Category: Cars

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Cars

1937 Chevrolet Master 2 Door Sedan

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE:

Cylinders:                    6 Cylinders overhead valves

Bore/Stroke:                                      3 1/2” X 3 3/4”

Displacement:         216.5 Cubic Inches (3.4 Liter)

Compression Ratio:                                        6.25: 1

DRIVE LINE:

Transmission:             3 Speed Manual Floor Shift

Rear End Gear Ratio:                                        4.22:  1

Tire Size:                                                        6.00 x 16

BRAKES:

4-wheel Huck Hydraulic 

GASOLINE TANK CAPACITY:

14 Gallons

PURCHASE PRICE:

Cost in 1937 Dollars:                                               $695

Cost in 2022 Dollars:                                         $7,714

MILEAGE:

At Restoration in 1976:                                        0,000

September 2022:                                                  8,215

Miles Driven:                                                           8,215

COMMENTS

 

     Calvin Eyres purchased the car in 1937 from Harner Chevrolet in LeMars, Iowa. In 1941 he purchased a new Buick and sold the 1937 Chevrolet to Janette Boehlke, a school teacher.  Ms. Boehlke drove the car until 1955 when she purchased a new 1955 Chevrolet.  By then the car had 82,000 miles (132,000 Kilometers) and was considered not worth anything on trade, so she parked it in a grove of trees behind her father’s home in Rural LeMars, Plymouth County, Iowa.  There it sat until I purchased it in March of 1956.  

     The car is a Master two door sedan with bucket seats in the front and a bench seat in the rear.  There is significant space between the rear and front seats.  The Master Deluxe model had independent front suspension, with little clearance between the suspension and the front wheels which was not a desirable car for muddy Iowa farm roads.  Persons like Calvin Eyres refused the Deluxe model and opted for the Master, which had an I-Beam front axle which was much more substantial and trouble free on muddy roads. 

A FEW 1937 EVENTS

 

  • Franklin Delano Roosevelt 32nd President, of the United States of America 1933 to 1945
  • 1 January: Safety glass in vehicle windshield or windscreens becomes mandatory in the United Kingdom.
  • 19 January: Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles, California to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds.
  • 5 February: President of the United States, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposes a plan to enlarge the Supreme Court of the United States.
  • 3 May: Gone with the Wind’, a novel by Margaret Mitchell, wins the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
  • 6 May: Hindenburg disaster: The Nazi Germany named German zeppelin ‘Hindenburg’ catches fire and is destroyed within a minute while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Thirty-six people are killed. 
  • 12 May: The Duke and Duchess of York are crowned as George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Westminster Abbey.
  • 28 May: The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, is officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, D.C., who pushes a button signaling the start of vehicle traffic over the span.
  • 28 May: Volkswagen (VW), the Germany named German automobile manufacturer is founded
  • 2 July: Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.
  • 5 July: Spam, the luncheon meat, is introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation.
  • 28 August: Toyota Motors becomes an independent company
  • 5 November: Adolf Hitler holds a secret meeting and states his plans for acquiring living space for the German people
  • 29 December: The Irish Free State is replaced by a new state called Republic of Ireland known as Ireland with the adoption of a new Constitution of Ireland named constitution.

MY HISTORY WITH THE CAR

     In January of 1956, my uncle, Calvin Eyres and his wife were involved in a severe car accident.  He and his younger brother, Rodrick (Roddy) ran a dairy farm together and it required the combined work of both to manage the chores and work involved in caring for the cattle.  As Calvin was spending considerable time with his own recuperation as well of his wife who was more seriously injured, Roddy was left alone.  He asked if I would live with them for several weeks while Calvin was away and help with chores before and after school.  They lived in the same school district as we did, so I was able to continue attending the same school. 

     Roddy paid me for the work, so by March when Calvin was able to return to the farm, I had accumulated enough money that I wanted to buy a car.  I mentioned it to Calvin who said he knew of a car for sale, in fact he had purchased the car new.  Upon arriving home, my father and I drove the three miles to Joe Boehlke’s farm to look at the car.  It looked fairly good but the battery had run down, so it wouldn’t start but Joe assured me that it was running fine when he parked it, Jeanette simply wanted a new car so they parked it in the grove.  We towed the car home and pushed it into the garage.  I put a battery charger on the car and a few hours later hit the starter and was rewarded with the old engine coming to life and running fine.  A short drive proved to be successful, so I paid Joe the $82.00 and took possession of my first car. 

     After driving it a few miles, Dad suggested I change the oil and check the transmission and differential to be sure they were properly filled.  I drained and refilled the radiator with anti-freeze and began driving the car to school to avoid the ninety-minute school bus ride morning and evening when we lived only five miles from school.  

     At the time I bought the car, it had been painted black and even though the paint was in good condition, I really didn’t like the solid black color and decided to repaint the car to a more appealing color to me.  A neighbor had a 1953 Chevrolet which was painted light green.  After an accident, he had the top painted a light pink and I thought it made such a striking color combination I decided to paint my car the same color.  Having no experience of any kind with painting a car, I went to a local body shop and by memory attempted to choose the colors Richard had on his ’53.  Alas, I missed it by a huge margin and ended up with a dark metallic green and a very loud pink for the roof and hood above the belt line.  While I was working for Roddy, I learned that he had a spray gun and compressor so asked if I could borrow it to paint my car.

     I recruited a high school friend, Edward, to assist.  We sanded the car using the sand paper the body shop recommended.  We then masked the windows and chrome and made my first attempt at spray painting.  Unfortunately, I had no idea how much to thin the paint and it came out in blobs.  With no experience to guide us, and seeing the paint begin to dry, we grabbed a couple of paint brushes and began spreading the paint.  From a distance, it looked fairly good, but as you got closer the brush strokes were visible.  By then I had spent my savings on the car and paint, so hiring someone to do a proper job wasn’t possible.  A week later, we painted the lower part of the body with the green paint with the same result.  To say that everyone in the county knew Ron Eyres’ car was a gross understatement!

     I drove the car from the time I purchased it in 1956 until I bought a 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air Hardtop in February of 1959.  The dealer where I purchased the ’54 said he would give me $25 for the old Chevy, so I told him I would just keep it and let my younger brother have it as he now wanted a car of his own.  Mike drove the car for some time, then like me decided he needed a nicer car so once again it was parked in a grove of trees.

     The summer of 1960, I was back in Iowa working for an implement dealer doing service calls on New Holland farm equipment.  Rather than use the ’54 Chevy to carry the tools and repair parts, I once again put the ’37 back in active duty and used it as my service vehicle, loaded with the appropriate tools.  Due to the color, it was well known in the area.  Customers commented that they always knew when help was on the way when they saw the pink top appear over the horizon.  When I returned to college early in 1961, the car once again was parked in the grove.

     A few years later, my youngest brother called me saying he and some friends were planning to visit our older brother in northern Kansas, would I like to have the old car back?  I immediately agreed, so he drove it to Hiawatha, Kansas, probably during the summer of 1964.  From there, my older brother then drove it to Wichita, however; on the way the engine began knocking loudly and he was afraid it may not make it all the way in.  By driving slowly, it did survive the trip and once again it was back in my possession.  There it sat in our back yard for a couple of years until we moved to a larger house.  Although the house was larger, there was no room to move the old Chevy into the back yard, so I drove it to a friend’s farm near Rose Hill, Kansas, where it sat for several years.  Unfortunately, water accumulated in the years of dirt resting in the bottom of the doors and quarter panels and it began rusting through.  

     In 1974, I saw an ad in the newspaper announcing the formation of a local chapter of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America (VCCA).  I attended the organizational meeting held at a restaurant in Wichita and became a charter member of the Air Capital Region of VCCA.  That prompted me to begin the long-desired goal of restoring the 1937 Chevy to its original splendor.  I dragged the old car home, and placed it in the corner of a friend’s construction business storage lot.  There I began the disassembly of the car down to the bare frame.  I took the engine home and tore it down, expecting to see a missing rod dipper causing the bearing to be burned up from lack of oil.  Although I didn’t find a missing dipper, I did remove the crankshaft in two pieces!  It had broken just in front of the second main bearing; thus, the very loud knocking was explained.

