danritz Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I've posted here before with questions about my '28 coupe, but I feel that I'm now at a crossroads and could use some guidance. A number of years ago I picked up what I believe to be a 1928 Fast 4 3-window coupe. About the same time I landed a 1953 Chrysler hemi. Yep, you can see where my head was at the time - I planned on not completely hacking up the coupe, but building a mild driver. I recently built an engine test stand, mounted the hemi, and found that it runs great; I was furnished with no history of the engine when I purchased it, but it sure seems to run well, with no nasty smoking, etc. Come spring, the coupe comes out of storage, and a project of some sort will commence. The thing is, I'm feeling twangs of guilt about modifying the coupe with a modern V8 and juice brakes, but, as much as I like cars of the 20's, I have absolutely no interest in redoing one. So... if someone was interested in purchasing the coupe with intentions of restoring it as a Fast 4, I'd have no issue selling it and moving on to a different project with the hemi. It would, of course, be pointless to sell it to someone else with rodding intentions. At this point, I'd appreciate any feedback: is there much demand out there for a vehicle like this, ball park value, recommended selling method (not eBay), etc. Note: the trunk area had been cut out; I have a complete replacement rear section with deck lid (from CA) on hand. The interior is original (but shot). There is no engine or transmission. Thanks in advance for any help... Dan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danritz Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Sorry, I should have included my location: west-central Wisconsin, just north of Eau Claire. I included photos of the coupe; what's with no pics of the ex-wife? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I have an engine and transmission for this car, if it's a Fast Four....been in dry storage since 1960 or so, turns over by hand, and knowing the guy that had it, it might very well be a good running engine....so, if you're interested in buying this car, don't let a little thing like no engine stop you, mine is available for a fair offer at or under $996.50...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danritz Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Hmm... as I mentioned, I have no engine or transmission (also missing drive shaft). It appears that your engine may be missing parts. From where I am now, and what you have, would you be able to tell me what additional goodies I'd need to get on the road? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithb7 Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I like where this discussion is headed. Towards a stock car. There is a finite number as each year passes it gets lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 You'd need a carburetor and a generator. There's a starter on this engine, manifolds are there. I think there's most of the distributor, but not sure of condition. Dodge used a good bit of pot metal for some accessories, which doesn't age well, but there are parts available for these cars through a couple of good suppliers, Myers being one of them. If you have a Fastenal store anywhere close, that'sa good option for shipping a pallet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danritz Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 I'm not sure, but weren't the engine, bellhousing (?), transmission, pedal assemblies (clutch and brake), etc. all tied together as one large drop-in unit? If so I'd need all the non-engine stuff, plus drive shaft (no biggy on that I suspect). My concern is that this could lead to a multi-year search just for missing parts; I gotta think some could be pretty tough to find. I don't mean to be a negative Nelly here, and don't expect to step into a deal with a ready-to-drop-in engine/trans/pedal assembly, just trying to be realistic about what I'd be biting off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB26 Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Vote for original. I don't like rods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danritz Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 Yeah... you're a patient man! If I were to find all the parts that I needed and completed the car in 22 years, I'd be 90 years old, and at that stage probably couldn't remember why I even wanted it! Nice ride you have there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I've had a person more versed in DB than I tell me that the engine I have is for a Model 124, and your coupe is a Model 128. Apparently the bell housing and the fit in the frame are the differences, so do your homework if you want to get an original engine for your car. As much as I'd like to sell this engine, to get it out of my way, I don't want to potentially sell you the wrong thing for your application! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danritz Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 Sounds right. I used to have a late '27 3-window coupe that I believed to be a 124, and the engine mounting was totally different than on this '28. Of course the sheet metal was as well; the '27 had the old style domed fenders. If I recall correctly, without checking out in the shed, my '28 has 4-wheel brakes, which I believe would make it a model 129 rather than a 128. Except for the 2-wheel (128) versus 4-wheel (129) brakes, I think that the two models were virtually identical. Thanks for the update... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert b Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 (edited) Danritz that is very common mistake people make with the 128/9 series cars . The number differance does not refer to the brake system but rather to the wheel dia and diff ratio that was a option . 128 = 19 " wheels and a 3.75 diff and 129 = 21 " wheels and a 4.23 diff . Both series were built in two wheel brake and four wheel brake , two wheel had the hand brake on transmission rear , four wheel brake had both 4 wheel hand brake and transmission brake on later cars . The same number options were used on the Standard Six and Victory cars ,eg= 140- 141 and 130 - 131 both refering to wheel options . Bob Edited February 13, 2018 by robert b (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danritz Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 Yowzer, determining the model number - 128 versus 129 - it's much more involved than I thought. Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback, much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichBad Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 20 hours ago, trimacar said: I've had a person more versed in DB than I tell me that the engine I have is for a Model 124, and your coupe is a Model 128. Apparently the bell housing and the fit in the frame are the differences, so do your homework if you want to get an original engine for your car. As much as I'd like to sell this engine, to get it out of my way, I don't want to potentially sell you the wrong thing for your application! I’m pretty sure your engine is a series 128/129 not a 124. Bob would know for sure but it looks identical to my 129 with the 4 point engine mounts (2 on bell housing and 2 in front cover). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert b Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 I will be in the workshop tomorrow and will pull out the two bellhousings and show the differances , they look the same and you have to look hard to see the differances Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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