Gunsmoke

I still have 4 shocks as mentioned earlier. Let me know if you want 1, 2, or all 4.

K31, every little bit of info helps. As shown in the photos I posted, that wood cross piece has one leaf of a hinge, but it is behind the back braces, so still trying to figure out how it originally worked to secure seats for roadsters. Since Roadster seat back is tight against tub, must have lifted vertically I'm guessing. So few CD8's around, hard to get answers. Perhaps V. Milke will give us a glimpse of what his passenger seat back looks like?

So I took the plunge this week and after some careful measuring, cut a slot in the new front fender and slipped it over the original fender brace. It fit pretty much as planned, and will just need care in getting alignment correct (parallel to car, level on top, good gars at tier radius etc. I wil have to make some custom clips to weld to inside lower edge of fender to allow carriage bolting to fender brace. I made a trial one today, using one of the originals as a guide. as shown, I plan to recess the clip in the bead, and weld along lower outer edges. The 5/16" bolts fit in slots shown and allow up to 3/8" fore/aft movement. I will also be putting a similar clip on inner edge of fender opposite this one and will make a drop-down brace to secure it to fender brace, thus holding upper part of fender firmly in place. A brace and similar clip will also be needed at rear of fender attached to chassis frame, distance between frame and fender is about 8.5". May also decide to put a stiffener across rear of fender as they are not especially strong. Will wait to do that once fender is fully in place. Eventually will need to complete the slot cut for the fender with some tapered pieces to match curve of fender, my body man says not a big job.

Hi K31, any chances of getting a picture so I can see their dimensions, general configuration etc. I expect the same system was used in the Roadster to allow access to the R/S area.

I have been trying to figure out for a number of years just how the passenger side front seat back worked on the CD8 roadster. The driver side had a scissor type mechanism secured to vertical braces and allowed the seat back to be moved fore/aft about 3" on top of seat to suit driver stature. However passenger side had no such adjustment. The seat bench was fixed to floor. It appears passenger side back was secured to a triple leaf pair of hinges mounted to both the seat back and to a wooden cross member in rumble seat area. I'm guessing this allowed the passenger seat back to be raised a foot or so to allow access in an emergency to the rumble seat area (for example to release R/S lid lock if key was lost). This may also have allowed access to a small area at rear of seat bench for stowage of jack and other tools, or even to gain access to tool tray under seat. I'd be interested in seeing one of these passenger seat backs raised to see just what is behind there?

If you have a CD8 Instruction book, look on page 74. It says "The following is a complete list of tool equipment furnished with the Chrysler Eight. The tools are of first quality and carefully designed so as to take care of all work which an owner may wish to perform on the car". This line makes me chuckle when I look at my couple of tool boxes!! 1 Wheel rim wrench 1 Wheel hub cap wrench 1 Brake cylinder hose assembly 1 Brake cylinder bleeder hose connection gasket 1 Auto jack 1 Auto jack handle 1 Starting crank assembly 1 No. 1 wrench 1 No. 2 wrench 1 No. 3 wrench 1 No. 5 wrench 1 Pliers 1 Screwdriver 1 Hammer 1 Spark plug wrench I'm not sure a specific spot was intended to store tools in the roadster, although the Sedans (and I assume all rolling CD8 chassis) had a storage tray under the front bench.

The Pre 1934 Chrysler Master Parts List indicates for Roadsters/Phaetons, the CD8, CM6 and CI had Cowl Vent Weatherstrip. Similarly for Sedans weather strips for cowl vents are listed from 1931 CD through CM CI CH Cl CO CT etc. However, I note for cowl ventilation parts generally, the Master List only includes Cowl vent parts for post 1930 models, and shows no Cowl vent parts of any sort for earlier cars. This may mean the "cowl ventilator" was called something else prior to 1930? In any event, a rubber or cork gasket would seem reasonable and easy to make, and would likely include a small hole for water drain if housing has one. Such a gasket also helps seat vent properly, keep drafts and bugs out. As for water, not sure just how it was intended to be dealt with. Especially in cold climates where freeze-up would be an issue.

I think you are missing quite a few complicated bits that form the hinge, adjuster, springs and closing/hold-open stuff. While different than yours, here is an "as found" picture of the cowl vent for my '31Chrysler CD8 (it was seized in this position), and some photos when cleaned up and in working order. All of the pieces as you might expect need very precise assembly in order to have vent close with even margins, level, and snuggly in rubber gasket. As shown, there is part of the hinge welded/affixed to the vent housing, and a series of arms, one decent spring and so on. As you note, you need a couple of good photos and some dimensions for what is missing on yours. Mine shows a drain in the channel, not sure if I will bother with connecting that to hose or something else, car is not likely to ever be in much rain, but may be washed now and then!

