Barn find 1931 Chevy 3 Window

I just purchased a 1931 Chevy 3 Window which was found in a corn crib in Illinois. They guy I got it from said he purchased it to street rod but decided to sell instead. I thought of converting to a 350/350 combination but after getting original engine running, I believe I will leave it alone.

The car has a rumble seat lid, but from what I have found online, this was not an option for the car which has job number 31557 on its cowl tag. Can anyone confirm this? The rumble seat lid is obviously not installed correctly.

I also need the trim for the door windows. There is nothing to hold them in place when rolled up and the passenger side has already been broken.

This car is in great condition. The wood seems to all be in good condition and is all steel with the exception of the rear fenders which are fiberglass. The title I got with the car shows to be owned by a Chevrolet dealer and was issued in 1969. It is signed by the president of the dealer and has been left open all these years. I really hate to turn the title in as it is so old.

If anyone could please let me know where I can purchase the parts needed for the windows and has information on the rumble seat option, I would appreciate it.

Wow, great looking car! Thanks for sharing. Sorry I can't help you on parts........

Very nice. That'll have the chevy lovers drooling.

Run an add in the Buy - Sell column on this forum for the parts you are looking for and I'm sure someone will help.

I just purchased a 1931 Chevy 3 Window which was found in a corn crib in Illinois. They guy I got it from said he purchased it to street rod but decided to sell instead. I thought of converting to a 350/350 combination but after getting original engine running, I believe I will leave it alone.

The car has a rumble seat lid, but from what I have found online, this was not an option for the car which has job number 31557 on its cowl tag. Can anyone confirm this? The rumble seat lid is obviously not installed correctly.

I also need the trim for the door windows. There is nothing to hold them in place when rolled up and the passenger side has already been broken.

This car is in great condition. The wood seems to all be in good condition and is all steel with the exception of the rear fenders which are fiberglass. The title I got with the car shows to be owned by a Chevrolet dealer and was issued in 1969. It is signed by the president of the dealer and has been left open all these years. I really hate to turn the title in as it is so old.

If anyone could please let me know where I can purchase the parts needed for the windows and has information on the rumble seat option, I would appreciate it.

Nice find. Scan your title on a high resolution scanner, then you'll have a good copy of it.

This vendor is an excellent source for some of your parts. https://www.fillingstation.com/

Regarding your decision to "leave it alone": Thank you.

Great find - congratulations!

↑↑↑ What he said. Thanks for not gutting that nice old Chevy. It looks to be pretty solid. I bet it will turn heads with not too much work. Keep us posted.

Thanks for the replies.

The more I look at this car the more I am glad i decided to leave it original. I can't wait till spring to get out and drive it to one of the local shows. I got my replacement intake/exhaust manifold in today for California. Got to get the gaskets and get it on the car to get the exhaust straight. I'm sure this car is going to be a hit as it is. You don't see too many of these come out of extended periods of time in storage looking as good as this one. I'm going to drive it as is until I find more parts I Need then maybe next winter I will start going more into it.

I still need to find out if it actually came from the factory with a rumble seat. From what I have seen in my searching, it was not a rumble seat car. If I find it was not, I will sell the rumble seat lid and go back with the trunk. It will save me a bundle of money if it is a trunk car.

Job # 31557 says your car is a standard 3 window coupe. If the back window does not use a regulator to lower it most likely did not come from the factory with a rumble seat.

Body number starting with "O" says it was build in Oakland Calif.

Double bar bumpers says it was build in early 1931.

Paint code of 79 - hood and lower body is ember gray, upper body and moldings are sheffield green and wheels are cooperstown green.

I suspect that your car had a rear mount spare at the start of its life as I don't see any holes in the cowl for tire clamps.

Vintage Chevrolet club of America (vcca.org) is probley the best place for information, parts and general help.

You have a great car, hope you enjoy it.

Ken

Job # 31557 says your car is a standard 3 window coupe. If the back window does not use a regulator to lower it most likely did not come from the factory with a rumble seat.

Body number starting with "O" says it was build in Oakland Calif.

Double bar bumpers says it was build in early 1931.

Paint code of 79 - hood and lower body is ember gray, upper body and moldings are sheffield green and wheels are cooperstown green.

I suspect that your car had a rear mount spare at the start of its life as I don't see any holes in the cowl for tire clamps.

Vintage Chevrolet club of America (vcca.org) is probley the best place for information, parts and general help.

You have a great car, hope you enjoy it.

Ken

Wow! Great! Now I realize that I may have an actual rumble seat car as the rear window does crank up and down. Bad part is now I have to spend a bunch of cash to get the seat parts and the correct hinges and latch.

