First effort yields a first Senior!

Story and photos by Jim Black

As 71-year-old Colton, S.D., resident Allan Weinacht was nearing retirement, he decided to embark on his first automobile restoration by rebuilding a 1929 Chevrolet International Series AC Coach.

“As a diehard Chevy man, I always liked the look of the 1920s-era cars, and I also have an appreciation for restorations that reflect complete originality,” Weinacht says. “With the support of my wife Mary, I began my search, and finding this car fulfilled that opportunity.”

Covering a range of 10 different body styles, the popular 1929 Chevrolet Series AC International replaced the 1928 Series AB National with more than 1.3 million units manufactured. To help simplify production operations, each factory was designated one body style for national consumption, and finished cars were shipped by railroad to major American cities. The Weinacht’s five-passenger two-door Coach was built at the Lakewood Assembly plant in Atlanta. The series AC distinguished itself from the earlier AB models with the introduction of the new six-cylinder engine, which was the first six-cylinder offered in a Chevrolet since 1915. Advertised as “A Six for the price of a Four,” it only cost $10 more than the outgoing four-cylinder Series AB.

Chevrolet’s new overhead-valve, 194-cid six-cylinder engine used an up-draft-style carburetor and produced just 46 hp at 2,400 rpm. The engine became known as the “Stovebolt Six,” a name inspired by the fasteners used to attach the engine’s cover for the pushrod and overhead valves. The six-cylinder engine was backed by a single-plate, dry-disc clutch with a three-speed floor-shifted manual transmission and a banjo-style rear axle.

Standard Series AB items included four-wheel mechanical brakes with 20-inch pressed-steel disc wheels and 4.75×5.00 tires. Options included front and rear bumpers (considered standard equipment in later years), heater for the passenger compartment, cigar lighter and a newly introduced hood ornament. The Coach also had a rear-mounted extendable trunk rack available. Prices ranged from $525 for the roadster or phaeton to $725 for the Landau convertible models. Weinacht’s example also has a set of left and right door hinge-mounted side mirrors, stainless step plates and front seat belts added for safety, as well as an era-correct Chevrolet tool set. The 1929 models rode on a 107-inch wheelbase, were 156 inches in length, and had curb weights ranging from 2,175 to 2,585 lbs.

Weinacht found his 1929 Chevy in Rock Valley, Iowa, in 1999 where it had been stored several years in a leaky garage.

“The vinyl roof was missing resulting in a wet and extremely deteriorated interior,” Weinacht said. “The years of wet storage and the occupancy of rodents also led to severe wood rot throughout.”

The car hadn’t been driven for several years, but the owner reported that it had run prior to being parked. (We’ve all heard this before, right?) Once Weinacht was able to get the Chevy running within a couple of days of bringing it home, he then freed the gummy mechanical brakes. A thorough cleaning followed, and the Weinachts begin enjoying it locally on drives for the next eight or nine years.

“With sagging doors, deteriorating wood and loose nails allowing the sheet metal to flap in the wind, I decided to begin the ground-up restoration following my retirement in 2007,” Weinacht recalled. “For the next nine years, I spent my spare time between part-time jobs, grandchildren and other commitments and cleaned away 78 years of built-up grease and crud from every nut and bolt, the engine, transmission, rear end and chassis.”

Once disassembly ensued, Weinacht carefully pealed back and removed the car’s exterior sheet metal, revealing a few surprises.

“The metal skin was actually in pretty good shape, but the underlying wood skeletal frame contained plenty of rot­ — so much, in fact, that I decided to replace the whole structure,” Weinacht attests. “I would eventually replace every section using the old wood as patterns. This was the most difficult and time-consuming part of the whole restoration, but I was up to the task.”

Some hobbyists may not be aware that vehicle bodies built into the 1930s usually used individual sheet metal pieces tacked to an underlying wood frame to form the body shell. Weinacht’s 1929 Chevrolet was no different.

