RoadsterRich

A quick update on the Antique Automobile Club of Cape Canaveral's Annual Celebration of Cars. Pre-registration ends Monday April 15th, after Monday vehicle registration goes up to $20. Also I failed to mention that additional vehicles are $10 each, vendor spaces are 15x30, and the car corral is $20. A hotdog lunch and soft drinks will be available for purchase and other restraunts are conveniently located nearby. Directions and maps are available if anyone should need them. As always Fire Extinquishers are mandatory.<P><BR>Rich

After much research, and still a bit of controversy, the consensus on engine color for my 1930 Chrysler 77 Roadster is that it was most likely originally a dark green color which had a hint of blue to it. I have been told that a similar dark blue-green color was used on more recent cars, but that it is not exactly the same. Does anyone know where I would get the color code, or information for a paint shop to mix this color?<P>Rich

I like your grandfather! Rumpus seat makes total sense to me, not like anyone can see much of what may (or may not) be going on in a rumble seat, particularly not the driver or passenger in the front. Then again I've always been partial to the term rumpus room, I remember my grandfather calling the family room the rumpus room when I was little, I've been calling them that ever since, I guess as a kid the word 'rumpus' sounded fun...<P>Rich

The early use of "Rumble Seat" referred to the seat behind the body of a carriage on which the servants rode, well before cars existed. I would assume the application to cars evolved from the fact that the seat was indeed behind the enclosed portion of the 'coach' of the car. With regards to the expression rumble seat itself, perhaps it was due to the 'rumble' the carriage made as it travelled, and the open nature of the seat making the occupants more susceptable to the sounds of the rumble? Just a little history, and a little uneducated guessing...<P>Remember, I wasn't there, so anything I say is at best to be questioned <P>Rich

Hey am I allowed to post about our local regions auto show on the 20th of April, 2002? It's called "Annual Celebration of Cars" on Saturday April 20th, 2002 at Burton Smith Park in Cocoa Florida. The location is 4 miles west of I-95 on State Road 520. The show is from 10AM to 4PM, registration starts at 8AM. This is brought to you by the Antique Automobile Club of Cape Canaveral. If anyone is interested or would like more details please feel free to email me.<P>Registration is $18 prior to 4/15/2002 and $20 after that date. Spectators are Free (open to public). Vendor spaces are $20. Dash plaques are available to the first 100 vehicles registered. Judging will be done by 'Peoples Choice', where the 'People' are the other registered vehicle owners. You will be able to vote in all vehicle classes except for the class in which you are registered (as I understand it).<P>Sure hope to see a few of you there!<P>Rich<p>[ 04-04-2002: Message edited by: Roadster Rich ]

Just an FYI the car alone weighs in at just under 3500 pounds according to the owners manual. Other sources list the roadster at just over 3200 pounds.<P>Rich

Howard,<P>I sorta guessed a 327 was a tad under powered for the job. As you could tell I was originally looking at modern beefier trucks. Though the whole exercise may have me looking for an older pickup (60's or earlier) with a beefier engine. I certainly do like the looks of them. Well I am off to search the older threads now. I usually search them first, must have been another blonde moment (hey I was born blonde, I may have outgrown the color, but I still live up to my roots! Besides ya'll won't let me get away with calling them 'senior' moments here where I'm considered a "Young" member.)<P>Rich<p>[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Roadster Rich ]

Now I have this nice 1930 Chrysler 77 Roadster well under way on restoration. I have started looking for something to tow it with and on (in?). At first I was looking at enclosed trailers and something along the lines of a Dodge 2500 or 3500 truck. Of course as luck would have it, in my search for a truck I ran across a 1966 Chevy Pickup with a 327ci V8 in it. This is smaller than I had assumed I would need, but it sure is a nice truck and it sure would be nice to tow my antique car with an antique truck.<P>I know these are very broad questions and it isn't likely I can get an all comprehensive answer in the space allowed, however any information is most appreciated.<P>What are the characteristics of an acceptable truck for towing a car? I would assume torque is important as would be the suspension, beyond that I'm not sure.<P>What about trailers? What are the pro's and con's of open verses enclosed trailers, and what should one consider when looking for a 'first' trailer. Are aluminum trailers worth the extra expense? Will a good used steel open trailer do the job? How much risk is there between an open and a closed trailer? What would the difference in towing vehicle requirements be for an open verses a closed trailer?<P>Thanks for any information!<P>Rich

