VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1917-1923 - Models D, F, FA, and FB Only. 1918 Model D-4 Title

After many months of trying to get the Chummy into my name and 5 trips to the DMV and many phone calls to the DMV, the title has now been applied for and should be here in a month or less. Every time I went to the DMV they wanted something less or different, so I didn't have the correct information. Well today I had everything I could think of and the executor of Ardie's trust and she said you don't need any of that, filled out one form and we were done in about 20 minutes. Now to sit and wait for the title to come and see what happens.

I have found that only a few people at state registration offices understand the unusual procedures. Often it is only one. Once you find that person the process goes smoothly. In inheritance, out of state paperwork, antique vehicles, bill of sale, assembled vehicles, etc. fit into the unusual procedures area. I spent one year getting the title straight for my '32 Roadster Pickup even when I had all the necessary paperwork in hand. We would send in the application and it would come back "rejected". Once I got to the right person in Austin it took a couple of weeks to get the title in my hands. Fortunately, computers have made that process much easier as the local office now can process the information and accept or reject the application on the spot. If rejected, a hearing can be requested and they have to specifically tell you why it was rejected and cite the law or requirement not being met. If not they have to issue the title.

Knowing the process and requirements (published on the internet in Texas) helps to guide the process at the local office.

I'm still waiting state of Washington!

Well I understand that it should be 3 more weeks now, the state of Washington had flagged it as a possible stolen vehicle with a VIN # of 810.

Hey!!! That's the same VIN number of the car that I drove to my Senior Prom -- and it was stolen later that night.... I wonder? Hummmm.....

Now wait a minute here Bill B. I owned that same Model D for a number of years. I was on a summer tour out west and I parked it under a street light at the local Howard Johnson's Motel. I walked across the street to the local Bob's Big Boy Resturant for a hamburger. Service was slow that evening. When I walked back across the street, my Model D was gone. The police said that they suspect that someone was scene wandering around the parking lot. This thief was dropped off while being a passenger in an early 1930's Chevrolet. The officer was not a car guy but he wrote in his report that it might have been either a 1932 or a 1934 Chevrolet.
I have always wanted my old Model D back. My life has not been complete since it came up stolen.

dtm

Today is not April first, is it?

When I applied for a title for my 32 which had not been titled previously I had to have a local police officer check the car. I did have the original VIN plate but it was not attached to the car. He simply asked me what I needed him to do and after I explained the process he said no problem and signed the form needed. As Chipper said it helps to find the right person when registering, and as my daughter is the town clerk/tax collector things went quite smoothly.

Bruce… buy some property beside Steve's house in New Hampshire. Get his daughter to register the car. Move back to Washington, and sell the property for a profit...

Or Bruce, even easier..... Trailer the Model D to Ohio. return it to the rightful owner. Fly back to Washington and know that it will be restored properly.

dtm

It was really cold and snowy here last winter so maybe Bruce could just buy MY property and I could head for a warmer climate.

With all these helpful suggestions, it could make the Model D-4 the first million dollar Chevrolet restoration. Hope you have deeeeeeep pockets Bruce. I know that Bruce is dedicated to getting it done but with all this help might take a bit longer than planned.

I'm glade everyone is reading this point....thought I was the only one maybe.

And to Chips posting, I'm very dedicated to get getting the D-4 completed the best I can for Ardie.

I'll keep you all posted when I get the title and no you guys can't have my car.....9/10th of the law.

If I take my 1/10th does that mean I have to come up and help? I would be glad to do that if you pay transportation and provide three hots and a cot.

Sure! That means that you get to help pay to restore the V8. Sound good?

It is just two 490s bolted together with common crankshaft. Should be a piece of cake???? Besides there's one on the North side of Detroit. Maybe you could borrow it?????

Why is it called a D-4… Wouldn't D-8 have been more appropriate?

It is a D-4 because it seats 4 people. Compare to the Model H, where the Royal Mail is H-2 (roadster) and the Baby Grand touring is an H-4.

Really need to say thank you to everyone that has posted....Ardie always wanted to see more action in this area of the chat page. Hopefully we can change that now.

