1929 Hupmobile project

[Guest Dean_H.]

OK Pete, I cleaned the connector on my Franklin this afternoon. It has the letter M and 'TYPE SL' and a patent number. It was difficult getting a decent pic because of the bell housing in the way. It looks the same to me as the one you posted earlier. Hope this info helps you locate one.

You and Dan have convinced me to give the vac canister a try. If it starves for fuel climbing Pacheco Pass though, your ears may be ringing. :-)

[Guest 1928Packard526]

Dean —

Thank you for your efforts in my behalf. The Franklin type connector appears to be "the one" I'm looking for. You have given me something concrete to chase.

As an a long time resident of CA, I am familiar with Pacheco pass. You are serious about testing the ability of the vacuum pump to keep up with the fuel demand under poor vacuum conditions, aren't you? :-)

Pete P.

[Guest Dean_H.]

Installed the luggage rack and rear bumper today. These items made the back of the car look real nice. Installing parts like this is quite fun.

The clutch I originally installed didn't disengage well. If I started the car in gear it would disengage. But if the car was in neutral it would grind when attempting to shift into gear. I've been tinkering with adjustments but finally decided to change out the clutch disc. I figured it may have deformed when I machined it down.

This time I used my grinder to reduce the diameter by 1/4 inch. Getting set up in this pic

To minimize clutch dust, I bungee corded a shop vac to catch cuttings. This worked well and the new disc looked good when I finished.

I got the transmission out and put in the new clutch. Tomorrow, I'll reinstall the transmission and test drive it.

[huptoy]

Hupmobile didn't synchronize 2nd & 3rd gear until 1931. My 31 has been known to grind when shifting in to 1st. I have heard 28's grind when put in gear after starting. Also, when you stop at a light and leave it in neutral and then shift into 1st, they will grind a little bit. Double clutching will ease grinding when shifting into gear. You might check to see if it has a high idle. Not sure I have given you a fix but have fun.

[Guest Dean_H.]

I put the transmission back in today. It shifts like a charm. When making or modifying parts, it's probably likely to have a few hick ups. It really wasn't much trouble. Here it is back together.

Now for something exciting. I managed to get one door and a rear fender on today. Ding ding ding - we have a winner!... A fine looking car! It's really starting to look good in my garage. And when you open and close the wood framed door... what a sound, better than a steinway piano. I certainly picked the right car to restore. Even found an old license plate to put on it. Progress might slow down because it's so tempting to stop and stare.

[keiser31]

Da%&, dude.....have you got some kinda magic wand or what??? You are awesome and I want to be you!

[old car fan]

Keep it up,fine work

[HarryJ]

That is Purolator type SG-2. The one on the right is an SG-2.

[Guest 1928Packard526]

HarryJ —

Between you, Dean H., and JFranklin I now know the proper Purolator filter # for my '28 Packard and the correct type connector for that filter. What a great hobby this is when you can get that kind of volunteered help.

I have an AC W-16 filter installed on my car right now which appears identical to the Purolator SG-2. After I repaint it and put the proper Purolator decal on it from Osborn Reproductions I don't think anyone will know the difference. It will have been transformed into a Purolator filter for all intent and purposes.

Thanks everyone for the assist.

Pete P.

[Guest Dean_H.]

Today I worked on my other rear fender and the drivers door. In this pic I just finished fine sanding the paint, in preparation for buffing. It's critical to keep things clean when final sanding, one spec of grit ruins your day.

I'm not trying too hard on the buffing. I figure once I assemble the car, I'll buff it one more time.

I got the parts installed loose. Tomorrow I'll fine tune the fit up. The modern license plate DMV gave me looks lame on this car. I'm going to leave this old one ('56) until I need to drive it on the road.

[Guest Dean_H.]

Got the door and fender tightened up. The fit is pretty good. The other two doors hopefully will fit as well. I replaced some wood on the right side which might come back to haunt me. It's looking more like a car now. I'm finding it harder to break away to do other things. My wife finally came out this evening and put a ribbon on it. She teased, "it's your Christmas gift".

[old car fan]

Thanks,keep up the awesome work,keep us posted.

[Guest Dean_H.]

Progress slowly continues on my project. I received the running board mat and trim from Restoration Supply Co. and installed it.

In this picture the glue has been applied to the first board and mat. I used PLPremium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive, because I had some here, hope it holds up OK.

After gluing the mats to both boards, I flipped them upside down and set some weight - left overnight.

Here I'm getting the boards on the car and gluing/clamping the trim.

And done! My original trim was quite similar to this new stuff but wider on the side. You can see in this pic it doesn't quite cover the full edge of the running board. It's the best I could do without spending a fortune.

