Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


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Hello all ! I am in the process of acquiring a 1920 "490" touring. I would appreciate it very much if someone can tell me where I can find the VIN number on the car. Also, how many numbers/letters there are in the VIN. Thanks so much for your expertise and time! I presently have a 1931 Coach, but am looking forward to acquiring a lot more knowledge regarding the 20!
Thanks again! - The Ol' Coach

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There is no VIN number for a 490 model car. You may find a SERIAL NUMBER for the car on a plate attached inside the firewall under the dash.
There is also a number stamped into the outside circumference of the flywheel.


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Thanks so much, Jack! I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along.
Thanks again! - The Ol' Coach

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You will have to look at the old title you got, and determine which number they used on it. As Jack says, usually on the later 490's it is the Car Number or Serial Number that appears on the ID Plate. Frequently also the Engine Number is used. I have seen them titled to the Casting Date (!), and all sorts of bizzare numbers being used. You just have to satisfy your state when you go for the new title. Much better to be well prepared for that exercise on early cars, because they don't have a clue usually, and can be guided somewhat.


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Thanks so much, Chevy Guru! On a VIN Verification sheet from the state of Colorado dated 9/19/08 they have "1A7145" listed as the VIN number and "31320" listed as the motor number. Do these seem logical? I know Jack39rdstr has told me there was no VIN number, so I'm assuming that number (1A7145) is the serial number. I haven't had a chance to check it out on the car as yet. Thanks again for your help! - The Ol' Coach

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VIN and Serial Number is really almost just a matter of semantics. The "VIN" (Vehicle Identification Number) nomenclature didn't start getting used until the 1960's or so - but if you think about it, it's really just another way of saying "Serial Number," after all.

Look for the 1A7145 number on the Plate, it seems like a rather short number to me, at a glance.

The number listed as the motor number (31320) is actually the Casting Date of the engine - could be the Block, or the Head, depending where they looked.

That date is 3-13-20, or March 13, 1920m, which was a Saturday. There probably is no Motor Number in the sense of a serial number.

We sometimes also see a Part Number plugged in there, too.


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I sure appreciate the information, Chevy Guru! Many Thanks - The Ol' Coach

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There is also the engine number stamped into the Cylinder head under the Exhaust manifold , which you cannot see until you remove the manifold,


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You also may find the body # stamped into the wood near a front door, and close to the chassis. The month/year of production of spring may occure at one of the ends of a spring.

Agrin


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Thanks so much, Jack and Solan! I'll check them out. I am new to this car, so I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions. It is so great to have such knowledgeable people in this forum! By the way, one thing I was wondering is regarding a valve cover. Was there a valve cover in 1920 on the 490, or was it an aftermarket item? I saw on another post that an earlier 490 (can't recall what year) had one, but that it was an aftermarket item. The 1920 "490" touring that we have has one on it. Thanks again to all for your help!!! - The Ol Coach

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The 1920 Four-Ninety did not not come with a rocker cover , so it will be a later model's or an accessory. The valves need very regular oiling applied to them ( every 250 miles ? will have to check owner book) . There is valve pockets wich need to be kept half full, and rockers which need oil by hand. So keep the oil can full and handy.


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Once again, thanks for the information, Jack! Would the rocker cover have been available as an accessory for the '20? It appears to fit extremely well on the engine (it is black in color). Thanks very much for your expertise! I'm pretty well versed on the '31, but a real novice on the '20 touring! Also, I checked for the numbers on the car. The numbers/letter on the plate attached to the Four-Ninty plate on the firewall under the dash is definitely 1A7145; the number on the fly wheel appears to be 2192C; the number on the wood inside the right front door is EXTREMELY hard to read because of the wear. I am not sure at all, but it looks something like A283; and the number near the end of the spring on the left front appears to be D2, then underneath the D2 appears to be 4500Y or possibly 45001. That one is difficult to read, also. Thanks again to all for your help! - The Ol' Coach

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Ol' Coach -
I bought my '20 490 in ND, and it was titled under the body number 11776. Even though I took an original 1937 ND Registration Card listing the vehicle S/N 337397 to the county clerk, they refused to change the number for my new Colorado title. So it's titled under the body# 11776.
Don in Ridgway, CO
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Hi Don! I guess I'll see what happens when I go to re-title this one! - The Ol' Coach

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Ol' Coach -

Ken Kaufmann can help you decode the S/N. He told me that 337397 decodes as 3 = St Louis plant, 37397 is the production number of 490's since the St Louis plant opened in 1916. So he figured that 37397 was built early in the 1920 sales season - probably Sept of 1919. Anyone have contact info for Ken?

The engine# on the 1937 ND registration was C60669, but that's not the engine that's in it now (B91723), so it had an engine swap after 1937. And, in fact, the engine casting no's ID it as a 1919 engine. I'm currently trying to buy a 1920 engine for my car.

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Thanks, Don. Does anyone else have a letter in their serial number for a 1920 Four Ninety (on the plate under the dash)? I have looked at mine many times, and it clearly has an "A" in it. Thanks for any information regarding that. -The Ol' Coach

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According to this web page by Ken Kaufman ( a member here at the VCCA and CHAT site) most 1920 , 1921 and 1922 cars have the "A" prefix to the serial number.

Click on this blue underlined link to take you to the site.
early chevrolet history


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I think the first original cover came in 1927, and I have never seen a real one or a picture so far from a four-ninety engine. Could you try to put a picture here? You will find the procedure on these chat pages.

Agrin


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The earliest Chevys had rocker covers - the Model C (Classic 6) for 1913 and 1914. The Model H (Baby Grand & Royal Mail) introduced in the summer of 1913 as 1914 models, had this feature as well. Also the Model L "Light 6" of 1914.

The next model to be introduced was the Four-Ninety in the summer of 1915 as a 1916 model. They removed everything from this car that they possibly could to make it cheaper so it could sell for - initially - $490. There was no spare tire, no oil gauge, no nothing except what was absolutely essential to make it move!

ALL future Chevrolets decend directly from the Four-Ninety - the first new model being the Superior in 1923, and the rest is history. (The larger, more expensive cars of the late Teens - the only exceptions - being the Model D V8; and the models F, FA, and FB - descended from the Model H, were all gone by the early 1920s. These were all low production volume, but had rocker covers).

So things remained "open" - no rocker cover - until the 1925 Superior K introduced it in 1925. This was a one year only, two-piece cover, each half covering 2 cylinders. These are very difficult to find today. Then in 1926 it became a single cover that runs the length of the head, all 4 cylinders.

And yes, the after-market supplied rocker covers for the Four-Nineties and early Superiors that were built without them by the factory - but it was not an accessory or option from Chevrolet.




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Ol' Coach -

I second Solan's request for a photo of your valve cover. I want to add one to my 490 (along with an air filter). Paved roads are few and far between out here on the Western Slope.

Don in Ridgway
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Thanks so much for all of the information, guys. It is much appreciated! I will try to post a picture of the rocker cover in the next few days. I am also going to start a new thread with some more of my novice questions so that they don't get lost under this thread. Thanks again for all your help! - The Ol' Coach pineapple pineapple pineapple

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Thanks, Chevy Guru for correcting me. I should have remembered more of this after seeing the oldest cars in the great Anniversary last year.

Hopefully someone could put a picture here for us to see. Anyone wanting to make a copy of the cover???

By the way: My car creates a lot of attention when I start the engine with the hood open.

Agrin



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