Reconstruction of a '34 Chevy Master Coupe

Here's the garnish molding in place with the little blind over it.

Hi Pat - Thanks for the link to the woodgraining site. Your garnish molding looks beautiful and the blind adds a really nice finishing touch. Sweet:)

Nice job Pat. Looks great.

Good looking work, and the blind is really neat!

Keith

Hi Pat - Thanks for the link to the woodgraining site. Your garnish molding looks beautiful and the blind adds a really nice finishing touch. Sweet:)

Jim, I understand those blinds were to prevent a nasty reflection off the windshield in low sun conditions. I've seen them in several cars but I'm not sure if it was factory or an accessory. I remember getting that glare in my Model A. I agree, It is kind of a neat finishing touch.

Pat - My '36 Dodge coupe has an original blind on the back window - mounted below the window and hooks to a bulge in the top of the garnish moulding. I've seen a lot of them in early-mid 30's cars. However I hadn't hears that they were to prevent a reflection from the windshield. That one's new to me. I'm always learning something new on these threads!

Pat - My '36 Dodge coupe has an original blind on the back window - mounted below the window and hooks to a bulge in the top of the garnish moulding. I've seen a lot of them in early-mid 30's cars. However I hadn't hears that they were to prevent a reflection from the windshield. That one's new to me. I'm always learning something new on these threads!

I believe that the shades were mostly to cut down the headlight glare/reflection from the rear window onto the windshield. I have experienced this a lot in my '31 coupe. The oncoming car's headlights would hit the rear window and create a bunch of reflections back onto the front windshield making it hard to determine how many oncoming cars were approaching.

Pat - My '36 Dodge coupe has an original blind on the back window - mounted below the window and hooks to a bulge in the top of the garnish moulding. I've seen a lot of them in early-mid 30's cars. However I hadn't hears that they were to prevent a reflection from the windshield. That one's new to me. I'm always learning something new on these threads!

I think it was 1936 when Plymouth went to using a curtain that rolled up rather than down so that it was hidden when not in use.

I've always wondered what they were for. The parts book for my year simply calls it a "rear window curtain assembly" so there is no hint there.

In a limousine they often had curtains for the side windows too and I could see that the setup could be for privacy, much like the ultra dark tinted windows of today. But privacy makes little sense if only the small rear window has a curtain while the larger side windows don't.

I've heard that it was to block glare from headlights from cars behind you. Might make sense for a coupe where the driver could reach it while driving. But for a sedan? Not possible.

Anyway the function of the rear curtain is a mystery to me, but I do like the vintage feel that it provides.

With all the fiddling behind the back seat I noticed that stuff had fallen off the parcel shelf to the floor behind the seat. The real coupe seat's back serves as a fence but my sedan seat leaves a gap so I used a piece of oak and some leftover headliner material and made a fence.

Excellent idea!

With all the fiddling behind the back seat I noticed that stuff had fallen off the parcel shelf to the floor behind the seat. The real coupe seat's back serves as a fence but my sedan seat leaves a gap so I used a piece of oak and some leftover headliner material and made a fence.

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As if there's a back seat. I probably meant seat back.:confused:

I took the opportunity to check the valve clearances while the valve cover was off. They look OK. A sight drag on the feeler gauge. However it still has the hesitation/stumble when you apply some throttle. Upon revving it up to investigate I saw some tiny orange sparks coming out from under the manifolds. I shut it down and waited for my heart rate to get below 300. I started it again and felt underneath. Looks like leaks on the underside of each exhaust manifold runner. I'm sure I lined the flanges before I bolted the two manifolds together. I might have even waited until they were tight on the engine before tightening them up. Would doubling up on the gaskets help something like this? :mad:

Took off the manifold today. Looks like the old gasket had failed at the second exhaust port. The new gaskets look better. Does it matter which side the dimples go on?

And I received the luggage rack knobs from the platers. They look great.

. . . Looks like leaks on the underside of each exhaust manifold runner. I'm sure I lined the flanges before I bolted the two manifolds together. I might have even waited until they were tight on the engine before tightening them up. Would doubling up on the gaskets help something like this? . . .

