VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Looking at a 33 Sedan

Sorry that I'm repeating myself. Not sure if I'm in the right forum.

Went to look at a 1933 Chevy 4 door sedan yesterday.
Metal good. Glass good. Interior so-so.
Battery dead so couldn't start it.

Assuming it runs, I was curious about what these go for.
I'm a Model A guy so Chevy's are out of my realm.


Do you know what these numbers mean?
Job 33-559
Body T20248
Trim #25
Paint 132

I have a bunch of photos to post but can't figure out how to attach them.

The directions state:
1. Click "File Manager" to bring up the "Attachment" window.
2. Click "Browse" to bring up the file browser window; this will allow you to browse your computer for any files or images you wish to upload; please note that you're bound by whatever the "allowed file type" setting is for the board.
3. Click "open" on the file you wish to upload.
4. Enter a description of what the file is (if you want to).
5. Click "add file" to add another file, or "done" to close the window and complete your posting.

I'm on the new topic page and there is nothing that says "File Manager."

Thanks
Nicolo

Hi Nicolo,

It sounds like you're looking at the "Can I attach a file to my post?" topic in the FAQ section. Look up the list a bit further to the "How do I add an image to my message?" topic.
You will need to have the pics posted on an image hosting web site, such as Photo Bucket. There are a number of these sites available and will allow you to post your picture for free. You can then link your image on the picture hosting site to the message. The FAQ topic explains how to do this. Here is some more discussion on this topic:

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...earch/true/Re_Posting_a_Photo#Post205479

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...s/Search/true/picture_posting#Post188217

The Body number indicates that it was assembled at the Tarrytown plant in New York, the job number that it is a 1933 Eagle 4 door sedan, and paint code 132 is black, both upper and lower body.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

Nicolo,
The directions that you posted are how VCCA Members can post photos. This mechanism is located in the MEMBERS forums which you don't have access to.

Dan's comments above are correct for non-VCCA members.

Welcome.

Thanks

Does this link work? Sorry about the poor quality. The car is in a tight garage.

http://s1292.beta.photobucket.com/u...&_suid=13599838472630781264879595387


Do these pics give you any insight?

Thanks
Nicolo

Yep, the link works.
The paint scheme is correct for 132, black upper and lower body with either red or black wheels. I guess the big question is, does it start, run, and stop. I'm no appraiser, especially when it comes to body work, but it looks pretty solid. Good luck with this.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

So, assuming it runs.
The metal is good, the interior is so-so.
Can somebody give me a ballpark range on price? Just a ballpark.

This may help as a starting point. It's the NADA Guide for a 1933 Chevrolet Eagle 4 door sedan:

http://www.nadaguides.com/classic-cars/1933/chevrolet/ca-master-eagle/4-door-sedan/Values

Happy Motoring,

Dan

As I mentioned in your original post, have you been able to assess the condition of the wood?

Ford and MOPAR are all steel bodies and this is not such a big deal. A '33 Chevy 4 door has lots of wood and the one you are looking at may be perfect in all ways.
Look at you door alignment, open a little bit, see how they line up, any big sags?
Can you raise a sagging door vertically and have the body not move. These would be real quick tests to make and check all 4 doors. Good alignment, open and closed is a very good sign the wood is tight and won't need costly replacement.
Ask the owner for his opinion of the wood. Most owners are truthful about the condition of their cars and if he is a Chevy man he will know what you are reffering to and you will establish that you are a knowledgeable buyer.
Good luck with it, it looks very good to me.
A car like this that is running well, good braking, no overheating and a solid body could bring upwards to 10 K as a ball park? I am sure you will see a lot of variation on this amount plus or minus especially because we do not know much about the actual condition.
This is like buying a house, don't agonize over overpaying a little for something you will have and enjoy for the next 15 years.
Chris

Thanks for the advice.

I only saw the car once (last week) with a Model A buddy who, when he saw “Body by Fisher” said, “wood”. However, I didn’t (don’t) know how to thoroughly check that. At the time, I opened and closed all of the doors. They seemed solid. But I didn’t know to check the alignment. One thing I remember is that a few screws were missing from that piece of finish molding that encircles the inside of the window (driver's window). Do you know what I’m referring to? Could that be an indication that there is some rotten wood within the door.

Also, the owner passed away a year ago so I don’t have the luxury of questioning him.

Thanks for your input.

Nicolo, I am not an authority by any means, but....from what I can see of the fenders, they look very nice and straight. The interior has been redone it looks very nice and it is high dollar stuff. the dash looks nice and if the wood graining has been redone they did a very good job. The grille looks very nice. If the car runs good, it looks like all you would have to do is clean it up and maybe tires, belts, hoses etc. I like it. tom

Hey guys, bear with me.

How do you start one of these buggers?

I have a Model A with a starter button on the floor and a timing advance/retard lever on the steering wheel. Not so with this Chevy.

I traced a pull cable from the right side of the dash to the starter. Does that engage the starter? Pull it and then let off? Do these cars have manual timing adjustments?

I'd like to try and start it before I consider buying it. It's been sitting for about 2 years. The coolant is topped off and green. The oil level is good. Looks like the car was stored with the emergency brake engaged. I have to check if the shoes are frozen.

Can you recommend any action prior to turning it over?

Thanks
Nicolo

The '33 Chevrolet Master starts a bit different. It has a linkage from the accelerator pedal to the starter. When you push the accelerator pedal it engages the linkage to activate the starter switch. Once the engine produces vacuum the linkage retracts and only the linkage to the carburetor operates. You can manually activate the starter switch on the starter motor if necessary.