Thanks VC, you're a star!

I think K31 has it pretty much pinned down. fairly rare and desirable car, and should be a good candidate for a return to original factory specs, be a shame to see it hot-rodded, especially to the folks here on AACA..

A "Johnnie Cash" car (check out his song about making a car out of many makes) as near as I can tell, although mostly MOPAR circa 1930/31. Radiator shell appears to be 1931 Chrysler CM6, front fenders likely Dodge and coupe body has Chrysler and other Mopar appearance. Split windshield began in 1932 for Chryslers. Dash I don't recognize but appears correct for body. I'm sure K31 will tell you what every part came off!!

According to the Pre 1934 Chrysler Master Parts List, the '31 Chrysler CD8 and the '31 CG Imperial 4 speed-multi range transmissions use same illustration, but the parts numbers are different, #322868 for CD8's, and #320593 for CG up to serial# 7801763, and #322866 after 7801763. This suggests all such transmissions were made by same supplier, likely in-house.

Someone said "Can't say I have any sympathy for either of these idiots"! This points to the problem with these often vague and misleading posts. One of the guys mentioned was not "racing" but was a supposedly innocent 78 year old who pulled across in front of someone who may have been speeding and likely got T-boned. Arguably, the 78 year old may have been required to yield to oncoming traffic, who knows. My point is that posting vague stuff aimed at provocation rather than any other purpose are bound to generate assumptions, uninformed views and in this case ageism. Better to delete it now before some of us +70 year olds get really riled up.

I'm not sure of the rationale for posting this on AACA. Neither vehicle is AACA eligible. The fact 2 guys were "racing" is debatable at 71MPH in a likely 65mph zone. Regardless, as someone suggested, the fact one driver was 71 is irrelevant, I'm 78 and had my Infiniti G35 at 85mph passing some slowpoke yesterday!

The "cycle style" front fenders arrived this week. As mentioned, a company in Ohio offered to try to make a pair to my specifications and dimensions using their universal blanks. since this involved a lot of hand work, I anticipated they might need a bit of further work when I get them. Total cost to me landed in my yard is about $1800Canadian ($1300USD) including taxes (15%-$250) and exchange (36% or $350) and delivery (shipping and admin of about $200). So overall I'm satisfied, so difficult to find any business that will tackle such a job. Had I settled on a simple uniform bead all around, cost would likely be $300-$400 less. Making the wider and V'd bead on both ends took a lot of time I'm advised. I still have to do some work to fit them over the existing brackets. This will mean cutting a bit and creating a simple "bump" on inner edge, as shown in the prototype piece in one of the photos. Also have to weld some attaching plates/clips on inner edges, and make a new rear brace to connect frame to fender a few inches up from rear edge. Hope to get started on this next phase this week.

I'll be interested in replies, I have mine taped of at the moment (Chrysler CD8), and note on illustrations it requires a drain line to engine side pan. I'm using a modern Carter carb, so might not be an issue.

As Walt often says, "size matters"! Here is the badge and hardware for my 1931 Chrysler CD8 badge, it is about size of a 50 cent piece. A photo of back side may help.

1912 Staver asked "A smattering of Imperials were sold in Canada , but am I correct in thinking they would have all been U.S. built cars ? Was the CD8 top dog in the Canadian production line up"? While individual factory production records for Canadian built Chryslers for the early 30's have long been lost to history, the serial number records show about 4100 Chryslers of all models and styles were "assembled" in Canada between 1930-1933/34. 1931/32 Model CM6 -2000 units 1932/33 model CI6-700 units 1933/34 model CO6 -800 units Total for 6 Cylinder Chryslers 1931-1934 -3500 units 1930/31 Model CD8 -199 1931/32 Model CD*-180 1932/33 Model CP -170 1930/31 CG Imperial -24 1932/33 CH Imperial -39 Total for all 8 cylinder Chryslers 1930-1933 - 610 units So to answer the questions, it appears 63 Imperials were assembled in Canada in the 1930-1933 period. For the Chrysler CD8 and it's later series CD*(Deluxe), total production for all body styles (Sedan, Coupe, Convertible, Roadster) was 379 units. Various people familiar with records of the time conclude CD8 Roadsters would have likely accounted for 1%-4% of the CD8 production of 199 cars, considering Canada's cold climate, and thus about 2-8 cars. My car has Canadian serial number 9820125, is an early series (side cowl vents) and is the 125th CD8 car assembled in Canada and I was advised it was assembled in spring 1931. Interestingly, it carries Budd Body #CD1457R. Since there were only 1330 CD8 Roadsters build in total, I assume this body was #457 of the Budd Body CD8 Roadster production. In the absence of factory records, a lot of assumptions have to be made. Some day I may try to seek out other Canadian numbered CD8's still existing of any style, don't expect there are more than a handful.

