Taylormade

I had a local place sandblast and powdercoat my six wire wheels for 60 bucks each. They did a real nice job and when I went to put the tires on, the new, smooth surface made the job incredibly easy.

Running when parked - my favorite description! Nice car, but it needs a lot of work, running or not, and I think you might be a bit optimistic on your pricing. Best of luck on the sale.

Wow, the PO really chewed up your frame. I found these shots of a CD8 motor. They show the cradle (the black support sticking out at the front of the motor on each side) I was talking about and it appears it bolts to your mounts, although I'm not sure what that inner hole in the mounts is for as there seems to be only a top and lower bolt on the engine cradle. If there is indeed a two bolt mounting setup for each mount, I'm not sure how the rubber washers would work since you have a vertical and horizontal axis that would work against each other. All Chrysler products I have seen and restored (1929 Plymouth, 1932 Dodge, 1948 Plymouth, 1950 Dodge) have this front support firmly bolted to the frame with no rubber washers. The place where the support attaches to the motor would have a rubber pad that provides isolated movement between the front crossmount and the motor. Of course, your Chrysler may have had a different design as I can't tell from the photos how the crossmount is actually attached to the motor. Were the front mounts shown in your photo used to mount the Cadillac flathead? If so, they may be later additions and not positioned correctly for your original engine. All mounts from this era that I have seen were riveted to the frame. If yours are welded on, they are probably not the original mounts. Good luck dropping the motor in, I hope it goes well!

Not trying to beat a dead horse here, but do you have any of the front motor mount? This is usually a support that straddles the frame and has a rubber pad that sits between the mount and a tab on the engine - usually just above the timing gear cover. This front mount is necessary for this rubber mounted system to work properly. If you mount the front of the engine in a solid mount, the two rear rubber mounts will be fighting it and this could twist your front mounting bolts off. I know it's a pain, but if you could find a parts car with these parts, your life would suddenly become much simpler. As to that center crossmember, mine was actually bolted onto the frame, although a friend of mine who also has a 32 Dodge found that his was riveted on. His was made much later in the production run. Trying to find some of this stuff can drive you crazy at times, but for the rubber mount system to work properly, you need all mounting points to be set up correctly, and that is stating the obvious as I'm sure you're aware of the problem. Maybe try an ad on the H.A.M.B site, a rodder may have gutted his frame and still have some of the original parts you need.

Can you get accurate measurements from the colleague in Maryland and make up a set for your car? Or perhaps he will lend you his for use as a pattern. My 32 Doge DL has a similar crossmember with a rubber pad very much like yours. My car does not have the bell housing mounts, there is another rubber mount that attaches to the transmission and a rear mount bolted to the frame, providing true "Floating Power."

The brass inserts may have been destroyed when the engine block was hot-tanked - assuming it was hot-tanked during the rebuild. Another question - did you paint your engine block with epoxy primer before the finish coat?

Before you do anything else, get the rubber in those mounts replaced. Now and Then Auto does a nice job for a reasonable price. That old, rotted stuff is likely to tear out under any hard use. My 29 Plymouth had a setup similar to yours, although the mounts connected directly to the frame and the bellhousing. There was no separate piece between the mount and the belhousing. I couldn't find a photo or lube chart for a CD-8, but a chart for a 31 Dodge 8 shows the mounts going directly from the frame rail to extensions on the bellhousing. I think those extensions are cast into the bellhousing. This is a chart of the Dodge 8. My Plymouth mounted the same way. I remember it was quite a job getting that bellhousing in between those mounts on the frame!

I called the seller - looks like the car is sold. This is an odd beastie - only one sidemount, which I haven't seen before. He says that's how it came and maybe you could order just one back in 32, but I can't say for sure. Incorrect headlights and luggage rack, but a nice original tail light (boy are they hard to find) and I like the blue body. Let's just hope the new owner restores it rather than making it into a rod.

Ian, don't you love it when something finally comes together and everything fits like it's supposed to? As I continue my restoration, I, too, am always finding boxes and envelopes full of things I'd forgotten I'd even had. After viewing your posts on your front windows rebuild, I'm glad my old 32 just has a plain roll-up window. Don't get me wrong, I love the split vents, the chrome and the unusual mechanism, butIi'm sure glad i don't have to work on them!

I got my parts back from the powdercoaters today - semi-gloss black to match the rest of the frame. The running boards came out great. Battery box (one extra) and the box supports. The tool box. Man, it's nice to have new looking parts "painted" and with no grease/rust/holes/pieces missing. My daughter, who works at the local high school, has some seniors coming over this Sunday to lift the body off the frame so I can install these parts, my redone shocks and get all the restored Floating Power mounts in, ready to install the motor.

Nice looking car, great story. Let us know how it all works out.

