Chrycoman

Budd is still around. Budd is now known as ThyssenKrupp Budd Co. in the U.S., with its operations based in Troy, Michigan. Budd sold off its rail car operations to Bombardier in 1987 and their body building and chassis business to Martinrea International in 2006. Today the firm is a metal fabricator and supplier of body components (doors, hoods, etc.). Bill Toronto, ON

In the late 1920's and early 1930's a number of companies had a double model year due to the fact the engineering people used the calendar for the model year while the marketing people used the model year as we know it -starts in July or August. The 1928 model year for Dodge Brothers started on July 1, 1927, with the Fast Four models. In January, 1928 the new 1928 Victory Six (130) went into production, followed by the Standard Six (140) in March and Senior Six (2251) in May. The last Fast Four was built in March, 1928. In July, 1928 the Standard Six became a 1929 model at serial number J-42687, Victory Six became a 1929 model at serial number M-51930, and the Senior Six at at S-50001 (new model - 2252). Chrysler purchased Dodge Brothers at the end of July, 1928. The Standard Six and Victory Six production ended in December, 1928, to be replaced by the new Dodge DA Six in January 1929. The Senior Six continued through the 1929 model year, and was replaced by the DB Senior Six in July 1929 (1930 model). The DA became a 1930 model in July, 1929 at serial number at DA-83715. From that point on all Dodge model codes started with "D", conforming to Chrysler Corporation's model code system. Engines on the DA and DB were basically continuations of the previous Dodge Brothers models. The first Chrysler-designed Dodges went into production in December, 1929 - the DD Six and DC Eight - as 1930 models. 1932 was the last year of 1st and 2nd series models for Chrysler. Confusion would arise again with the 1949 models of the P15, D24, etc., with the marketing people declaring they became 1949 models on 01 December, 1948. The Engineering people, however, ignored the 1949 labels, and produced serial number lists, etc. showing only 1946, 1947 and 1948 model years. Used car guides show the changeover points of models having a split model year, but not the Engineering Department. Bill Toronto, ON

A couple odd things regarding the Canadian-built Valiants - Alternators were optional in 1960-1962 for all Canadian-built Chryco cars. Also, Chrysler in the U.S. adopted a reduction gear starter for 1962, with the exception of the Dodge 880 and Chryslers with a manual transmission. In Canada, the reduction gear starter was used only on V8 models, with the 1962-1965 Canadian-built slant six model continuing to use the Prestolite (ex-Autolite) starter. The trouble here is that the ring gears have different tooth counts, and thus you cannot use a Prestolite starter on a ring gear meant for a reduction gear starter, and vice versa. Something to watch out for when mating your transmission to your soon to be acquired slant six. Also, the Canadian Valiant does not have a "Plymouth" nameplate on the trunklid. Something I see on "restored" Canadian 1962 Valiants and 1966 Barracudas, and a very big no-no. Bill Toronto, ON

Dodge did not have a model "TI", skipping from DH to DK. At ay rate, the engine numbers never used the model numbers back then only the Engineering Code for the engine as the prefix, which was always a "T" followed by numbers. Chrysler used to use the letter "I" for the number "1" when stamping engine numbers. Thus I suspect the engine code is T142, which was used on 1948-1949 model B-1-B half ton models. The engine has a 3.25" bore and a 4.375" stroke for 217.8-cid. Bill Toronto, ON

Chrysler began building LWB sedans in 1935. For 1936 DeSoto began offering a LWB sedan for taxi use. The cars were built with the bodies in white with no interiors and were completed for use as a taxi by Waters. The last LWB Plymouth was 1941, Dodge 1951, DeSoto and Chrysler 1954 and Imperial 1956. The 1955-56 Imperials were not Ghia built but were Chrysler units. DeSoto was initially to use the LWB body for its 1955 taxi, but New York changed its taxi regulations and a LWB model was no longer needed. Checker also stopped production of its LWB taxi in late 1954 and then proceeded to tool and build a new standard wheelbase taxi. With the elimination of the taxi trade, LWB sedans were no longer economically viable. It was too late for the 1955 bodies, but when the 1957 models were being designed Chrysler decided to have LWB Imperial limousines custom built.