Different engine design altogether, but the exhaust gaskets on my '33 kept failing after I got everything reassembled. Finally checked the mating face of the manifold against a straight edge and saw that it had warped while it was off the car. The permanent fix I found was to have a machine shop grind it flat. In and out of the machine shop in half a day and reinstalled with a new gasket and it has been fine since.

Based on that experience, I'd suggest checking against a straight edge to see if the manifold is straight and if not get it fixed. If it is straight then it was probably an assembly issue or bad gasket to begin with.

I took the opportunity to check the valve clearances while the valve cover was off. They look OK. A sight drag on the feeler gauge. However it still has the hesitation/stumble when you apply some throttle. Upon revving it up to investigate I saw some tiny orange sparks coming out from under the manifolds. I shut it down and waited for my heart rate to get below 300. I started it again and felt underneath. Looks like leaks on the underside of each exhaust manifold runner. I'm sure I lined the flanges before I bolted the two manifolds together. I might have even waited until they were tight on the engine before tightening them up. Would doubling up on the gaskets help something like this? :mad:

Took off the manifold today. Looks like the old gasket had failed at the second exhaust port. The new gaskets look better. Does it matter which side the dimples go on?

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Pat. the foil side of the gasket faces the manifold. It was explained to me that the manifold expanded more than the block and the foil accommodates some of that movement. Joe

Pat, Pacerman is right on with the gasket arrangement. Shiny side out toward the manifold. I heartily agree with the advice given by ply33 as well. I've worked on a lot of these old Chevies some of the manifolds were warped pretty badly. I tried double gaskets with out any luck. What worked in the cases where the manifolds weren't that bad was "okie chrome" in a spray can about three coats with drying time in between. Be sure to take the complete manifold set up in together to be milled together. Ask me how I know. MarK

Took the exhaust manifold to the machine shop today. The intake is very straight, and there is quite a bit of play in the bolts that hold them together. But if he calls for it as well, I'll take it there as per Mark's suggestion.

My 1939 Studebaker had that problem. It turned out the intake and exhaust manifold faces did not line up when they were tightened together (mixed origins). One leaked and one didn't. I had them refaced while bolted together -> fixed.

Wonderful story by the way. I have read through from start to finish in the last couple of days. I like your attitude of "give it a go", which requires a lot of patience while learning new skills quickly. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us and very well done!

Thank you Spinney.

Took the exhaust manifold to the machine shop today. The intake is very straight, and there is quite a bit of play in the bolts that hold them together. But if he calls for it as well, I'll take it there as per Mark's suggestion.

He did call and ask for the intake manifold as well. Took it there today.

OK, now I have what it takes to do my pinstripes. What I'm missing is a big dose of guts.

Do you have a small, painted piece to practice on and get comfortable with? I had total fear of failure when I tiled our bathroom. FINALLY, I got up the nerve to go ahead and we love it. YOU CAN DO IT!

Where is that "Give it ago attitude" Pat? Try some practice runs like Keiser suggested. I have seen stripers use glass to paint on. Can clean it off easy enough and re stripe over and over. Can hurt.

Hi Pat,

I was watching a show on them making the Rolls Royces and one guy does all their pinstriping. He said his secret was French Chalk, I made his had glide easier. My pin striper also used Squirrel Hair brush as he said it doesn't leave brush lines.

Food for thought

Ian

Pat, first of all, thanks for posting the terrific journey you've taken in restoring to such beauty this hulk. That's guts.

I was a know-it-all high school kid when I lettered and pin-striped my Dad's trucks, and then his customer's trucks. It was fun, but then again, I wasn't screwing up my own machinery.

I used to work with a old parts guy at a dealership. His motto was, "Know nothing, fear nothing". Sort of a variation on the old "fools rush in".

Chalk is a good suggestion, also one of those vinyl strip magnets about 3 feet long to drag your fingers on, lined up with the belt molding might help.

Thanks Bill. It was fun looking back on it. Very rewarding to look at the results. Even more so driving it.

Thanks everyone for all the pointers. I'll put as many in use as possible. I've got the Mustang out of storage and ordered a new top for it. Actually the upholsterer did. I hope to get it to him in the next week or so. He's 305 miles away. I want to combine it with some business. Make the trip less expensive.