Almost, Grog. A few years ago I bought a 50 Dodge Wayfarer convertible and made the fatal mistake of buying it from pictures on EBay. It turned out to be a total rustbucket, so bad that i was going to have to replace sections of the frame that had turned into Swiss cheese. The car was basically a parts car, but I found a nice 241 Hemi and decided to pull off the body, make a new frame and install the Hemi, a Torqueflite tranny and an updated rear end, restore the body and make a nice sleeper rod. I had all the parts and was ready to go when I found my old Dodge and sold off the Wayfarer and my 48 Plymouth (bone stock) to concentrate on it's restoration. But the point Matt is making is valid. These shows are in no way "reality." I'm in the business and I know how this stuff works and these shows are, as Matt says, giving young viewers a totally unrealistic view of the hobby/business as it exists in the real world. My complaint in my earlier thread was that Richard Rawlings supposedly got a new Dodge prototype from Chrysler and then "stole" the drivetrain from it to install in another project. They made a big deal that maybe Chrysler would be upset (pissed off was the term Richard used, I believe) that they had taken the motor and tranny (which they later couldn't use) out of the prototype. Come on! Any idiot knows that Dodge sponsors Richard and he knew perfectly well the drivetrain was his from the start. The entire "bit" was a set up from the get go. I've been on shoots where we have had to pay people to do things in front of the camera to get what the producer wants. This footage is later foisted off on the public as "real." Does anyone really think that these scenes where the guys go out with a trailer and discover the latest "barn find" and dicker with the fat old owner and finally get the car for a ridiculous price (either way too high or way too low) are legit? Think about it. They show up at the guy's place after spotting the gem back behind the barn where it's been sitting, apparently unnoticed by car guys for years, pull into the driveway and knock on the guy's door. He shows up and they talk about the car. Now, if you opened the door and found a two strangers standing there with a cameraman with a large video camera on his shoulder, two sound men with microphones and mixers, a producer and two production assistants behind them, what would your reaction be? Would you stand there and discuss your car, or ask what the hell is going on here? What actually happened was, the show's production staff searches for cars that fit the show's format. Once they get a good lead, they contact the owner and see if he's willing to sell the car and appear on the show. A date and time is set up for the shoot. Production assistants and crew show up early and get things ready, making sure the car in question has the proper look for the scene. They may move the car to a different location on the property to capture the light or get a better background. The sound men rig the seller with a wireless lavalier microphone for good sound. A teamster driver shows up with the star's truck and trailer. The star show up in his limo/RV and relaxes while the crew finishes the setup. The star climbs out of his air-conditioned vehicle while his driver hands him a soda/beer/cappuccino and he and the director discuss the scene with the seller - does the seller have a good story about the car? The production assistant says it belonged to your great uncle. Play that up and how you don't really want to sell it. And at the end, the star will pull out this big wad of money and give it to you. Now it turns out that the seller originally wanted a little more money for his car than the producer thought was correct for the show - after all, we have to show the buying price, the restoration costs and the final sale price at the end of the show to display the amazing profit the star just made. The producer already has a buyer for the finished car and he wants a set price (on camera) for the old heap in the barn. So, he tells the seller, "Don't worry, on camera you sell the star the car for seven grand and we'll give you three more after the shoot. That being additional to the fee paid to the seller for appearing on the show. Once the routine is set and a final price agreed on, everything is ready to go. They shoot the scene a few times until the nervous seller gets it right, then they pack up and head back to the studio to edit all this "reality." The seller is a set up, the buyers are a set up and the prices are a set up. The only reality is when Rawlings or some other "builder" takes a bath at an auction where the real price has to be displayed. And even that is not a real loss as his weekly salary as the star of the show is astronomical. Matt is right, if young folks think this is how you restore/rod a car as far as cost and prices are concerned, they will have a totally unrealistic view of the hobby/business and get into it for all the wrong reasons..

I have to agree with Matt. It's disheartening but all too true. I found the first car I ever owned after over 45 years. I regretted selling it the minute it left my possession. I always dreamed of finding it again and restoring it to its former glory. I was overjoyed when that happened - but it's a 1932 Dodge Sedan. I will have more money in it than it will ever be worth, but I don't care. I'm keeping a promise to myself that I made all those years ago. The old-timers who see it appreciate it for what it is, the young folks want to know what engine is in it, and when I tell them it's the original six, they walk away with a disappointed look. I recently had a discussion in the Dodge Forum with a guy who put a Ford six in his 35 Sedan. I mentioned that Chrysler sixes were a dime a dozen and he could easily put an original engine in the car and not have to cut up the frame and modify the engine mounts. His reply - "It's what I had." His car, his right to do what he wants, but it reflects today's attitudes all too well.