935 is broadcloth upholstery

GM acquired total control of Fisher Body in 1926. Up to then Fisher Body built bodies for many auto manufacturers, but GM announced that 1927 was the last year they would be building bodies for non-GM products. Thus the 72 was the last Chrysler model to have bodies by Fisher. In Canada, Chrysler purchased the Fisher Body plant at Edna and St. Luke in 1927 in Walkerville (now Windsor) and used the plant to build car bodies until the new plant was completed on Drouillard Road (now Chrysler Centre) and Tecumseh. Bill Toronto, ON

Was looking over the thread and thought I would ask if we could see a shot of the front suspension, as it was the first year Chrysler Corporation offered idependent front suspension. Amongst the information on the 1934 Dodge DR and DRXX in this thread - SUSPENSION The 1934 models saw the debut of an independent front suspension. The front and rear leaf springs were of the semi-elliptical type, with the rear springs protected with metal covers. The spring shackles were "C"-shaped bolts held with rubber-cored bushings to reduce vibration. The threaded bushings served the dual purpose of holding the shackle in place and isolating it from the frame in the hanger. Actually, the IFS cars used COIL springs up front and not leaf springs. The DR, DS and DT models all used the same system as the the Plymouth PE and PF. The PG used leaf springs up front with a solid axle. OF course, for 1935 both Plymouth and Dodge dropped IFS and reverted to leaf springs up front. The DT, by the way, used the Plymouth PE body, frame and engine with the DR front clip and instrument panel. The first `Plodge`. A while back Hemmings Classic Car had an article on a Canadian-built 1934 Dodge Convertible Coupe. Do not know if it was a DR or DT as the article was poorly researched. The author also had the car having front leaf springs, but you could tell by the photos of the front end there were no leaf springs! On the topic of cylinder heads, the standard heads on Chrysler products were cast iron, but the high compression heads were generally aluminum. This started back in the 1920`s with the Red Ram heads on Chryslers. Bill Toronto, ON

The "VF-31" is the model code. "V" is for the model year of the truck and the "F" for the size/model/capacity. "31" is a number assigned to the wheelbase size. The "t-88-e" is the engineering code - "T" for truck, "88" the 88th model (although model numbers were skipped") and is used to indentify the engine, and "e", again for the truck capacity. The wheelbase usually follows the "e". The "T-88" was also used as the engine number prefix. For VF-31 model code - "V" - 1940 model year "F" - 3/4, 1 and 1½ Ton conventional truck "31" - 1½ Ton, 133" wheelbase T-88-E was used on VM and VMA models. The "A" meant a tractor type truck. The VF and VFA used T-98 VF-31 was engineering code T-98-E-133 - T - Truck 98 - Engineering model code - 228.1-cid block (3.375"x4.25") E - 1½ Ton 133 - 133" wheelbase. The T-98-E was also used on Canadian-built DB3 1½ Ton models I have the list of model numbers, enginerering codes but I am still collecting them all into one document, serial numbers included. Bill Toronto, ON

Actually, Chrysler made its first investment in the Rootes Group in 1963. By 1966 they had a majority interest in the company and in 1970 the company became Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd. The American-market 1971-73 and Canadian-market 1971-72 Plymouth Crickets were based on the Hillman Avenger (became Chrysler Avenger in 1976). The Canadian 1973-75 Plymouth Crickets were Dodge Colts with different grilles, taillights and emblems. The Cricket's version of the Colt GT was the Formula S. So there were some Japanese Crickets built. Brakes were not the fault of Rootes as they did not make brakes. They were Girling units on the Cricket and Lockheed on the Alpine/Arrow models. The British Lockheed brakes of the 1960's and later were nothing like 1930's to early 1960's Lockheed brakes in North America, by the way. I believe GM was the only manufacturer to make their own brakes. Every other North American car company, for example, bought brakes from Bendix, Lockheed, Wagner, Budd or Midland, although Nash of Canada bought Canadian Chevrolet brakes for the Canadian Statesman in the early 1950's.

I am surprised Chysler clubs had that attitude. All manufacturers over the years have painted cars and trucks in the corporate colours of the customer, at extra cost of course. In Canada both CIL and DuPont stocked paints for hundreds of companies, utilities, departments of various levels of govenment (municipal, provincial, federal) and government owned companies. In the case of Chrysler, during the period the paint codes on the cars used the AAA or AAN code layout, 999 was used for special paint jobs. Chrysler of Canada used codes 501 through 999 each year from 1957 through 1965 for special paint jobs. Unfortunately those codes were never released to the public. Studebaker did much the same with its paint codes, using numbers above the factory offerings for special jobs. Again, these numbers were only used at the assembly plant. Do not assume that the paint code used by one manufacturer is the same colour for the same code used by another manufacturer. You might be in for a big surprise. And the codes quoted by car manufacturers are not the paint codes used by the paint manufacturers. Codes such as Studebakers 8236 was assigned by Studebaker to a particular colour used on a Studebaker product and has no relation to an 8236 used by another car or paint manufacturer. And to complicate matters, codes were assigned to different colours in different years by car companies. Many people like Mopar B5 blue, but very few know there was more than one shade of B5 blue over the years. In the case of Plymouth and 8236, it was more than likely a production colour. Unfortunately for us, Chrysler did not start to share its paint codes with dealers and paint companies until 1933. Prior to that the codes apparently were basically used only in the assembly plant. And in the U.S. Chrysler did not start recording the paint code on the car itself until the late 1940s for Chrysler and the mid-1950s for Plymouth. Chrysler of Canada started recording the paint code on the car as early as 1935. So, given the fact that the paint codes prior to 1933 were not released for public use and Chrysler Historical does not have records on the codes, somehow or another it will be necssary to track down engineering department records of paint codes and the colours assigned to those codes. I have no illusions on the matter, however - I sincerely believe those documents are long gone.

