THORPE & SONS

In The Beginning.

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This project all began with me looking into my family history through the use of genealogy. It has been awhile since I last researched my family lineage since 2012 do to being in Undergrad and Grad School.

I recently picked it back up this August of 2015 and started searching and behold I found this picture of my Great-Great Grandfather John A. Thorpe with his 1927 Chevrolet Truck on FamilySearch.org. This sparked me to start looking into what kinda vehicle his truck was.

I started looking at the photograph closer and closer and found that the license plate on this truck is a 1927 Utah plate. I also noticed the bow-tie emblem on the radiator shell. This lead to me start searching around the internet and stumbled across a website called VCCA.org.

This is where I posted on the forum looking to see if anyone could help me figure out what kind of truck it was. To see post click here. There was a few who were willing to help me out especially Dean (Rustoholic on VCCA.org). Dean was telling me that it was 1927 Chevrolet (Model LM) 1-ton Panel Delivery Truck.

Dean knew I was looking for 1927 1-ton truck so one day he was at a VCCA event and showed one of the other VCCA members and his name is Herb. Herb was telling Dean that he had a couple of 1927’s 1-ton trucks. By now Dean has given me Herb’s contact info.

One day I emailed Herb to see if he had 1927 1-ton truck. I waited for about two weeks to receive an email from Herb. I told him my story about wanting to rebuild my Great-Great Grandfather’s truck. He said that if I joined VCCA Club as a member and not just as a form member that the price would be excellent, I joined without hesitation and can be found here.
Giving Thanks and a Revival.
November 28th, 2015

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My wife and I planned a trip up to Northern California for Thanksgiving Holiday, to see her side of the family for two weeks. So in the meantime, I started working with talking to Herb and Dean more and more as it got closer to the trip my wife and I was planning. Because the truck that I was going to pick up was in Northern California.

The dates were set for our trip and I asked Herb what date it would be good to come and pick up the truck we set a date and that was November 28th, 2015.

My wife and I traveled to see family in Northern California to spend two weeks with her family and help out with Thanksgiving. We headed up to Northern California with trailer and all that was an adventure in itself. We did end up reaching our destination safely. My wife and I spent time with the family and cooked Thanksgiving dinner and it was great to be with everyone.

November 28th came around and it was 5 a.m. I was getting ready to leave with the trailer. I went to do my pre-check inspection with my lights and tires to make sure the travel would be safe. Know and behold a fuse had blown while plugging the trailer in. I fixed that and started to head to Dean’s house that was about an hour away from where I was located.

I reached his house by 7:30 a.m. and I introduced myself told him my story about how I came about wanting 1927 1-ton Chevrolet truck. I also told him a little about myself.

Well, we chit-chat for about an hour and a half. We finally reached Herb’s place around 9 a.m. I introduced myself to Herb and he told use to come on back to the backyard and garage area he showed us his nice collection of 1920’s Era cars.

He then showed us the vehicle I was picking up.

Dean and Herb Standing next to the 1927 Chevrolet 1-ton I picked up.

Herb and I next to the 1927 1-ton.

Pictures do not do it justice this was history starring me in the face. I was so excited to finally see it in person. We saw that this truck had the original engine, transmission, differential, and drive shaft all there intact.

It took Dean and I took about an hour or so to un-bury this truck.

The only thing this truck needed was the left front wheel to be put on. We decided to jack the truck’s front end up to place the wheel back on. A quick trip to orchard supply and the wheel was back on.

Now it was time to get this old beast out of the hole it was in for so many years.

Here is a video of it being pulled from the backyard to the front with a 1926 Chevrolet half-ton.

Once we got the truck finally loaded onto the trailer and all the sheet metal in the back of my truck bed.

We stopped at harbor freight for some rope to tie the parts down on the truck and in my truck bed.

At the Harbor Freight parking lot with New towing the Old.

While I was waiting I sent a picture of the truck to my dad and called him he was so excited he already was telling me what we needed to do to set up for disassembly and storage of all the parts.

We headed back to Dean’s house but first we made a quick stop in Berkeley, California. To visit with another VCCA member his name is Lou. We stopped to see if he had any parts available for me to buy. I also got to see a massive warehouse of vehicles and automotive parts this was like American Pickers on STEROIDS!!! My life flashed before my eyes. This was every gearhead’s dream.

