MarkV Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 I have been a happy owner of a ‘490’ for the last few decades and it has been in the family since 1973. When I look for parts and information very few resources pop up. Yet this was the car that put Chevrolet and GM on the map and was a direct rival to the Model T. Any idea why this could be? I took it out for a drive for the first time in two years and it still drives great! Also made a video I’ll link below. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkV Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkV Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 https://youtu.be/cF7s0J6CDw4 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Nice car, looks like you have been around awhile and know about the Vintage Chevrolet Club? It is a good source of information if you haven't. There are some very knowledgeable guys in the San Fernando VCCA region, reach out to Carmine. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I bought my '21 490 in 1972 in need of a full restoration after sitting in a farm shed since 1931. It had been modified into a pickup back in the early '20's and ,since it was thoughtfully done I left it as a truck. Parts were hard to find even fifty years ago. I like to tell people that I wore out three new cars chasing parts for it ! There were far fewer Chevies built than Fords, thus obviously fewer parts. The engines were quite reliable, and many were used as stationary power plants. Many of the internal parts of my car came out of an engine that was used on a weed sprayer. The leather cone clutch was a bit of an Achilles heal on these. Properly adjusted and oiled they worked fine, but few owners took the time to familiarize themselves with them. My '21 rarely gets out on the road and when it does go to a show it usually goes in my enclosed trailer. Most farm tractors can pass it ! I still take it for occasional drives out here in the country, and as a John Deere service truck, it also proves popular at tractor shows. Nice to see another one. Jim 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbeach Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) Very nice car with an interesting history. Dave's advice to join the VCCA is a good one (if you are not already a member). VCCA's four cylinder tour this year is based in Porterville on May 1st - 5th. The tour will include a visit to a large private early Chevrolet collection. Edited January 22, 2022 by kbeach Spelling correction (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustDave Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I always wondered why so view Chevrolet’s exist,I always looked for a Royal Mail roadster or an amesbury but never ever even an unrestored one for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) I love your 490, real nice car, Looks like a lot of fun There is a pretty good network of knowledgeable 4 cylinder guys in the VCCA I would highly recommend it https://vcca.org/default.aspx Edited January 22, 2022 by John348 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gossp Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I have always wondered what an early 490 would be like on the road. The first HCCA eligible car my father had was a 1915 Chevrolet Baby Grand, which by appearances is a very similar car but in reality is a lot more car (a lot more suspension anyways!). The Baby Grand was a wonderful car with ample power and gentle handling. I have been curious if the cheaper car would feel like a cheaper car from behind the wheel or if it would behave well at speed. By speed, I am talking about something near 40mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 1 hour ago, gossp said: I have always wondered what an early 490 would be like on the road. The first HCCA eligible car my father had was a 1915 Chevrolet Baby Grand, which by appearances is a very similar car but in reality is a lot more car (a lot more suspension anyways!). The Baby Grand was a wonderful car with ample power and gentle handling. I have been curious if the cheaper car would feel like a cheaper car from behind the wheel or if it would behave well at speed. By speed, I am talking about something near 40mph. Only once did I try for 40 MPH ! It felt like the top and windshield were going to part company with the car at any minute. If it weren't for the fact that I had the engine balanced, I think the whole thing might have shaken apart. It's comfortable at about 25-28 MPH. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkV Posted January 22, 2022 Author Share Posted January 22, 2022 1921 Chevrolet 490 Video I put this video together about my driving experience! The first photo below is of my ‘21 in front of the dealer in 1921 (third car from the right by the driveway). the second photo is on the founder of the dealership’s 91st birthday in 1968. My car is to the left! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gossp Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 1 hour ago, J.H.Boland said: Only once did I try for 40 MPH ! It felt like the top and windshield were going to part company with the car at any minute. If it weren't for the fact that I had the engine balanced, I think the whole thing might have shaken apart. It's comfortable at about 25-28 MPH. I rather thought that might be the case. The incredibly light chassis always made me think about a 490 based speedster but the 1/4 elliptical springs on each corner don’t look like enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 My first old car ride was in a 1916 Chevrolet Touring, green body and black wheels & fenders, I would own it, if I ever find it again. Never was 18mph, in the dark, on an old country road more fun. Beautiful car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) 41 minutes ago, gossp said: I rather thought that might be the case. The incredibly light chassis always made me think about a 490 based speedster but the 1/4 elliptical springs on each corner don’t look like enough! There were some 490 speedsters and dirt track racers built. Here's a few pictures. First is a racer that was for sale at Hershey many years ago. As I recall, it had alloy pistons from a Curtis Jenny aircraft, Winfield side draft carburetors, and a head from a 4 cylinder Olds. It supposedly could do 90 MPH ! The speedster project was recently for sale on the Smokstak forum. If I was a bit younger (and closer to CA.) I'd be tempted. The quarter elliptic springs lend themselves well to a lower profile by just inverting the brackets. Jim Sorry MarkV. I'm not trying to steal your thread. Edited January 22, 2022 by J.H.Boland (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gossp Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 @J.H.Boland Please don’t show me pictures like that, my garage is too full to take on the project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61polara Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Great video Wes' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 1 hour ago, gossp said: @J.H.Boland Please don’t show me pictures like that, my garage is too full to take on the project! You've got high ceilings ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHa Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) To any interested parties, I have a 1927 Chevy chassis for sale. I had high hopes for it but I've got too many projects. I pulled the motor out and got it freed up and it does not have the ring lip at the top of the cylinders that indicates wear. This might mean it is a low mileage chassis so the parts should be valuable to anybody wanting to keep theirs on the road. I just have the frame with short block and head, trans, drive shaft, and rear end. It is in central N.C. You can contact me by email, haywood96@hotmail.com Edited January 22, 2022 by AHa (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gossp Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 4 hours ago, J.H.Boland said: You've got high ceilings ! Just shy of twelve and a half feet. The Maxwell is on a four post lift so I suppose in the current configuration I could get a fourth car in this two car garage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 10 minutes ago, gossp said: Just shy of twelve and a half feet. The Maxwell is on a four post lift so I suppose in the current configuration I could get a fourth car in this two car garage! He was only asking $2500 for the project and I think the drive train is already rebuilt ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkV Posted January 23, 2022 Author Share Posted January 23, 2022 Not a bad price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VintageNut Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Hi Fellow Members Am a new member to this Forum Been trying to find wheel bearing information on a Chev 490 and came across this forum I am based in South Africa . And have a clients 49p with front wheel bearing issues .. Does anyone have a solution to fitting new bearings .. Are the original type available or does one fit some other type of bearings .. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 On 1/21/2022 at 3:03 PM, MarkV said: Yet this was the car that put Chevrolet and GM on the map and was a direct rival to the Model T. Any idea why this could be? Because you could get it in any color other than BLACK! Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 The interest in and survival rate of Model T Fords compared to its contemporaries is not only a matter of the sheer numbers which were manufactured initiallly but also the aftermarket parts support widely available even decades after the last Model T's rolled off the assembly line. If I recall correctly, Ford Motor Company was still producing replacement parts for Model T's up to the advent of WWII. Aftermarket parts suppliers were always a factor, became even more so with the rise of car collecting. A further contributing factor was the most popular Model T's body styles were largely "all-steel" construction with only minor, easy-to-replace wood whereas composite metal-over-wood frame remained the body construction method for GM cars into the mid-late 1930's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHa Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) These hubs have the original cup bearing style bearings in them. Most people, if not all, are carrying the sizes to a modern bearing house and replacing them. I don't have the modern replacement numbers but someone will. Or, alternately, these old style cups are easily machined out of semi hard material, if you have the machine to do so, and the ball bearings are very cheap. The cups will drive out like any modern bearing would. Edited September 26, 2022 by AHa (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VintageNut Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 4 hours ago, AHa said: These hubs have the original cup bearing style bearings in them. Most people, if not all, are carrying the sizes to a modern bearing house and replacing them. I don't have the modern replacement numbers but someone will. Or, alternately, these old style cups are easily machined out of semi hard material, if you have the machine to do so, and the ball bearings are very cheap. The cups will drive out like any modern bearing would. Many thanks for the reply. Would it matter if the new outer cone bearing ran on the thread that normally took the adjustable cone .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHa Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 Vintage I was hoping someone more knowledgeable would jump in here. I'm afraid I don't quite understand the question. The modern bearings would be installed in the same location as the originals both in the hub and on the spindle. Some shimming may be necessary to get the hub positioned correctly and the cone on the adjustable nut may have to be cut off the nut so it turns up against the bearing housing or outer washer. You'll have to play with your options once you find the right bearings. Just mic the OD of the spindle in the flats and the id of the hub inner and outer and send those dimensions to your bearing supplier. The bearings get a radial load so the bearing have to be wheel bearings but I'm almost positive you can find a modern replacement. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 (edited) I think he is refering to the fact the outer cone is threaded on to the spindle like on a Model T Ford. It might even interchange with a Model T bearing if you are very lucky. If the Chevy version is different it will probably be harder to find. But people who specialize in obsolete Chevy parts may be able to help. Edited September 28, 2022 by 1912Staver (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kustomrooster Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 I thought id give a update to the pics J.H Boland posted of the 490 chevy project in california. I read his post and found it! Bought it and somewhat have it running! Rooster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dep5 Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 (edited) Wonder where it is now . . . Edited April 4 by dep5 add (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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