Recently found '31 CD8 Roadster

Recently found a 1931 Chrysler CD8 Roadster, missing all original bright work, drive train and wheels. Would like to bring it back to original if pieces can be found. Anyone out there have a parts pile for such a rare car? Would consider taking a complete but rough CD8 "donor car" of any model in $5K-$7K range.

It looks like someone has put a quickie spray bomb job on it.

Nice car but the paint may be hiding a bit.

I've got a mostly complete engine and bell housing if you're interested. I'm in Michigan and open to offers.

Must be an early car with the side cowl vents.

Must be an early car with the side cowl vents.

This '31 CD8 Roadster was found weathered and stripped of all its spare parts in a scrap yard in 1950. A keen guy modified it with a V8Caddy/LaSalle/Auburn drivetrain, restored the body and he and 2 subsequent owners drove it until it went into hiding (and deteriorating again) in 1970. This photo shows it at a car show in April 1966. You will note it has same non-matching bumper it has today, which I think is from a '35 International Truck. I have the non-original C/L/A drivetrain as a second option. Body is in rough shape but restoreable again. It was built in May 1931 in Windsor Ontarion Canada, serial # 9820125, body # CD1457R.

I've got a mostly complete engine and bell housing if you're interested. I'm in Michigan and open to offers.

Thanks for the offer on Engine, I have one lined up closer to home, but it is not complete either, will keep yours in mind over next few months. Before I lay out dough for the pieces missing, I'll need to know I can get most of everything I need for an end to end drivetrain.

There is a sedan for sale in Hemmings this month. Rob

There is a sedan for sale in Hemmings this month. Rob

I have spoken past week with the nice gentleman who is interested in selling it as a sedan project versus a donor car. Would like to buy it anyway as a future project if it was closer. It needs a lot of work to restore to a driver standard, but not a lot of these cars around. I may get back to him again at some point. Thanks for letting me know.

Thanks for the offer on Engine, I have one lined up closer to home, but it is not complete either, will keep yours in mind over next few months. Before I lay out dough for the pieces missing, I'll need to know I can get most of everything I need for an end to end drivetrain.

I may also have some new rod bearings in my collection. Keep that in mind also if you need to go through a rebuild.

I may also have some new rod bearings in my collection. Keep that in mind also if you need to go through a rebuild.

Can you tell me more regarding your "almost complete engine", is if Dodge DC8 or Chrysler CD8, does it run, what's missing, what are you asking as a price, is clutch/clutch fork included?

Can you tell me more regarding your "almost complete engine", is if Dodge DC8 or Chrysler CD8, does it run, what's missing, what are you asking as a price, is clutch/clutch fork included?

The engine is a CD8. Does not run. I have the head and all internals. Would need new pistons, as it has been sitting for quite a while and pistons are frozen/rusted in place. Manifolds are broken. No water pump. I don't recall if the clutchand fork are there. It is in my barn, approx. 35 miles from here.

I am open to offers.

The engine is a CD8. Does not run. I have the head and all internals. Would need new pistons, as it has been sitting for quite a while and pistons are frozen/rusted in place. Manifolds are broken. No water pump. I don't recall if the clutchand fork are there. It is in my barn, approx. 35 miles from here.

I am open to offers.

Thanks for extra info, I will log your details for future reference.

Haven't updated this topic for a couple of years. Here is photo showing current status. I started with a barnfind chassis, front suspension and generally complete body shell except missing floor/subsills. Virtually everything else was not 1931 Chrysler (Cadillac flathead V8, mated to LaSalle tranny, Auburn rearend)(1933 Chevy dash with MG instruments)(15"&16" wire and artillery wheels)(32 Plymouth door handles and rad cap)(1950'sElectroline pot metal headlights)(Windshield roughed out from late 30's truck). Basically, a 1950's hotrod formula.

 

So I have gathered correct headlights, cowl lights, instruments, door handles, CD8Deluxe engine, correct rearend, DC8Dodge Transmission (bolts right up), good close 19" wire wheels, 3 of 4 correct hubcaps, F/R shocks, steering column/box from unknown '28/30 Mopar with nice 4 spoke wood wheel, good seat from 31 era Dodge Coupe (modified to fit), correct manifolds, starter, generator, water pump, fuel pump master cylinder, rad ornaments (gazelle and plain winged), hood hooks, etc etc. Still need bumpers/brackets, good CD8 rad shell, dash lights, deck cleats and a few other bits. A long list, but treasure hunting is half the fun.  

 

Have built subsill system, new dash, made windshield frame starting with a barnfind rusted late 20's Mopar roadster donor frame, roughing out a set of wood bows (car came with side-irons), Do you have anything suitable?

Edited September 7, 2017 by Gunsmoke
more detail (see edit history)

Nice.  Keep up the good work.

Well done, your perseverance will eventually pay off. 

 I was once told, if you sit looking for parts and do nothing about restoring your car, the parts will not come to you. Some people will have what you are looking for, but will not give you their parts until they see progress. Their reasoning is, they would rather keep the parts on their shelf, than give them to someone else  to put on the shelf. I hope others see your progress and come to the party with the parts you seek.

 Well done

regards

Viv.

 

Looks like you're getting things sorted out.  What is the current fender situation?  That's going to be one terrific looking car!