[keiser31]

Very nicely done! You da man!!

[Guest Dean_H.]

We sure have nice weather here in CA, broke some high temp records today at about 80 degrees. The TV weather guy said Minneapolis had a high of -1 ...yikes!

I decided to push the car outside and get my new top cover on.

[Friartuck]

Looks like you're using a pneumatic stapler or perhaps a brad nailer. How will you finish off the edges, with Hide-Em or Wire-on?? Would like to see a close-up picture of that detail.

[Bill Harmatuk]

Great job, big guy.

Don't you want to finish a 30 CJ-6 ? ?

Man what a pretty car and "pretty work"

KEEP POSTING !

[Guest Dean_H.]

Sorry Bill, you're on your own, I'm not breaking away from my car. And I'm almost done, just need to finish the front sheet metal, do the upholstery, bolt the dash on, put some windows in and I'm there. It's the final stretch, all down hill from here!

Here is a closeup picture of the top. I added some nails just in case the staples tear through. I got the material from a Ford Model A vendor. The other material I had put on didn't look right.

I used the original trim to cover the edges. I still need to get the rubber piece that slips in to cover the nails. The front and rear trim is more flat.

[Guest Dean_H.]

I cut some strips of vinyl to cover the nails on the trim. The paper cutter didn't work too great, but the razor did a clean cut.

Here is a close up pic after installation.

My right front fender had a nasty looking fiberglass wheelwell riveted on, which I removed. You can see quite a bit of metal had been cut away.

I cut strips of metal and tacked them into place.

Here's a picture after I welded up the seams. A little bondo and it'll be good as new! ..well...almost good as new.

[Guest Dean_H.]

My left fender isn't quite as good as the right. In this picture a patch, I just welded in, is visible.

Rust has taken it's toll near the running board attach area.

Cut out the worst of it

Tack welded in the new piece, the old fender is starting to look pretty good at this point.

Welded and roughed up a bit so the bondo sticks. *Notice the holes that still need attention.

Decided it was best to patch the holes with fiberglass. Tomorrow I start on the bondo, I loooooove bondo. OK... not too crazy about it, whatever makes the car look good.

[Scotts_DG8]

I've read several threads here across several forums and must say tuning into your updates is as good as watching my favorite weekly show on TV. I am often intrigued by your challenges, solutions and the quality of the end product presented. No, not everything repair has to be a 10 pointer to be presentable and usable, but you have presented many 8 and 9 point repairs in my opinion and I am liking it an awful lot… Please keep it up.

[HarryJ]

Dean, again, you are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Dean_H.]

Thanks for the compliments guys, glad you are enjoying the thread.

I started on the fender bondo. I don't have good tools for body work, a lot of hand sanding involved. And these fenders are pretty rough, but I did get started.

Taking a break from sanding, I mounted up the cowl lights and removed the front grille shell. I'm missing a metal piece at the bottom of the radiator.

With a few distant photos I found on the net, it appears the metal piece I need to make has rectangle dimples. so, I built a dimple making tool. One side has a groove and the other has a bump.

Here I'm testing it out on a piece of scrap sheet metal. It works pretty well.

In this pic I'm marking up the sheet metal I want to use.

My dimple apparatus was too narrow between the guides, after some modifications, I was stamping away. I made the marks one inch apart and Xed out the ones I needed too pass. It goes pretty fast, align the mark to the edge of the tool and hit the pedal.

Checking it out in the grille shell. Still need to make the crank hole and weld on some mounting tabs, but I'm pretty happy with how it looks.

[keiser31]

Dude....your are un$&^##@%(&^% believable!! Were you a tool and die maker in your previous life or do you really have a magic wand?

[Ozstatman]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: keiser31</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dude....your are un$&^##@%(&^% believable!!.........</div></div>

Agreed, you do fantastic work. That bottom radiator shell piece is a work of art.

[keiser31]

Dave......do you mean "Eastwood"?

[Guest Dean_H.]

You guys are too much, it really isn't too difficult.

Dave, sounds like a pretty good way to fix holes but, I don't have a wire welder. I've been doing most of my sheet metal welding with a heliarc set up on my arc welder. My welder is an older 300 amp Lincoln. It really doesn't go low enough for sheet metal, I move fast to avoid burning through. It's not easy filling holes in thin metal with my equipment.

I did a bunch of fiberglass repairs on a rusted out truck, twenty five years ago. It still looks good, no problems whatsoever. So I'm not too worried about it.

[F&J]

Dean, this is an amazing thread. Plus you are taking the time to do the pics and info. You are showing how to redo an obscure car working with what you have and making parts from just fuzzy pics found on the net. I'd bet a few oldtimers like myself have leaned a few things.