In revisiting the block, after all this discussion, I fear my woes are much worse than originally thought. The section of the block the water jacket bolts go through has thinned dramatically both in the front to back of the bolt and the amount of material on top of the bolt towards the opening. In a few of the cases the upper part of the threads are actually exposed. Obviously the use of anything requiring enlarging the holes is absolutely out. The next issue is how do I handle the places where parts of the bolts thread going through the block are exposed? (basically it has corroded down through the block to the point it is open in to the threaded hole in the block from the top looking down, the backs of the bolts were always open in to the water jacket.<P>Any ideas on this one????<P>Rich

Howard,<P>First off would I ever have points deducted for the wrong sized bolts while being judged? Secondly, it kills me to contemplate reaming out the holes in beautiful original water jacket covers. Thirdly I often get confused between, preservation, conservation, and perfection <P>Rich

I have been soliciting opinions on colors for the engine compartment components for my 1930 Chrysler 77 Roadster for nigh on to a year now. Seems that on many things there is a consensus, on others there is a difference of opinions and on some I have yet to receive any opinions. I thought I would post my findings and try for another round of opinions...<BR><CENTER><TABLE BORDER=1 CELLPADDING=2><TR><TH>Component</TH><TH>Color</TH></TR><TR><TD>Block</TD><TD>Black or Blue-Green</TD></TR><TR><TD>Head</TD><TD>Silver</TD></TR><TR><TD>Water Pump</TD><TD>Black, Silver or Blue</TD></TR><TR><TD>Water Outlet</TD><TD>Black or Silver</TD></TR><TR><TD>Tappet Covers</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Water Jacket Covers</TD><TD>Black, Blue, Blue-Green</TD></TR><TR><TD>Starter</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Generator</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oil Pan</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Steering</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Dirt Pans</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oil blowoff tube</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oil Filler</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oil Filler Cap</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Horn</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Horn Bracket</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Plug Wire Loom</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Timing Chain Cover</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Master Cylinder</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Brake Fluid Tank</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oil Filter</TD><TD>Black or Orange</TD></TR><TR><TD>Anti Vibration damper</TD><TD>Black</TD></TR></TABLE></CENTER><P>This is a Silverdome L6 flathead Chrysler engine. In cleaning the block I found a modern green, silver and red as I dug down through the colors on the block to bare metal. The oilpan was clearly black, as was the starter, generator, oil filler tube, oil filler cap, timing chain cover, water pump, tappet covers, oil blowoff tube, horn, horn bracket, spark plug wire loom and distributor. I did not have original water jacket covers to compare against, the ones I picked up were painted a bright blue, very unlikely it was an original color. The head was painted a modern green, same as the block, over silver. The transmission is clearly painted red.<P>Any opinions, information, or comments are always most welcome, and encouraged!<P>Thanks,<P>Rich<p>[ 03-25-2002: Message edited by: Roadster Rich ]

Sometime in the past someone has retapped the holes in the block which hold the water jacket on. The originals were 1/4"x20tpi (I have been told), they are now 5/16"x24tpi. What would the best method be for getting these back to the original 1/4x20, or is that not feasible? I picked up a pair of original water jacket covers only to find out that the 5/16x24 bolts won't fit through them. Obviously I could ream out the holes in the covers, but I would much prefer to return it to the original sized bolts. Bear in mind that the threaded portion is open at the back end to the water passages. That is to say the end of the bolts that hold the water jacket cover actually will be in contact with water, as such so will anything I use to revamp the threads. Any and all help is truely appreciated.<P>Thanks,<P>Rich