Fenders are a challenge. I have the original 4 that came with car (see original posting photos), the 2 fronts look authentic, but have had a ton of patch work over their near 90 year life. Bought a pair of better supposedly '31 CD8's from Arizona, turned out to be close, likely 1932 CP8's, may be able to make something using both pair. The rears appear to be close to Chrysler CD8, but have a series of cuts made in them at back portion to give them the proper rear sweep and a handmade rear V mold. So I'm thinking they are from something else, and were altered to look correct. Spoke to a bodyman who suggested all 4 could be restored to suit at perhaps $700-$1200 per fender plus priming/painting. A contact has a pair of CD8 fronts, one very good, one rougher for sale circa $3500+transport.  I'm leaving that decision for down the road. 

 

Will be sending engine for rebuilding in next 2 weeks, and that will likely take 3-6 months. In meantime, I will address issues with body fit, lower sheet metal, complete dash install, etc, and begin to address rest of mechanical refit, brakes, Ujoints, shock refit etc. No shortage of jobs.

Wish I found that car. Chrysler 8 roadsters are on my list. Maybe these pictures will inspire you to get it on the road.

Very nice car thanks for posting. One of the hardest to find parts are stop/tail lights. The original's only had one on driver side, and this "bucket style is unique to Roadster's and RS Coupes. Many owners robbed one from donor cars (such as shows in these pictures) to allow for a second tail/stop light on Passenger side, so now twice as many such lights are in demand. I'm told a good quality one can go for $2000. In 3 years of watching various sites (ebay, WPC, AACA, etc). I have not seen one for sale. Same goes for the rear deck cleats, they are almost identical to '30 DC8 Dodge Roadster, next to impossible to find in any condition. Same goes for step pads, correct hubcaps, bumpers/brackets etc. At least bumpers, rad shells and hubcaps were shared with Sedans. If anyone knows of a parts hoard let me know please.

 

BTW, I mentioned earlier the (possible donor car) CD8 Sedan "project" for sale 2 yrs ago on Hemmings, owner was asking $12K. Nice man, negotiated with him down to about US$8.5K for a car worth in my opinion about US$4-5K, so I passed. A few months later, and after I had purchased many of the parts I needed, that car sold on eBay for $3600, $1.5K less than I was offering!! grrr...  Just part of the challenge in this hobby, people want an unreasonably high price for parts/donors, taking the hobby out of reach for many. Cheers

My father told me when I got into build cars "what once was a poor mans hobby, is now a rich mans sport" Just finding sedans any more is getting hard to do. That is why the street rod/custom side is so big. A person can spend big bucks just trying to find original parts. There is a wrecking yard in Idaho called Vintage Automotive in Mountain home. You can look it up on the internet, call Jim. He has stuff boarded up in buildings that has not seen the light of day for a long time. Here are a few shots of the yard, he used to go to swap meets with the good stuff. That good stuff has never been unpacks since the last swap meet. A long, long time ago. I posted a lot of pictures of the yard under general discussion awhile back. Give him a call, a lot of 30's sedans have been parted out over the years. He might have something. Jeff Carter at JC Auto restorations might be able to help, not sure if he has much early Chrysler stuff.

On 9/8/2017 at 1:51 AM, viv w said:

Well done, your perseverance will eventually pay off. 

 I was once told, if you sit looking for parts and do nothing about restoring your car, the parts will not come to you. Some people will have what you are looking for, but will not give you their parts until they see progress. Their reasoning is, they would rather keep the parts on their shelf, than give them to someone else  to put on the shelf. I hope others see your progress and come to the party with the parts you seek.

 Well done

I know all the cars I have ever started are finished this is how I fill also about my pile of Gold -- cars in boxes ,cans, if what I have com-pleats a work in progress I would let a spare go other wise if I keep it It will run again,unless God has other plans for me  --Kyle AKA, one inch at a time.

The old question "How do you eat an Elephant". Answer "One Bite at a Time". Rebuilding rare cars missing a great many parts, and when few parts actually exist let alone the matter of price, requires patience bordering on insanity. Many of us have it, many nicely restored old cars wouldn't be around without it. Time for another bite, I'm just about finished with the first ear!

Do you have a title for the roadster?   Dan Griffin    479-973-4331

Yes I got a good title with the car as a 1931 Chrysler Roadster Coupe, and have transferred title to me. I know chain of ownership from 1953-2014 when I bought the car, and there was never a ? of title. However there is a wrinkle. The 6-digit # used to register the vehicle back in the 50's appears to have been an Engine or Chassis number. While striping the car for re-build I found the serial number plate (Ser # 9820125, a Canadian CD8#) on passenger door post. I've spoken briefly with the local DMV about the procedure to have proper Ser # put on title document. While number on title may have come from frame rail way back, that area of frame was reinforced many years ago with steel plate so original chassis # can no longer be found. Also if an engine # had been used, car has had at least 3 engines since the early 50's so that source for the 6 digit number is not going to work. I would like to get this sorted out, but it is not an issue unless I decided to sell car and a new buyer wanted it sorted.

It is best to get it sorted now while your motivation level is high and time is on your side.  You don't want to be in the position of not being able to sell it because of the serial number issue.

I don't ever put much time or effort unless the paper work is in order.

Working with most DMVs can be frustrating.

Its easy to have possession, call it your own etc. But it ain't really yours till all the paper work is all finished and proper.