MikeC5

Very interesting idrjoe, I really like the gold medallion-looking one.. Thank you for the CT registration tips Phil. I do know what you mean about typical CT drivers... Do you also have period plate on the car?

Tex, you are right as I have not delved into the complexities of getting it registered in CT. Would not the number on the ID plate suffice for registering? I have a BOS but it uses the ID plate number. I can get the number off the frame though if it has to be done. I'm still in contact with the seller so re-writing the BOS would not be an issue. Does CT require you put blinkers or other updates on the car?

Thanks Dave. I'd say that's a most likely scenario for my car. Too bad it didn't survive...

I was trying to decide what to do about some cracks in the trim rings and noticed that one of them I got on fleabay is a little bit different from the other two (which, I believe, are originals). I pretty sure the 1925 rings should look like the one on the right in this photo. The fleabay-sourced one is on the left and has a chamfer on the aft side. Otherwise it is same outer diameter and headlight opening diameter. Was this a normal production variation on DBs of this era or is it not a DB part? If anyone has an extra for a '25 they would be willing to sell, please let me know.

The plot thickens... I'll have to get some real silver solder and flux and try again.

It was 'Silvabrite 100' and it only has 0.4% silver, 4% copper and 95% tin. I think it is what I used to sweat some potable water copper pipe a few years ago. I know I had some real silver solder but it was a small amount left over from a previous project and its location eludes me... The flux was 'NoKorode regular paste flux'. You are too kind Jason....

Unfortunately, I got very little information with the car. The person I bought it from bought it from someone in New Jersey who said he'd gotten in in Philadelphia, PA from someone who had it in a garage for over 50 years (it must have had a leaky roof). No registration came with the car. The only clue is it has a State of PA inspection sticker on the windshield from 1947. The ID tag was still on the toe plate; pretty ratty looking but the number is still easily read. Maybe dealers added their tag as some put the dealership name on a decal or license plate frame these days? I'm still going to try and run down the inspection location, number 6832. Apparently each station had a number back then.

Here are some photos...

While on the subject of headlight rims, I noticed that the nice one I picked up on fleabay a few months ago is not identical to the two that (I think) are original to the 25. The odd one has a bevel on the aft side that is not present on the other two. Unfortunately, I had planned to use this one instead of the crappy one I'm practicing on. Is the beveled one for some other year DB? It certainly is the same OD and ID as the other two.. Maybe someone would want to trade?

I played around a bit with a headlight rim. It wasn't pretty. I had some 6 mil brass shim stock that I tried to solder to the inside surface over two cracks about an inch apart. I was using a propane torch which seemed to have plenty of BTUs to heat up the 2 layers. I may not have the right kind of flux because it would burn up faster before the area got up to what I thought was hot enough (solder melts readily when touch to the surface). However, it didn't want to wick under the shim. I then tried it without a shim and despite the awful appearance, it did hold together.

I was examining the toe board from my '25 touring car and it appears there were two other smaller plates nailed on there at one time. One is a smaller rectangle ( around 2" x 1") and the other looks like it was an oval, around 1.5" on the major axis. Any idea what these were? I haven't seen anything other than the ID plate available repro. I'll take a photo tonight...

I think it is a Clum switch; the handle looks like mine.

No rush Jason but when you can get to them, I'd be interested in a few pix.

If you can post a few photos of it I'm sure someone here can ID it.

Very cool Tony! A little diversion here and there is no harm...

An interesting subject for sure. I would imagine the torch heat load will have something to do with the mass of what you're trying to get up to temperature. I wouldn't think it would be too difficult to heat this up sufficiently with a typical propane or mapp gas torch (but not a soldering iron). The headlight rings have quite a bit more mass though. I would also like to see what you guys have used successfully. I did do some silver soldering on 1/2 diameter S.S. tubing with an 0.040 (?) wall and had no issues using a plain old propane torch. I'm glad I have a bad ring to practice on though... Oh and thanks for Bob Ore's number BYM.

I'll give Qual Krom a shout since I was planning to plate it. Maybe get the headlight bezels done at the same time. On the other hand, I do have an extra HL bezel that it beyond using but it might be good for practice (they are also brass?). I do have some silver solder that would be worth trying.

That is an interesting document all right.

Hi John, any possibility of sending some photos of the front fenders? I'll PM my e-mail address.

That is the page I was talking about. I was assuming it was a Budd body but maybe not.

Hmm... sounds like I'll have to read up the two processes.

Hi Ray, unfortunately, these things are quite rare for the 25-26 cars from what I've been able to learn. There is a good photo in the 'Mechanics Instruction Manual' that shows what it looks like installed. If you don't have a copy I can try to scan it in. There happens to be a pair of these on ebay (USA) in the DB section but they will go for more than I'm willing to spend. I've come across similar looking brackets at antique auto flea markets but they don't have the correct location for the post that secures it to the body. I'll probably end up modifying something more commonly available to do the job. It's too bad no one repros these...

Thanks guys. I do have some thin sheet brass squirreled away somewhere (.003 or .005", I think). I've soldered brass before; is brazing different? Is that how you did yours Jason?

I'm wondering what can be done to repair the tail light bezel (from a '25). It appears to be made from brass and as the poor photo shows, has some cracks on the outer ring. Has anyone had any luck repairing cracks like this? The way it fits over the glass and on the light housing there is very little room to reinforce it on the hidden side.

Hi Ray, That's great! Is it restored or needing it? A nice original perhaps? Please post some pictures when you get a chance. Where abouts in CT are you? I'm in Waterford (just west of New London).