VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 '32 Roadster serial number plate location

As I understand it, the serial number plate is supposed to be on the passenger side seat riser for my '32 roadster. Does that mean it was attached to the wood with screws?

Thanks. Tom

I believe nails were used.

some were mailed to the floor and others were nailed to the seat riser.

might depend on which factory assembled it.........first number on the plate will say which factory produced it.

mike

My shop manual (first couple of un-numbered pages under "General Specifications") says "Closed body types --- on right front sill. Open body types --- on right front seat frame. Commercial types --- on front of dash". Nothing about different placement by plant.

That said, it would be fun to try to track this roadster down as far as where it was built. It was originally either sent or made in Argentina. I have an Argentinian title dated 1971 that shows engine number R2156423. The shipping documents from 1983 (when it was brought to the U.S.) show engine number R3123978. The trashed '32 engine I got when I bought the car is R3175251.

The car is titled with the number of the '34 engine that I also got when I bought it. I have now purchased a correct (casting numbers all within 3 days of April 29, 1932) '32 engine that I hope to use in the restoration.

That engine is number 3242930. I expect that I will have to take the car with the '32 engine installed and the separate '34 engine whose number is on the title to the Louisiana State Police so they can verify the engine change so I can get a title with the '32 number.

Sounds confusing, but I hope it really isn't. The man I bought the car from is a personal friend and honorable

I remember in the mid-seventies when I restored a Model A Ford in California I changed the engine and the DMV said "Nope. Sorry. That number is already being used on a title on a car in San Jose. Take it to the CHP and they'll put a new serial number on the car". I did and they did and everyone was happy.

In any case, (I know this is long) if anyone can decider those engine numbers, I'd appreciate it

Thanks. Tom

there are people on here who can decipher the engine numbers for you, they will show up.

Most of the cars coming out of Argentina , back to the USA were exported by a guy who advertised them a lot in Hemmings Motor news > Name was Mario Caplan has passed away, he was a dentist/doctor apparently. I was able to google him once with a lot of info showed up.

I also have an Argentina built car a 1935 roadster standard series, was originally a right hand drive, because that's what their highways were. GM had an assembly factory in Buenos Aries Argentina up until 10 years ago.

The bodys were stamped out in USA and shipped as CKD.....= complete knock down. A rolling chassis, fenders and all that in boxes and body parts.

NOTE....the open car bodies roadsters and phaetons were not made by GM fisher body, but supplied to GM/chevrolet by an outside supplier I have figured out to be Hercules-Campbell.

If you have a correct original chevrolet vin tag attached to seat floor or the seat riser on passenger side, post the first 5 numbers of the tag.

I have the correct original tag on my USA built 35 phaeton, but not for my 35 roadster from Argentina. I am not sure exactly what an Argentina vin tag looks like . I would hope its like the USA one. A Canadian built car roadster phaeton would use a firewall tag that **looks like** a fisher body tag.

mike lynch..... "the real & original madmike3434"

Mike, your wrong as to who stamped the sheet metal for the open Body cars. Please provide documentation.

You might be surprised!

Bruce

Okay I will bite.........please expound on your personal knowledge , with proof , of WHO produced the sheet metal for the roadster and touring bodies 1932-1935.

Your saying I am wrong.........okay, produce your findings fully documented.

This requires more than a 10 word sentence as a reply.

mike lynch

Mike,

First, off I asked you for your documentation first! Since you supposedly know everything. So cough it up! If you don't have anything then stop making false statements which you have no background in stating!

Dreams don't count as facts so show it to me on paper!

As it stands today, all that we know is the fact that Chevrolet made these bodies in their factories someplace. We don't have any documentation in any way to say anything different.

Also, there is a pile of people who will back me up to the fact that we have no real hard evidence as to where Chevrolet Made open car bodies (Roadsters/Phaetons).

bruce your the supposed expert , not I.

What your really trying to do is to draw me into a confrontation on this site with a view to having me BANNED.



mike

So you're admitting that your making "False" statements Mike with no documentation to back it up? Or that you were just dreaming it up? Which one?

And you full of it if you think I'm trying to have you, in your words "BANNED". Everyone is!

Okay, "who stamped the sheet metal for the open body styles ".

