VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 NUMBER OF MODELS MADE IN '32

I HAVE SEEN SO MANY DIFFERENT NUMBERS ON NUMBER OF MODELS MADE IN '32 (SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHAT MODELS WERE MADE ALSO EXIST)THAT I'M TURNING TO THE EXPERTS. COULD SOMEONE LIST THE MODEL AND NUMBER MADE IN 1932? PLEASE BREAK IT DOWN ALSO BETWEEN THE ONES MADE IN CANADA AND THE ONES MADE IN THE U.S.A., THANKS. IF THERE ISN'T AN "OFFICIAL" NUMBER, JUST GIVE ME THE BEST EDUCATED GUESSIMENT. WHERE WERE THE ASSEMBLY PLANTS IN '32 ALSO. THANKS AGAIN, GATOR

Gator,
I will only deal with 1932 US passenger (used passenger chassis) production in this post.

Pass. chassis 11
Phaeton 419
Roadster 1118
Sport Roadster 8552
Sedan (4 door) 27718
Deluxe Sedan 52446
Coach (2 door) 132109
Deluxe Coach 8346
Coupe 8874
Deluxe Coupe 2226
Five Window Coupe 34796
Five Passenger Coupe 7566
Sport Coupe 26623
Cabriolet 7066
Landau Phaeton 1602
Sedan Delivery 3628
Total production 323100

Production plants
Plant number Code Location
1 F Flint, MI
2 T Tarrytown, NY
3 S St. Louis, MO
5 K Kansas City, MO
6 O Oakland, CA
8 AG Atlanta, GA
9 N Norwood, OH
12 B Buffalo, NY
21 J Janesville, WI

The expert on Canadian and European produciton is David Hayword. Maybe he will answer that part. :) :) :)

WAS THERE ANY DOCUMENTATION ON WHAT MODELS WERE PRODUCED AT THE DIFFERENT PLANTS. I JUST WONDER IF ALL MODELS OF PASSENGER CARS WERE BUILT AT EVERY PLANT, OR DID SOME OF THE PLANTS PRODUCE ONLY CERTAIN MODELS IN 32? :) :) :) :)

Yes, there is documentation, but you probably wouldn't believe it anyway. ha ha ha! :eek:

THANK YOU CHEVYCHIP FOR THE INFORMATION.
I HAVE A FEW OTHER QUESTION ;
DO YOU KNOW WHAT MONTH OF THE YEAR THE FACTORIES CHANGED OVER FROM ONE MODEL YEAR TO THE NEXT? I ASSUMED THE NEW MODELS CAME OUT TOWARD THE END OF A YEAR ('32 COMING OUT IN LATE '31). IF WE KNOW THE MONTH PRODUCTION STARTED IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN QUESSIMATE THE MONTH A CAR WAS MADE?
DID THE FACTORIES RUN ONLY ONE MODEL AT A TIME OR DID THEY MIX THE MODELS ON THE LINE?
MY COWL TAG IS NUMBER 74 AT THE ATLANTA PLANT, WHAT COULD I ASSUME ABOUT THE PRODUCTION DATE, IF ANYTHING? JYD TOLD ME THAT MINE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE 74TH CABRIOLET MADE IN ATLANTA,
IS THERE ANY BREAK DOWN ON HOW MANY OF EACH MODEL WAS MADE AT THE DIFFERENT PLANTS?
SINCE THE '32'S CHANGED AND STARTED PAINTING ALL FENDERS BLACK IN MAY OF '32 (AND FENDERS BODY COLOR PRIOR TO MAY), KNOWING WHEN THE CAR WAS MADE WOULD LET US KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO ON THE PAINT TO BE ORGINAL.
LAST QUESTION, DID ALL OF THE PLANTS MAKE ALL OF THE MODELS OR DID SOME PLANTS ONLY MAKE CERTAIN MODELS? THANK A BUNCH. GATOR

WHO WOULD HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION ON WHICH FACTORY BUILT WHAT MODEL CARS IN 1932. :) :) :) :)

Hi Gator! I will let Chipper answer most of your questions since he spent the time to answer your first question. However, I did want you to know that the VIN number (which was on a metal plate that was nailed to the passenger side main sill on the cabriolet...which is usually missing today) contained the month of manufacture of the car and the factory number as well. Also, on the fenders, you miss understood what I said. All models had black fenders. However, some of the selected few models like the sport roadster and the cabriolet did have contrasting colors on the fenders but only until about May 1st of 1932. After that the cabriolet had black fenders, and not all cabriolets prior to May 1st, 1932 had contrasting colors on the fenders either....only a few since most of the fenders were black then also. And, keep in mind, to sell a car, upon request the dealer would change the color combination for the customer to suit his taste after he purchased a new model.

