'38 Dodge Mel

I picked up a 1929 6-33 seven passenger touring car. It was running when parked 15 yrs ago, and I am in the process to finding out what works and what doesn’t. It’s pretty much a survivor but the body seems to have had an older restoration job done on it (in the (1980’s??). I got a key cut, put in fresh oil, fresh gas, and a new battery. Removed the plugs and sprayed in some penetrating oil to free up the rings. Before I turn it over (by hand to free up the rings before hooking up the battery) I want to change the coolant. I cannot find a drain cock, and disconnecting the lower road hose will undoubtedly make a huge mess. Any suggestions on son how to drain the rad?

I am in search of hood mouldings for the ‘38 Dodge Coupe. It’s been a major restoration job, and a shame to put on plastic ‘chrome’. Any suggestions on where to look for this?? Thanks 😁

I am looking for the hood trim for the ‘38 Dodge Coupe. The Centre trim and the trim for the two sides. A LOT of work has gone into the car and it would be a shame to put on plastic chrome. Thanks 👍

I recently acquired a 1929 6-33 seven passenger sedan that was in a storage yard for many years. The most obvious part missing is the horn button on the steering wheel. Obviously the search is on. Suggestions???

I find that every car has its own feel in the drive it gives. I am certain the cars from the ‘20’s will be no different. Take it easy at first, get to know its idiosyncrasies and it’s limitations and have fun. Remember that when these cars were built there were very few paved roads so it survived many years of being on dirt and pothole roads. There is not much it hasn’t seen to date, just be respectful to the ‘ol gal’.

Ps. I have covers on the car because the neighbours cat likes to come over to visit me in the shop and insists on climbing up on the vehicles. I don’t want claw marks. 🤣🤣

Thanks for the great discussion. A couple of points: 1) I am in Canada, and know about Robertson screws very well. However I will use them on wood only - never never on a car. Cars get a Phillips or a straight slot only. 2) the car was built and sold in the USA. 3) the car was in the outdoor storage facility for at least 8 years, and was covered in moss and green growth when we got it. My wife is a detailing and cleaning nut, so she spent two days washing and cleaning it. Then gave it a quick wax. 4) why wait until winter?? Because I am finishing off a restoration on a ‘38 Dodge Business Coupe that has been in the works for a couple years and I want to get it road worthy for summer driving, but a few parts and headliner material are holding me up. I trust the Dodge will be finished in the next month or two and I will need a winter project - otherwise my wife will get too annoyed with me and probably kill me (figuratively only, not literally 🤣). 5) thanks for the tip on the marvel mystery oil. I was told this before but forgot the name, and will certainly do that. Awesome suggestion. One issue is there are NO KEYS. They are gone, vamoose, nada. Sigh. Not a big problem for the ignition, but a problem for the spare wheels who are both locked. Humph. In the meantime here here are a few more pics of the car. 👍👍

Was able to get this ‘29 Packard 6-33 seven passenger from a storage lot. Tarp was blown off over the years, hasn’t been started in over a decade (but was running when parked), but after a wash and a bit of wax, at least the paint came up nicely. The mechanical will be my winter project.

Thanks Archibald - I figured out how to respond directly to you, by clicking on your avatar. I

I will try frenchlakeautoparts - but their website didn't allow me to back far enough in years. I will phone them.

I am in the process of completing a restoration of a 1938 Business Coupe (D10 Cdn built) and am missing the hood chrome strips. One goes down the centre to the Ram, and the two along the gull wing engine bay doors. Anybody have these or suggest a place to find them? thanks. 👍

I am in the final stages of an off-frame restoration and found that the hood chrome is missing. There is a top strip and two side strips that I am seeking. Suggestions on where to find such a beast?

I am doing a restoration on a ‘38 Dodge Business Coupe D10 (Cdn built) which I understand is the same as the D8 (USA built). I am missing the top hood chrome, and the two side chrome strips. suggestions? thanks

LOL. Good catch 3Macboys I too did not focus on that. 🤣

Thanks for the advice. I also understand that I may need to disconnect the speedometer cable as they sometimes seize and snap even when moving a few feet. If so, I will have to see where it is connected and hopefully the nut is not seized. Due to the tight spot it is currently parked in & not knowing anything about the brakes or steering, I will be taking my wheel dollies so I can swing the car around without cranking on the steering wheel (even with inflated tires) or worrying about the brakes. I am assuming that some things will be free moving, and some things will not be, and no way to know in advance which is which. The car is a 4 hour drive away, so I have one shot at getting it into the car hauler.