There is no key. I have the Canadian Master Parts Lists for pre-1934 Plymouth, DeSoto and Chrysler, and they list the W-P-C-H-R-Y-S-L-E-D decode as the U.S. edition. There is no numerical equivalent for the letters Chrysler of Canada used - A, B, F, G, J, N, and O. All Canadian-built Chrysler cars used FEDCO serial numbers starting with a non-decoding letter. All Fargo Packet and Clipper FEDCO numbers, American and Canadian started with E. The Fargo Freighter started with W. In the US Chrysler used letters K. KK, and Z. K was used for the DeSoto model K, and when they hit K99999, the next series started at KK. I suspect Chrysler of Canada used non-decodable letters at the beginning as their production could get by with 5 digits. It also permiteed the US firm to all numbers from W00WP to D999DD.

Fluid Drive was NOT a transmission, it was a fluid coupling between the engine and clutch. If you are looking up parts for Fluid Drive you will need to look in the Engine section, not the Transmission, while the service manual covers the Fluid Drive under Clutch. Fluid Drive was mated to either a three-speed manual transmission or Chrysler's 4-speed semi-automatic. In 1941 the 4-speed semi-automatic was called the Simplimatic on the DeSoto and Vacamatic on the Chrysler Royal and Windsor. Both Fluid Drive and Vacamatic were optional on the Royal and Windsor models. If the car has a 3-speed manual, the gearshift lever can be moved into reverse, first, second or third gears. On the 4-speed semi-automatic, there is no "1sr" gear position with the low range being where 2nd gear is on the manual and high range where 3rd is. The 1941-42 Vacamatic will have a vacuum canister on the side of the transmission, either a diaphram type or piston. The electrical control style of the semi-automatic transmission appeared after the war for the 1946 models.

It is actually a DD engine with a 2-7/8" bore. In the 1930's Chrysler built export vehicles with a smaller bore to get around the higher taxes on large bore engines. That was the main reason for the long stroke engines in Europe at the time. The 2 7/8" bore engines used slightly different blocks than the regular 3.25" bore engines, with the cylinder wall diameter being smaller than the 3.25" bore and, naturally, more space between the cylinder bores. In the case of the DE, the pistons and rings were shared with the DC 8. The DF was a taxi based on the DD 4-door sedan, while the DI was another export with a 2-7/8" bore based on the DH while the DJ was a taxi based on the DH. For 1932 Dodge offered a 4-cylinder DM for markets outside North America based on the Plymouth PB - the very first "Plodge". The next Plodge would appear in 1934 - the Canadian-market DT. In 1933 Dodge began using the same system that Plymouth, DeSoto and Chrysler used - adding a single "X" to the model number to denote a small bore. Thus the 1934 DR had a 3-1/4" bore while the export DRX had a 2-7/8" bore. When Dodge decided to introduce a cheaper series of cars, it was labelled the DRXX. Could not call it a DRX as the DRXX used the DR engine. After the war Mopar used a lower compression ratio instead of a smaller bore. In 1951 for eaxmple the US-built export Plymouth six had a 6.25:1 compression ratio while the American market Plymouths had a 7.00:1 compression ratio. Bill Toronto, ON

The 1955 C300 was a Windsor/New Yorker hardtop on a Firedome/Fireflite/Windsor/New Yorker non-wagon and non-convertible frame with an Imperial grille. The 1955-56 Windsor and New Yorker bodies were identical - just different holes for the trim and different grilles. As well, Firedome, Fireflite, Windsor and New Yorker shared chassis frames. The chassis frames came as with Powerflite or without, with the convertible and wagon having their own frames. Sedans and hardtops shared a third frame. Bill Toronto, ON

