The new "Current Restorations Projects" forum.

[kings32]

When I learn how to put pictures up . This is my third total resto I have done for my self .Have done other cars for others. I restored a 180A Ford last year. Before that a 1964 Coviar. I enjoy doing the work as much as driving them . I think the cars that are put back as close to orginal as that person can I enjoy the most. When car owners.can talk about the work they do them self will all enjoy the hobby more. But isn"t that what our hobby is about ,CARS & PEOPLE .

[Guest BobD735]

Hi,

My project is a long term, ongoing groundup restoration of a 1920 Chalmers 5-passenger Touring, which I have been featuring on the Chalmers website. I chose that site with the idea that I might be able to contact others interested in Chalmers of that same period. I really enjoy working on the car. It has posed many challenges, and opportunities. I have acquired a lot of new skills, since I started the restoration. The best part is that I have met a lot of very nice people in the hobby, who have been very helpful and supportive.

Bob

[Aussie 8]

Some 30 plus years ago my late dad, a stock and station agent, told me about a car he saw on a farm. It was a 1930 Dodge Brothers DC. 8 cylinder. It had been uted and was in a terrible state having been used as a paddock basher by the original owners grandchildren.

The ute body was partly burnt. A wooden spoked artillery wheel was partly collapsed, the gearbox was split open and in the process had smashed the bell housing. The upholstery consisted of a banana case. Petrol tank was a one gallon oil drum sending fuel via gravity to the early model Holden carburettor. No fuel tank. A lot of rust. Left front guard badly mangled. No rear guards. No side lights. It was a sorry sight sitting on the side of a hill with rusted chains on the back wheels and a crow bar jammed through the spokes of one wheel to prevent it from rolling away.

I made enquiries at the local antique car club and was told initially that Dodge never made an 8 cylinder car at that time so I knew it was rare. They said it must have had another engine put into it. I knew this wasn't the case as Dodge Brothers Eight was cast into the manifold and it had a Dodge 8 badge across the radiator.

I bought it for a minimal amount and trailered it out to my dad's farm together with part of a roadster body. I tried to start the engine. It did run but on 7 and half cylinders.

I took it then to a friends house and started working on it. I pulled the engine down and found one of the pistons had a lump out of it, had the piston rebuilt, ground the valves, and had it running. I I did meet the son in law of the first owner who said the engine should be OK. "Elizabeth" he said. "I was doing up the engine and listening to the queen's coronation at the same time." That was in 1954.

He said it done about 400,000 miles and had been a good car. It had been uted in 1939 when fuel for private cars was difficult to get, and later still was run on a charcoal burner.

I was now married and transferred interstate with my work. I took it out to my dad's farm and left it in the shed.

It was then stolen from the farm but I was able to relocate it and get it back. No further work had been done on it. I only found it as a friend recognised a part from it left at the gate of the farm where it had been taken which was only about 5 miles away.

I was determined to restore it again one day. On a trip back to my parents I heard of a wreck out in the bush that had been sitting in the open since the war and it had a T.J.Richards body like the original. It wasn't a Dodge but the body was almost the same and could be modified to fit. I don't know what make the donor car was. It had an Essex 4 cylinder engine bolted in with lots of angle iron forming a frame. The radiator and bonnet had gone. The guards were different and the rear wheels had been wires. It had also been vandalised and was of course very rusty. I took it out to the farm.

Many years later I returned back to Brisbane, brought the car from the farm and started work again. I adapted a 6 cylinder gearbox and bell housing to fit, and took it for a short drive down the street.

I am now working on it again in earnest. I have now retired and have a bit more time.

The donor body has been straightened and the lower section replaced all round. I have managed to get a proper bell housing and gearbox. A new radiator has been made. At a swap meet I bought some tourer guards. I have modified them to fit.

I now have most of the parts to finish the restoration. It is looking pretty good with the body sitting on top of the chassis at last. Wheels have been remade and new tyres fitted. I can now see light at the end of the tunnel!

When finished I will have a nice drivable car, and quite a rare car too. It will have been a challenge but will be worthwhile.

To those out there that feel like giving up on a restoration. Don't. With access to the Internet and so many clubs and helpful people out there almost anything can be done. 30 to 40 years ago it couldn't.

Jim Haydon <mini1132@yahoo.com.au>

1930 Dodge Brothers DC 8. Richards bodied roadster

1961 Morris Mini.

</mini1132@yahoo.com.au>

[Aussie 8]

Hi All. I am back on line.

Not long after my last post above I became seriously ill and ended up spending a long time in hospital and even more time recovering.

At one stage I was told that I probably wouldn't be able to drive again. This didn't occur but my wife and I decided to bite the bullet and have the car finished by the professionals.

As it turned out I am now quite OK and could continue the restoration but the job being done by Wolf Grood and his workers is far superior to anything I could achieve. Also after a two year absence from my farm there is a lot of catching up to do.

The restoration has gone quite smoothly overall and the workmanship is absolutely great. Progress pictures can be seen at the Sleeping Beauties, Brisbane web site under "current restorations".

The major hold up was with the engine. Even though I had it running there was what appeared to be a slight crack on the left hand side of the block above the starter motor. Alas the slight crack was far worse than it first appeared. The block was badly corroded internally and the metal thickness was less than a millimetre for most of the block's length. Another engine was needed.

I was able to source a block about 3 hours drive away. I was very lucky as Dodge 8 cylinder engines are very rare in Australia. The block was bored and 2 cylinders sleeved, new pistons made all new bearings poured and crankshaft ground so it should now be as good as new.

My original intention was to paint the car black with green inserts and mouldings as original. Perhaps i would have modified the green. The original was a bilious looking colour. Nearly everyone thought I should have a period art deco colour scheme. In the end my wife and I plus Wolf and his men decided on two tone green as used on a 1931 Cadillac. The upholstery will be tan.

Unable to locate a roadster seat we traveled to Bendigo and bought a seat from a 1930 DD sedan that was being hot rodded. They aren't the same but can be modified to be the same. Definitely an improvement on the banana case that was there when I took it on nearly 40 years ago.