I wait with bated breath for your unbridled knowledge on the subject .

mike

Just an aside to this discussion of who made the open bodies for Chevrolet,I know that Oldsmobile had all the bodies for their closed cars(sedans,coupes)built by the Fisher Body Company,my 1929 Landau Sedan is Holden body No.7,which was imported to Australia from Fisher in CKD form(full mechanical chassis & panel work only,no timber)and assembled here.
But their open cars,Tourers,Roadsters and Convertible Roadsters were bodied by Olds at their Lansing Michigan plant(U.S. production).I know the owner of an original 1928 Olds Tourer that has an aluminium I.D. plate rivetted to the firewall stating that the body was made by:"The Olds Motor Works,Lansing Michigan".
Also stamped into the same plate,was the body serial number along with the series of the car,F28,so this car was a fully imported RHD Tourer to Australia from brand new.

I am extremely disappointed with the tone and direction this topic has taken.

This is a forum where we exchange and try to confirm the best information we have about these older vehicles. Let's keep it that way.

Thank you!

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CJP, I will attempt to answer some of your questions to the best of my ability based on what I know about 33--35 Chevrolets used as an example.
This is my HYPOTHESIS. Fisher body produced the closed cars and the Cabriolet. The OPEN cars roadsters and phaetons/touring were supplied to Chevrolet by an outside source. My own thoughts are that Hercules and/or Campbell body suppliers of commercial bodys to Chevrolet produced them .

Where Hercules Campbell was located was also where Chevrolet produced cars in plant #2 Tarrytown NY, where my 35 Chevrolet phaeton came from . The Canadian Hercules Campbell location was Woodstock Ontario, not sure what Chevrolet GM was doing there, maybe producing roadster and phaetons bodys ??? The main assembly plant was Oshawa Ontario.

Vehicles CKD, RHD or LHD were shipped to Australia either as complete cars, very expensive taxed wise, or CKD much cheaper, when supplied as CKD to GM HOLDEN to produce their own body.

GM could supply the chassis CKD as a RHD and did.

Re the OLDS MOTOR WORKS, to me that sounds like an OLDSMOBILE IN HOUSE supplier of specialized bodys to oldsmobile. It should have a BODY BY FISHER cowl panel tag for the closed cars. The open cars may be the "Olds Motor Works". The complete 1928 you have could have been shipped directly to Australia as a completed fisher body car. I am totally unknowledgeable regarding Olds , but am using the hypothesis as a possible explanation.

I would think you might be able to come up with the right info in the Oldsmobile Club of America ? Unfortunately my friend frank who runs "vintage vehicle services" at GM Canada left for Florida this morning and will not be returning until april some time. Frank also owns a 1931 oldsmobile 5 window coupe with golf club door and rumble seat. We never really talk about olds history when we get together.

mike lynch

I believe Olds last made a true open car, touring or roadster, in 29’. In 1930 on, Olds only offered the DCR (deluxe convertible roadster) which was not real roadster but actually a cabriolet. It was made by fisher. While all Olds production came from just one plant, Lansing, all were labeled “Fisher”. 29’ and earlier, I have no idea who made the open cars in those early years.

Most,if not all Oldsmobile bodies were sent out to Australia as CKD "kits",even as far back as the early 1920's,and assembled by GMA,ie;Holden Body Builders.
All open bodied cars and closed cars were sent out as complete mechanical running chassis's along with all the panels,guards etc,then timber framed by Holden.
My 1927 Olds started its life a Fisher bodied 2door coach,but suffered the fate of many cars here,and was a utility when I bought it,but it will now be a tourer,one of 837 tourers assembled by Holden in 1927 using U.S. stamped out panels etc,but with the "Body By Holden" badge attached to the cowl instead of a Fisher badge,or an Olds Motor work cowl ID tag.
My 1929 Olds Landau Sedan(Holden body No.7)is one of a total of approximately 820/829 1929's assembled by Holden(both open & closed bodied cars),again using U.S. sheet metal panel work,but timbered and assembled by Holden and fitted with a Holden body badge.
Both the OCA & the NAOC in the U.S. have no records of the number of RHD 1920's Oldsmobiles assembled by Holden in Australia.

So you ( brucie ) attack me saying you have the proof of who made the open car bodies for Chevrolet 1929--1935. I along with others are waiting for you to post your supreme knowledge, and proof, which you obviously do not have on the subject. If you knew/know the truth then why not put the words up on this site. For all to know , why keep it to yourself .

Lets show everybody how smart you think you are .

mike lynch

Tom would you kindly drop me a note lave@cogeco.ca and also a pic of your 32 roadster