Not sure of how much interest this is to T collectors, but here goes. I have for sale on Ebay a 1919 Chevrolet 490, a car designed to compete head on with the T. It featured a regular 3 speed transmission and conventional distributor. At a glance, it looks a lot like a T. Biggest difference between it and the T is , while there may be 50 or a hundred thousand T's left in existence (according to a couple of internet estimates), there may be as few as a hundred or so Chevrolet 490's (according to an estimate by the 490 forum- yes, there is one). So if you want to roll up to the next car show with something practically no one has ever laid eyes on, this is your car:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150843801164#ht_500wt_1182
Does it come with lots of spare axles?
Doesn't need any, hasn't snapped one in the 30 years of history I'm aware of. The only place you will find that assumption is in "T" circles. Like here.
I bet there's a pile of them under the back seat.
Then take your inferior junk out of this "T" circle and post it on a chevy forum...
This is not a marketplace section anyway.
Chevrolet 490-
Four days on the road, ninety days in the shop. That's why they changed the name to "Superior" in '23.
I must agree, in part, with the above post from Mr. Martin. The V.C.C.A. is the place for this so-called ad.
Wow! The forum spell check highlighted Chevrolet. Very cool.
By the way. My late father owned a '30 Chevy coach in the late 30's. It was his first car. He told me that he always kept a spare axle and a wire coat hanger (to fish out the inner chunk of broken axle) under the seat because broken rear axle shafts happened quite often.
Also, my father never owned a "T". This may help dispel the theory regarding Chevy axles and "T" circles.
"hasn't snapped one in the 30 years of history I'm aware of."
Which museum has it been in all that time? A guy in the Long Beach T club had a '23 CHebby, and he didn't break any axles, just the driveshaft. He had to have some made.
I found that really interesting. Thanks! Good luck with your auction.
there has to be more than a hundred 490s, I know of four in Nova Scotia alone, and thats just in my circle of friends.
That's cuz they can only go in circles after ...
Garnet
Bruce didn't think they were junk. The article he wrote that appeared in the latest magazine was a great read.
Good luck selling it.
Dan B
So few survived, because they didn't hold up like a Dodge or a Ford. I'm just surprised more engines didn't survive in stationary service.
The hood and cowl section are attractive. Good luck with your sale. Thanks for posting, I enjoyed seeing it.
Slightly OT, but not bashing the OP.
How many cars have the big 3 made in response to one another? If the 490 is a response to the T, and the Camaro was a response to the Mustang, how many cars did Chevy "copy" from Ford, or vice versa?
The one thing I think Chevy got right and Ford got wrong was the Corvette and the Thunderbird. In the 50's those cars were neck and neck, but they evolved in opposite directions and T-bird flopped where the 'Vette became a sportscar icon. There's no telling what it would look like, but it'd be cool to see a modern sportscar competitor to the 'Vette that is based on the Thunderbird's first few generations.
I personally don't mind sales posts here, given the problems with the classifieds section.
Ford did try a new retro Thunderbird inspired by the first generation in 2003-2005, didn't sell to their expectations and was dropped. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Thunderbird_(eleventh_generation)
They sold 67,518 of this new generation while the first generation only sold 53,166 1955-57.
I like the old ones & the new try wasn't 50's enough in my view - but I guess that's a minority view
Didn't know there was a classified section or I would have posted it there. I'm not denying that T's were built better. Obviously they were given the survival rate. Just saying that with today's road conditions and a maintained, well adjusted clutch, you can drive a 490 without snapping an axle. 490 parts are very hard to find so axles could not be readily replaced. Visit the 490 forum at VCCA and generally you won't find much discussion of axles because it's not an issue. You will find owners that drive their cars daily and have so for years.
Nice car Fred, I love all old cars for what they are, and the history associated with them, thanks for posting. Hey guys, Maybe Garrett can get interested in this one and switch to a Chev forum???? Please Please Please
when my dad was born my grandparents had a 1930 chevy.They scraped it and got a A because they could not keep axles in it.
But that is apurty car for sure.
Maby put a T ruxtell in it so you can tour with it!:>)
If it were a '57 or a Corvette, you might get some money for it.
Norm
Just got a first time up close look at one of these recently. It's impressive. So was the '21 Dodge Touring I also came across a while back. Henry sure was a stubborn old cuss. He easily could have made an upscale model and sold both at the same time. Other companies did it. Wonder what held him back? (besides he himself).
He did buy the Lincoln brand.. (Ok, way too upscale) Mercury was a better try - a bit late in 1939, but still while he had influence in the company.
"Then take your inferior junk out of this "T" circle and post it on a chevy forum... "
Since when does inferior junk last 93 years?
I found Fred's post interesting. It may have been competition nearly 100 years ago, but now its just an interesting antique automobile.
I can honestly say I've only seen 2 chebbie 490's ever in my life: a 1918 that I've driven and a 1922 in a local collection.
You're two ahead of me. I've only seen pictures.
I too find it an interesting automobile. Thank you for posting it, Fred. Why do we try to bash this poster and welcome a post of an accessory, clothing, tractor,boat, or other item from the era? I agree it may not be the place to sell it, but it appears Fred didn't know about the classifieds. I still welcome it here. Should we delete any non-fords from era pictures that are posted here?
Smile, gentlemen!
Noel