Wow, didn't expect so much interest!<P>As to the wood use in my car, the pictures tell it mostly. The frame itself is all steel. The front seat floorboard is a steel pan, the section between the pan and the dash (firewall) are wood, the area behind the front seat is wood floorboards. The framework which sits on top of the steel frame of the car is made of wood, this is shape and the body of the car is 'tacked' on to it.<P>I appreciate the information on Tap Blaster, I'll have to look in to that. I have everything from water jacket cover bolts to bumper mounts to spring mounts to heat shield mounting bolts that are broken off. So many bolts, so much work... I must really be obsessed <P>I think the wood is much less of an issue with the Chrylsers as it was fairly well protected from the elements except possibly for the floorboards. Also much of it is out of sight unless you pull the interior. I'm doing a bit more wood work than is minimally required, but I have the opportunity to get the work done and would rather not have to revisit it.<P>The green engine block is not an original color, this is as I got the car. The original color is up for debate, the last color on my block before rust was red, however this is likely not original. The head was actually silver, I have stripped down and found silver paint. I have been told that that the original block was black, and I have been told that the original color was a blue-green, so I am back to research on the block color. The 1930 Chrysler 77 was the last of the original design L6 flathead engines according to Chrysler historical (except for the Chrysler 70V which used the same block in the 1931 cars). The new block design introduced in 1931 was essentially the same block used up in to the 50's as I understand. I am still learning so if I have this wrong someone please let me know by posting here. I am the first to admit my knowledge is limited and I am learnign as much as I can as fast as I can.<P>Thanks everyone for your interest, you all make this the best place to be!<P>Rich

Now that I am back in the swing of working on the car, the next question has arisen. What was the finish used on the heat shields that go between the manifold and the carburetor on 1930 Chryslers? The one I have had so much gunk and rust on it there was no sign of an original finish. In the meantime I cleaned it down to bare metal prepped it and primed it. Down here if you don't finish bare metal it'll be rust by morning, I figure I can always strip the primer if it shouldn't be painted.<P>Rich

Just for the record, you can't find anyone more honest or fair than Jay (J-Bird29)... just my two cents worth...<P>Rich<p>[ 03-21-2002: Message edited by: Roadster Rich ]

To those that asked... and those who are curious...<P>After a bit of a hiatus (work decided to get in the way of the hobby ) I am back at working on the car. The oil pan has been stripped, primed and should be ready to paint tomorrow, weather permitting. The engine turns over quite freely with the starter these days, as well as by hand. The compression (dry) ranges from 75psi to 85psi across the 6 cylinders, with most being in the just under 80psi range. The tappet covers and water jacket covers have been stripped and are being prepped for painting. The water outlet has been stripped but needs some serious TLC, one of the mounting legs is broken off about 1/2 is there, it was on the car in that condition, but I'd like to find a replacement, or more likely find someone than can build up the missing section for me. The 'new' water pump appears to be in good condition but I will strip it clean and rebuild it just to be safe, looks like an easy rebuild. The fuel pump is rebuilt and ready to go back on. The distributor is cleaned and ready to be installed, complete with new points and new rotor. Still waiting on a new cap, will make do with the old one until then. The DX-3 carburetor is due back from the rebuild any day. I have a set of spark plugs gapped and ready to go. I am still fighting with the manifold heat exchange valve assembly trying to get it the butterfly portion of it loose from within the manifold. I may have to resort to the drill lots of holes around it and break it out method, sure do hate to do that. I picked up a heat shield for the manifold, now I need to EZ-Out the two bolts that hold it to the manifold. The wood guy should be here within the month, says it will be about a two-week job to pull the body, replicate and replace the wood and replace the body. I am talking to a chrome plater about the chrome work, so that has been started as well.<P>Well that is the long-winded status as best as memory is working at the moment, sorry I didn't get back to those that emailed me and asked. Seems there just aren't enough hours in the days lately.<P>Rich

I'm not sure, but if this is the same as that on the 30 Chrysler's, I can take some photographs for you. Hey Tod, any idea if it's the same?<P>Rich

How does one tell if they are Pines units? On my 1930 Chrysler 77 there are 6 'discs' which form the thermostat to control the louvers. I am missing two, so the information here is of great interest to me as well.<P>Rich

To prove my ignorance (and I do know nothing about Vauxhall's)...<P>Is it possible this is not a roadster? Given the rear wheels, and the rather flat appearance of the rear of the car behind the passenger compartment, might it have been some form of a utlitarian vehicle? Maybe something akin to a truck type body behind the seats? Just a thought from my somewhat overactive imagination... hey ocassionally they are good ones... well okay on rare ocassions.<P>Rich