Ok.
And there is no manual timing advance/retard is that right?

Also, looks like mechanical brakes is that correct.

There should not be a "Spark" knob/cable on the dash as '33 master had a vacuum advance. Yes mechanical brakes.

35EBHAlfTon

"...Can you raise a sagging door vertically and have the body not move."

Not sure exactly what you mean.
Am I raising the door when it's open or closed?
And if I raise it vertically and the body doesn't move, that would seem to be a bad thing. That is, that there's lots of unseen stuff (rotten wood) that moving behind the metal. Is that right?

Is there a way to determine if the vertical post between the front/rear doors is rotting?

Thanks boys.

Kind of, doors can line up well when closed. When opened they may sag because the wood in the body hinge pillar could be in bad shape. If you get vertical movement in the door when open with no movement in the car than there may be a problem. From what you have said of the condition so far it may not be an issue. You can also look at the hinge assembly where it joins the body hinge pillar. Does it wobble and move? Or does it appear to be tightly attached?
From what you have written so far this car appears to be sound but than again we have not seen it other than the few pictures posted.
If things are lining up, doors open and closed, than you may be "over engineering" this.
Hope all goes well with this purchase and if you buy it welcome to the forum as you work on it.
Chris

Went back for another look today.
The doors appear fairly solid. Very little movement. They align well vertically when they're both open.

The battery is dead so I haven't been able to turn it over, start it or drive it. Going back next week with a charged battery. For some nutty reason (cause I'm a Model A owner) I assumed it was a positive ground system. Wrong.

A few things:
There appears to be a grounding cable (though it was red) running from the base of the emergency brake cable to the frame. Is that typical?

The emergency brake simply engages the service brakes? When the e-brake is pulled, the brake pedal goes floppy. So, there is no separate shoe/band for the e-brake, is that right?

With the e-brake disengaged, the service brake has a load of play. That can't be good.

Are these babies known to overheat?

I can see how that started pull-switch on the dash pushes the starter button. I depressed the accelerator pedal to see if it did the same thing to the starter button (as was mentioned earlier). However, nothing happened. That is, it had no affect on any of that starter linkage. I followed a piece of round stock that ran from the vaccum switch, against the fire wall, to the other side of the engine and then in the area of the pedal but I don't see a connection between the pedal linkage and that round stock. Can someone post a closeup pic or 2 of the generator area where the vacuum switch and start button reside and then the other side where the pedal meets up with the round stock?

Also, the accelerator pedal does not retract. That is, it sticks to the floor when fully depressed.

Thanks for all your help so far guys

Nicolo

Hi Nicolo,

To answer some of your questions, yes, all Chevs were negative ground.

I'm not sure about the grounding setup you described. It may be someone added the cable to provide a better electical connection between the frame and motor. As a side note to this, and I imagine you are also aware of this, the 6 volt systems require heavier (00 size) battery cables than the current 12 volt systems.

Here are some diagrams from the 1929-1941 parts manual showing the starter and brake layouts.

Starterator diagram:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/parts/1929_41/41cp035.html

There were no separate brake shoes for the emergency brakes, the service brakes acted as parking brakes with the hand brake operating on both front and rear.

Mechanical brake layout:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/parts/1929_41/41cp113.html

The engineering features are also available from the GM Heritage site. A lot of info in these manuals.

GM vehicle information packs:
http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits.html
Where is says " Chevrolets (All Models Not Listed Below) ", click on the Show button. Then go the year you need (1933). Click on that year and you can download a PDF of the manual.

Good luck with this, and keep us posted. I'm anxious to hear how all this turns out.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

Thanks Dan

That's great info.
I will read and digest this material and get back to you guys.

Nicolo

Looks like the linkage that ties the accelerator pedal to the started is non-functioning. I press the padal to the floor and nothing happens around the starter.

Do you have a good battery?

JD

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I meant that there was no mechanical activity thru all that linkage to the starter when the pedal was to the floorboard. I was at least expecting to see the starter button depressed at that point.

But to answer your question, the battery is weak.

Nicolo

So I pulled the battery, took it home and charged it for the owner. I hope to try to start it this weekend.

The gas has been sitting for at least 18 months but when I opened the cap and took a whiff it didn't smell bad. I was thinking of removing the sediment bowl and at a minimum, filling it with fresh gas. I would prefer to drain the tank and blow the lines but keep in mind that I don't own this car so I'm limited as to what I can and can't do.

For sure the linkage from the pedal to the starter is not operating. As I said prior, there seems to be a Rube Goldberg pull switch on the dash that's hooked up to some linkage on the starter. But I can't imagine that's original. I don't see that arrangement in the online manual.

Anyhow, by the time I get done checking this car out it'll probably be sold to someone else!

Thanks
Nicolo

Nicolo

Have you turned the engine over by hand yet to make sure nothing is seized?

You can also operate the starter switch by hand from under the hood by simply pressing down on it and then operater the throttle linkage by hand from the same side. Been there and done that way too many times

Jeff

Thanks Jeff

I hadn't thought about the hand crank. I wonder if my Model A crank would work there.

Would another option be to put in 2nd gear and try to rock it back and forth?


On a related note, I saw this '33 in closed down showroom today. Pardon the bad pics but I was trying to shoot thru glass. This is not unlike the car I'm looking at (this one is a 2-door). The car in this showroom is in much better shape.

Hope the link works:

http://s1292.beta.photobucket.com/u...amp;_suid=136106437014107169250432689176

Nic