     In the mean-time, I made a deal with another friend who owned a body shop.  He wanted Central Heating and Air Conditioning installed in his home, so in trade for installing the equipment, he would do the body work on the ’37.  I removed the body from the frame and took it to a company who had vats large enough to dip the entire body in a paint stripping solution, then in to a vat of Phosphoric Acid, which would remove all the rust.  From there it went to the body shop.  The owner of the body shop was so pleased with his air-conditioned house that he asked if I could install air conditioning in his shop.  He offered to do the entire restoration of the body at no cost to me in trade for the work on his shop.  Having no experience with body work, that was the solution to my greatest fear of body work and painting, for which I had no tools or knowledge.

     While that was being accomplished, I rebuilt the engine, complete with a replacement crankshaft, rebored, new pistons and rods, along with a valve job.  I got the engine back together and was able to run it on a test stand for an hour or so to be sure it was ready to return to service.  My dad was visiting with his big Dodge Ram pickup, so we loaded the frame, front and rear axles, as well as most of the other heavy steel parts and took them to a sand blasting company.  By then, I had acquired a small air compressor and a cup type spray gun.  Utilizing some knowledge gained by watching the painter at the company where I worked, I attempted my first somewhat successful spray-painting job.  I figured that the frame wouldn’t be seen after the car was restored so the main goal was protection from rust as well as learning how to regulate the spray gun and apply paint.  As expected, there were a few runs, but by the time the frame was finished, I began to get the hang of it, so the front and rear axles, which would be visible, turned out much better.  

     The reassembly of the chassis began, and went pretty well.  All the parts were there, so with a lot of cleaning, painting and careful attention to detail, I soon had the chassis rolling around.  I installed the engine and connected the drive line, then hung the radiator by the hoses and some wire and was able to run the engine with the rear wheels off the ground and prove out the transmission and rear end.  All went well, so I lowered it to the ground and drove it to the end of the block and back.  That too went well, so with some additional assembly and adjustment of the brakes, determined it was ready for the body.

     While I was doing all that work, the body shop completed the restoration and painting of the body, so I borrowed a trailer from a fellow club member and hauled the chassis to the body shop where for the first time in many years, the new looking body was married up to the chassis.  Using the same trailer, I hauled the car back home and put it in the car port where the work continued.  I had made a deal with a fellow church member to trade his upholstery work for a new furnace and central air conditioning in his home. A week later I completed my end of the bargain.  Unfortunately, he failed to live up to his end of the bargain, so about nine months later I gave up on him and took it to an upholstery shop where they completed the job.

     Back home once again, I went about doing the finishing touches.  The running board metal had rusted completely through, but by using the VCCA club magazine and with the help of fellow club members, I was able to find other running boards.  Unfortunately, they too were not usable, but by cutting and welding we were able to use the good parts of the two sets of running boards to come up with a usable pair.  I then applied the new rubber covering and the job was finished, or at least as finished as my abilities allowed.  

     By now, it was 1977 and the Middle West Meeting of the VCCA was scheduled to be held in Wichita, Kansas, just a few miles from where we lived at the time.  I entered the car in the judging and took third place in my class, which included cars in the same year time-frame.  I was graded off for not having the correct wood-graining on the interior metal fittings of the car, and I had seal-beam head lights instead of the original bulb type lights.  There were some issues with proper color of the under-hood components and the engine was not the proper gray color.  Still, I was quite pleased with the third-place win in my first restoration attempt.

     We drove the car around the local area and had it in a few shows, then moved to New Braunfels, Texas.  From there, it went into storage in a museum until I was able to retrieve it in 2005 as noted elsewhere.  I had taken steps in 1974 to prevent water from getting into the door panels, but alas, my attempts actually made matters worse instead of correcting the problem.  I had used the urethane foam that Coleman used to make coolers and jugs, thinking that it would permanently seal the crevices and prevent moisture from attacking the metal, but instead of preventing the rust, it actually prevented the water from evaporating and made it worse.  Thus, in about 2015 I began to see signs of rust emerging once again along the bottom of the doors and quarter panels.

     In 2016, I once again began another restoration.  By now I had quite a bit of experience with body work and painting, so I was able to remove the doors, cut out the rusted metal and install patches.  After the appropriate body work, I painted the car using base-coat, clear-coat and ended up with a really nice paint job.  I hired a man to do the proper wood graining on the interior parts, had the original windshield wiper motor repaired and installed, and once again the car looked almost like it did when it came from the factory.  I haven’t entered it in any judging competitions, I just like having the car that I have owned for over 65 years running and dependable as it ever was!

 

TOURS AND SHOWS

     After the first restoration in the mid 1970’s, I took the car to the MIDDLE WEST VCCA MEET held here in Wichita.  I entered it in the judging and came out with a third-place win in the Junior category for my class.  Following the judging, I led my very first VCCA tour from the hotel to the Coleman Factory in Wichita where we were given a tour of the new factory.  Of special interest to me was that I had actually designed the first building in Coleman’s new manufacturing facility.  

     From then until we moved to Texas, we drove the car to church a few times and displayed it at various times when requested.  One of my most memorable displays was at the Quality Chevrolet Dealership in the fall of 1976.  The sales manager asked if I would bring the car to be put on display with the newly introduced 1977 Chevrolet cars.  Thus, they would have a 1937 Chevrolet and a forty year later model, the 1977, on display in the same showroom.  It was a real attention getter for the new car!

     After moving to New Braunfels, Texas in 1979, we took the car with us and drove it in several parades held in the city.  We also joined an antique car club and it was shown at various shows and displays.  The longest display it was ever involved with was after we were transferred to Australia.  I was looking for a place to store the car when our Rotary Club had Dick Burdick of Rosanke, Texas to speak about his antique cars, his involvement in the “Great American Antique Car Race,” and his museum.  After showing him my car, he invited me to put it on display in his museum.  Our agreement was that he wouldn’t charge me to store the car and I wouldn’t charge him to display the car!  This was a classic “Win-Win Situation.”    Although I had expected to be in Australia for only three years, that stretched to five years, then life was in such a turmoil that the car actually stayed in his museum from January of 1985 until March of 2005, or a total of twenty-five years!  In that time, likely thousands of persons passed through the museum and had the opportunity to observe the 1937 Chevrolet.

     After getting settled in our present location, I was able to retrieve the car in March, 2005 and within a week had it ready for our first VCCA SOUTHERN SPRING TOUR.  The tour was held in Pittsburgh, Kansas from April 27 to 30.  Since it was close and I didn’t yet own a trailer, we drove the car the one-hundred-sixty-miles to the tour hotel.  We drove about 245 miles (395 Kilometers) on the tour and the car ran perfectly both to and from the tour as well as during the tour.  In total this trip put 570 miles (915 kilometers) on the car.  During the closing banquet, we were awarded a prize for having the car continuously owned 49 years of the cars driven to and from the tour.  

     The HCCA (Horseless Carriage Club of America) Spring Overnighter was held May 12 to 13, 2007.  We drove from Wichita to Arkansas City, Kansas and toured around that general area driving about 250 miles (405 kilometers) visiting various museum, flea markets and the O’Henry Candy factory in Oxford, Kansas.  

     August 31 to September 2, 2007 saw the car in Emporia, Kansas for the 48th HCCA Air Capital tour.  Again, since it was close, we drove the car to and from the tour hotel as well as on the tour.  In total we drove the car 390 miles (630 kilometers) and again it ran perfectly with no problem.  

     September 20 and 21, 2008 saw us on and HCCA Fall Overnight tour.  On this tour, we took Orpha’s brother and his wife along with us as we drove into southeast Kansas including Independence, Caney, Burden and Sedan, Kansas.  We drove just over 220 miles (355 kilometers) with no problems until we were almost home.  In the last twenty miles, I noticed the car beginning to heat up a bit and had to stop and add water to the radiator.  I didn’t think too much about it as the car didn’t have a pressurized cooling system and it wasn’t uncommon for them to require coolant added from time to time.  

     With several other cars having been added to the stable, we didn’t drive the ’37 on another tour until September 15 to 18 in Pittsburg, Kansas.  Again, we drove the ’37 to and from the tour and all together we drove 640 miles (1,032 kilometers), and as usual for the old car it ran perfectly with no hint of a problem.  Since we were part of the organization committee, we were tour leaders one of the days.  