By the serial number, your Plymouth is a 1953 model, built in Evansville, Indiana. There were two series in the U.S. for 1953 - Cambridge (P24-1) and Cranbrook (P24-2). Cambridge came as 2d business coupe, 2dr club sedan, 4dr sedan and 2dr Suburban wagon. Cranbrook cams as 2d club coupe, 2dr club sedan, 4dr sedan, 2dr Belvedere hardtop, 2dr convertible and 2dr Savoy wagon. The club sedan used the same roof as the 4-door sedan and had a small quarter window at the rear of the side window. The coupes had a shorter roofline and used a one piece glass for the rear side windows, which rolled down on the club coupe models. Business coupes had stationary rear side windows and no back seat. (In Canada, the P24-3 Belvedere series was added in April, 1953, offering a 4-dr sedan and 2dr hardtop. The hardtop in the Cranbrook series was dropped. Also, the club sedans were not built in Canada but were imported. The imported convertible remained in the Cranrbrook series as it was a model P24-2.) For 1954 the Cambridge became the Plaza, Cranbrook became the Savoy, and a new Belvedere series was added. The convertible and hardtop were moved up to the Belvedere series and all wagons were Suburbans. Anyway, the headlining for the coupe models will be shorter than that used on the sedans. If your two door has roll down windows for the rear seat with a small quarter window that does not roll down, you have a club sedan. If the whole window rolls down and there is no quarter window, you have a club coupe. Bill

Your car is an export Dodge based on the Plymouth, actually a Dodge Kingsway Special DeLuxe. DeSoto also had an export line with DeSoto-like grilles on Plymouths sold as DeSoto Diplomat. The Plymouth-based export Dodge and DeSoto models were built in Detroit with the Canadian plant building the Dodge variations for the Canadian market as well. And your Dodge Kingsway station wagon is, indeeed, a woody wagon. You will find that the body, frame, engine, transmission, etc. is the same as the 1946-48 Plymouth. The nameplates, emblems, grille, hood ornament and parking lights are different, though. Keep us posted as to how things are going. Your car is very rare and it would be great to see it when done. Bill Toronto, ON

Just to sort out the DuPont Bulletins and Color Sheets : Starting in 1931 for Chrysler Corporation, Bulletins were issued with the list of models and colours available, but with no colour chips. The Color Sheets had the colour chips and formulas, but no applications. At the time Chrysler had no set model year, with the Engineering Department following the calendar year (sort of) and the marketing people following the advertised model year, which began in July / August and ended the following June / July. The first set model year for Chrysler was 1933, which is why DuPont did not label their sheets with 1931 or 1932, but did starting with the 1933 model year. For Dodge, Bulletin 1 covered the 1931 model year, Bulletin 2 for 1932 and Bulletin 3 for 1933. By 1935 the Bulletins had the colour chips and formulas and a listing of the colours used with fender, stripe and wheel information. With that, the Color Sheets were dropped. So, referring to the DuPont Color Sheets posted earilier, the first sheet is tied to Bulletin 2, 1932 models, and is side B of page 3. The second sheet is side A of page 3. The third and fourth sheets are linked to Bulletin 1, 1931 models, the third sheet being side A of page 1 and the fourth side B of page 1. The fifth sheet posted is for Bulletin 1, 1931 models, and is side B of page 2. The final sheet is linked to Bulletin 3, 1933 models, and is side A of page 4. I have attached a sample of the Bulletins, this one being Chrysler Bulletin No 2 for the 1932 models. Sorry, nothing for Dodge. Also, for those who are interested in what is missing, the second sheet is side A of page 2 which covers the 1931 models. The last is side B of page 4, for the 1933 models. For Australian models, especially if the assembly and painting was done in Australia, the colours may be completely different from the U.S. The Canadian Chrysler and GM operations used unique Canadian colours for years.

The D19-30219 is the engine serial number. The "D19" means it is a 1941, just as "D5" is 1937. And it is the 29,219th D19 engine built. The "860229-7" is the block casting number while the head casting number is 63675-3. Similarly, the transmission case casting number is 651358 while 4-20 might the month and day the case was cast. The transmission is a 3-speed. No 4-speed transmissions in North American-built cars ack then. Floor shifters were used until around 1939 when column shift was introduced. 4-speed transmissions were used in larger Dodge Trucks. The neatest thing about Chrysler Corporation cars from about 1935 through to the end of the 1950's is that engine swapping was quite easy. A 1941 Dodge engine would fit into a 1937 Dodge no trouble. The clutch and transmission of 1937 Dodge would bolt right up to a 1941 engine and the whole unit would drop it with no problems. The access if photo #2 is the access to the oil pump. The shaft to the oil pump is an extension from the distributor, which actually fits into the top of the shaft.

