Pete K.

Thanks "R", That's exactly what I pictured them to look like. You can see the pair I found in the barn where I found the '25 tourer, they are much more rusty than anything on my car, They can be seen on a post by "MikeC5". They are shorter saddles with no shafts. I believe the previous owner was in search of the "unobtainable". I believe the man had found a Dodge roadster somewhere, since I've found a set of roadster folding top irons too.

Thank you Tony, That really explains everything now. My problem is I wouldn't know '25 Dodge touring saddles if one fell on my foot. I think all makes of that era car had those top saddles, but with subtle differences I can not differentiate. I can get the expanders and shafts you mentioned, but I'll have to try and configure one of the repro Ford "T" open type saddles with straps.(??) Summer's a'comin' and I'm puttin' that top down, one way or another.

Well guys, I got my electric wire wheel on the job, and LOW and BEHOLD! I saw a number near top, then started grinding along the top part, OVER the spring shackle-- Now have all the numbers, that are the same as on my toe board plate and I believe the engine # too. These numbers were painted over with the old black paint as you can see, virtually invisible. I was looking in the wrong spot also. Not high enough. Had to take a picture to show how lightly the stampings are, that you guys said they were! Thanks much!

That explains a lot, thank you Rodger for this input that I was not aware of. This may explain my saddle shaft rod holes in body with the body color washers and rusty square nuts on inside. So this top cannot be lowered without damage to top/bows without saddles? I'm now in search for a "retro-fit" saddle assembly. Somebody must have had to do this already. I wish they'd chime in.

Thank you very much Jason and Mike! I'll have to do some wire brushing too, since the numbers MUST be very lightly stamped. I sure hope they're not under the fender Jason, since I'd like to get going on the starting of this baby soon, and that would be just another set back.---Pete.

I'm hoping someone could help me out here. My '25 Dodge touring has a very well worn data plate on toe board, with a vehicle # A 388850. Picking through some old paper work that came with car, I have many old registrations and an older bill of sale with a different vehicle number! When I checked the area just behind the right front spring hanger behind the front wheel, there is no number. I've checked three times. Was the frame number stamped into frame or was it on a plate attached to the frame? My frame is not rusted, so I would think I'd see a stamping if one was there. The number on papers coincide with a slightly earlier (1925) Dodge build date than the number on my toe board.

Here is a picture of page 10 in an original "Book Of Information, Dodge Brothers Motor vehicles", September 1926, Eighteenth Edition, showing the hand operated wiper in a closed car.

Thanks for the info guys. Yes, I noticed the artist's drawings had not included the saddles. Probably to show the public the new cars to look more streamlined, trying to get away from the horse and buggy day appearance. Anyway, I plan to use my top, as life is short, I will start my plans to experiment with Ford Model T repro saddle parts, OR...? I am not going to cut or reform my early Dodge roadster saddles. Someone may need them. Has ANYONE ever made saddles from other parts?

Hey all! This newbie has got some questions; I hope someone can help. I'm in a quandary as to how and where I can locate a set of top bow "saddles" for my 1925 touring. I know that question has probably been beaten to death. Nobody seems to reproduce them. Myers Dodge Parts does have the Studs for the body, but that's where it ends. "BUT" why is it when I see older, or original factory prints of 1920's Dodge touring cars, there are NO top saddles on many of the touring cars??? What's the story there? Looking at my Dodge, there is a raised washer held to body with a screw and square nut on inside that looks like it's been on there since the dawn of man. Same on other side, of course, plugging the holes in body for the studs that are meant to fasten saddles onto. Why on Earth, would someone buy a touring car and NOT ever put the top down?? Something just isn't adding up to me here! No where in the 1925 "Book Of Information" I have shows the saddles or the workings of the top. Am I missing an "owner's manual"?---Pete.

Hey Mike, Saw those on Fleabay. The day before, I located "these" in the junkyard I just purchased. They were in a box of all early Dodge parts. Since you know, I, too, didn't have the irons on my '25 touring. I was quite elated about finding these, went home, and just by holding them up on car, I said to myself, "These are way too short!" They measure 7-3/4" long. These HAVE to be "Roadster" top saddles! There's no way I could cram all the bows of a touring top into these saddles. The printed marks on them looks like a date on the inside of the Latch, "Nov 28 *11". The body part of the saddles are marked,"305 R" and "305 L". Back to the drawing board---Pete.

Congratulations!! There's nothing like that feeling of success with an elderly Dodge. Beautiful coupe! Happy motoring---Pete.

Mike, That is good to know about the Ilco #997DB blank. That may help me soon since I really need to get this key copied,in case I lose it!---Pete.

Hey cadaber, I'm sorry I'm not a big help here, but I do remember many years ago, I had the displeasure of taking those metal covers off a '37 Plymouth. It was a frustrating, knuckle-busting job, I heaved them out when I finally got them off in pieces.I felt that they would be unnecessary to go back on, since I was not worried about getting some road dust on the springs in the limited driving I would do. If you feel you need leaf spring covers, maybe the leather ones they sell these days, if you can't save your old ones. ---Pete.

I wonder how many different keys went to the transmissions back then. I suppose there were as many as there were "door" keys for closed cars?

Hi Brian, This is a working key for the Dodge Brothers 1925 transmission lock. When key is inserted into lock cylinder, it will turn it counter clockwise from the 2 o'clock position, back towards the 10 o'clock position, having made sure the shifter is in neutral. 10 o'clock position being in the "locked" mode. The key also has the word "security" engraved on it. I couldn't imagine locking the transmission and then losing the key. I highly doubt ONSTAR would help.---Pete.

