Peter Gariepy Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Recognizing automobiles of my childhood in the 1950's is easy because I saw them all the time, but being able to identify 90 year old models seems amazing to me. Photos attached. The circumstantial evidence on dates is that these photos were taken around 1916 or 1917. The flags on one photo match up with other 4th of July photos annotated as 1916, but the sailor uniform from WWI probably wasn't donned until 1917. Thanks again.(Posted for another, Ed.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) Has that 1917 Reo look. One photo shows the arm pads on the door...the other does not?! Edited January 7, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 They are two different cars. Yes possibly REO for the first one and I think the second is a 490 Chevrolet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 (edited) To me, it looks like the same car with added accessories. The wrinkles in the top where the supports are look the same. I believe the first photo was taken after the second photo. Edited January 7, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Had another look at these. Yes they are the same car and it is a 1916 Chevrolet 490 (the REO is a bigger car). Note that there is no sign of springs forward of the front wheels. Also the controls on top of the steering column. The method of fixing the rims to the wheels is something seen on some early Chevs in pictures I have found, although I am not sure how it works. Seems that from late 1916 they got conventional bolts. Hope we hear from a 490 expert on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) The Chevrolet 490 does not seem to have the "lower lip" under the front fender edge. Windshield looks to be slightly slanted, too. Edited January 8, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldford Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Midgely wheels had an expandable ring on the clincher bead that would hold the tire to the rim. Rim was permanently held in place similar to non-demountables. Could these be Midgely wheels??Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Same wheels? Same car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl B. Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 I think they're different cars.. differences are: pads on doors, mirrors on fenders, toolbox on runningboard, and shape of hood....B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) I think they're different cars.. differences are: pads on doors, mirrors on fenders, toolbox on runningboard, and shape of hood....BYou can't convince me that they are two different cars. The hood on the one photo has a reflection on it that makes it look different. I still think that they are the same car after it was adorned with accessories. Re arrange the photos and it makes sense. Same wheels, same top, same guy with the ring on his hand at the wheel. My wife agrees with me and we are both trying to see the differences. The only differences are the accessories. Sorry I am so stubborn on this one. Edited January 8, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) Keiser, that pic you found is a 1918 car. If you google image search Chevrolet 490 you will see the different models - there were detail changes each year, although not all pictures are correctly dated. Here is a '16 - http://www.histomobile.com/histomob/internet/34/410801.jpg - notice it has a frame on the divider piece between the two parts of the windshield and has the lips on the fenders. Only the first year model has a vertical windshield. According to The Standard Catalog changes for 1917 included " a tilited windshield and protection flaps on the doors", amongst other things. Most likely the changes did not happen exactly with the yearly model change but were changed gradually. I think our mystery car is a very early example of the model. The picture in The Standard Catalog which purports to be a 1917 is really a later model because the curve of the front fenders was changed around 1920 to more follow the curve of the front wheel.To clarify all that;- distinctive features of a 1916 Chevrolet 490 are the front suspension, the vertical windshield, the lips on the front fenders, there is no left front door, the wheel rims are fixed. There are several other unseen differences. Edited January 8, 2011 by nzcarnerd (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manuel Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 What about: the same year, make, model and driver; but different cars!!Manuel in Oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) O.K...I give...I see now that the doors on the Reo are cut square in the front. Manuel poses a good question...I will say that I also think it is 2 different days as it looks like the driver has a bow tie on in one photo and a standard? tie on in the other photo. Edited January 8, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 To me, it looks like the same car with added accessories. The wrinkles in the top where the supports are look the same. I believe the first photo was taken after the second photo.I would agree with this analysis - the paint on the car in the LH photo looks weathered; the car in the RH photo looks brand-new.I'm glad I read down the thread... otherwise I would have blithely thrown-in for Dodge Brothers ( Short radiator / high headlights) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) The first thing I look for if I think that it's a Dodge, is the telltale curve from the rear of the running boards up the fender. Edited January 9, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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