Opinion's on a 1930 chevy 3 window.

well i did a search for this question before i posted BUT didn't see anything. so here goes, at our local swapmeet this weekend (lots of rain on us) i talked to a lot of people letting the word out i was stepping away from the "kustom / lowrider" style (i still own several) for a --hot rod-- ""traditional"" style, and stated condition was UNIMPORTANT but i wanted a: sedan!! so during my travels thru-out the crowd i came across someone who had a "mostly" complete '30 chevy 3 window coupe for his investment:....$700.00
i didn't want a coupe BUT couldn't resist this "TALE" so, i went to his house and i'll be damned he has a complete chassis, front end w/tires (flat) and original wires, engine and tranny, enclosed driveline, to rearend with wires and tires. steering wheel still on, and "hanging" column and it turns the wheels!, and then on the side of his house was the body!!right and left very decent quarters, cowl with dash and a broken speedo, full fenders, deck lid, and semi squashed roof.!!!
the bad parts is he has NO doors, and it is missing one windshield pillar, from the floor to the roof. now i have not done too much research on early 30's chev's because frankly i never thought i could find one i could afford, but i am a chevy guy and i want this, he talked to me about "building" a small block chevy for his suburban, and i said i would do that, (i work at an engine rebuilders shop) so i could build a "built" 350 for about $350.00 with lots of power! i didn't dicker with him on his $700.00 price as I feel that is fair for what is included, i am just worried about finding a set of doors, and a passenger side door pillar. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS??? are the doors so overpriced it wouldn't be worth it? and is a pillar available?? are 4/2 door pillars the same, roadster pillars???? any help will be greatly appreciated. he doesn't have it for sale and said he will think about the motor for trade! if he decides not to trade the motor, the car is mine for $700.00!!! i'm thinking: sell fenders and floorboards, along with engine and tranny to a restorer' to recoup costs to get a pair of doors, and pillar???? p/s the body is seperated from it's wood, so it is in sections, but it is VERY solid!!!! surface rust but other than 4 bullet holes, i saw NO holes anywhere!!!...any input opinions or thoughts???...also sorry this is soooo long, but i wanted to cover everything i could!!.....thanks, ken

 

Hell man, buying a car is always a leap of faith, sometimes it turns out great and other times- well you get the idea, in you shoes i'd buy it up, but i really don't know squat about pre-36' chevys good luck!

 

thanks guys! i guess i am not too worried about the value... i will buy it or trade for that motor either way!!! i am just wondering if i will have a kool coupe finished with no doors, and half a windshield! i looked at the other pillar and the features lines are so detailed that I couldn't make one! the doors seem very similar to fords?!?!? but, with the car heavily chopped and channeled, maybe they (ford doors) would work?!?!?!

 

I dont know about the ford doors, they probly wont allline(sp?) well and the hinge set up will be different.

 

Back in the day, the Chevy was probably a better and more popular car than the Model A. But with a wooden from, they just rottend until the sheet metal fell of and rusted in a pile so there aren't as many left.

I did an Ebaymotors search and got nothing,but there were some interesting hits when I Googled "1930 Chevrolet doors". Here's a site you might find interesting:

http://www.vintageusedautoparts.com/chevrolet.htm

 

Early Chevy's were built with a lot of wood. Many were produced (some years Chevy sold more cars than Ford), but now,they are not very plentiful due to the rotted wood in the bodys. If you don't have any doors and one of the A pillars is missing, you may have a long and unsuccessful search ahead of you for parts. Ford Model A parts are still very plentiful but Chevy stuff is pretty scarce. Do searches on Ebay and see what turns up. Not having doors and an A pillar is a good reason for selling this "project". Buy the most complete car you can find. It's usually cheaper and easier to build in the long run. I'd pass on it.

 

did that same search, thats why i was here asking, i just couldn't find ANYTHING but i did go to that web site...thanks for that, i e-mailed them and asked about some doors! i just can't believe it would be better to pass this up, instead of looking for the parts, how often does someone find an all steel early car in good (damn good) shape??? ...for 7 bills, or a trade?????

 

My good friend started building a 34 Chevy about 10 years ago. The car is finally nearing completion, but it was a b*tch finding parts. Chevy is quite a bit different from Ford in that it often has similar cars with competely non intercgangeable parts. Not sure about 30, but in 34 they had a master and a deluxe. However, alot folks selling parts don't know what the hell they have. As someone mentioned, the worst part about Chevys is the wood. If the wood is good your set, other wise it will cost you some cash or take some time. In the end they're real cool, but you'll probably be money and time ahead buying a Ford. For 700 bucks you cant really go wrong, but I would still go Ford.

 

Good point. In the end,it will be easier to find the doors than find a good body. If you have the space and the spare change,get the car and sit on it. For sure they aren't making them anymore. Plus this would be a great excuse to fly east in early October for the Antique Automobile Club of America's meet in Hershey. The place is huge-it would take you days to see it all-they have everything there,field after field of venders and cars-it's FREE-there's chocolate-and if you get bored you can hop over to the Gettysburg battlefield.

 

Start with the most complete,nicest car you can find! Piecmealing something like you describe togather is a hassle. GMs are enough work with the rotten wood, now, add parts like wood framed doors that are all a little rotten and suspect.

Dont get me wrong, some of those Chevys have been built into neat cars. But from what I have seen $700 is too much for that basket case.

 

there are some talented metal working HAMBers in the Spokane area maybe they could fab up some door skins and a pillar for you?