     2019 saw the car in Dubuque, Iowa for the VCCA SOUTHERN FALL TOUR.  On the way to Dubuque with the ’37 on a trailer, we stopped by Pleasant Plain, Iowa and attended church where my ancestors had lived and attended in the mid 1800’s.  Having the 1937 Chevrolet in the parking lot bought several favorable comments from the church goers!  During the tour, we had major rain storms a couple of the days, but we were able to remain dry and comfortable having used the closed ’37 instead of one of the open cars.  

     Wichita, Kansas is the home of one of only two Boeing B-29 Bombers still flying.  At a fund-raising event held at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, the organizers contacted the HCCA asking for 1930’s vintage cars to form a pathway from the parking lot into the warehouse where “DOC” was parked.  Our 1937 Chevrolet was one of the cars utilized in this display.

Categories
Cars

1931 Chevrolet Phaeton

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE:

Cylinders             6 Cylinders overhead valves

Bore                                                 3 1/8 Inches

Stroke                                              3 3/4 Inches

Displacement       194 Cubic Inches (3.2 Liter)

Compression Ratio                                     6.0: 1

DRIVE LINE:

Transmission      3 Speed Manual Floor Shift

Differential Gear Ration                         4.11: 1

Tire Size                                                5.25 X 19

BRAKES:

4-wheel internal expanding, mechanically actuated via levers and rods

WEIGHT:

2,370 Pounds (1075 Kilograms)

COST:

Cost in 1928 Dollars:                                        $ 510

Cost in 2022 Dollars:                                      $9,940

MILEAGE:

At Restoration:                                                  0,000

September 2022:                                              6,107

Miles Driven:                                                     6,107

PRODUCTION:

Phaetons Built in 1931:                                     852 

Right Hand Phaetons Built in 1931:                   10

Total Chevrolet Production in 1931:         623,901

 

     The car has the original engine with the serial number starting with “R” meaning it was built for a car with Right Hand Drive.  Upon rebuilding I discovered the pistons were stamped: Made in the country of Argentina” written in Spanish.

COMMENTS

     The Independence Phaeton was an entry level car in 1931.  It was an open car with a convertible type top and side curtains for inclement weather driving.  There were 852 Phaetons built in 1931, and of these only 10 were Right Hand Drive, making this car a very rare model.  Research indicates it was manufactured in the United States but sold and assembled in Uruguay.  How it was returned to the United States is not known.  The engine is Chevrolet’s in-line 6 cylinder in its third year of production.  It produced 50 horsepower and cruises nicely at 50 Miles per hour.

      The most common question I am asked while at a show or if someone looks at the car is, “What is it worth?” and “How fast will it go?”  Depending on who is asking the question and why, my standard answer is “To me it is priceless. As for how fast will it go, a more important question is: how long will it take for me to get it stopped!”  To explain that comment, Chevrolets prior to 1936 and Fords prior to 1939 didn’t have hydraulic brakes, but rather what is called “Mechanical Brakes.”  What that means is there are a series of rods and levers connected to the brake pedal.  Adjustments are critical and not constant.  While modern hydraulic brakes utilize fluid that exerts exactly the same pressure to each wheel no matter how hard the pedal is depressed, each wheel is afforded the same stopping pressure.

     Mechanical brakes, on the other hand, are totally dependent on the initial adjustment   That is a matter of drive, adjust, drive, adjust until the car will stop fairly straight when the brakes are applied.  However, due to friction and binding of all the mechanical components it is very difficult to maintain the same braking on all four wheels.  Thus, it is incumbent on the driver to learn the particular car and know that when the brake is applied the car will most certainly pull to the left or right.  To make matters even worse, depending on how hard and how quickly you apply the brake it can change without notice.  One time we were driving on a street in south Texas when a jacked up pickup truck backed out in front of me with only feet to spare.  I hit the brakes as hard as I could and the car skidded sideways on the brick street sliding up to within a few feet of the truck.  The tires screeched and finally got the attention of the driver who blasted his horn and gave me the one-finger salute as he burned rubber and sped away.

A FEW 1931 EVENTS 

  • The United States of America was in the early years of “The Great Depression,” thus car sales were off considerably from their peak in 1929.
  • Herbert Hoover 31st President, 1929 to 1933, and is the only Engineer to be President of the United States
  • 21 January: Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.
  • 20 February: The Congress of the United States approves the construction of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge by the state of California.
  • 3 March: The United States adopts ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ as its national anthem
  • 19 March: Gambling is legalized in Nevada.
  • 31 March: TWA Flight 599 crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing eight, including University of Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne.
  • 1 May: The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City.
  • 23 June: Wiley Post and Harold Gatty take off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island in an attempt to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine plane.
  • 31 July: New York City, New York experimental television station W2XAB (now known as WCBS-TV known as WCBS) begins broadcasts.
  • 1 October:  The George Washington Bridge linking New Jersey and New York opens.
  • 17 October: Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion

MY HISTORY WITH THE CAR

 

     A friend purchased the car at an estate sale in Madison, Kansas thinking he could make a quick buck at an upcoming swap meet as it is a very rare car.  Unfortunately, the car had been in a fire and was badly burned.  The tires, all the internal body wood, upholstery, wiring and instruments were burned beyond salvage.  He was not able to get a single bid on the car, so bought it back home.  The engine appeared to be mostly undamaged, so he bought it to me thinking if the engine was running, he may get a sale.  It didn’t take me very long to have it running reasonably well by utilizing a temporary gas tank and jumper wiring for the ignition system.  When he came to get the car, he commented that he believed it was a bigger job than he wanted to take on, so offered it to me for what he had in it.  

     Initially, I was not too enthused about the prospect, but then as I began to do some research, I found that there were only ten of this particular model made.  While there were 852 Phaetons built in 1931, only ten of them were Right Hand Drive cars, and all of them were destined for export to countries where they drove on the left-hand side of the road.  My friend told me that when fully restored, the car would be worth $75,000.  I asked where he got that information and he replied, “There has been one advertised in Hemmings for the past two years for that amount.”  I replied, if it has been advertised for two years for $75,000, it isn’t worth $75,000.  Further research suggested between $50,000 and $60,000 would be closer to the real value.  The more I looked at the car and considered its very rare nature, the more interested I became.

     Research did not reveal how the car came to be in Madison, Kansas after having spent the majority of its life in Uruguay.  I was able to learn that the elderly gentleman who owned the car drove it around town and was well known by the local residents.  He kept it parked in a barn behind the house, but alas one windy day a fire began in an adjacent field and quickly spread to the barn.  When the fire department arrived, the elderly gentleman said, “Forget the barn, pull the car out!”  In spite of their best efforts, the car was severely burned, all the wood components, upholstery and tires, anything that could burn had burned.  In addition, the sheet metal had gotten so hot it was warped and buckled such that every panel in the entire car had to be reworked and straightened.  Nevertheless, the car intrigued me to the point I decided to buy it and begin the restoration process.

     As I began to evaluate the car, and fellow car club members looked it over, most agreed that the car wasn’t restorable.  Nevertheless, I began a total frame-off restoration project.  In reality, the chassis, engine, transmission, and drive line weren’t badly damaged in the fire.  I dismantled the chassis down to the bare frame and had it sand blasted.  I then primed the frame, front and rear axles as well as the transmission and differential, then painted with a suitable chassis paint.  

     In the mean-time, I began searching for a wood kit to replace the burned structural wood in the body and top.  I was about to give up hope when someone referred me to a man in western Ohio who specialized in making wood kits for this specific model.  My initial contact went well and he advised that he had a kit almost ready to go and would sell it to me for $4,500.  That appeared to be in line with other models so I told him I would take the kit.  The next day he called me back saying that he was largely disabled due to emphysema and especially enjoyed doing wood work as painting was out of the question with his breathing problems.  He then offered to sell me an identical body with the wood already installed and take my burned body in trade for $5,500.  After very little consideration, I accepted his offer and loaded my burned body in our truck and made a week-long vacation by driving across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana to his place in Ohio.

