South Africa

1931 Chevrolet - As I remember...

Last Updated: 01/30/11

How I found my Chev, in South Africa - by Paul Middelmann

Date: Wednesday, January 05, 2000 4:41 AM

Dear Bill

I have just found your wonderful website - absolutely superb. I have just acquired a 1931 Chev 4 door sedan which belonged to the father of the chariman of the cpompany I work for. I am still finding out its history, but I have been in the company for 20 years and I know it stood in the showroom of our GM dealer service station in the small mining town in the desert town of Springbok in the Northwest Cape region, where I saw it many times. Subsequently that division was sold and the car appears to have been brought to Cape Town and stored first in out road transport division's warehouse, and then a year ago was moved (why I don't know) to the open of the yard of one of our container factories in Cape Town where the trapaulin blew off and (probably for the first time in its long life) it got rained on. That's where I rediscovered it and started asking my boss if I couldn't PLEASE help to get it into storage so that it wouldn't be left to rot. Initially I didn't want it - I have two other classic cars (1957 Ford Fairlane Sedan, 272 V8 3sp driven regularly, and 1953 VW beetle split window in pieces) I am working on and space is becoming limited. Then after some months of asking over and over for the Chev to be resuced, my boss said "we would like you to have it!!" Wasting no time my wife and I went over to the yard the next weekend and pumped the tyres, and carefully towed it home. two weeks later, while navigating through Christmas and New Year/Millennium festivities, I found the time to get a 6 volt battery, dismantle and clean and refit the carburettor - a Tillotson, probably not correct - the oil was full and looked clean and the water too. No key was available. I hotwired it and pressed the starter - two cranks and a cough and she burst into life!! Black smoke and debris poured out and soon she settled down to a smooth idle. Drove it round the block. All the gears work. Clutch smooth. Brakes poor but it stops if you stand on them WOW - we have a new member of the family. So I am looking for info, parts and the rest. Body is sound, but interior which looks original has been damaged by damp, but is now dry and clean.

Thanks for a great website - it will be invaluable.

Regards

Paul Middelmann

24 Mayfield Ave

Rondebosch

Cape Town, South Africa

Ph 27-21-6893149

Fax 27-21-6891162

Email p-lmid@mweb.co.za

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