VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1929 Imperial Landau

Just found one of these the tag on the firewall reads Job # 8860, Body # K-354. What do I Have?? Any info would be appreciated. The Car is complete , in good condition but needs restored, Someone started on it about 30 years ago

This posting caught my eye! The Body is a Fisher Body Job No 8860, 1929 Model International Series AC Convertible Landau Sedan. The # 354 is the sequential number starting with # 1, so is the 353rd built of that body style. But where? "K" should indicate "Kansas City, Missouri" Fisher Body Plant, BUT in 1928 "K" was used as prefix for "Fisher Body" i.e. the GM of Canada body plant in Oshawa, Ontario. I am intrigued to know if the Body Plate with the information on it has

FISHER BODY
Body by
GM OF CANADA OSHAWA
CORRESPONDENCE PERTAINING TO THE BODY MUST BEAR
JOB NO. 8860
BODY NO. K-354


or a US style plate without reference to "GM of Canada".

Do you know what the serial/chassis/car number is please?

Thanks for the info. I haven't brought this home yet but will check it out. Where do I look for other numbers? Car suposedly came out of the mid west

Canadian cars have a Build Plate under the hood on the firewall. I think the '29 cars had the serial number plate on the dash. I strongly suggest that the car was indeed built in Kansas City, MO Plant.

Thanks for the input. I did make a tracing of the body plate and it indeed says Detroit Mich. Will look for the other numbers when I get it home. This car has been owned by the same fellow for the last 30yrs or so. He told me that it came out of the midwest, Nebraska area. The main body is very good with no rust, Fenders are solid but very beat up, all the wood has been replaced and the motor and drive train rebuilt, there is also a ton of extra parts with the car all in baskets and bags, a true jigsaw puzzle, but I do like a challange

This is a fascinating car! Basically, it is a US-assembled chassis with a Kansas City, MO-assembled Fisher 8860 Body namely Imperial Landau Sedan. I am getting very confused as to the paucity of numbers built! One source says that there were 300 built all told, and an advertisement for car 12AC-10774 in Cars & Parts some years ago stated that it was “one of 296 built". This is body # 353, so something is awry here but it's a very rare model nonetheless so far as I can see.

I confused myself yesterday because the 202 bodies built in Flint in 1928 were Imperial Landau Sedans. Model 179, Fisher 8910 and not the CONVERTIBLE Landau Sedan. 12AC-10774 apparently has a very early engine: Engine # 180,589 Cast Date K-2-8 November 2 1928! I have no idea whether the Convertible Landau was assembled in Canada...I must check some time.

I'm with you Oracle because this is getting very interesting! We did have a discussion about this on Chevy Chatter sometime back and a lot of us agreed that the "300" number for the 1929 Imperial Landau Sedan has to be false since there are way to many of these cars left here in the USA. Seems like they are always showing up either for sale or in someone's collection. The 1929 Imperial Landau Sedan is just to common to have only 300 or so produced back in 1929, and Frank W's body number of 354 proves that there were obviously more than 300 made. Now the question arises.........how many were really made in 1929? :eek: :eek:

I Have forwarded a tracing of the body plate and some pictures to Oracle. This car gets more interesting by the minute.

Has there ever been a list or registry of these cars compiled? How many are owned by members of VCCA ?

Does the body number or job number tell us that this is indeed a Landau convertible sedan? If so is mine the first with a number over 300?

Before I purchased this car any research was with only 300 produced, only 15 known to exist. Where are the 15 exixting ones, can they be accounted for?? Rare or not I would still have purchased the car, it's my first old Chevy, but not my first old car

Thanks for all the info so far, lets get to the bottom of this but we need more info, any owners out there care to jump in?

Yes, the Job Number indicates that the car is a 1929 Landau convertible.

Don't know if your car is the first with a body number of over 300, however it is believed that more than 300 were made since there are still so many of them around.

Yes, many more besides the "15 that still exist" have been accounted for. There are some in California, Oregon, Washington, the mid-west and back on the east coast.

FrankW, Around 1995-97 I wrote some articles for the G & D called "What A Life For A Low Priced Car" and during that time I began collecting any and all number information on 1929 through 1933 Chevrolets. The purpose was mainly to get material for the G & D articles. At first it was only a list of serial numbers for 1932 engines. Later I spent several hundred dollars in postage asking for any number information from VCCA members who had cars of these years listed in the directory. Revised copies were issued every 3 or 4 months and mailed free of charge to VCCA officers, tech advisors, anyone who had contributed number information, and just about anyone else interested. Eventually it ran to 7 or 8 pages of casting and part numbers, engine and body numbers, color and striping information, references to photos and other G & D features as well as many other references and footnotes. The response to my requests was mixed. Some members were keenly interested. But a few members who had the largest car collections and some of the most important and revealing information did not respond to several requests, some didn't even return SASEs. The response from VCCA officials was zilch even though I regularly asked for comments and suggestions. The only really negative response was from a member in Naples, Florida who owned a 1929 Imperial Landau. The main reason I stopped doing this project was that VCCA officials seemed not to have any interest in it.