     As it worked out, this was an amazing stroke of luck, as the man loved working on this specific model of Chevrolet and had all kinds of parts that I would need.  In addition to the body and wood kit, I was able to purchase a complete set of top bows and numerous other reproduction parts that had been destroyed in the fire.  After loading the body into our truck, we spent two days driving back to Kansas where the restoration work began.  

     Initially, I left the body in a storage area in the shop while the chassis, including the entire drive-line occupied the restoration area of my shop.  I had made the decision to make the car as nearly like the day it left the assembly line as possible.  While I didn’t insist on every bolt and screw being an original Chevrolet product, I did make every effort to make the car look original.  As it turned out, the chassis and drive line were the easy parts.  I sent the engine block to a company in Kansas City who poured new Babbitt in the main bearings as well as the rod bearings.  The cylinder head went to a machine shop where I had hard valve seats installed to accommodate modern gasoline, all new valves and springs.  I purchased new rocker arm shafts and upgraded the oiling line from the pump to the valve train.  

     At that point, utilizing a Coleman cooler for a seat, I drove the chassis a few hundred meters around our five-acre lot to see that everything ran smoothly.  After that successful voyage, I took it out on our local road where there is almost no traffic and drove it a few miles to determine proper operation of all the components.  Returning to my shop, I readjusted the valves, made further adjustments on the brakes and generally looked everything over to assure myself it was ready for the body.  Now the real work on the body began.

     I moved the chassis to the storage area and placed the body in my restoration shop.  Getting the warped sheet metal flat and smooth was a real challenge.  In a few instances I had to resort to professional help but after months of painstaking work I finally had the body metal looking good enough to begin priming the individual parts.  There seems to be a general belief by those not involved in body work that slight flaws in the metal will be hidden by paint.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  In reality, after the first coat of primer is applied, every tiny flaw in the previous work is magnified ten-fold.  Thus, I began the process of applying a coat of primer. Going over every square inch of the body panel looking at the surface from every angle and using body putty, filling the defects.  Once I had achieved a reasonably smooth finish by using increasingly fine sand paper and “wet sanding” the surfaces until they were perfectly smooth, it was time to apply “fill and sand primer.”  

     The purpose of fill and sand primer is to fill microscopic little scratches caused by the metal working process as well as the previous sanding work.  The process involves applying a heavy coat of primer, and after it is dried, I would use 400 grit wet/dry sand paper.  The concept of wet/dry sand paper involves keeping the surface wet with water while sanding to avoid introducing more scratches caused by sanding dust or other contaminants. When it appeared to be perfect, I switched from 400 grit paper to 600 and repeated the process.  From there I moved to 1000 grit paper.  Some even go as far as 1500 or even 2000 grit paper.  For me, I stop at 1000.  The 1500 and 2000 paper actually seems almost as smooth as plain typing paper.  However; for those who want an absolutely perfect mirror finish they keep going until they attain the perfection sought.  

     I would interject a concept here known in the old car restoration hobby of “over restoration.”  Simply stated, average priced cars in the 1920 and 1930 era were not works of perfection with highly polished perfectly applied paint jobs.  They were production models, certainly well done but not highly polished to perfection.  High end cars including Rolls Royce, Packard and Cadillac were done to perfection but the Chevrolet, Ford, and similar cars were manufactured for sale to the average buyer.  For me being a novice and home hobby kind of restorer, my best work is about good enough to fit the workmanship of the lower priced cars for sale to the working family.

     Once I got the body looking as good as I could do in my home workshop, it was time to choose a color.  Having been in a fire, all traces of the original color of the car had been burned away.  I wanted the car to have an original 1931 Chevrolet color scheme, but I have always had difficulty visualizing what the finished product would look like.  I was able to locate on line the color combinations for 1931 Chevrolets, along with color chips.  I made a list of every combination used on my particular model and took photos of the car to an artist friend in our church.  She then used water colors to show what the car would look like in each of the combinations.  Orpha and I looked at the color combinations and chose a body color of Coffee Cream.  The accent color around the windshield and the two-inch-wide band around the car was Fawn Brown, while the wheels and pin stripe were Swamp Holly Orange.  In those days, the fenders and running board apron between the body and running boards were always black.

     I did all the painting, although I did rent a paint booth and sought the help of a professional painter.  The main reason for this action was essentially a matter of clean filtered air.  Prior to this car, I had done all the painting of my projects on the slab in front of the work shop.  The main drawback was dust carried by the ever-constant Kansas wind, and the propensity of flying insects to commit suicide by flying into fresh paint.  Something about the gloss of the wet paint attracts all manner of insects and they can quickly spoil an otherwise good paint job.  Renting the paint booth allowed me to have filtered air as well as the proper lighting to determine good coverage.  In addition to those advantages, having a professional painter watching and coaching was a huge asset and boost to my limited painting skills.  I often joke that everything I know about body work and painting I taught myself.  BUT I didn’t have a very good teacher!

     By now I was about eighteen months into the project but the end was in sight.  The body was quite striking in appearance, so it was time to marry the body to the chassis.  With the help of four fellow hobbyists, along with various hoists we managed to set the body on the frame without scratching the new paint job.  Now it was time to do the final wiring.  I chose to make my own wiring harness, as I had added a few items to make the car safer to drive on modern roads.  Originally the car had only one tail light, so I added a second one on the left rear fender to match the original on the right rear fender.  In addition, I installed turn signals.  Originally the car was equipped with one fuse for everything in the car.  I hid a modern fuse block high on the firewall behind the dash where it couldn’t be seen in normal driving circumstances.  In addition, I equipped the car with halogen head lights and relays to avoid over-loading the primitive switches, thus giving me bright lights and a fuse for every individual circuit.  Therefore, if I were to blow any individual fuse, I wouldn’t lose the entire electrical system as would have been the case when the car was delivered from the factory.

     Now it was time for another shake-down run.  The upholstery work was yet to be done, so again using a Coleman cooler as a seat, I drove the car several miles to the pin-striping shop where the woman who did commercial lettering work for major truck lines also did accent painting on antique cars.  The car performed perfectly on the fifteen-mile round trip and addition of the Swamp Holly Orange accent stripe added a striking emphasis to the already great looking car.

     The last remaining major job was the upholstery.  By now, it was obvious to us that we had a rare and outstandingly nice-looking car, so we decided to have the upholstery work done professionally.  I contracted with Rick Fisher Upholstery outside of Augusta, Kansas.  He kept the car for three months, but when I picked it up the job was perfection!  All new seat upholstery, carpet and convertible top as well as side curtains that could be installed in the event of rain.  At last, after two full years of work I was ready to show the car off to the world!  

     The car ran perfectly during the first two tours, so I decided to change oil and adjust the valves as is common on the old Chevrolet engines.  Due to a significant error on my part, I left the flexible spout funnel in the oil filler tube and started the engine.  I didn’t realize the filler tube had no baffles and the tube of the funnel slid into the engine and hit the rotating crankshaft.  Fearing it may have damaged a rod dipper, I removed the oil pan.  Sure enough, a rod dipper had been torn off the end of the rod cap.  That was an easy repair, but I was astonished to see the inlet to the oil screen was solidly clogged with some kind of fiber type of material.  I had no idea where it could have come from.  Fearing it had starved the bearings for oil, I checked the bearing clearance and it immediately became obvious significant damage had been done.  By removing shims, I was able to improve the situation but not to my complete satisfaction.

     When I removed the valve cover to adjust the valves I realized where the fibers had come from.  At the time I ordered the valve cover gasket, the supplier of the parts boldly offered a silencing pad to help improve the oiling of the valve train and muffle the sound of the rockers, a common issue with the Chevrolet overhead valve engines.  I accepted his recommendation and installed the pad.  HUGE MISTAKE!  The pad had shed a significant number of fibers and that is what had clogged the oil pump inlet screen.  After cleaning the engine and adjusting the valves, I took it for a drive and it seemed to be okay.  However; on the next tour in Arkansas, the rod bearings failed and the car had to be loaded on the trailer.  

     During that fall and winter, I removed the engine and sent it back to have the mains and rod bearings re-Babbitted.  Since then, it has run perfectly with no hint of bearing noises.  Aside from periodic valve adjustment and a failed water pump, which was replaced under warranty, I have had no mechanical issues with the car, having driven it over 6,000 miles (9,700 Kilometers).