Forgot to mention, those "big wind wings" are definitely aftermarket doo-doo. They are made of clear PLASTIC! They will have to go, but not right away. I have driven open cars before and let me say, you've got to hold onto your hat in cars without any "wings", but in the hot summer, with this split windshield opened all the way up, what difference does it really make?? Just hope a big 'ole June bug doesn't find it's way into this driver's face.

Hello all! Thanks for the encouraging words, Yes, I plan to "conserve" what I've got here. I'm keeping it as original as possible. A lot of good old fashioned elbow grease to clean bright work and paint. I won't try starting her up 'till I drop the pan to eyeball the bottom end first. I'm sure the pan needs a cleaning out anyway. I've gone from ZERO compression to decent compression on engine in two days by using Marvel Oil. Had a few stuck valves and probably the rings too. The original crank was under the front seat, thank God. I also plan to pull radiator, back flush block and rad. core, since I'm finding TONS of mice droppings and half chewed acorns EVERYWHERE. I hooked up my trickle charger yesterday to the battery cables---got to remember this baby is 12 volts, pos. ground. ALL the lights worked, including the stop lamp and high and low beam headlights! Even the "Northeast" horn worked and sounded great. A real strong AHHOOOGA. I've been looking at the transmission lock cylinder for a week now, thinking-where am I ever going to find a "Yale" key for this?? Well, just tonight, I was removing the rear view mirror since the glass is cracked and when I flipped it over, low and behold! there was the key, stuffed in the back of the mirror bracket! It looked like it was put there in 1944 by the dust and tarnish on it. Now if I can only find the man's lucky twenty dollar gold piece...Hmmm.

Hello all! My name is Pete K., I just found your Dodge forum a few days ago. It seems like a GREAT place to be. Here's the story--- Last week, I just happened to be scouring my local "for sale" ad's and surprisingly, saw that a man was selling "An old Dodge", only 4 miles away. I just had to call and go check it out. As I approached the man's garages, I couldn't believe all the old car parts, everywhere! In the center of garage was a 1925 Dodge Touring car, which I couldn't tell if it was all original or a very old restoration. It hadn't been run in ages. Covered with dirt and dust--I was in Heaven! It looked as if one could pop in a battery and drive it out, if you could see through the dirt on the windshield. Well, before long, He gave me "the price" of his father's Dodge--I almost fell over. I'm thinking, "that's only ONE year's worth of property tax here in town". How could I not blurt out--SOLD! He smiled and said he really liked me since I was the only guy to show up that didn't "low-ball" his price. Then went on to say that all the parts go with the car. I had NO idea he meant ALL the parts! There is about 10 tons of car parts, Many Dodge Brothers,"22-'26?, '31 & '32 Pontiac, Studebaker, some Model A Ford... Since then, I've made 9 trips with my pick up to his property and MANY more to come. There is everything from body parts to engines, rear ends, front ends, big disc wheels, round gas tanks, Clum ignitions, steering boxes, axles, drums, radiators, steering wheels---well, everything. I had no idea my afternoon would turn up all of this. I'm so proud of my "new" Dodge. I plan to keep it as original as possible. I have a lot of questions for all you guys!!! Your kind help is very much appreciated. To top it off, my wife though I was going downtown to get a new lawnmower spark plug. BOY- was she surprised.

Hello Bill, I just measured the distance between the threaded holes on the "ears". It is exactly 4- 3/4"! (I measured it three times). I wish I knew what was really on the Dodge in '25. If you notice, there is a drilled hole in my windshield frame just to the left of the mounting screw as seen from the outside picture I posted above. I suspect maybe a longer, cylindrical type motor? there is a hose going down post, through firewall and to a fitting on my vacuum tank. I have MUCH to learn about the Dodge car. I'll post some "barn find" info later. Bill, there is no other stampings, or numbers on the body of the wiper motor. Only the large brass name tag.----Pete.

Dear sir, I hope I can help out a bit here, I owned a series 40, 4-door many years ago, and it had a very old, possibly an original tandem wiper on it. As my memory holds, it had a triangular little plate that screwed onto outer header, under visor on passenger side, of course, and that plate, about 1-1/4" at top, tapered down to a rounded point with a screw hole there at bottom, which was even with the bottom of the header panel, ( three screws total, in each corner of the plate), and it had a "stud" that was flush riveted near center of the plate that held the passenger side wiper arm. The stud looked like a cut-off end of a vac. wiper shaft, being about 3/4" long. The unit was linked from the wiper motor arm with a light-weight "U" channel arm made from thin sheet metal, about 20 inches long. this arm was about 1/4" wide and hooked up to the wiper arms with small cotter pins, utilizing the arm ends having a tab with the little hole for the pins. The whole idea is to have a very light-weight link bar, but strong. When you turned on wiper, it would push and pull the arm on passenger side. Clear as mud??? Call me at home if you want, (978)-777-7213. E.S.T.

This may not be of much help, but I seem to remember a man by the name of Don Sommer was reproducing those a long time ago out of brass, then plating them. They were NICE. He may have been involved with repro Packard items mostly, along with spot lights (C.M. Hall as I recall). If you can latch onto one of those, I think it would be a benefit, since the originals were pot-metal, NO guaranteeing a "whole one" will stay "whole" too long. Best of luck!---Pete.