The lady I am buying the car from was purchased by her father before he passed away. He drove it a few times before getting sick, so I am led to believe that it did run. The father bequeathed it to his son (her brother), however due to some mental illness the brother did not have the capacity to do anything with the car. Nonetheless the car held an emotional attachment and so the sister (both as executor to the estate and trustee for the brother) hung onto the car for her brothers mental health purposes. However she was totally unaware of what to do with it. After more than a decade of storage fees she, and her brother, are now ready to let it go, and I am picking it up as an assist to her more than my needing a car for restoration. My goal is to store it in my dry / heated shop, let it dry out, see if I can get the motor running and take it from there. I contacted a previous owner and was told it was a 'John Wayne' car (LOL - I highly doubt that), and that it was once owned by a funeral company and used it to transport grieving families (that story one has some merit). I also understand that it was bought and sold by those who were in debt and/or bankrupt and needed to pay off bills etc. Needless to say, if that car could talk there would be stories to tell.

I will check the plate and engine number when I pick up the car. What I do know is that the wheel base is about 134” and the overall length is 16’6”. I have the VN #255370. I am not sure if this helps identify the model.

I was about to ‘pile on’ with a response but see that Gunsmoke said all that I would have said. My suggestion is to buy it, enjoy it, drive it, and if it becomes too much for you then sell it. You will easily get your money back (as long as you don’t start down the restoration road), and will have a blast in the meantime. Be prudent, but don’t be afraid. Ps. I own a 1980 280ZX Anniversary edition. 😁

I am in the process of acquiring a 1929 Packard semi-barn find (Better than a barn find - but not much). It has been sitting in the rain for over a decade, sometimes under a tarp, sometimes the tarp blew off. I know very little about the Packard, and will be rolling it onto a trailer and taking it to my shop where I will let it dry out. Any suggestions on things to watch for prior to moving it. Tips? Tricks? i am still trying to figure out what model it is - thoughts??? thx

Thanks for letting me know. I think I will continue to play with the C22C that I am currently trying to restore as it was built in 1939 at the Canadian plant in Windsor, Ont like my Dodge was albeit in 1938. If I find that the engine is unrepairable then I will keep the engine the car currently has in it since it’s running without any issues. Cheers.

The engine that is currently in the vehicle is definitely the 23” block, it also has a 2” spacer between the fan and the pulley in order to keep the blade closer to the radiator. The S/N that is stamped on the block is NAP 071 with the numbers being half the size as the letters. I have attached a couple photos. Any insights on what motor is currently in the vehicle? I have done some preliminary research and coming up blank, but still looking.......

The car that I am doing a full, body off frame, restoration is a 1938 Dodge Business Coupe D10 (Cdn built in Windsor Ontario), which is similar to the USA D8 with some minor differences which I have yet to identify what they are (other than the Cdn models had a slightly different body colour pallet). In doing a bit more research on the engine that I am rebuilding, (not the one in the car itself) I found this on Wikipedia: "There were essentially two lines of flathead inline-sixes made by the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler and DeSoto used a longer 25 in (640 mm) block with greater cylinder spacing, while Dodge and Plymouth shared a 23 in (580 mm) block. There is one exception to this: when Chrysler established an engine foundry in Windsor, Canada in 1938, it was decided to only use the long block for all Canadian-built engines. These engines received a trailing "C" in their designation, becoming P8C for example." Therefore the S/N number on the block being rebuilt, C22C2765, tells me that this is a C22 engine, that was actually made in Windsor Ontario given that it has the trailing 'C'. I realize that only I would find this fascinating, but the trailing 'C' in the number is starting to make sense, and maybe by some fortuitous stroke of blind luck, they might actually fit together when push comes to shove and I decide to put it into the vehicle while I rebuild the existing motor.

Thanks, IF the motor gets used (still a big if at this point) for my ‘38, the only running it gets is in sunny days in the summer going to the local car shows, so there isn’t a lot of strain, but as we all know the intermittent use has its own draw backs. Running my hands around the inside of the cylinder walls reveals no pits, scratches, or not even any wear marks. They walls feel smooth as smooth can be. There is a bit of rust at the top of each cylinder wall where where the top of the piston was sitting, but even that feels like it can get honed out. I may be still be missing something and will get a much better look at it when it’s all cleaned up. So far I am pleased, but it’s still too early to be certain.

I agree 60FlatTop - the engine that is currently in the vehicle runs perfectly fine and doesn’t burn a drop of oil. There is no point in messing up a good thing. The motor I am working on will ultimately be a ‘spare’ if all the stars align. I took the head off, and popped the pistons out, and found the head and valves to be a bit of a mess, but the pistons and cylinder walls were in amazingly good shape. The crank also seems to be in fine condition, but time will tell.