REPRINT OF ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2017 G&D, THE OFFICIAL VCCA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE

IT’S FUNNY HOW THINGS TEND TO WORK

     Out in life.  A first automotive love leads to another and then another; a chance discovery leads to uncovering a rare treasure; and an accident leads to a chance to start over. 

     My Chevy story starts in March of 1956.  At the age of 17, I was walking through a grove of trees looking for a 1937 Chevrolet that had been purchased new by my Uncle Calvin from Harner Chevrolet in LeMars, Iowa for $670.  It had been parked for about nine months by the school teacher who had purchased it from my uncle in 1941.  She had driven the ’37 for 14 years, then bought a 1955 Chevrolet and simply parked the old car in the grove thinking it wasn’t worth very much.

     My dad and I pulled it out of the trees and after a short tug, it started and ran quite well.  So, I paid her the asking price of $80 and bought my first car.  I drove the car for three years, then bought a 1954 Chevrolet.  The dealer only offered me $25 for the ’37 so I kept it —I still own it to this day, although it has been fully restored to showroom condition.

     Thus, in 2012 I found myself the owner of that 1937 Town Sedan, a 1936 Chevrolet Fire Truck and a 1954 Bel Air, which gave us three different vehicles to drive on Chevrolet tours.  We decided that would be all we needed.

A NEW PROJECT

     But as often happens in the antique car hobby, fate had other plans.  Early in 2012 I got a call from a fellow VCCA club member who had been bringing his cars to me for maintenance and major repair work for several years.  He told me he had purchased a 1931 Chevrolet Phaeton right-hand-drive model, planning to take it to an area swap meet for a quick profit.  Alas, he didn’t get a single bid and thought perhaps if the engine were running, it would improve his chances of a sale.  I agreed to take a look and we set a time for him to bring it to my shop.

     Upon his arrival, he told me how he had come to acquire the car.  Although there were 832 Phaetons made in 1931, only 10 of them were right-hand-drive (RHD).  He had heard of the car being offered for sale near Emporia, Kansas, about 90 miles from where we lived.  The car had originally been manufactured for sale in Uruguay, but how it came to be in Kansas is unknown.  

     In Kansas, it had been owned by an elderly man who kept it hidden from his adult children — he was no longer supposed to be driving, so he kept it parked in a barn behind this house.  Unfortunately, the barn caught fire and the fire department was summoned.  Upon their arrival, the elderly gentlemen instructed the firefighters to forget the barn, just pull the car out!  

     Alas, it was badly burned, the tires, upholstery, and fabric top completely consumed by fire.  The Sheetmetal was buckled and warped, the top of the radiator was melted, and the entire set of instruments was lying on the transmission in a melted pool of pot metal.  The floorboards, along with all the wood had been consumed in the fire, leaving only chunks of charcoal.  Subsequently, the gentleman passed away and the family held an estate sale, which included the ‘31 Phaeton.  That’s how my acquaintance came to own it.

    I purchased a new battery, ignition wires, and distributor cap.  After hooking jumper wires to the spare coil and employing a gravity-feed gas tank, the engine did fire up and ran reasonably well for a couple of minutes, but without a functioning radiator, I had to shut it down.  Calling my customer, I told him I had it running.  He then told me he had been thinking about it and decided it was a bigger project than he wanted to take on; he offered to sell it to me.  After some research and haggling, I agreed to take it off his hands.  

     The Restoration Although I had done a number of frame-off restorations over the years, this was the most challenging, yet potentially rewarding projects I would undertake.  I stripped the car down to the bare frame and began cleaning and inspecting the various parts.

     One of the first jobs would be to find a wood kit and get it on order.  That was one of the most daunting tasks. I called every advertiser in Hemmings and the G&D but they all advised they didn’t do Phaeton wood kits.  Finally, one of the suppliers referred me to a retired man in Ohio who specialized in Phaetons and actually made his own kits.

     Contacting him proved to be a tremendous bonus in the project.  He was quite willing to share his knowledge and expertise, which was considerable.  He told me he could make a kit, but he had another suggestion: he had a ’31 Phaeton body with new wood and was willing to take my body as a trade for the body with the wood already installed.  The only difference between the right-hand-drive and the left-hand drive body was the instrument panel, so I would keep mine.  After discussing the logistics of getting my body to his place and the refurbished body back home, we struck a deal.  My wife and I made a vacation trip out of it, so the plan worked out well.  

     After completely dismantling the car down to the bare frame, I found the chassis was in relatively good shape, so I loaded everything up for a trip to the sandblasting company.  After blasting, the frame and components were immediately primed with etching primer and painted.  As each component was refurbished, it too was primed and painted, then added to the frame until I had a rolling chassis, making it much easier to move around.

     Tearing the engine down in preparation for a complete rebuild, I discovered the serial number began with “R” which proved it had, in fact been manufactured for a right-hand-drive-vehicle and was likely the original engine.  It had been sleeved back to original bore and the pistons fit within tolerance. I did notice they were stamped (in Spanish) with “Made in the country of Argentina.” Thus, providing further evidence the car had been in South America for part of its life.  The rods and mains were re-babbitted and line bored to fit the freshly turned crankshaft.  New rings, along with valves, guides, and hard seats completed the rebuild of the engine.   

The First Drive   

     Then came the exciting day I first drove the chassis a mile or two to check out the mechanicals prior to installing the body. Having lived in Australia for five years, I knew how to drive on the left side of the road with a right-hand car, which proved to be a significant advantage when it came to driving the RHD Phaeton.  As it turned out, it was not difficult to handle the car and the check-out drive was fairly uneventful.  There were a few adjustments to be made, as is normal for a total restoration project, but the initial test drive went rather smoothly.

     I turned my attention to the body, and in due course it was made ready for paint.  That presented a dilemma for me.  I wanted it to be an original color but having been burned and lacking an ID tag, there was no way to know what color it was originally.  In addition, I couldn’t picture what the car would look like after painting.  So I made a few drawings of the car and gave them to an artist friend, who using original paint chips, water colored the drawings.

     I decided on Coffee Cream body and Fawn Brown accent with Swamp Holly Orange wheels and matching striping on the body.  When I finished the paint job, using acrylic urethane, we were pleased with how nice it looked.

     While I had done some limited upholstery work in the past, by now I had gained an appreciation for just how rare the car is and what a great potential it had.  Thus, I made the decision to have it professionally upholstered.  The person I chose had an excellent reputation for good work, although I was advised to double the time estimate he gave me.  That proved to be true, but since I was expecting it and planned for the time, it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.

Driving Adjustments

We had an interesting experience when I went to pick up the car.  We had lived in Australia for five years in the past and had been back for a visit while the car was at the upholstery shop.  When transitioning between driving on the left side of the road and the right side of the road, depending on which country we were in, one thing always helped me stay on the correct side of the road.  I had been coached, “Remember no matter which country you are in, the driver is toward the center of the road.”

     That works fine when you are driving a right-hand drive in a country where they drive on the left side of the road, but when you are driving a right-hand drive car in the USA, where we drive on the right side of the road, that rule doesn’t apply.  For the previous four weeks we had been driving in Australia on the left side of the road in a right-hand drive, so when I got the car to the street, it took me several moments to figure out just where I was supposed to be on the road!  But it worked out and in due course we arrived home.  

     After driving a few miles around the local neighborhood and making several adjustments to the brakes, checking the valve lash, and fixing a leak or two, the car seemed to be performing rather well, so I made an appointment with a local professional striping company.  The owner does artwork and lettering on over-the-road trucks, but also is very well known in the antique car hobby here in Wichita. 

     Driving the seven miles to her shop proved to be uneventful.  I had researched online to develop a good understanding of how the striping should be done and relayed the information to her.  She matched the Swamp Holly Orange wheels and had the car finished the next day.  When I went to get the car, there were other customers admiring it and exclaiming how great the car looked, but the most comments were about the steering wheel being on the “wrong” side of the car!

     As I drove home, I was startled a couple of times when I would meet a car and they began honking and waving.  At first, I thought they saw something wrong and scanned the gauges and checked the mirrors, but everything seemed to be okay.  The second time, the driver yelled, “Nice car!” and I realized others were appreciating the uniqueness of the Phaeton.  