Ron and other knowledgeable folks too...<P>I am facing numerous 'rubber' parts I will need to find, many of which appear to be darn near impossible to find, or if they are available are massively expensive. Would this material work for things like motor mounts (In my case about a 2x3 square roughly 3/8" thick with hole in the middle with some other small shapes to it), and what about the shock absorber mount rubber, mine are big blocks of rubber the end of the springs sit in, the rubber is encased in a metal housing (housing I have, rubber I don't), the one quote I got for them was $85 each and there are 8 of them and at that they will still have to be trimmed and shaped to fit. I guess the question is, would this material be strong/safe for these types of uses? <P>Perhaps a more generic question might be what types of applications on an automobile are appropriate for these cast rubber parts?<P>Thanks,<P>Rich

Yet another image from the oil pan saga...<P>As a followup I am including photos of the oil pan as I go through the cleaning, restoration and repaint process. This image was taken after the first cut at cleaning the pan. I have done one additional cleaning, photos to follow when I get the chance to take them...<P><IMG SRC=http://www.1930Chrysler77.com/pics/OilPanClean1.jpg><P>Additional images can be seen at:<P><A HREF="http://www.1930chrysler77.com/SD.asp?D=Engine" TARGET=_blank>http://www.1930chrysler77.com/SD.asp?D=Engine</A><P>Rich

Looking good Peter! I glanced over it, will take a good long look a bit later. Thanks for all the hard work you put in!<P>Rich

Well I have a new grievance to add for a 10 year old car...<P>I have known for some time that if the car is running the remote control trunk release will not operate. Well recently I found out the little trunk release button conveniently located just below and to the left of the steering column, in the perfect location for a knee to hit it, does not have a safety interlock for if the engine is running or the car is in drive. It is far easier to bump the switch than it is to accidently press a button on the remote door locks. Of course perhaps the remote door lockout is in case an irate spouse has hold of the spare set of keys <P>Rich

Boy I've lived in Florida too long! I forgot about locks freezing, and window defrosters and all the joys of winter. And to think I was pondering retiring up north!<P>As to a feature I do like, the Grand Caravan turns the interior lights on when you pull on the door handle. There are times it is nice to be able to look in the car at night before you open the door. Of course on the other hand the neighborhood kids I suppose could play with the handle all night long and run the battery down.<P>As to electric car seats, some manufacturers have added 'memory' for two settings to expedite the drive sharing. Interestingly on this though there is still a lag for all the motors to 'adjust' the settings.<P>I have to agree that all of the 'switches' on the center console drive me nuts when I am driving my folks Saturn. I always put the wrong window down or up, or have to look completely away from the driving in order to see what switch I am actually pushing or pulling on. For that matter I hate the push/pull window switches, what ever happened to forward for up, back for down on the door handles where it belongs!<P>Living in Florida the AC is essential, even when it is 'cold' weather down here with a humidity level that is typically 70% or higher, the AC is a life saver at clearing those windows. You can run heat all day long when its 95% humidity and still have fogged windows, or so it feels.<P>I carry a spare car key in my wallet, funny thing is, ever since I started doing that I've never needed it... go figure.<P>And perhaps the most annoying thing of all to me is all of the $** electronics under the hood. Do I really need 2 or 3 computers controlling and monitoring my car? And for all of that sophistication, why is it that my oil pressure and fuel gauges can't read correctly even though the sensors are working just fine? And you can't replace a gauge, you have to replace a Dash! Something just seems wrong with this sort of 'progress'. In my thinking we ought to be making things easier to work on, not more difficult, it certainly seems at times there is collusion in the automobile industry.<P>Rich

I should have the oil pan ready to go back on the car sometime this weekend if the weather cooperates for the paint. I noticed that there was some seepage around the rear oil seal that is arched. This is a fairly thick piece of cork fitted in to an arched section of the pan. The pan has some 'helpers' to hold it in place. My new cork is quite stiff, will it mold in to place when I bolt down the oil pan? Is there a preperation that should be done to it first? And that brings up another question, just how tightly does one torque down the bolts on the oil pan? The pan is stamped metal (steel?).<P>Thanks,<P>Rich