Hello everyone. I am new to the forum and still somewhat new to pre-war vehicles. Anyways I’m having some trouble figuring out exactly what I have, I know not the first time someone has posted that but I have reached the end of the internet in my searches. From what I have found so far is that it’s a 1930 club sedan (landau). Job No 30552, Body No KC 2920 (KC 2920 is still stamped into the floor) Body tag says K 2920. Cast on the motor by distributor is 835501 D 10 9, behind the fuel bowl/plump is 559968 found that today so I don’t know what it is. Head is 835674/ 4 19 37.. also haven’t looked that up. Tranny is stamped 590391/B 24 0 currently haven’t looked it up. Iv had the car for about 7-8 months now. When it ran I’d take it out a few times a week. I have run into some issues here and there and now have the top of the motor tore apart again trying to find and fix the issue.
What I know or think I do. Short list Job No 30552 is a club sedan (landau) Motor cast is a 29/30 (‘29 due to D 10 9) valves in head also measure out as a ‘29 1’’ 13/32
What I don’t know. Long list Body No KC 2920. Can’t find it anywhere Stamp behind fuel bowl 559968 Cast on head 835674/ 4 19 37 Tranny cast 590391/B 24 0
Any help would be appreciated. Have pictures if needed. Thanks. Larry
Hello Larry30, I typed 1929-1930 chevrolet casting numbers: vccachat.org posted by d2d2, casting numbers, 03/03/04 06:09 am. The head: 835674 lists as 1929-30 The trans: 590391 lists as 1929
Hello Larry30, You may find it interesting reading with help in figuring out what you have. I googled ' what does the chevrolet body number for 1930 cars represent '. chevytalk.org 29chevy: verification of year, model, vin/serial... Check it out. Note: reference to vehicles serial number, beginning of model year production, first serial number began after the number 1001. ( as in 001002, not sure why) Note: reference to Body Number, your body style is the two thousand nine hundred twentieth body from that factories assembly line. ( don't know what KC and/or K represent ) ( maybe your car was made in Kansas? ) That can be learned in the vehicles serial number. No VIN numbers existed back then.
The car serial number/vin number (that's been discussed before and Chevrolet called it a vin number well before any government ever did) will be located on a metal plate/tag nailed down to the floor/main sill near the passenger side of the front seat, inside the car. A 1930 serial/vin number should look something like this:
1AD******
The AD means: 1930 series AD. The numbers following are the numbers identifying the individual car.
If that tag is missing, you unfortunately don't have the individual serial/vin number for your car.
Thank you Chev Nut. I couldn’t find anything on Body No that old for fisher body corp. my best guess is Kansas City, that’s the state I bought it in and the story I was given fits as well. Supposedly I’m the 4th owner, supposedly that is.
Without quoting most here I still have some questions and such I hope you all can help me with. I guess the first question I have is it possible to have a 29 chassis with a 30 body from the factory? All my cast and stamped numbers on the chassis/motor and such say it’s a 29, but the JOB No says it’s a 30 club Sedan (landau). The vin plate that should be on the floor on passenger side isn’t there but if the pictures came through that’s what I have. It’s stamped into the wood floor. Doesn’t look like there were nail holes for a tag on the floor. If the story I was given is true, 4th owner, the only changes/up grades to the car is that it’s a 12v now, guessing the cloth for upholstery cause it’s nice and someone was cheap and didn’t want to replace the material for the roof so it’s sheet metal now. Other then normal maintenance I don’t think it’s been messed with?? Hope the pictures help. If more are needed please let me know and thank you all for the help. Ready to get her back on the road with the right parts.
It's a little hard for me to see by the pictures, but it looks like a 1930 to me.
Two things say so. 1) The windshields of 1930's were sloped back 7 degrees from vertical, whereas the 1929's were straight up vertical. 2) The 1930 tire size was 1 inch smaller (19 versus 20 I think, but may be wrong).
1930 model year cars were produced and introduced before the end of the 1929 calendar year, just as today. Therefore casting DATES of early 1930 cars will sometimes be in 1929.
One key difference that likely has not been changed is the braking system. The 1929 brakes use rods to the front wheels and arms to activate the brakes. 1930 uses front cables. 1929 has two cross shafts one to operate the front brakes the other for the rear brakes. 1930 has one cross shaft. During the last 90+ years many other parts (ie engine, transmission, radiator, etc.) may have been changed.
Of course inside the 1929 has oval instruments and 1930 round. Those are not likely to have been switched. Since the Fisher Body tag is still riveted to the firewall the body is surely 1930.
What Chipper said, plus the rear brakes on a 1929 are band-type brakes, whereas the 1930 rear brakes are conventional drum brakes. The 1929 cars did not have shock absorbers and the 1930 cars did.....single-acting, lever arm Delco shocks, front and rear.
One other difference: 1929 cars had a mechanical fuel gauge which was read at the back of the car. 1930 cars had an electrical fuel gauge in the dash and no gauge at the rear.