The rumble seat hinges for the '31 are available here: www.iandireproduction.com Item #RH01, $60/pr, the latchis available here: www.fillingstation.com , Item #GR-410, $82.50. You might as well get both catalogues.

I wish we had such barns overhere in Holland. :cool: good luck with the restauration. Show us your progress.

Paul

Very nice original car.

Job No 31557 indicates a Standard Coupe so I would assume that means no rumble seat as 31572 is the five passenger Coupe, ie with a rumble seat. The Body number prefix is J, so assembled in Janesville Wisconsin, not California. Paint code is 72, which is Serge Blue fenders with black uppers with black wheels, Trim code 7 indicates cloth everywhere, but is not specific as to colour.

Your car is more original than was indicated!

John

Very nice original car.

Job No 31557 indicates a Standard Coupe so I would assume that means no rumble seat as 31572 is the five passenger Coupe, ie with a rumble seat. The Body number prefix is J, so assembled in Janesville Wisconsin, not California. Paint code is 72, which is Serge Blue fenders with black uppers with black wheels, Trim code 7 indicates cloth everywhere, but is not specific as to colour.

Your car is more original than was indicated!

John

I was able to find this info also.

My deal here is that on my 3 window, the back glass rolls up and down. Also, it appears that there once was a latch at the top indicating rumble seat. It also has no evidence of hinges at the top for the trunk lid.

Is it possible that they actually produced a 3 window with a rumble seat?

Maybe, or that your car was converted sometime later?

That's a true barn find...

Either way she's a beauty just the way she is but I'm sure you'll clean her up even better. Congrats & Have fun !

I stand corrected. Should have enlarged the picture of the data plate before responding. With out the enlargement I took the J as an O and 72 as 79. Big difference.

I agree with the standard coupe not coming with a rumble seat so that still remains a mystery.

Any event, thanks for not cutting it up into another hot rod.

Ken

I love traditional hot rods. I grew up with them.

I have an all original, numbers matching, to the bolts, 1968 Chevrolet, 327, 300 hp in a building, with Muncie 4 speed.

I sold my first car....A 1930 Model A, that I had for 40 years, so that I wouldn't rod it.

Now I am focusing on a great 1930 Chrysler CJ, 4dr, restoration..... Original to the bolts.

You have hit the LOTTERY finding your 31. Great find.

I've bought stuff for my Chrysler, from The Filling Station. Great, friendly people. I bought the front windshield, raise and lower mechanism from them. Same as chev.

Please keep the 31 original. Gorgeous car.

Bill Harmatuk

I'm in the process of purchasing a '31 3 window coupe with a rumble seat too. The firewall tag also shows 31557. Mine looks to be original too, but I'm not sure looking at your tag rivets compared to mine. So, either we've got 2 oddities, or possibly we've been "scammed". I don't see a handle at the top of your lid. Mine has one, but isn't functioning right. Theoretically New Mexico won't give me any trouble registering it, as VIN numbers don't exist for 31's.

The filling station has a lot of parts. Their catalog is online. I ha e a 31 5 window coupe the job number is 31556.

The 31557 came in the standard and deluxe form both using the same numbers. 5 wheel is standard, 6 wheel side mounted is deluxe with some interior differences. I’m looking into the rumble seat if it was ever offered. You cannot correctly install a rumble lid in a trunk model Chevy like you can with a Ford A. There is a big difference in the lid, the hinges, and even the wood framework is different I believe. I’ll let you know as soon as I get an answer.

There is a fellow in our region (passed now) who restored a 31 5 window. His was not a 4 passenger type coupe with a rumble seat and it had a roll down window. He told me all the 31 coupes he had seen were the same with opening back windows even if they did not have a rumble seat. I do not know if that is true but suspect he would have looked. 

I spoke with one of the 31’ gurus on the vcca and here was his reply to me asking if the three window coupe ever came with a rumble seat. His first reply was “no, never from the factory”. Here was his second post, further explaining more.  

Depends some on which 3 Window Coupe you are starting with. The early one had partially exposed hinges that were right next to the back window. The later one with hidden hinges and a panel between the back window and trunk lid might prove to be the easier of the two. There are a few articles in the G&D over the years on the conversion from trunk to rumble seat lid. I am aware of a few rumble seat models that were converted to a trunk.

below are some rumble lid hinges from my 32’ Olds which are very similar to what was used on the Chevy. Don’t mind the c-clamp in one picture but you can see the base of the hinge is on the end of the kickup board and the top is attached to the curved deck rail wood. It has one floating hinge bolt so it can be adjusted.