     On the way, I stopped at the shop that had built and installed the exhaust system in the bare chassis.  Again, the admiring comments were a reward for the hundreds of hours of labor invested in bringing the car back from the brink of being hauled to the scrap yard!

Adventures on the Road

     My wife, Orpha, came up with an idea that has proven to be a great deal of fun.  My sister-in-law had given me a huge stuffed dalmatian dog to sit in our 1936 Chevrolet fire truck when it was being shown.  Orpha suggested we put it in the left front seat of the Phaeton and have it appear as if the dog was driving the car.  

     Then we took it on a longer “shakedown drive.”  It was hilarious to be driving down the street and meet a car.  The driver would, of course, notice the phaeton from a distance but as we would come near, we could see the driver do a double-take with an astonished expression, as it appeared as if the dog was in the driver’s seat.  

     Later, we did a 200-mile round trip to make sure the car was reliable and take care of any issues that might pop up in a fresh restoration job.  All went well, so we gained enough confidence to take it on the VCCA Southern Spring Tour in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in May of 2014.  The car performed perfectly and of course received lots of “oohs and ahhs,” which was quite gratifying.  Later, at the traditional photo shoot, the Phaeton was placed front and center along with a couple other convertibles.

     The last day of the five-day tour found us at a museum.  We were told to park in the bus parking lanes, so I followed the crowd and parked as directed.  It happened that our car was on the front row, next to the exit driveway.  While we were taking in the museum exhibits, my cell phone rang.  Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was a fellow tour participant, so I took the call.  Upon hearing his urgent message, at first, I thought, “Okay, you are joking” and responded appropriately. 

      But no, Dan insisted it was no joke and repeated, “Ron, you better come out, a school bus just hit your car!”  

     I was stunned!  My heart sank and I felt sick as I envisioned the Phaeton smashed into the ground.  Hurrying out and rounding the end of the row where we were parked, I saw that the car looked okay. It must have been a joke after all I hopefully thought.

     Sadly, that wasn’t the case.  I was waved to where a bus was parked beside the car and its distraught diver was nearly in tears.  Indeed, her bus had hit the car, but it was only a dent about a quarter inch deep and perhaps two inches long, easily repairable.  However; the police had been summoned and an officer was busy taking the driver’s information.  He asked me for license, registration, and insurance card, all of which I had at hand.

     As the shock started to wear off and I realized the car wasn’t mortally damaged, I turned my attention to the accident report and responding to the police officer.  The driver could barely function she was so distraught and upset with herself.  At one point she commented, “I have been driving a bus for over fifteen years and have never put a mark on it and now this happens!”

     I wryly commented, “Well your record is still intact, there isn’t a mark on your bus.”  And indeed, there wasn’t.  She had been working her way out of the parking lot, having been forced to drive in the car lanes since we had the bus lanes occupied.  Thinking she was clear; she began her turn and the huge steel rear bumper swung out just brushing my fender.  The poor lady was so distraught I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.  But alas, my pride and joy had been damaged on its very first official VCCA outing!

     At the closing banquet that evening there were numerous comments and condolences.  Later as awards and presentations were being made, our 1931 Phaeton was voted the favorite six-cylinder car of the tour.  As we made our way up to receive the trophy, I asked for the microphone.  Taking the mic I observed, “Fellow VCCA tour members, all week-long people have been telling us that our steering wheel is on the wrong side.  I just want to point out that our car is the only car here with the steering wheel on the right side!”  That bought a round of whistles, applause and good-natured ribbing.

     Arriving home after a ten-hour trailer ride, the car was put back in the working side of the shop.  On the drive back Orpha and I had time to think and talk about what had happened and why.  We had taken up the entire bus parking area, leaving the bus driver only the car driveway to maneuver within.  The driver hadn’t been reckless, in fact witnesses said she was exercising extreme caution.  She also admitted fault without trying to place blame on anyone or anything else. 

      So, after considering those facts, and knowing I still had the paint on hand, I simply repaired the dent and repainted the fender, finishing it the next day.  Receiving a form from the school district in Kentucky requesting estimates for repair costs, I responded.  We listed the facts as mentioned above then suggested that if they accept my terms there would be no claim for damages.  I insisted they not discipline the driver, and if they had already disciplined her, it must be rescinded and stricken from her record.  If they agreed, I would make no claim.

     A few days later I received a call from the school district’s attorney.  He was calling to be sure I was serious.  I assured him I was and asked if the driver had been reprimanded.  He affirmed she had not and would not be.  I then acknowledged that he would likely need some kind of release of liability statement, so I asked that he send it out and I would sign and return it.  He replied that the school board felt it would be an insult to us if they demanded a release of liability, given the circumstances and that was the end of that drama!

     Now, some three years after the restoration had been completed, we have driven the car nearly 4,000 miles. It has been in numerous shows and tours and been shown to countless numbers of persons.  All express amazement at how nice the car looks and how unusual it is to have a Right-Hand Drive.  Most ask if it was a mail carrier’s car.  

     Of course, nearly everyone wants to know what it is worth and how fast it will go.  I respond that to me it is priceless, and perhaps a more pertinent question is: “how long will it take to stop it?” Actually, it has excellent brakes and on the two occasions I have had someone pull out in front of me, I slid all four tires.  Of course, it takes a great deal of pedal pressure, but that tends to be automatic when someone pulls out in front of you!

     This past week I received a call asking us to put the Phaeton in the “Black Top National” display for the third straight year.  Of course, I agreed and it will be on display to the public in the Century II Civic Auditorium for three days in June, 2017, just as it has for the past three years since the restoration was completed.

     While we enjoy driving all four Chevrolets I have restored and still own, the 1931 Chevrolet Phaeton undoubtedly commands the most attention and is my favorite car to drive – that is when it isn’t raining!  I do have the proper side curtains, but at best they only slow down a driving rain storm.  Still, it is worth the risk unless the forecast is a certainty for rain.  Then we drive the 1937 Town Sedan or the 1928 Coupe.  That still leaves the Fire Truck on a 1 ½ ton Chevrolet truck chassis.  That vehicle has an interesting history all its own, but that is another story.

     For now, I’ll be content to simply drive with my steering wheel on the right side.

TOURS AND SHOWS

     It has always been my practice to drive a newly restored car on a few local events to wring out the little issues that inevitably arise after major work and the ’31 was no exception.  The car drove fine with only minor adjustments to the valves, brakes and other incidentals.  Then came time for the first major showing and touring.

     April 28 to May 2, 2014, saw the car in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 17th VCCA Southern Spring Tour.  There we visited a number of local and area historic sites as well as visiting the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant then on to the Corvette Museum.  This was just after a major collapse of the showroom floor in the museum that resulted in several vintage Corvettes falling into the sink hole several meters deep.  Some of the cars remained at the bottom of the pit while some had already been recovered.  The most notable memory of that tour was having a school bus hit the newly restored Phaeton!  I am including an article which details that event, so won’t address it further here.  On this outing, we drove the Phaeton 209 miles (335 Kilometers) with no mechanical problems.  We won favorite car of the show and was asked to put the car front and center for the group photo.  

     August 28 to 31, 2014 we trailered the car to Missouri Valley, Iowa for the 55th Horseless Carriage Air Cap tour.  While there, my brother drove down from Lawton, Iowa to see the cars and experience a bit of a family reunion.  While driving on the tour, I began to get a sense that a rod was making a knocking sound.  Since the old cars tend to make all kinds of sounds, I didn’t think to much about it and it performed well for the total of the 246 miles (396 Kilometers).  The ’31 won favorite car award for the tour and we were presented with a large United States Flag.  

     October 20 to 24, 2014 was spent in Conway, Arkansas where we planned to drive 265 miles (425 Kilometers), however; on the next to last day of the tour what I had suspected to be a loose rod made itself known in a substantial way!  It began knocking so loudly that it was obvious further driving would result in a catastrophic failure, likely a hole in the side of the engine so it went into the trailer to await the ride back to Kansas.  I have written about the cause and fix in the History Section so won’t detail it here, other than to say it is the only time in driving the old cars over 25,000 miles (40,000 Kilometers) that one of my cars had to be left without completing the tour.  