Should get the manifolds back this week for the old Chevy. Can't wait to take it for a spin. Then installing the seat belts then having a go at the pinstripes.

Had the manifolds refaced. They are straight now. Reinstalled everything with the foil out as per Pacerman and Mark Simmons above.

The rear nut was a challenge. The last time it was installed there was no firewall there.

Also had a new top installed on the Mustang.

Lovely. That'll make it run better.

Should that lip on the valve cover be over the edge of the gasket? As it is, I wonder if it would tend to push up the cover at its end and cause an oil leak?

What is that round black fitting on the first picture?

Lovely. That'll make it run better.

Should that lip on the valve cover be over the edge of the gasket? As it is, I wonder if it would tend to push up the cover at its end and cause an oil leak?

What is that round black fitting on the first picture?

It is the housing for the spring which activates the heat riser flap.

Just saw one of my ex-cars on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291140853077?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Nice looking car!

Keith

Lovely. That'll make it run better.

Should that lip on the valve cover be over the edge of the gasket? As it is, I wonder if it would tend to push up the cover at its end and cause an oil leak?What is that round black fitting on the first picture?

Is this better?

I started on the seat belts. Decided to attach them to the cross piece behind the tool tray. It is 1 1/2 inches thick and mortised into the sills. And the floorpans are screwed to it as well as the sides. Should be rigid enough.

Marked the opening of the seat frame and removed it. Drilled the outside pilot holes. They came out so close to the frame it'll be achallenge to get the nut on the bolt. I also had to reduce the minimum spacing from 15" to 13" so the centre holes will clear the X-member of the frame.

Valve cover lip looks better. Hopefully there is no easy way out for oil at the lip ends on the corners.

In this country those seat belt anchorages would need to be certified. They would be examined at 6-monthly safety ("Warrant of Fitness") time and if not there previously you would be failed until it was certified. Would they accept mounting to timber? Hmmm. They need to take your body stopping over say 2 feet from 60 mph, which is a lot of Gs. Hopefully the system you have is suitably structural to do the job. I think they require high strength bolts too.

Something to take into mind about the forces that occur on seat belts. There may be better examples out there.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/carcr2.html

Valve cover lip looks better. Hopefully there is no easy way out for oil at the lip ends on the corners.

In this country those seat belt anchorages would need to be certified. They would be examined at 6-monthly safety ("Warrant of Fitness") time and if not there previously you would be failed until it was certified. Would they accept mounting to timber? Hmmm. They need to take your body stopping over say 2 feet from 60 mph, which is a lot of Gs. Hopefully the system you have is suitably structural to do the job. I think they require high strength bolts too.

+1 on this. I suspect that seat belts in a car with a wood framed body will only be good in a "fender bender" type of collision where injuries would have been minor anyway. Based on the "Ill Wind" page photos in my 1930s automotive trade magazines, in any significant collision your car will be kindling.

And here I thought that seat belts even anchored to a wooden crosspiece would be better than none at all. I'm going to verify the law. I know if your car didn't have belts when it was made it doesn't need them now to be licensed. But I thought in Ontario at least, you couldn't carry anyone under 12 years old if there aren't any belts. Perhaps Brewster or Mike Lynch would know. My daughters won't let my grandchildren ride with me if there aren't any belts. And besides, like Ply33 says, in a major crash, I doubt they'd make any difference in an old car like that. The other alternative is to cut slots in the floor pan and mount them to the frame and risk them chafing on the sheet metal .

Pat, I've used forged eye bolts. Hole through the floor and either back it up with large thick plate or go through to the top frame channel. Then I use belts with spring clip at the ends.

Pegasus Racing has 7/16 eye bolts and the sprig clip ends to fasten to your belts. That's where I get my stuff.

How is the body itself mounted to the frame? I have heard or read in a few places, possibly even in the AACA, that a wood framed body can separate from the frame in a collision. So if you are anchored to the frame and the body separates in a collision, what are the risks?

It would almost be better without belts.

The 51 Cadillac I once owned, the PO had belts installed but but I found they were only attached to the floor sheet metal with large wood screws. They were worthless to say the least.

My thinking is to keep the occupants inside in an upset. If wreck is sufficient to separate the car body from the chassis, it's likely curtains, belt or no.