I'm the guilty party - I started the "Fast And Loud - Please!" thread. I actually do find some interesting things to watch in the "reality" car shows, and even more that I don't care to waste my time on. Thus, my reliable DISH-TV DVR fast forward. I simply record the shows I'm interested in and then fast forward through any of the silly junk they pass off as reality. I find about 20 percent of "Fast and Loud" tolerable. Maybe 80 to 90 percent of "Chasing Classic Cars." Sixty percent of "Graveyard Cars" - they have some interesting bits on Mopar muscle car restoration and I can just flip past the other supposedly funny stuff. Maybe 40 percent of "Misfit Garage." "Desert Car Kings" turned out some of the shoddiest restorations I've ever seen. I particularly remember a blue Studebaker coupe with enough swirl marks in the paint to make one dizzy. Sixty percent of "Bitchin' Rides" especially if your into hot rods. Ninety percent of "Overhauling" - especially the later shows without all the stupid "pranks." The "Junkyard Empire" shows I've seen seem to be a total waste of time. Seventy to eighty percent of "Wheeler Dealers." So, whatever floats your boat - use fast forward/skip to prevent wasting your valuable time.

You're miles ahead of me, Ian!

Working on Daphne in between wiring my garage for 220. I really miss my compressor and it should be up and running by the weekend. I finally finished the seat bottom. Aside from the roof insert, this is the only structural wood in the 32 DL. The old seat bottom developed some dry rot and was showing multiple cracks, so a new oak replacement was in order. I'm no woodworker, but my daughter and son-in-law both work at the local high school so I was able to use the wood shop and make use of some tools I can't ordinarily get my hands on. It actually came out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I built it exactly the way the original was constructed. That's the adjustable seat mechanism sitting on top. The joints weren't too complex and routing out the channels for the seat adjuster and the spring wasn't that difficult. Amazingly, the new bottom fit like a glove! Running boards, battery box, battery supports and the tool box are at the powdercoaters and should be ready next week.

Thanks everyone for your kind replies and support. I find posting the progress of the restoration helps me keep track of things. On many occasions I've gone back and looked at previous posts and replies to help me with a problem I've almost forgotten about. This is a terrific forum with lots of knowledgeable and very helpful members.

I'm curious as to how you folded the "creases" in the running boards you made up. Did you make it from one sheet of steel as per the originals? I know Ed and Jimmy had a devil of a time figuring out how to do it. I would love to hear your solution to the problem - and they probably would, too!

I went to pickup some sheet metal parts at Thomas Restorations in Columbia, Missouri for my 32 Dodge. You can read about the restoration here - http://forums.aaca.org/showthread.php?t=348459&page=24&p=1419376#post1419376 While I was there, Ed Thomas showed me his new project, a 36 Plymouth fastback sedan - much rarer than the humpback. It's been sitting a shed for forty years. All original, including the motor, with 88,000 miles. It came out of the factory black and Ed plans to restore it to original. Some teens tore up the front sheetmetal and Ed will need new front fenders, but the hood and hood panels are good and the grill survived in decent shape. Should be an interesting project.

Ed also showed me his new project - a 36 Plymouth that had been sitting in a local shed for 40 years. Love that rare fastback! Original motor with 88,000 miles. It will be done all original with a black paint job. With Ed's metal working skills, this body should be straight as a arrow. It doesn't look too bad right now, with the only damage to the lower rear.

I also picked up my new tool box, which sits in the V of the X-frame. Just a little nicer than the original. Same for the battery box. New exhaust bracket for the tailpipe. They are all also headed to the powdercoater.

Drove to Thomas Restorations in Columbia, Missouri to pick up a load of sheet metal. This was sitting in the shop as I walked in. It's not a Dodge, but it sure is nice - all original except for paint, although the jams and engine compartment are original finish and it's hard to tell the difference. It's getting a new manifold - a rare item since it's a flathead six rather than a V-8. My running boards are finished and they look great! Old vs new. Really nice workmanship on Ed's part. Some of the laser cut parts that went into the construction. The new boards weigh almost twice as much as the old ones, although the metal is the same thickness. Over half the metal rusted away in the old boards. Tomorrow I'll check the fit and then they are off to the powdercoaters for a semi-gloss black finish.

I hope everything is okay. Not to sound crass, but I'm glad I bit the bullet and bought mine last month.

Nothing very exciting going on at the moment. The bottom of the front seat was in pretty bad shape, with the wood dried out and rather brittle and an area that was badly singed by the heat of the muffler. So, the old woodworking skills were put to the test. It turned out to be a simple job, with all the corner joints simple half laps and a mortise and tenon set up on the cross piece. This shows two corners glued and the center piece just sitting on top. I just need to remember to put the center piece in before I glue the other two corners! I used oak. I was surprised at how crude the workmanship was on the old piece - the joints were not even and the tenons were very rough. I guess they figured it was all covered by the seat cushion, so who cared. I'll rough cut the shape and then, using the original piece as a pattern, use a router with a guide bit to cut it to the final dimensions. I made new shock absorber backing plates. Somehow, I have misplaced the originals. I'm sure they will show up as soon as I mount the shocks. Oh well, it was nice to paint something smooth, without having to grind off all the rust and pitting. My replacement carb arrived and it looks real nice. Next up - clean the rebuilt engine and get a coat of gray paint on it.

It's slightly different on the 32, but very close. The repo trim I purchased comes with clips that mount the front trim piece using the slots you can see in your photos.