Recently inherited this beautiful 1930 Chevy. Would like to upload more photos but it is saying the files are too large. It is all original, and was last ran about 15 years ago when it was parked and not moved since. I am having trouble finding the key so far but was wondering how hard it would be to get a key made? Interior is in great shape, exterior in great shape and fully original parts. Also wondering what a value may be on it? Has a great patina and about 80% of original paint still there in good shape. Thanks for any help and happy to be a part of the forum!
Inherited an old 30 Chevy Sedan, looking for help and guidance
My first task would be do not start it. If it has been sitting replace all fluids including the gas. Make sure the engine turns first by hand. Do not turn it over by the fan or you could bend a blade. Check anywhere mice could have gotten into the engine. I had them in my tail pipe, luckily it just blew them out when it started, would hate to have some get sucked in through the air cleaner.
Not sure if you can get a key without having the ignition rekeyed. You could probably hotwire it with a toggle switch for now and when it is running use a key. Farm stores should have ones for old tractors that would work.
There are a few threads on hear about getting a sitting car going.
I have found that having an old car is a constant project that is never done. I think that is a good thing. Keeps me learning new things. Having two from different eras is just a form of higher education.
For the photos to large that is due to a limit on the file size. If you have Windows 10 or higher there is a built in tool called Snipping tool. I just use that to 'snip' a screen shot of my picture from the screen and save it as a png file. Those are real small and never had an issue uploading one.
I have found that having an old car is a constant project that is never done. I think that is a good thing. Keeps me learning new things. Having two from different eras is just a form of higher education.
Your key situation will not be easy to resolve if the car still has its original electrolock cable. That being said, you should try and remove it without damaging it. Good, repairable ones are very hard to find. There are folks here who repair and restore them and can provide a key but you need to give them the best raw material possible. As Mr Monty posted, a generic on/off key switch or toggle switch from the parts store and some simple wiring will suffice to get it going and use it until the electrolock has been restored. Looks like a really cool car. I hope you plan to keep it as original as possible. They are only original once.
I didn't have a key for my '31 when I got it. (I later found the original B&S key in one of the boxes of parts that came with the car.) Assuming that the lock is not frozen, you can take it to a locksmith who should be able to make a key for it. That's exactly what I did. It wasn't even expensive - something like $10 IIRC.
This post is guaranteed to be 100% content free! '31 Special Sedan
Dogbreath, I don't know how long ago that was but, around here, I'm not sure I could get a question answered by a locksmith, for $10.00. I wanted to make the point that original electrolocks for your early Chevys are hard to come by and I didn't want him to do anything he would regret later on, just to get the car up and running.
If you're not going the original stock show condition route, the Filling Station in Lebanon, OR has universal ignition switches that can be used for your 30s truck.They also sell a handy removal tool for removing your Electrolock ignition switch without damaging the bezel. I would invest in one of those.
Cool truck and good luck with your restoration journey! Cheers,
Rick
"Never time to do it right the first time, but always time to do it over."
I have some of the electrolocks and it was not that hard to actually pick the lock. Carefully remove it from the instrument panel. Once you get it popped out to the run position there is a small button to push in and release the tumbler. Slowly start looking for the correct parts at the local swap meets. They do turn up. At the last one I went to I found an original '29 to '31 cam shaft gear for $5.00. '29 and '30 headlights are almost exactly the same. Watch for the crank hole cover and refer to the owners manual for its installation process. You do not want to break the retainer spring.
Also connect and network with the local VCCA region. If you are lucky a member may have a '30 model and possibly some spare parts.