THANKS FOR CLEARING THAT UP FOR ME, JYD. I WILL TRY TO FIND THE SILL PLATE. WILL LET YOU KNOW. THANKS AGAIN, GATOR

Sure my friend. Glad to help!

WHERE EXACTLY WOULD I LOOK ON THE MAIN SILL? I SEARCHED EVERYWHERE I COULD THINK OF, BUT NO PLATE OR TAG.
DID FIND SOME ORGINAL BOLTS/NUTS/SCREWS UNDER THE SEAT. DO I NEED TO TAKE THE SEAT FRAME OUT?
I AM MISSING THE SILL PLATE ON THE PASS. SIDE. HELP... :confused:
P.S. UNDER THE SEAT WAS SOME METAL FLOORING, IS THIS CORRECT? WAS ALL OF THE FLOOR PLYWOOD? WHAT THICKNESS PLYWOOD? THANKS AGAIN, GATOR :confused:

The VIN plate is on the passenger side wood main sill, just inside of the passenger side door, about 4 inches in front of the seat frame, and under the floor mat. This plate was held in place with 4 little nails and the plate is usually missing since the nails fall out. If the plate was still there it would be very visible and you do not have to remove the seat frame to see it since it is on the main sill. :eek: :eek:

Yes, under the seat should be a metal pan and that was used as a tool tray for the jack, jack handle and the other tools. The front floor is made out of plywood.

First I will comment to Don on which models were produced in each plant. The documentation that JYD is referring to is in Cars & Parts in an article written by Bob Stevens, editor,. It states that Chevrolet made each model in a different plant. It was pointed out to Mr. Stevens by several individuals that this was blatently incorrect and that he should print a correction. He did not answer, nor printed a correction. That error has been printed in at least two other places that I know of. The real answer is there were more models in '31 and '32 then there were plants!!! :confused: (Nine plants and 14 [or 16 with Sedan Delivery and pass. chassis] models in '32) So, at least one plant had to make more than one model. :p ACTUALLY MOST ALL MODELS WERE MADE IN EACH PLANT! Maybe all models in all plants. Until we document this with either official Chevrolet records or data plates we can't be sure that all plants actually produced a phaeton for example.

Now for Gator!
I will try to keep this brief. The mechanical parts for '31 were produced beginning in October '30. The vehicles were produced beginning in late October '30. Model introduction was early December '30. Because of the number of changes '32 engines were not produced until November '31 (only 29,401 engines were produced by December 1, 1930) and vehicles also in November, '30. Model introduction was early December which must have been a real rush to get cars to dealers in time for the introduction. :confused:

We have the records for '31 of the first serial number in each plant by month. I have never seen the same record for '32 models. But you can either determine it from the serial number plate which has the month number after the year code BA or BB in the serial number. The plant number preceeds the plant code. Lacking the serial number plate the approximate assembly date can be determined from serial numbers on the engine, transmission, rear end, sequential number body number on the data plate, date stamped on the speedometer and a few others.

As is the case today the body styles were mixed on the assembly line. In fact trucks were mixed into the assembly process in these plants.

I don't know of any documentation of the model breakdown by plant. Dave Dawn has been collecting data on this era of Chevrolets. His database and one by David Hayward are beginning to get better documentation on assembly data.

See my comments to Don in the previous post for the model by plant question.

THANKS CHEVY CHIP, YOUR EXPLANATION IS WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. HOPEFULLY SOMETIME DOWN THE ROAD, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET MORE INFORMATION AS TO THE PRODUCTION AND MODELS MADE AT THE VARIOUS PLANTS. THANKS AGAIN :) :) :) :)

Actually, I wasn't referring to Cars & Parts Magazine, but ya Chipper that is an excellent example too. I really meant that useless book, the Standard Catalog of Chevrolets, since that book is the one that started the whole mess in the first place. And then Cars & Parts picked it up as gospel and then it spread from there! And, like you mentioned, they have never printed a correction to this day. Myself, Dave Dawn and many many others wrote to them asking for a correction, but it never came. Steele Rubber Parts also had the same information in their parts catalog until they removed it in 1995. But, it wasn't until two months ago (after some urging from me) that they finally removed the same incorrect information from their web site as well.