Enjoying this "accidentally interesting" thread. I'm no Tom Cotton, but like many on here, I spend many days a year scouting through barns sheds and fields keeping an eye open for whatever lurks therein. Came across about 10 years ago this 1937 Buick Opera Coupe (last photo) at the time had been sitting since 1975, and is still there (and not for sale). But many on here have heard of my personal favorite find, a 1931 Chrysler CD8 Roadster, a rare Canadian made car (one of 4 or 5 made) found in the most Eastern point of mainland Canada in 2014, in a shed where it had been sitting forlorn out of sight for more or less 45 years. As I've related previously, I had heard of the mythical "big black Chrysler Roadster" from my Dad (a mechanic by trade) in the 70's and 80's while talking about old cars, but never looked for it as he told me it had likely been sold into the USA in the 60's. A mechanic friend of his had salvaged the car in 1952 in Sydney Cape Breton, from a scrap yard, rodded it (Cadillac/LaSalle/Auburn drivetrain) and in Dad's view it was a stunner. He passed away in 1999, and I never gave it another thought. While on a 300 mile trip back home in 2014, an old car pal tipped me off to a shed on an old car guy's property (owner had since passed away) where several years earlier he had seen a couple of old ones. Short story, went to see the widow, and there it was, the old Chrysler Roadster, with the Cadillac engine sitting beside it, rough, but rare. The widow said "my son and I decided to sell it yesterday afternoon" after it had sat in shed since 1969. Bought it without a moments hesitation, and 10 years later still a work in progress. The photos show first time I saw car in shed, pics from 1955, 1957, 1964, 1969, as current restoration, as hauled from shed in 2014, and the 1937 Buick, mentioned above. Like many long stored "barn finds", they are often in need of a mountain of work to make them decent and drivable, and as a result, you need to have a rare find, or something of sentimental value or both to make it worthwhile. Every time I work on my Chrysler I wish my Dad was here to give me a hand. Addition: Added picture showing the "other old car in the shed" a 1929 Essex 4 door Sedan, which was in much better shape eventually sold.

I have this full set from a '31 Chrysler CD8, do yours look similar. From what I remember, one is leaking, but other 3 seem to work fine. Had them sandblasted but since have surface rust. $100 plus shipping, if interested, send me a PM.

Please read whole thread Mike, he says he will temporarily add oil, and put it on his to-do list when he has some other parts out of the way.

I had the same issue with the steering wheel on my 1931 Chrysler CD8 back 2/3 years ago, which had likely never been removed. I made a rig to act like a puller (using a puller and some homemade gear to clear horn boss), and with steering nut loose a couple of turns, after a lot of applied pressure, nothing. I took a paint remover heating gun/tool, and with pressure still applied, carefully heated the top of the shaft/nut area and after a few minutes(being careful to keep heat on steel parts only), the wheel popped off with out any damage to bakelite. I'm often amazed at how a little heat in the right place can loosen seized steel parts.

As Fordy said, the large column nut is intended solely to set correct snugness of worm gear thrust bearings, similar to my '31 Chrysler box. For my box, play is corrected by adjustments to the sector gear, and in my case it has 2 adjustments, one end to end, and a second to adjust up/down engagement with worm gear. Your box is 20 years earlier and likely has similar adjusting mechanisms. If you want to drop by, I have a spare one you can have a look at.

Enjoying this discussion, interesting badge with a variety of classic images, Goodyear's tire emblem, a Fleur-de-Lis, and the stylized helmet. As for modern dealer stickers on backs of cars, I hate them and never leave their "free advertizing" on my cars. In 2020 I was with my son scouting out new cars and he settled on a red 2021 Honda Civic 6 speed sport coupe, very nice sleek little car. We told the sales person we did not want a license plate bracket on front (our province only requires a rear plate) and definitely no dealer sticker on back. When we went to pick up the car the next day, sure enuf there is an 8" long dealer sticker on trunk lid, and crooked at that, grrr! We waited half an hour while they removed it without damaging paint. Many people don't realize the valuable free advertising these decals give dealers.

Perhaps you could start with a few details, location, condition, several pictures, running or not running, titled, etc. Otherwise the range is $1-$!00,000.