     That winter it was repaired and we joined the 18th VCCA Southern Spring Tour to Galveston, Texas on April 20 to 24, 2015.  We drove 248 completely trouble-free miles (400 Kilometers) around southern Texas.  Once again, the car won the favorite car award and left us feeling very happy to have the car back in pristine condition.

     September 4, 2015 was the date of the Horseless Carriage Club Air Capital tour, held in Newton, Kansas.  From there we toured about 210 miles (340 Kilometers) visiting various historical sites as well as museums and car collections.  

     Perhaps one of the most memorable tours was one that Orpha and I, along with two other couples sponsored.  October 12 to 16, 2015 saw us driving only 20 miles (32 Kilometers) to Newton, Kansas where we joined with 49 other cars and 115 persons for the 12th annual VCCA Southern Fall Tour.  While the tour was scheduled to be 384 miles (620 Kilometers) because we were tour directors, we drove many more miles due to locating lost persons, going after gasoline for those who ran out and rescuing broken down vehicles.  We likely drove more like 500 miles (805 Kilometers) during this trip.  Once again, the faithful 1931 Chevrolet Phaeton performed like a new car.  

     The 19th VCCA Southern Spring Tour was held in Northwest Tennessee on April 11 to 15, 2016 near Paris, Tennessee.  On this tour we drove the ’31 377 miles (610 Kilometers), again completely trouble free.  

     That fall, October 17 to 21, 2016, found us in Jefferson City, Missouri for the 13th VCCA Southern Fall Tour.  This was to be one of the longest tours, covering a distance of 481 miles (776 Kilometers) over the five days.  Again, no problem with the car, it ran perfectly the entire time. 

     The fall of 2017 was a first for us.  We met in Hastings, Nebraska for the 72nd Revival AAA Glidden Tour, billed as the “Meet In The Middle tour.  It was billed as such because we visited the geographical center of the lower United States in Red Cloud, Kansas.  The Glidden Tour is sponsored by the AACA Antique Automobile Club of America.  The car performed perfectly again as expected, however; the tow truck, our 2007 Dodge 2500 suffered the loss of the turbo charger so we had to leave it in Hastings at the repair shop and ride home with friends, returning two weeks later to collect the truck and trailer with the ’31 inside.  The ’31 made 491 miles without a hitch (792 Kilometers), but it cost over $3,500 to get the truck fixed!  

     The truck was repaired just in time to make it to Stephenville, Texas for the VCCA Southern Fall Tour October 7 to 14.  On this tour we drove across mid Texas for a total of 477 miles (770 Kilometers) and again without a single issue.  The ’31 seemed to enjoy being stretched and rewarded us with a trouble-free tour. 

      The 21st Southern Spring Tour was held in Natchez, Mississippi on April 23 to 27, 2018.  We experienced one of the more memorable events on this tour, we were driving on a major highway and pulled into a rest stop for a bathroom and snack break.  As I pulled in, a Mississippi State Trooper pulled in behind me and got out.  I wondered what it was all about, I surely wasn’t speeding and had properly signaled.  The trooper smiled as he walked up and said, “You didn’t do anything wrong; I just want to look at your car!”  This was one of the shorter tours as there was so much to see in close proximity to the hotel.  We drove only 226 miles (365 Kilometers).  As usual, it was all trouble free.  

     We had purchased another car, the 1952 Chevrolet Deluxe for the next tour, and given the Covid outbreak in 2020, this is the last major tour the car was involved in.  

     In addition to all these tours, the Phaeton has been to so many local shows I can’t recall all of them.  I will mention a few highlights: at a show put on by Wichita Bible Church, we won $50 for favorite car of the show.  

     Perhaps the most memorable prize was awarded at the Larksfield retirement village.  I showed the car at the request of friends living there and thought nothing much about it until I heard my name called out to come receive my award.  I hadn’t known there were prizes awarded, so went up to the podium and collected the prize for: “BEST DATE NIGHT CAR.”  I was puzzled as to why I had received that award so as I was leaving the podium, I happened to walk by the judging stand where the elderly ladies who made the awards were seated.  I asked one of the ladies why I was given the award. She chuckled and nudged the lady seated next to her and said, “BIG BACK SEAT.”  I must have had a startled expression on my face when one of the other ladies said, “Mabel, stop it, you are embarrassing the poor man.”  Mabel replied, “That’s just what I intended to do!”

Categories
Cars

1928 Chevrolet Coupe

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE:

Cylinders:         4 Cylinders overhead valves

Bore:                                              3.69 Inches

Stroke:                                           4.00 Inches

Compression Ratio:                               4.5: 1

Horsepower:                       35 @ 2200 RPM

DRIVE LINE:

Transmission:                           3 Speed Manual Floor Shift

Differential Gear Ration:                                              4.18: 1

Tire size:                                                                    4.50 X 21

BRAKES:

4-wheel internal expanding, mechanically actuated via levers and rods

PRODUCTION:

Coupes like ours Built in 1928:                                       150,356

Total Chevrolet Production in 1928:                           1,193,212

COST:

Purchase Price New in 1928:                                          $ 495

In 2022 Dollars:                                                               $5,495

COMMENTS

     The National Coupe is a rear-wheel-drive road car with a front mounted engine.  It is part of Chevrolet’s AB family of cars.  The 171 Cubic Inch (2.8 Liter) engine is naturally aspirated via an updraft carburetor, four cylinders with overhead valves.  It develops 35 horse power at 2,200 RPM.  Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 3-speed manual transmission of the floor shift type.  The approximate weight is 2,310 Pounds (1,048 KG).   The car holds two persons in the single seat and cruises nicely at about 45 MPH (70 KPH).  Although some models of the coupe had a “Rumble Seat,” our car is not so equipped.  A rumble seat was developed in the early years of small cars.  The traditional trunk (boot) lid was hinged at the bottom instead of the top and when opened there was a seat bottom near the floor and the seat back cushion was part of the lid.  By a series of steps from the rear bumper and a step on top of the rear fender, one could step up and sit in the rumble seat, thus making room for two additional passengers.  The rumble seat passengers were sitting in the open, with no protection from the elements.

     As mentioned above, there were 150,356 units of the 1928 Chevrolet Coupes built that model year.  In total, Chevrolet built 1,193,212 cars, making it the first year Chevrolet built more cars than Ford.  In 1928, Ford sold only 713, 528 cars.  The reason for this change in leadership came about when Ford discontinued the Model T Ford which had dominated United States car sales since its introduction in 1908.    Henry Ford believed in a low-priced reliable car that the average worker could afford.  He also was adamant that you made no significant changes in a car that was dominating the consumer market.  Thus, he continued to sell the Model T Ford in the same basic concept for nineteen years.  Even after competitors made more reliable and easier to drive cars, he stayed with the Model T.  Finally, it was inevitable that Chevrolet was going to take over the number one spot so he consented to a re-design and introduced the Model A Ford in 1928.  Unfortunately for Ford, he had to do a major re-tooling of all the production facilities and simply couldn’t supply the demand so people switched to Chevrolet.  Chevrolet maintained this lead in sales for a number of years thereafter.

     The most common question I am asked while at a show or if someone looks at the car is, “What is it worth?” and “How fast will it go?”  Depending on who is asking the question and why, my standard answer is “To me it is priceless. As for how fast will it go, a more important question is: how long will it take for me to get it stopped!”  To explain that comment, Chevrolets prior to 1936 and Fords prior to 1939 didn’t have hydraulic brakes, but rather what is called “Mechanical Brakes.”  In basic terms, there are a series of rods and levers connected to the brake pedal.  Adjustments are critical and not constant.  While modern hydraulic brakes utilize fluid that exerts exactly the same pressure to each wheel no matter how hard the pedal is depressed, each wheel is afforded the same stopping pressure.