Weinacht carefully cleaned, media blasted and repainted the chassis and all components using POR-15. The leaf springs were checked and re-arched at Wheelco of Sioux Falls, S.D.; the brake drums were relined using OEM linings from Early Chevy Parts in St. Louis, Mo., then trued at a local brake shop; and Weiancht also installed new front kingpins and bushings purchased from The Filling Station in Lebanon, Ore.

Then began the arduous task of piece-by-piece rebuilding the wood body frame using new birch wood pieces crafted by using the existing old wood as a guide.

“I didn’t have much experience working with wood beyond some cabinet-building experience,” Weinacht said. “Initially, I may have been over my head with this part of the project; it was like high school woodworking class all over again, but once I got started, there was no going back, and it got easier.”

Several weeks later, the wood frame was finally finished, and Weinacht set his sights on the drivetrain.

“The original engine, transmission and rear end performed so well that I decided to just do a partial disassembly, clean, refinish and detail,” Weinacht recalls. “The car was remarkably complete, so I was able to recondition nearly everything without having to source or purchase many missing parts. The few parts I did need, I got from The Filling Station.”

All the original sheet metal on Weinacht’s Coach was carefully media blasted, and with the help of a couple of friends, any dents and cracks in the fenders and other body sheet metal were welded and straightened to mitigate the use of fillers, and then made ready for fresh paint.

Once the sheet metal repairs were completed, two coats of etching primer were applied followed by three coats of 2K primer filler. When the panels were finally ready for paint, a sealer followed, and then several coats of base followed by six coats of clear were laid down using PPG Global and Deltron products. The paint was allowed to cure for two weeks, then it was color-sanded and polished using 3M products. All panels, including the doors, hood, fenders, crank and gas tank aprons, were painted separately from the body shell.

“The finished bodywork, painting and buffing was done by Sean Gilsdorf in his home garage as he had the time,” Weinacht says. “The car was previously painted cream with black accents, but I decided to make a color change to Huntington Green (IM14) with Como Green accents (IM15), which I believe was one of the color combinations offered on the ’29 models. It really pops, doesn’t it?”

Final assembly came next as painted parts were brought home and reinstalled.

“Mary and I spent a lot of time installing a new LeBaron Bonney fabrics interior kit, with me restoring the dash, instruments, putting in a new wiring harness, new safety glass and roof vinyl,” Weinacht recalled. “I also got a set of reproduction whitewall 4.75×5.00 Firestone tubes/tires from Coker and even found a vintage set of 1929 South Dakota plates, which were a finishing touch. The most difficult issue I encountered was finding a reputable company to repair and re-plate the chrome radiator shroud.”

Completed in early 2017, the Weinacht’s have already driven their restored gem more than 2,700 miles since the restoration was completed, enjoying local parades, car shows and trips to the Dairy Queen.

“We bought and restored this car to drive it, and it really was not our intent to build a show car, but as it turned out, we ended up with both,” Weinacht says.

As members of the Vintage Chevrolet Car Club of America (VCCA), the Weinacht’s ’29 Chevy has been honored with the club’s first Junior Award in 2018, first Senior Award in 2019, a Preservation Board in 2022 and, most recently, a Preservation Tab in 2023. The car has also earned numerous other awards at area car shows.

“I would like to thank Mary for all her patience, encouragement and support, and to my son, Chad, for providing me with a corner of his shop for me to work in. Also, to VCCA tech advisor Skip Geear and all the businesses who provided me with quality parts and information, and especially to Sean Gilsdorf for the fantastic paint job.”

So, what’s on the horizon for Weinacht?

“I’m presently helping my son and grandson restore a 1970 Chevelle SS454, and really don’t have any plans beyond that.”

Owner’s View: Alan Weinacht and his 1929 Chevrolet

I’ve always loved the looks of the 1920s-era Chevrolets and once I decided to tackle my first restoration, I quickly found this model, which was in pretty good shape, or so I thought. The attention it gets at shows and while driving it down the road is amazing. People are surprised that the body sheet metal is nailed to an all-wood structure.

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