Just wondering if anyone had compiled a list a 490's being parted out and other parts sources.

Hi there 490touring,
Welcome to chevy chatter 11, we hope we can help you with all your questions.

For parts wanted and for sale there is a seperate group of forums which will help you when you get your car home and work out what you need,
All the best with the 490 .

Jack

Hello Welcome to the VCCA CHATTER II site. One source for parts is the THE FILLING STATION in Lebanon OR. at www.fillingstation.com they have parts from 1916-1964. I would also like to invite you to join the Vintage Car Club of America (VCCA)they also have a monthly magazine called the Generator& Distributor. They have technical and parts information inside. You can join on line. Good looking car.

Nice Car,

I am sure you will enjoy your new toy.

Look forward to hearing more about how you get on.

Regards

Ray

We are nuts about 490s here! I have a 21 touring and so does my Dad. Not much around for spares, but a lot of things are just plain repairable. Forget everything you know about newer cars when working on this one. a lot of it just won't apply. We will be glad to help you along!

Car sure looks good from photo. Price paid seems very reasonable. Welcome, we do speak 490 here. Bunch of us have 490s and we know of others too. As Bob wrote not too many spare parts at most commercial businesses. Some people have squirreled away a small stash.

Don't be disappointed if you find that the year is not 100% correct. My '18 was sold as a '16 and still titled that way even if the person that sold it to me and I know better. The state required a letter from the manufacturer to change the model year on the title. I laughed heartily at the requirement. Told them the VCCA had much better records than did Chevrolet. I may contact the Heritage Center to see if Peggy or someone else can help.

Great to know there is a "support group" around for these cars! Still don't have the car but do have a service manual. Looks like it was more geared toward improvised field repair than replacing parts. I grew up tinkering on cars with my dad, who had a completely equipped machine shop in the backyard. In my first post I mentioned a few cars I had owned, and mentioned only one Chevy, a '57. I completely forgot about my Corvair obsession, a member of the national club at age 17! I had a '62 Monza, a '66 four door HT and a Corvair powered dune buggy. Only been in two spinouts, both in 'Vairs.

So I'm not a complete stranger to Chevy. My dad was an avowed Ford man and despised anything I dragged in that was non Ford- but he worked on it anyway. This 490 will be the first pre 1940 car I've owned. I do have a bit of experience tinkering with my dad's 8N Ford tractor, which has a similar power plant. I'm looking forward to the simplicity of the car- these days I don't even change the oil in my daily drivers.

I just had a look at the photos from the link to the Auction photos, and the chassis photo number 18 shows that the frame for this car is 1920 to 1922 year model (probably a 1920 to 1921), as it has the large steel angle and short straight steel angles for the front running board supports.
I would suggest that you check the engine casting numbers, and other casting numbers as they will give you the day, month, and year of manufacture.
The front headlights do not have the connecting bar in between them, which suggest a 1920-21 year model car also.

Thanks for the tips, Jack, I'll give it the once over when I finally get it and determine what year it actually is. Do the engine and frame numbers match in some way when the car was built with both, as more modern cars do?

The frame will not have a serial number. The Vehicle serial number is usually stamped into an Aluminum photo engraved/etched Chevrolet plate attached under the dash on the firewall. Not sure about the tag with the 160... number which is shown in the photos. It could be a dealer serial number.

The engine will have casting numbers and date casting numbers on the side of the engine block. The cylinder head has casting numbers and date casting number on the top surface, as well as a stamped in serial number under the single exhaust manifold.(you have to remove the exhaust manifold to see it). There is a number stamped into the outside circumference of the engine's flywheel, so take a wire brush to the flywheel and you will find a number there.

You can post all these number here and we will help further with the year. As i said the frame is definatley 1920-1922.

You engine may have a late 1919 casting date , which could make it an early 1920 year model, as production started in late 1919 for 1920 year models.

One of the previous owner to my 1916 has written: Springs date stamped: April 1916. But I have not searched enough to find where I can see it. Anybody knowing? There is also stamped H 20334 on the body bottom wood below the fake front door.