     Mechanical brakes, on the other hand, are totally dependent on the initial adjustment   That is a matter of drive, adjust, drive, adjust until the car will stop fairly straight when the brakes are applied.  However, due to friction and binding of all the mechanical components it is very difficult to maintain the same braking on all four wheels.  Thus, it is incumbent on the driver to learn the particular car and know that when the brake is applied the car will most certainly pull to the left or right.  To make matters even worse, depending on how hard and how quickly you apply the brake it can change without notice.  One time we were driving on a street in south Texas when a jacked up pickup truck backed out in front of me with only feet to spare.  I hit the brakes as hard as I could and the car skidded sideways on the brick street sliding up to within a few feet of the truck.  The tires screeched and finally got the attention of the driver who blasted his horn and gave me the one-finger salute as he burned rubber and sped away.   

            A FEW 1928 EVENTS

  • Calvin Coolidge was the 30th President of the United States of America (1923 to 1929) following Warren G. Harding’s death in 1923 and was serving his second term.
  • 25 February:  Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, D.C. becomes the first holder of a television license from the Federal Radio Commission.
  • 21 March:  Charles Lindbergh is presented with the Medal of Honor for the first solo trans-Atlantic Ocean called Atlantic flight.
  • 15 May:   Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, Plane Crazy
  • 9 June:  Charles Kingsford Smith completes the first trans-Pacific flight in a Fokker Trimotor monoplane, the ‘Southern Cross (aircraft) or Southern Cross’.
  • 27 September:  The Republic of China is recognized by the United States.
  • 28 September:  Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacterium named bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.
  • 15 October:  The airship, ‘LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin known as Graf Zeppelin’ completes its first trans-Atlantic flight, landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, United States.

MY HISTORY WITH THE CAR

     I purchased the car in 2015 at a Chickasha, Oklahoma swap meet.  I paid $9,000 with the stipulation the seller furnish five new tires and tubes as the tires were badly weather checked and cracking.  Our main reason in purchasing this car is it is a four-cylinder car.   Prior to this time, we were not allowed to participate in some tours as all of our Chevrolets up to that time were six-cylinder models.  This car gave us the opportunity to participate in additional tours.

     According to the seller, the car had been gone through and was ready for touring.  Upon delivery, I decided to check the brakes and adjust as needed.  That is when I realized it most assuredly had not been gone through completely!  But for the price I paid it was still a good deal.  As I began the process of checking everything out, I came to realize that the 9,000 miles indicated on the odometer was ACTUAL MILES!  The car was outstanding mechanically, although I did go through all the mechanical components to assure miles of trouble-free cruising.

     The previous owner had painted the car but had not installed some of the trim pieces, although he had painted them.  Alas, the trim pieces were to be nailed onto the body, so I had to do some body work to get things properly configured.  In the process I was to discover that the entire body had been removed at some point and had been set on the frame with only one bolt fastening the body to the frame.  I was astonished that it made the two-hundred-mile trip on a trailer to my place without the body falling off!

     One interesting situation arose, the car had the original honey-comb radiator installed.  I removed it and had it cleaned, noting that pack rats had chewed upholstery as well as the radiator hoses and filled the radiator with their nests.  After adjustments and re-wiring, I started the engine, it ran perfectly, but soon overheated.  We were scheduled to go on a car tour in Arkansas so I called the organizer telling him we couldn’t make the tour as the engine was overheating and I didn’t have time to get a new radiator core installed.  He told me to come on down as he had a spare radiator he would loan it to me for the tour.  However; after installing that radiator, the cooling was marginal, bordering on overheating much of the time and it was a fairly cool tour time.  As with all car tours, I had an abundance of suggestions so upon returning home, I removed the water pump to check it for proper configuration but couldn’t find anything wrong.

     As I was pondering the problem, I set the water pump down on the bench and heard a rattling sound then saw something rolling across the garage floor.  When I picked the item up to examine it, I saw it was an acorn.  I couldn’t imagine where it came from as we had no oak trees, thus no source for an acorn.  Then it hit me, I slipped the acorn into the inlet of the water pump and sure enough, it fit perfectly in the opening to the impellor, thus effectively shutting off most of the water circulation.  The removal of the pack rat’s stored lunch resolved the heating issue and we have never had an overheating problem since that time!

     Other than routine maintenance and adjusting the valves from time to time as is typical for those old cars, I haven’t had any significant issues mechanically.  The car is reliable, runs well and has never let us down.

TOURS AND SHOWS

     The first tour for the newly commissioned 1928 Chevrolet was to the Mid-America four-cylinder tour in Mountain View, Arkansas in May of 2015.  This is the tour that I mentioned above where we had trouble with its over-heating but that was resolved.  Even with those problems, we drove the car about 285 miles (460 Kilometers).  Upon returning home, I resolved a few mechanical issues and made a few adjustments which made the car run even better.

     The next tour was a Vintage Chevrolet Mid-America 4 Cylinder Tour in Council Bluffs, Iowa in May of 2016.  While on that tour, I celebrated my 78th birthday, while the Chevy celebrated its 88th year anniversary!  While visiting various historical sites, we drove the car a bit over 150 miles (200 plus Kilometers).

     The longest tour was to Riverton, Wyoming in June of 2016.  We had an interesting experience, not only on the tour, but on the way to the tour.  We hauled the 1928 Chevy in a closed trailer towed behind a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup.  When we arrived at one of our overnight stops in Douglas, Wyoming on the way to Riverton, the truck developed a problem that I couldn’t repair on the road.  We were staying in a motel and the small-town didn’t have a car rental agency.  Initially we thought we would have to walk everywhere until we could get the truck repaired on Monday morning.  Then it dawned on me, we did have a car to drive!  I unloaded the 28 and Saturday evening and all-day Sunday we used the old car as our primary means of transportation.  Before long we were known all over the town of 6,000 persons!  Even the Police Chief welcomed us at dinner one evening.  We drove the car to attend church on Sunday morning and soon a crowd of people gathered around to look at the old car.  As we were driving back to the motel, another older car motioned for us to pull over and we were invited to an old car show in town where we spent the afternoon with fellow old car enthusiasts.

     After getting the tow truck back in service, we made it to Riverton in time for the start of the car tour.  During the week we were there, we drove just over 400 miles (650 Kilometers) and drove the 28 Chevrolet over the top of a 9,000-foot mountain pass.  I was amazed that the car handled the mountain driving with ease!  On one of the day-trips, we were able to have lunch with a young man who was the Pastor’s son from our church in Wichita, Kansas.  He is a teacher in Lander, Wyoming.

     We let the ’28 have a bit of a rest while we drove other cars, then in June of 2018, we attended the National 4 Cylinder Tour in Altoona, Iowa.  Driving about 275 Trouble free miles (445 Kilometers) we toured a number of historical and antique car sites.  Again, the old Chevy ran perfectly, although we did stop and render aid to a few other old cars that weren’t quite so well prepared for the trip.

     The last major car tour we have taken with the ’28 was to Harrison, Arkansas from April 29 to May 3, where I celebrated my 81st birthday and the Chevy completed 91 years of faithful service.  We toured many historical sites as well at driving to Branson, Missouri to take in a show.  Driving in rain some of the time, we again completed 295 miles of trouble-free performance (470 Kilometers).  Due to the Covid pandemic of 2020, 2021 and lingering into 2022 we haven’t gone to any major tours as most of the sites we could have visited were either closed or severely restricted so other than local driving from time to time, the old car has lived in quiet repose in the garage, along with the other cars we own.

     In addition to the formal tours the ’28 has participated in; we have taken it to a few special events or shows.  There is a Frank Lloyd Wright house here in Wichita.  At one time they held a fund-raising event and asked our car club to bring 1920’s era cars to have on display during the event. As a part of that event, we were given a free personally guided tour of the house and grounds.  The car was on display for about five to six hours after which I drove it back home.  Orpha followed me in the modern car as it was after dark when the event was over and those old cars really don’t have very good lighting.  As slow as we drive, I am always concerned about higher speed traffic not being able to see the car in time to avoid a rear-end collision.  It is our practice when driving the cars at night to follow in a modern well lighted car.

     A few times we have had family gathering and Church Picnics at our home.  Even though I give out our address, persons will often ask how they will know when they arrive at our home.  I always reply, “I promise you; you will know when you are here!”  I then park all the cars in a row along the driveway and no one has ever missed our driveway!

     Often when we have guests or visitors, I will get the old cars out and either give them a ride or, depending on the circumstances, allow them to drive the car themselves.  All our grandchildren have driven at least one of the antique cars, and most of them have driven all of them at one time or another.