Taylormade

A photograph of what is believed to be the only Zapmobile in existence. It was found in an abandoned garage outside Ashtabula, Ohio by Thomas "Chuffy" Heidkamp in 1963. Chuffy always meant to restore the car, but after pulling it out of the garage, it languished in his backyard until 1987 when he was killed in a freak accident with the automatic milking machine in his barn. A bitter family dispute over ownership of Chuffy's car collection ended in the infamous Ashtabula Shootout. Thankfully no one was injured, but it took twenty two years of litigation before what was left of the car was finally awarded to Chuffy's son-in law, Carl "Shifty" Munson. Unfortunately, in 2013 the car broke into three pieces during an attempt to load it on a trailer in preparation for transport to Barrett-Jackson. Shifty decided to keep the car, repairing the damage with J B Weld and chicken wire. It will go up on eBay sometime in the near future with a reported reserve of six-point two million dollars (American).

Bloo, looks like it will buff out. I'd go for a preservation rather than a restoration - they're only original once. Too bad it's a sedan rather than the more desirable AeroCoupe.

The only known photo of the last three Zapmobiles abandoned on the assembly line.

I like the PM access, also.

The last gasp of Zap Motors. According to legend, three finished cars were left abandoned on the assembly line when the company went bankrupt. (Like I said, I have way too much time on my hands)

Thanks.

I know what a C-clip is, Tom, but my knowledge of E-clips is nonexistent. Since I'm getting ready to do my handles, a further explanation would be welcome. Did you have to cut the grooves deeper or just put the clip on as is?

Wow, love it.

Very happy to hear you are going for the original look. Several people commented on my 32 Dodge Brothers sedan restoration, telling me the original all black would look better painted a different color. Since the paint color was written in chalk inside the body and plainly easy to read, my car will be black with straw yellow wire wheels and black walls, just as she rolled out of Dodge Main on January 21, 1931.

Looking great! What color will she be?

Try the Dodge and Dodge Brothers section on this site in the Chrysler Products section. I'd also join the Dodge Brothers Club. Lots of great information on both sites.

Every time someone brings up the DOT3 or DOT5 argument, you get a million opinions. I went with DOT5 silicon because I was tired of having all my chassis paint being eaten off by DOT3. I have all new or relined cylinders, master cylinder and brake lines. Most people like it, but some hate it and will, I'm sure, tell you why.

Yes, full shots of the truck, detail shots of the interior, motor and undercarriage would be necessary to give you a ballpark figure. plan on much disagreement and varying opinions from the gang. You can also find sold listings on eBay for similar vehicles to get a good idea of what they go for. Make sure it's a sold listing, not a Buy It Now or on-going auction.