The End to end long Battery in the D-V8 is going to be a tricky one to find.

Hey Jack!

Ardie had already bought one of the reproductions. I need more time in a day to work on everything.....and the cars.

Bruce

As the former GASKET KING CO LTD who specialized in cylinder head gaskets 1909 to 1948, there was only one company who produced cylinder head gaskets for the 1917-1918 Chevrolet V8

company was McCord gasket company of Detroit and their part number was #33 stamped into the gasket.

mike lynch

A friend of mine in Tennessee went to a warehouse other day and found 2 1935 Chevrolet tourings, a 1918 chev touring V8 and a 1918 chev 4 cyl, owner claimed to have the earliest known Chevrolet to my friend.

Plus he had 3 JONES cars.?????????? never heard that name before.

He never said if any of these items were for sale?

mike lynch

Mike that would be Robert Jones of Mount Juliet.

As to the earliest Chevrolet, it would need to be a classic 6 from 1912 or 1913. An 1918 is way to new to be the earliest known Chevrolet.

I should have worded it ****ALSO**** claimed to have the earliest known Chevrolet.

BRUCE..................he has not said who the owner is , only that he has pictures he took and will be sending them to me.

JUNKYARD......."owner said he has the oldest known Chevrolet" what year that is , was not stated in the email. Will have to wait for pics and his email to find out.

No idea if the JONES CARS have any relation to the owners last name . Have to wait for friend to supply info.

mike

Mr. Jones also purchased a '14 or '15 Baby Grand from Mike McNeil about 20 years ago. Bet he still has it as well. He had the Jones cars when Mike sold him the BG.

Mike, when you have a list of all the V8's (20) that are known and there is only one V8 in Tennessee, not hard to figure out who your talking about.

NOW YOU CAN SLEEP BETTER KNOWING THAT THE TENNESSEE / ALABAMA D4 D5 V8 IS KNOWN AND THIS IS NOT SOME FRESH NEW BARNFIND NOBODY KNEW ABOUT TO GET EVERYBODY ALL EXCITED.


MIKE

Mr. Jones owns three 1914 Model H cars. Two are Royal Mails, and the third is the Baby Grand previously owned by Mike McNeil, yes. (This information is all from the Model H Registry database meticulously maintained for decades by Ray Moot for the Model H non-geographic chapter for the Model H cars.)

His earliest Royal Mail is car # 64, which in fact is the oldest known PRODUCTION Model H, having been built in July 1913.

The only cars that could possibly challenge this being the oldest known Chevrolet would be the "Classic Six" (Model C) in Westaskiwin, Alberta (the Reynolds-Alberta Museum) which is a non-running and incomplete car. Ken Kaufmann determined a build date for this car as July 1913, therefore essentially tied with the Jones Model H car # 64.

The other challenger would be the so called "Old Number One" owned by General Motors, which is the prototype for the Model H cars. It was initially built as a 1913 "Little Six" Touring in late Spring / early Summer of 1913, then re-engined by the factory with the (allegedly) very first Four cylinder engine, and re-badged as a Chevrolet. It is distinctly different than a production Model H (see article in the March 2014 G&D for details). But it is clearly a little bit older than #64 by a couple of months for its initial build date, or by at least a few weeks for its conversion into the prototype # 1. (Pinky Randall reports that the "#1" is clearly a re-stamped number on it, so the engine may well have been long ago changed out by GM who has owned the car since approx. 1920, but clearly the body was originally a Little Six. And the engine now in place is still a very early style Model H Mason engine).

So you can argue if a prototype (not production) car, which started out as a Little "counts" or not. And we can never resolve if the Alberta partial car is older or newer - the records simply do not exist, and we can only make an informed estimate from the partial production records. But we know they (Alberta car and Jones #64) were built within days of each other, in July 1913.

Don, what about the classic 6 in Flint?

That car's not even close, Bruce. It was one of the last Model C's built, very late 1913 or early 1914 - a good 6 months newer than the other cars mentioned. We have more than a dozen Model H's that are older than it.