Chrysler built something like ten million flathead engines. Finding three of ten million with holey blocks is, as they say, statistically insignificant. Cracked blocks, especially before WW II, caused by freezing was quite common in cold areas as antifreeze was not that good. An alcohol-based stuff was usually used that had to be treated with care or would, as my father found out, catch fire. He used to fill the rad with this stuff, leave the rad cap off, start the car (a 1936 Graham Supercharger), go back into the house to keep warm and come out when the engine was getting warm. This one time he got back outside a few moments too late and saw the the alcohol antifreeze burst into flame. Flames reached up about three storeys and burnt every rubber and wire piece under the hood as well as the paint on the front end. Normally if the procedure was successful, you drained the alcohol antifreeze and filled with water. If you were going to be out for a while you had to remember to go a start up the car to heat the water up and prevent it from freezing. If you didn't, well, a patch would be called for if you were lucky and an engine if you weren't. Bill Toronto, ON

Do you have Canadian trim codes. I have Canadian parts books from 1934 through 1937 and 1939 through 1942, but they show only US codes and advise the dealer to send the car`s serial number with the trim request. The people at the parts warehouse (Chatham or Regina) would check the build record for the correct materials to use. I also have 1949 through 1967 parts books and they do list the codes up to 1954. After that the codes are attached to the part numbers, but no materials or colours are mentioned, although in most cases you can determine the main colour by the carpet colour the codes are attached. The code lists appear again starting in 1964, though. Also, no American information in the 1949 to 1966 books. Bill Toronto, ON

Chrysler Canada did do spring colours perodically in the post war era, but nothing on this scale. None of these Spring colours were used in Canada. Bill Toronto, ON

The DuPont sheet is an early one and is missing the Hunter Green and Regal Maroon. The two do appear on lists printed in later editions, but I have yet to see a later colour bulletin to see if the chips were added. If you use the Auto Color Library and cannot find a chip sheet for the car you want, choose the make and year you want and check the Ditzler Color Sheet. They have almost all makes listed on these sheets from 1929 through 1936, except for Plymouth, Dodge and DeSoto which do not have 1935-1936. Record the "IM-" numbers you want. Then go back to the home page and choose the Vintage Vehicles section, then First Auto Color Codes. The Intermix Chip Colors page will appear and you can choose the page your colour is on. You can spend hours going through those colours! Unfortunately they do not let you save these pages to your computer. They are jpg files, but they have blocked the copy and save functions. Also attaching Sherwin-Williams colour chip sheets for the 1936-1937 Dodge. Bill Toronto, ON

Did some more digging and came across a 1936-37 Dodge standard colors by Sherwin-Williams. The sheet does not have paint chips but does have their formulas, using S-W tints, etc. The sheet does show Blue Cloud No. 3, Blue Cloud No. 4, Nickel Gray No. 2, Nickel Gray No. 3, Star Blue No. 1, and Star Blue No. 4. These colors do not have Dodge paint codes nor S-W product codes. Just the formulas. They are noted as "Dodge Spring Colors - Not used in Regular Production". That, and the fact Dodge did not give these colours a code number, it only stands to reason that if they did record the paint on the build record, they would use the paint manufacturers codes. And it seems these colours were from Ditzler as Sherwin-Williams has some of them, but I have not come across any other paint company that lists them. Regal Maroon and Hunter Green are listed with the formulas and their Dodge codes, 320 for Hunter Green and 601-603 for Regal Maroon. Also have a second 1936-37 Dodge sheet from Sherwin-Williams, this one with the colour chips. But this one does not list any of the Dodge Spring Colors other than Hunter Green (S-W lacquer 32084) and Regal Maroon (S-W lacquer 32079). Bill Toronto, ON

The build record probably had the Ditzler paint code recorded. No computers back then and no need to program special codes. Just write the number in the blank colour code slot. Had a 1963 Studebaker Lark a few years back and I ordered the build record for it - Studebaker museum has build records for 1960-1966 Canadian-built Studebakers and 1936-1964 US built. The paint code was a CIL number. Checked the list I have of CIL paint codes and the original colour was a 1951 GM of Canada blue. Forget the exact name. Talk about a special order order colour! The Studebaker had more rust on it than steel in some very important places. And thus would consume more money than I could manage. Somone who needed the glass and a few other good pieces took the car. Bill Toronto, ON