One of the things I love about restoring a car is the weird and wonderful things you discover as you go through the process and the number of wonderful people that will help you out at every turn.. I've posted on this particular item in the past, but now here is the whole story. Back during disassembly, I discovered this strange bracket on the frame. I wasn't sure what it was for. So, I contacted my old friend Phil Kennedy, who has a very original 32 DL, and he crawled under his car to check. Well, he had the same bracket, not attached to anything. We both scratched our heads and pondered the mysteries of the universe. Then 34dodger came to the rescue and posted a shot of the bracket with all the bells and whistles that were supposed to be attached. it was an exhaust bracket. Close proximity to the exhaust pipe probably should have given me the clue. So, I was missing the piece that went from the bracket to the exhaust pipe clamp. So was Phil. What was left of my bracket was in bad shape. The rubber had gone bad and separated from the metal part of the piece. At this point I thought the missing bolts that attached this part to the missing extension were embedded in the rubber and had fallen out. i was amazed that the rubber had remained with the steel backing as it literally fell out when I took the bracket off the frame. Now I had the old familiar problem - could I somehow restore this mess or was I going to have to give in and use a standard exhaust hanger. After all, this was under the car and who was going to see it? Well, I couldn't bring myself to take the easy way out. I was determined to fix the problem correctly, fool that I am. First problem - the missing extension. I posted wanted ads and contacted other DL owners to no avail. It's obvious that once the rubber crumbled and separated from the steel backing, the next new exhaust system installed would lead to the tossing of the bracket. it undoubtedly came off when the old exhaust was pulled off and discarded. Phil's and my car were sterling examples, and both had makeshift hangers installed on aftermarket exhaust systems. Since the bracket attaches to the back of the muffler, a new muffler probably meant the end of the original bracket. Then another site member came to the rescue. 1935EB saw my posting on the problem and sent me very detailed drawings of his bracket. I took the drawings to my fabricator Ed Thomas of Thomas Restorations and he made me a new bracket from scratch. Now I'm getting someplace. 34dodger also told me he had his rubber bracket re-vulcanized by Then And Now Automotive. This was great news as they had done a very nice job on my Floating Power motor and transmission mounts. i contacted them and they said they could do it, but would have to make a mold and that might take several months. This was puzzling and I told them they had already done one of these and had to have the correct molds. They worked with me, and once 34dodger sent me a copy of his old invoice with the part number, they found the molds. Now, I figured I was all set. But then 34dodger sent me a nice drawing of his bracket and I realized I was missing another piece! I had the outer metal piece, but now I discovered there was an inner metal piece that the bracket bolts were attached too. I had assumed, wrongly as usual, that the bolts were embedded in the rubber. Now I had to find this piece! I contacted Then And Now and explained the problem. Mike, the guy who does the molding, listened patiently to my whining and told me to wait a minute while he when out back to see if they had any spare parts. A few minutes later he was back and said, "Yeah, we have a bunch of spares back there, no problem." The final problem solved. Friday I received my refurbished mount with the original back piece and the spare front piece, and it looks great. And when I checked the fit of the bracket Ed made - it was perfect. The accurate drawings and Ed's craftsmanship had come together and saved the day. So, a long, torturous journey to get one lousy exhaust bracket correct and back on the car. The bracket is off to powdercoating and then I can finally hook up my new exhaust and muffler. On to the next adventure.

The business was purchased by a gentleman I met at Hershey last year. He had several tables full of castings. I'll have to dig out his name and number, but I have it around here somewhere.

Very disconcerting for me to see the brake line attached to the "driveshaft." I had to stare at your photo for a second before I remembered Buicks have a torque tube, not an exposed driveshaft like my 32 Dodge Brothers. Looking very nice!

Wow!

This is why I prefer driving tours and similar events. They're usually attended by people who enjoy driving their cars, and feature cars with chips, grease and loving wear. Break down and everyone stops and gathers around to help. Very few enclosed trailers in sight. Everyone has their own road to travel, and if you enjoy Concours events, more power to you. Personally, the view of row after row of people wearing exactly the same "sporty" outfits coldly observing your car as it drives by displaying a colored ribbon (damn, 60FlatTop, it does look like a funeral) is not my idea of fun. I know if I was on a Dodge Brothers Club tour and my window wouldn't roll down, I'd be surrounded by club members helping me fix the problem, not five guys in blazers, white pants and hats gazing with disapproval while I nervously tried to solve the problem. Now, please, all the Concours guys, this isn't a knock at your source of enjoyment with old cars or of that type of event, it's just me preferring dirt under my fingernails, the wind in my face, and not being worried about a stone chip. To each his own. And a very funny story, Joe.

I guess I'll have to give the same answer I've been giving for the last eight months - SOON!

Very nice.

Love the decal! Buick sure got that right.

Is that the bottom of the visor I'm seeing in the first shot? And what is the cylinder through the top of the frame. Your photos and advice are greatly appreciated. Looks like I'll be going through what you did. Thanks 30dodge35 and everyone.

See my reply in the General Discussion section.

It sounds like the setup on my 32 Dodge Brothers DL. You have to remove the cross member to remove the sump pan. It's a good idea to place a support under the transmission to keep from putting too much stress on the other rubber mounts if it's anything like my car. Just drop the cross member and you'll have full access to the sump bolts. If you have a torsion leaf spring that goes from the bell housing to the frame, you'll have to remove that assembly, too.

There is no captive nut, the plate is about 1/8 steel that has threaded holes. The screws just screw into the plate itself. You can see some of this through holes on the inside of the car above the windshield opening. I'll try to get some shots of what I'm talking about. It's a heck of a lot easier if you can see it rather than trying to understand my convoluted descriptions.