20c Chevrolet Impala Taxi

[yellowfoden]

My view is that this is a base swap...

It might not even be that. We need to have a look at the axle ends first in order to determine whether those wheels were originally paired with that baseplate.

Hello Kusiki and welcome to the forum and hello Hugh, Kevin, Reg, George and Antonin (welcome back),

This looks like a well played genuine model. The base plate rivets may have suffered when the bumper was broken in play. There have been a few type one bodied 20c surface where the rivets sit level with the base plate. Evidence is usually defined by a gap at rear between bumper and body.
Stannard and Nick only list the two colours but as George has shown above there are more and I would suggest yours is just a little discoloured but ok. Perhaps the variation tables would be more accurate if described as yellow-orange for the gpw version.

Your model has probably faded a little being it is well played 50 year old model and taking this aging into account it looks fine.

I was across the original auction of this one and the axle ends are very much factory done and was considering bidding on this to closer inspect the loose base plate.
Given this is a type 1 body and that the “gpw and axle ends base plate” look factory I doubt the base has been swapped.
As an exercise I have I have combined the original auction photo with the kusiki vbd photo and Georges either side and as you can see the auction photo and Georges compare well when placed side by side. Kusiki, your camera has captured this showing it lighter in colour, much different to auction photo.

There is an interesting feature on your model and that it is missing the mask spray silver trim on grille and headlights and as a much studied model this is the first I have seen without trim.

Hi George and Kusiki, hope you do not mind my combining and adding your photos.

Bert

[fixer]

Just to clarify i am not questioning the axle ends, the base shows signs of being drilled and swapped

[numi]

Hi Kusiki,welcome to our fantastic forum and thanks for posting this interesting model
In order to dispel any speculation from us and apprehension on your part and to put this inquiry at rest with knowing the facts,i suggest/request that u kindly upload clear close-up pics of areas of concern being 1) the left rear axle-end and the outer side hub section which have cracks evident and the inside of the same hub which shows what seems to have a piece broken off, 2) the front right axle-end & hub section showing part of the axle-hole to determine if any have been drilled, 3) both base rivets and proximity as encircled & depicted in my pics,not the whole baseplate so as to ascertain whether what seems to be drill scoring is just that or whether it had been caused by the loose baseplate.
Over to u!
Thanks in advance,
numi

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Here is a section of Kusuki's first picture of the rear rivet. Unless the hole is factory countersunk first (could be, but I am not aware of this happening to the holes before fitment to the body and what purpose does it serve!), this model is fine but then the rivet is too low to cover the countersunk area and this is then suspect.



Ghosthunter.

[Miller]

This countersunk looks to glossy for me, i think its drilled. A countersunk with a worn out rivet should look tarnished like the rest of the base plate.

To wear out the sunk this way, the head should be larger. But as it sinks into the hole, it cant wear out anything.

[Idris]

Going back to the original photographs, could it be that the baseplate is distorted at the rear on the left (as if it's been pried off)?

[Malibu]

Unless the hole is factory countersunk first (could be, but I am not aware of this happening to the holes before fitment to the body and what purpose does it serve!),

This is one of my code 3 Chevrolets.
In my opinion the front rivet Looks a bit like the one on the taxi and this baseplate has been off.
On the back rivet you can see that there was originaly no countersunk.
For me the taxi is a fake model.

(c) Malibu

Chevi.JPG (49.76 KiB) Viewed 6149 times

[kusiki]

Thank you all so much. This is terribly interesting to read. I will upload new requested photos tomorrow.
It does seem to me that something is not right, it may not be evident in the photos but there is something weird about the front rivet like it has been filled but the fact that i can still see the yellow paint makes me think twice. Anyway I'm resigned at the moment to believing it to be fake. I will be interested to hear what is made of the further inspections.

Thanks all again.

[kusiki]

Have tried a couple of times to get clearer photos of the areas mentioned but my new phone picks up nothing better than the original ones I posted.

I was able to pop the back end of the baseplate up with very little force so it has definitely been off. The front rivet held firm but I think this has been filled with supaglue or something.

I do think the wheels and baseplate go together, apart from the one cracked wheel I see no evidence of tampering. The wheels are all worn in the same manner and look like an original set.

Anyway Bert has contacted me and we live in the same city so he has kindly offered to take a look at it for me.

Thanks all again for your input. I'm disappointed, although I didn't pay top dollar for it, but still. Thankfully I have been very lucky with my collecting and think I have made up for the loss with value in other cars. I even came across a grey wheeled 15b that I got for a song. Will update thread with Bert's thoughts once we catch up.

[kerbside]

Hello kusiki; as you live in Perth what suburb do you live in? I live South of the River and I know Bert very well so

maybe will meet up with each other.

Regards George T.