I totally agree with you about all models being produced in all factories. In my research over the years I have listed model information by factory based on both the cowl tag and the VIN plate information as I ran into them (like Dave Dawn is doing now) and this research does indicate that all models were made in all factories, as does Dave's research. Like you mentioned, the 1932 phaeton is another story, but as I remember I believe that I found that they were made in at least two factories...maybe more. :confused: :confused:

THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION SKIP. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU AND CHIP AND OTHERS ARE VERY UP ON THE SUBJECT.I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET A NUMBER OF, SAY COUPES, SEDANS OR OTHER MODELS THAT PEOPLE OWN, THAT SHOWS THE SAME FACTORY WHERE THEY WERE BUILT, TO GET A IDEA OF WHAT MODELS WERE PRODUCED AND WHAT COME OUT OF EACH FACTORY. :) :) :) :)

Way ahead of ya on that one since I have been doing that for about 16 years! I set up a notebook divided by each individual factory and I write in the information, by factory, on the 1932 passenger cars as I run across them. So far, Oakland has the biggest listing and Atlanta, Georgia has the smallest listing.

SKIP DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF A LISTING ON NORWOOD OHIO????? :) :) :) :)

Sure! But they didn't make Budweiser there! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

NOR DID ELVIRA COME FROM THERE, ONLY IN YOUR DREAMS?????????? :arrow: :arrow: :arrow: :arrow:

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR FINDING AND TYPING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
A COUPLE OF FOLLOW UPS:
1. WHERE CAN I FIND DATES OF PRODUCTION FOR MY ENGINE?
2. JYD, THE PLATE I'M TRYING TO FIND IS GONE, WITH A "A G 74" ON MY COWL TAG, COULD I ASSUME THIS WAS AN EARLY PRODUCTION CABRIOLET AT THE ATLANTA PLANT? I'M ALSO ASSUMING THAT EACH MODEL HAD ITS OWN NUMBERS, OR DID THEY NUMBER THE CARS/TRUCKS IN ORDER OF PRODUCTION NO MATTER WHAT THE MODEL?

The casting date is on the side of your engine block by the distributor. The casting date consists of a letter, two numbers, and a third number. The letter is for the month (A = January, B = February and so forth). The next two numbers are the day of the month and the third number is the year (1 = 1931 and 2 = 1932). Those numbers will tell you when your engine block was cast. The casting number itself indicates which engine you have, as does the engine serial number.

The cowl tag body number (74) means that your car was the 74th cabriolet built in the Atlanta, Georgia factory. The VIN number however was the number of the run at that factory which included all models manufactured in that factory.
:eek:

JYD, SO "L 22 1" MEANS DEC. 22, 1931? RIGHT.
THE VIN NUMBER IS THE ENGINE BLOCK NUMBER? 836573. OR IS IT THE JOB NUMBER? 32568? SORRY, I'M A SLOW LEARNER. GATOR :) :(

P.S. IN FRONT OF MY SEAT ON THE FLOOR IS A LAYER OF I/4" HARD BOARD (?), SO I MAY STILL HAVE A SILL PLATE UNDER THIS ADDED ON BOARD (I HOPE).

Yes, your engine was cast in December of 1931, which means that your car was probably made in early January of 1932. No, the casting number on the block is not the VIN number, nor is the engine serial number that is stamped on a machined pad behind the fuel pump. The VIN number is something totally different, and it is only in one location, on the passenger side wood main sill. An example of the VIN number is as follows: 6BA03 12345. The Job Number (32568) designates the model only, and it has nothing to do with the VIN number either. In this case the Job Number designates a 1932 cabriolet.

Since the VIN plate was located on the passenger side wood main sill, as mentioned above, it will not be under the hardwood that is on the floor board unfortunately. :eek:

SO IF THAT PLATE IS GONE I WILL NEVER KNOW MY VIN? :( :( :(