VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Hole Behind the cowl light

I have a 1931 Chevy sport coupe with cowl lights and duel side mounts. Between the windshield the the drivers side cowl light there is another hole that is about 1/2 in. in diameter. Is this for a spot light, mirror, or something I should have file in when I did the body work?

Hi There and welcome to Chevy Chatter. Great to have you with us!

If the hole in question is on the driver's side of the windshield post and up a little higher than the lower driver's door window garnish moulding, then most likely it was for a Sportlight. However, there should also be two smaller holes (one above the 1/2" hole and one below the 1/2" hole) for the screws that held the Sportlight bracket in place.

A photo of the hole would be helpful.

The hole should have been filled in if you are restoring the car as original. Chevrolet did not have cowl mounted mirrors or sport lights available as accessories in 1931. Exterior mirrors for your car would have been mounted on the sidemounted spares (Trico, very pricey, like $500 a pair))Depending on just where the hole is, it could also have been for an aerial. If you plan to leave the hole, you may have trouble finding something that fits it.

Regarding the Sportlight, Genuine Chevrolet accessory Sportlights were available in 1931. The Sportlight is shown in the 1931 accessory catalog and in the 1931 accessory filmstrip. Also, the accessory Sportlight is depicted on a Special Sedan which is featured on the cover of the October, 1931 Chevrolet Service News. The accessory Sportlight was available in 1930 as well.

The part number for the 1931 accessory Sportlight is 363251 and the Sportlight sold for $12.50.

Kaptain Karl..........as these cars are 80 some odd years old, passing thru a multitude of prior owners, who knows exactly what somebody drilled the hole for......mirror , sportlite , radio aerial ????

mike lynch

Best gues is radio aerial, sport light would be on the windshield post. Tough to figure out what people did, remember at one point the car was considered an old junker before it became a antique.

Never knew that Dawg, I don't recall ever seeing a Sportlite on a '31. In any event, I gather from other posts it was not cowl mounted, so technically my post was 1/2 right!

I have seen 1930 and 1931 Chevrolets with Sportlights since they were Genuine Chevrolet accessories for those years. Check out your October issue of the 1931 Chevrolet Service News and you will see a 1931 Special Sedan with a Sportlight. It looks way cool.