So today I was able to spend some time working on the car for the current problem. But I was able to take some pictures of what everyone has mentioned and write down all the numbers I could find from the radiator neck to the rear shackles for the leaf springs. I was not able to find the “vin” plate though. Just the stamp in the wood floor on the passenger side. From what I can tell it looks like a 29 from the frame down and the body is a 30. At least from some of the numbers Iv been able to look up and old documents from the GM heritage center web site. I attached a few more pictures so you all can see what I’m working with.
Using the photos I agree the chassis is not 1930. The dash with instruments are clearly 1930. The steering wheel is 1931 or newer. Looks like a number of modifications were made to the car since it was originally assembled.
Chipper. I didn’t know there was a difference in steering wheels? I will have to research that. From my knowledge (story I got) the only changes are it was changed to a 12v, the roof where it was cloth material (it’s metal now) may change it back when the time is right. And part of the floor, that’s a good guess though. The section above the transmission on the firewall and right above the tranny/battery area seems/looks newly made or cut, upholstery too. other then that it looks/seems in-molested.
Someone mentioned d2d2 in a previous comment, i may have to find the post that was talked about with all the numbers he has. I was able to get numbers off the rear shackles for the springs and other locations as well.
With it potentially being a 29 chassis 30 body I need all the help I can get to make sure I get the right parts for it to keep it as original as I can from how I got it and on the road.
That is in fact a 1929 Chassis and Engine with a 1930 Body. A theory: One could imagine that the 1930 car was involved in a frontal collision that badly bent the frame, so the undamaged '30 body was transferred to a '29 chassis. People were clever back during the depression and did what they needed to do to keep going.
The steering wheel is correct for a '31 and later car and is not part of the hidden story. The wooden rimmed '29 and '30 steering wheels failed fairly often and were often replaced by later model wheels -- it's a direct fit.
I agree with you. Now that you know what you have, you can look for '29 mechanical parts and '30 body parts as you need them to keep your car on the road. Have fun with it!
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong. In looking at the picture of the right front brake system and the metal plate that is on top of the front chassis spring leaf and held in place by the spring to axle U-bolts appears to be mis-installed to me. The arm on the plate should be resting against the front side of the operating arm and is the stop rest for the brake rod in the released position. I think the left and right stop plates are inter changed.
you're referring to the spring rebound leafs at each end of leaf springs. I'm referring to the brake linkage stop plates on the '28 and '29 models at the leaf spring to axle attachments. If you have the Chevrolet Service News dated January 1929, page 4, the brake linkage sketch shown has an artist rendering of the stop plate I'm referring too located at the outer end of what is called the "operating lever". As they are currently installed on the subject vehicle the stop plates are interfering with brake applies. (Left unit on the Right and Right unit on the Left).
I think your cylinder head is a 1937? Maybe the car was assembled form a couple of cars and you got a 30 body on a 29 chassis that needed a new head and a 37 one was installed?
Dick, Good eyes. The brake arm stop plates are indeed installed on the wrong side. They are intended to stop the arm/rod going forward. That helps position the front brake to be adjusted so only a slight pull on the rod engages the linings to the brake drum.
Based on the casting number, characteristics (valve size), and casting date, the head is a later recast (1937). Could have been cast by GM or an aftermarket supplier.
That is in fact a 1929 Chassis and Engine with a 1930 Body. A theory: One could imagine that the 1930 car was involved in a frontal collision that badly bent the frame, so the undamaged '30 body was transferred to a '29 chassis. People were clever back during the depression and did what they needed to do to keep going.
The steering wheel is correct for a '31 and later car and is not part of the hidden story. The wooden rimmed '29 and '30 steering wheels failed fairly often and were often replaced by later model wheels -- it's a direct fit.
I agree with you. Now that you know what you have, you can look for '29 mechanical parts and '30 body parts as you need them to keep your car on the road. Have fun with it!
All the Best, Chip
Continuing with Chips theory that sounds very plausible, the driver of the 30’ probably destroyed the steering wheel in the crash so the car required not only a new chassis but a new steering wheel also as the 30’ wood wheels can be fragile. Most likely fenders and headlights. No front radiator apron either so they probably didn’t bother replacing. Maybe you can find out the back story but I would figure the accident happened sometime around 34-37’ based on availability of used parts and those parts being decent. Hey, I’m no Sherlock Holmes and just having fun here!
Looking at the steering wheel, it looks much more modern Chevy than I’m used to seeing and someone could probably date it. That might throw my accident report way off! Also, we’re those front brake rod stops switched way back when the body got added to the frame? This is like a good murder mystery trying to solve.
Last edited by Chistech; 03/28/2209:08 AM. Reason: Noted from a picture
It is now obvious that the chassis and body were not manufactured together originally. The theory of an accident is plausible. Keep in mind that due to the depression and then WWII vehicles were not plentiful during the War. Therefore, modification was fairly common to keep vehicles on the road.
