Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a very rare and
extraordinary opportunity to own an original southern California
family owned since new 1931 Chevrolet 2 Door Sports 'Independence'
Coupe with its original 194 c.i. 'Storebolt Six' featuring 5.02:1
compression ratio amp; a single barrel RJH-08 Carter updraft
carburetor which produced 50HP amp; 122 llbs ft of torque! The car
was purchased new by the grandfather, E.L Yeager, of it's most
recent owner in 1931 and the car was driven in the beginning only
once a week in the Rubidoux area of Riverside, CA to buy groceries!
E.L Yeager was a civil engineer and the founder of the renown
family owned construction company bearing his name, a company
responsible for changing the landscape of southern California and
building numerous, and some of the most well known, Los Angeles
freeways amp; intersections, and other such projects throughout the
southwest United States. Mr Yeager's grandson inherited the car in
1968 with some 30K original miles and helped to fully restore it
with the help of the Yeager companies mechanics. The grandson
returned the car to his father (E.L Yeager's son) in 1972 when off
to college and the car was kept in storage until the father died in
2010. The car had been in storage since 2010 until we recently
acquired the car and began it's preparation for sale.The car is
virtually completely original including its original inline 6
cylinder engine which now has some 58K original miles and its
original mechanical brakes amp; 3 speed manual transmission. A left
turn signal was added for safety reasons and the AM Radio/cassette
and speakers. It is its original Green color with Black fenders. It
is the desirable 2 Door Sports 'Independence' Coupe model with the
added 'Rumble Seat' and wind down rear window, vinyl 'Topper' roof
and 'Broadcloth' interior. The car has its original wire wheels
mounted with white sidewall tires and its original spare tire with
rim and a '1931' cover .Even in the depths of the Great Depression,
many of the people who could afford a new, low-priced car had their
sights set high, wanting a vehicle with a bit more style, power and
refinement than the run-of-the-mill economy offering. In the early
1930s, those people often turned to Chevrolet, and drove off the
dealer lot in a 1931 'Independence' or a 1932 'Confederate'.
General Motors volume brand had been working towards taking the
Ford Motor Companys best-selling crown for almost two decades and
with Fords four-cylinder Model A aging and its yet-to-be-proven V-8
still in the wings, the six-cylinder-powered Chevrolet stepped in
as the most popular car in America in 1931 and 1932.Chevrolet began
selling the six-cylinder engine, commonly known as the Stovebolt
Six, and affectionately, as the Cast-Iron Wonder in 1929, and they
made only minor improvements to it over the next few years. It
performed much better than its four-cylinder rivals and inspired
the slogan, Get a Six for the price of a Four.' That inline-six
integral to Chevrolets identity was an advanced overhead-valve
design, debuting at a time when flatheads ruled. Displacing 194
cubic inches via its 3-5/6-inch bore and 3-3/4-inch stroke, the
three-main-bearing engine used a 5.02:1 compression ratio and
Carter one-barrel RJH-08 updraft carburetor to make 50hp at 2,600
RPM and 122-lbs.ft. of torque at 1,800 RPM. This inherently
balanced engine was upgraded in 1931 with a stronger engine block,
stronger crankshaft and a redesigned harmonic balancer for markedly
smooth operation and its torquey nature and flexible powerband
meant that fewer shifts of the unsynchronized three-speed manual
gearbox were needed. The 1931 Independence Series AE's took on a
more graceful appearance than their upright forebears, an
improvement made possible by the two-inch-longer wheelbase (now 109
inches) that allowed fine proportions; their bodies rode on a
stronger channel-section frame with four crossmembers. Taller
radiators were protected by stone guard grilles on many bodies and
trims, and chromed headlamps sat on a matching chromed bar over a
vibration horn. Closed Chevrolets, built by Fisher Bodies, sported
Fishers VV (Vision-Ventilation) windshield, which cranked into the
header for additional ventilation, and all models shared a new
three-spoke steering wheel and fresh dashboard design. Matching
Fords pricey Houdaille shock absorbers, their suspensions featured
Lovejoy hydraulic shocks and four longitudinal semi-elliptic
springs, while the four-wheel, 11.5-inch mechanical drum brakes
were fully enclosed for weather protection behind stylish 19-inch
steel spoke wheels, which were steered via worm and sector
gearing.Starting in April 1931, three new body styles graced
Chevrolet showrooms: the $615 Cabriolet; $650 Landau Phaeton (with
its removable B-pillars and disappearing window frames) and $595
Five Passenger Coupe (a twin to Fords A Victoria). Continuing body
styles included the $510 Convertible Phaeton; $475 two-passenger
Roadster; $495 Sport Roadster (with rumble seat); $575 Sport Coupe
(with rumble seat); $535 two-passenger, Three Window Coupe; $545
two-passenger, Five Window Coupe; $545 Coach (two-door Sedan); $635
Sedan; $650 Special Sedan and $615 2/4-passenger Cabriolet; also
available were commercial versions like the half-ton Roadster and
Sedan Deliveries. Chevrolet finally outsold Ford in 1931.Todays
bowtie fans who are interested in picking up a rare piece of Chevy
history are strongly advised to join the 'Vintage Chevrolet Club of
America' as these cars comparably small remaining numbers mean that
they can pose a greater challenge to buy, restore and maintain than
comparable Fords. If you buy and definitely if you are planning to
restore one, it would be highly recommended to join the club. There
are hundreds of years of joint expertise in the VCCA when it comes
to restoring or indeed just owning 1931-1932 Chevrolet's and there
have traditionally been more 1931 year Chevrolet's owned by VCCA
members than any other year simply because they made a lot of them
and they were extraordinarily well built and highly regarded
reliable cars.As you would expect from such a beautiful example
with such storied and single southern California family ownership,
the car is in quite astounding condition both cosmetically and
mechanically. The original and legendary 194 c.i. inline 6 cylinder
'Storebolt Six' engine is extremely strong and sounds absolutely
magnificent with this particular car also driving absolutely
magnificently - must be driven to be fully appreciated - does not
miss a beat and purrs like a kitten - drives straight as an arrow
with no strange road wobbles, shakes or rattles - a truly
remarkable daily driver with the transmission shifting smoothly
through the gears and with the car being an absolute pleasure to
drive!This is obviously one especially desirable example of the now
very rare 1931 'Independence' Sports Coupe with very few still
remaining, even fewer can be anywhere close to comparable to this
particularly exquisite example boasting only one southern
California family ownership since new. This car truly has to be
seen and indeed driven to be fully appreciated and without a doubt
you will look long and hard to find a finer example of this
beautifully presented 1931 Chevrolet 'Independence' Sports Coupe, a
very rare piece of classic American car history and obviously
absolutely essential for any serious GM collection and quite simply
a perfect car for the Chevrolet enthusiast or any pre-war classic
car collector to add to their collection!