 

well, i guess this is the kind of feedback i am looking for, but it seems like a lot of you are concerned with the wood?!?!? like i said before i am new to this "early way of life" so is the wood a must??? all, and i mean all the sheet metal is in GREAT shape, except a lack of 2 doors and a door pillar, i have found a pillar from a '31 today, so thats taken care of, but back to the wood thing! cant i use square tubing in place of the wood??? tack weld the body pieces together, and replace the wood with the square tubing, (bent in a tubing bender of course) and then weld the body to the tubing, and then finish weld the body completely!!! am i off base here? this car WILL NOT be restored!!! a 6" chop, and 4" channel are the plans! boxed and swiss cheesed frame, big and littles and the bare minimum for safety???!!!

 

GMs use the wood as STRUCTURE, yes it is a fair amount of work to do right. You can replace the wood with steel, but it is not a slam dunk. And, you need doors to get the body fit right.

I am not saying you cant do it, I dont know you from Adam. Just trying to let you know what is in store.

Didnt you say you had something like 14 projects??????? Dude, time to set priorities

 

Didnt you say you had something like 14 projects??????? Dude, time to set priorities[/QUOTE]

nope!!! i have 14 vehicles!! actually 13, and a chopper! '49 running, working out engine bugs, yukon work truck, rodeo wifes work rig,74 impala, 70's style lowrider, 2 '64 impalas, drivers, but not daily, etc. and who has TOO many projects???!! sometimes a deal is TOOOO good to pas up no matter how many projects!!! right?

 

BUY IT! Buy some restoration books on that year Chevy so you learn a bit about the body and parts you plan to keep. Do a Google search for Chevy wood kits, and other parts suppliers. Just because the current owner couldn't find doors doesn't mean they aren't out there. You should be able to flea market or eBay what you don't want. I enjoy reading a detailed discription of a find like this, post some photos when you get it.

 

its a 3-window...I'd get it and worry about parts later.

 

I don't think you'll run into too much trouble finding doors. You'll just have to follow up on every lead you're given and ask a lot of questions. When I started building my '31 Chevy, it was missing the quarters, decklid, valence, etc. Within a year I had found all of the missing parts for a lot less than I expected to spend.


Cut and pasted from a post I made ages ago:

A few people have PMed me asking where I've found 30's Chevy parts. Most of my stuff has come out of junkyards and swap meets, but here's the few contacts I've made:

Bow Tie Reproductions re-pops a lot of sheetmetal parts for 29-32 Chevies. They're located in Ohio and show up at Carlisle and Hershey. 440-327-4800

I also have a business card for Wallace F. Deck, proprietor of Teresa Crafts Restorations. He specializes in 27-29 stuff, but he can help with some other years too. 217-247-2162 or wdeck40000@juno.com


Ed

 

If a Sedan is really what your wanting of 30s era, I wouldnt, settle for a Coupe with no doors, and missing intergral parts for that price. You wont end up usign much of that original equipment anyway.

Id hold out for what you really want, and not just a impulse buy. Save the impule buys for the pack of gum at the check out counter at Wal Mart.

FWIW, $700 will get you a complete body, or I know for about $500, my uncle will sell you his Model A coupe that the original farmer cut the trunk and rear quarter panels out of and used as a pick-up bed.

 

I have to agree with the others. stay away. About the only way to get the missing parts you need is to buy another car. Then why buy this one in the first place.


HotRob

 

nope!!! i have 14 vehicles!! actually 13, and a chopper! '49 running, working out engine bugs, yukon work truck, rodeo wifes work rig,74 impala, 70's style lowrider, 2 '64 impalas, drivers, but not daily, etc. and who has TOO many projects???!! sometimes a deal is TOOOO good to pas up no matter how many projects!!! right?[/QUOTE]


I have a 31 3-W, I built it in the early 70's. There are complete high dollar wood kits available now, but I made all I needed from oak and it was not an easy task due to the various radii and angles. If I were to build another early GM product I would definitely use steel. The 2-dr sedan doors are the same as the 3-W doors. That may help in your search. The early Chevy's were basically a wooden car with sheetmetal attached. Good luck.

 

Jeez y'all... it's a 3-window. Go for it dude, sounds like doors won't be too problematic, and you'll put a lot of metal work into anything you chop and channel. So why not? Plus you'll be one of the few Chevrolet guys out there.

Anyone see the ~'31 Chevy in OSR that was built on all Ford suspension parts? Kinda interesting...

 

I say go for it, flog the parts you wont be using and store the parts you keep. The parts you need will come your way eventually.
I am also building a '30 Chev but a tourer cut down into a Boattail Speedster then it is onto my next project.

What I started with



Body frame



well that's my shitbox

 

& when I finish my current Chev it is on to this, which I went halves in with a mate from Melbourne, he gets the chassis and a few odds & ends and I get what's left of the body. I will use a similar method of steeling out the body.

I have also bought a Model A Tudor rear panel for it. The pickup is a cut down 4 door, only problem is I have to wait until November to go pick it all up

 

You just have to be LUCKY........

and persistant.......

 

Jimmy, I like that boattail project, and the fact that you can see a finished project in that pile of parts you started with. Seven years ago I desided I wanted a 1937 Harley, but they were way out of my price range, so I bought a rear fender that I could afford. today I have a roller in primer. Parts are out there, it just takes deterimation to find them. I wouldn't know what a 1930 Chevy 3Window door looked like, bet most HAMBers don't either. If someone could post a photo of one and the dimentions,we might know what those mystery doors are at the next flea market or barn tour.

 

here are a couple of pics, it is all I could find.


The37Kid, do you have some pics of your Harley or a link?
Cheers

 

and another