Once we were done Dean and I headed back to his place we had a pizza for dinner chit-chatted for a little bit and he showed me his mechanical shop and one of his trucks it was a 1928 Chevy Canopy express 1/2 ton.

It was time for me to head back to the in-law’s house and park my truck and trailer for the night. This was a fun and exciting trip that took me 14 hours to complete by the end of the day I was tired.

The Next Morning.
November 29th, 2015

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I woke up the next morning and started to take pictures and figure out what engine it had in it.

So I found out this engine that is in the truck is a 1927 block with a 1928 head on the engine. Because the 1928 head has two exhaust ports where 1927 has 1 except for the updated replacement head for 1927 which eventually ended up with two exhaust ports.

Here are some more pictures of the truck. This is going to be some much fun once it is home and I start working on it.

It just needs a little tender love and care and a lot of elbow grease haha.

Headed Home.
December 6th, 2015

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It was time for me and the wife to head home to Southern California now and we had a great time with her family.

Filling up heading home with my new old ride.

A Great Name.
March 2nd, 2016

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It was time for me to choose a name for my truck. I had finally decided that I would choose Wilford for the name of my truck after my Great Grandfather’s middle name who is my father’s Grandfather who he loved and respected so much.

A Year Later.
November 29th, 2016

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It has been a year now and it has been a difficult one. The Truck Project has been pushed back some time now. But along the way I have been collecting parts for the truck. I should start disassembling the truck very soon.

I recently picked up new(OLD) parts for my 1927 Chevrolet 1-ton. I had recently bought a Headlight bar. A Custom Shriner Moto-Meter that I will be attaching the Square and Compass to it. I also picked up a chain lock for my Moto-Meter. Also, 2 speedometer cables for my truck one for the truck and a spare that I will be using for testing my speedometer and adjusting it. I will be writing a resource manual on how to do this as well as a video.

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2 Years Later
November 27th, 2018

It has been some long time now since i have last posted in this blog about the truck project. Life had just got too hectic and was not about to make any progress.

I did however find a 1927 Chevrolet Sales Data book in excellent condition a few months back at an Auto Body paint shop. The conversation came up about my 1927 some how. One of the guys from the shop was like: “I have something from Chevrolet and I think its from 1927”. I asked him if I could see it. He also told me that he found it at a yardsale. Once he brought it out. I immediately asked him how much he would sell it to me for. He said, “Make me an offer”. I did and it was all mine now.

So now this has restarted my desire to work on the truck again.

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9 Months Later
November 27th, 2018

I was invited to bring Wilford to a Car Show at Elysian Lodge 418. The Flyer says 2018 but took place in 2019. Can you guess what award we are going for? When I say we I mean the family this includes wilford.

A week before the car show I decided to make a poster board for the show. Showing some highlights of the truck and the back story. 

Next was prepping Wilford to be moved on to the trailer. Since he does not run yet I have to drag him on.

So we headed out onto the road to the car show. Once we got there I started to set up it was easy since I didn’t have to take Wilford off the trailer or unhook from trailer.

The bottom picture I was talking to some admires about Wilford. Many others walked by off the street to admire him. We even had one person thinking he was a Ford we said get out of here with that nonsense. I then explained to the gentleman that Wilford was a 1927 Chevrolet 1-Ton he said he has never seen one. Said must be rare I said yes very do to the fact this model was only produced for 1 year. There are other 1-tons produced other years but this year specifically was rare since in 1927 Chevrolet did take over the sales of Ford Model T’s that year.

There were many entries into the Car Show.

I have to say that the Packard was the main attraction at the car show.

We even toured the Lodge for a few minutes. Wilford had to wait outside of course.

The lodge room is styled like a courtroom and is used in films and TV series because of its style.

Finally the day came to a closing and the award ceremony took place The Packard did win Best in Show.

and

Guess who also won an award?!!!

Yes, that’s right Wilford!!! I accepted the award for Wilford. Then I took Wilford his First Car Show Award. The Rough Ashlar Award.

The Family was all excited. we had fun it was even my sons first car show and he loves his cars to this day. we eventually said our goodbyes to everyone and headed home in excitement.