Thanks d2d2, for the response. Is any of this info you gathered available? I would sure like to obtain copies.

I have sent in my membership info and looking forward to finding out as much as I can about these cars.

I can attest to the massive project that d2d2 undertook to compile all of the serial number information and the numerous casting numbers. I have copies of the serial number information that d2d2 put together and it is nothing short of impressive!!! However, I too agree that, for some reason, various officials in the VCCA don't appear to be interested in documented historical information concerning the history of our vintage Chevrolets. To this day, opinions still seem to override most documented information. At any rate, d2d2's research helped many of us within the hobby that wanted and needed this extremely valuable information! Thanks Dave!!

Hi Frank aside from the body plate the timberwork has a number as well,can you tell us this. The number should be under the front seat on the inside edge of the seat support, some time back Ken Kaufmann was doing some research and he felt that all the convertable cabriolets and Imperial landau sedans were built in the one factory and then sent on to the other plants for assembly and the firewall plate (does this number have a C prefix befor it.This seems to be the case in 1928 would be interesting if 29 was the same .Jim

Hi ozjim.........Thanks for the reply. I don't have this car home yet so can't check for a number in the front seat wood. Most of the wood in this car has been replaced, except for the front seat! There is hope that this number could still be there.

The firewall plate has no letter "C" only the "K" in the body number.

JYD, thanks for those kind words. We could also thank Ken Kaufmann, Lew Clark, Tom Krill, David Hayward and others for important information that was included.

FrankW, I am still looking for a copy of the number info I could send you, I may have given them all away. It was all done on my old CPM computer that is no longer working. Maybe JYD has a copy he can send.

I have checked my December 1928 Canadian AC Chevrolet advertisement in CANDIAN AUTOMOTIVE TRADE magazine. The Imperial Convertible Landau was definitely advertised but the Imperial Sedan was not at that time.

In addition HOYAL in England bodied GM Limited-assembled AC chassis with a Landaulette body for limousine and hire car work, which would have been similar to the Convertible Landau.

David [Hayward]

Got this car home today. Can't find any other numbers on the body except for the cowl tag. Where else should I look?

Found the following casting numbers on the block;
CONV-4
835501
D 17 9

Casting numbers on head;
CONV - 12
L-10-9

The stamped number on the block is; 581323

What do I have here is this a correct motor for this car? Appreciate all the help so far THANKS!

Your engine is a 1929, however your cylinder head appears to be a 1930 based on the casting date, but I can't tell for sure without the six digit casting number that appears on the cylinder head.

Hi JYD...

Thanks for the reply. I'm new to old Chevies. Where do I look for the head casting #.

I have already joined the club. Is there a good book or books available that helps with this project and identifing parts?

Thanks for all the help

The casting number is on top of the head under the valve cover.

Some of the literature that you should order to help you with your project would be an Owner's Manual, the Chevrolet Service News for 1929 and 1930 (12 issues per year), the Repair Manual, the 1929-32 Master Parts Price List, and the Fisher Body Manual 1926-31.

The casting date code of April 17 1929 would appear to fit in with the serial number, 581,323 which I have just checked would have been a May 1929 assembly in Flint Motor Plant.

One of these days someone will tell me what 'CONV-' means! The digits are the casting level/mould number bit what DOES CONV- mean? CONVentional?

A 1929 Landau Sedan Chevrolet is assumed to be included in the auction of the vast collection of deceased collector Ed Pickett, Canyonville, OR on September 18-19.

When I last viewed this car a couple of years ago it was in fairly good shape. I would consider it a good driver.

The Landau is not specifically mentioned on the handbill, however to the best of my knowledge the car would be included in the listing of some 150 to 200 vehicles that will be sold that weekend.

For specific info: 541 839-4839 and FAX 541 839-6209

The casting # on the head is 836273, is this a '29 or '30?

Thanks for the suggestion on the books and manuals. I have all but the Chevrolet Service News. Are reprints of this available? Where can I find them?

THANKS

The casting # on the head is 836273, is this a '29 or '30?

Thanks for the suggestion on the books and manuals. I have all but the Chevrolet Service News. Are reprints of this available? Where can I find them?

THANKS

Is the temp sender at the front or rear of the head? 836273 is a 1930 casting number. See the list of casting numbers in the Tech Talk topic.