The thing that impresses me the most is how you tackle a certain part and find some way to repair it, rather that wait for an exact original part...and that wait would stall the project.

I have now taken your lead while working on my 32 Nash...although my progress is not quite the same

[Guest Dean_H.]

Thanks F&J, I agree with you, don't let your project stall. Congrats on the '32 Nash, great looking car!

I got the mounting hardware on my grille plate and also painted and installed it. It looks better in person.

I was on my hands and knees sanding up a storm when the UPS truck pulled up with my steering box. It is very exciting to get a package and even better when you get to stop sanding.

The new box is on the left, it's from a '29 Hupp with an eight cylinder. Evidently they made a different steering box for the larger car. I figured it might be the same. Internally it is sightly bigger and the parts are not interchangeable. It is however, in excellent condition and I need a good steering box. I'm not sure I should say more, purist may be upset. Most of you know already where this is headed, let me know if you think I should post pictures.

[keiser31]

Bigger is probably better and your secret is safe with me.

[Guest Backyardmechanic]

Dean,

I have been watching this Topic and must say that I wish we live closer (Live in NW PA.) as I would be at your shop most of the time looking over you as you go thu this 1st. class restration.

Until next time,

Vern

[Guest Dean_H.]

I like your attitude Keiser. Thanks for the comments Backyardmechanic. You live in a beautiful part of the country. A few years ago my wife and I spent a week driving around PA, we really enjoyed ourselves.

Here's the pictures. Let's keep this amongst ourselves, no need to tell the world.

The first thing I did was cut off a piece of round bar and drill a hole in it.

I cut the adapter from heavy angle iron and shaped it like the original steering box. After welding it together this is what it looked like

Here is a picture of the steering box in the adapter. I did no modifications to the frame or chassis.

When I put the frame covering piece in, it covers the adapter, the box looks very similar to the original.

The factory sales literature claimed adjustable steering column on the eight cylinder cars. My original box was ridgedly mounted and would not adjust. But with this new box, I can loosen the bolt on the adapter, then remove the two bolts under the dash and move it up or down. Life is good!

[Guest Backyardmechanic]

WOW I have been looking for ideas like this as I am planing to make a Dodge Brothers speedster and was looking for somthing just like that to lower the stearing wheel and cowl for more stream line.

Thank you for the Comments on Pa. What part did you visit? I'm from the Wolds Frist Oil Well (Titusville) By The way 2009 is the 150th year of Drake Well There's big time doings planded in July -Aug.

Until next time.

Vern

[keiser31]

After seeing that conversion on the steering sector housing, all I can say is NICE! NICE! NICE! And oh yeah...I'm giddy and it isn't even MY car!

[Guest Dean_H.]

Thanks guys,

Vern, we didn't go north enough to see your town. We rented a car at the Pittsburgh Airport and drove to Mechanicsburg, then Harrisburg, through Lancaster and to Philadelphia. We had a great time.

I worked on assembling the steering box today. I had to machine a new part on the end of the box. The light switch is in perfect shape, it appears to have had very little use.

I was on the beach in Santa Cruz the other night, with a metal detector, and found this little clamp in the sand. It looked about the right size, so I machined the part, so it would fit. It puts tension on the shaft so the throttle lever will stay where you position it. The original setup was pot metal and no good.

[F&J]

That's a good find with the detector but, top "my" find; I was MD'ing at an old cellarhole site and found a few small car parts. One was a hood hook. Six months later I ended up with an early car that was missing just one, and it was 100% correct...1918 Stude.

P/S, I am redoing my Nash Ross box this week. I Was missing the wheel, light switch, control tubes & levers. I locally bought a 34 Buick column for those parts. Just finished making the missing Buick horn button from a large freeze plug and a piece of correct size steel tubing from a 66 chevy inner column shifter tube . Even tested the whole setup with an ohmmeter and the horns will work.

Let us know how the ratio and steering effort works out on yours.

[Hupp36]

Hi Dean Its great to see a Hupp is going to be back on the road. I have 12 Hupps in various stages. I have two in original condition that weather permitting are driven weekly. A 1924 Model R 4-sedan & a1936 8-cyl Model N.The N is 1 of 223 cars produced. In 1936 Hupp car company was in bad position& only produced 21 Ns. Now back to the reason why the email. I see that you are getting ready to put the shaft with the horn button and the light,spark & throttle. The three leavers are made from pot metal and are crap. Most of them are broken off. I hopeyours are Ok.I bought 3 sets for 2 1928,s and 1 1929. I got them from a Hupp Club Member in Tex. The quality sucked. They were chromed nicely but were ground to thin in places. I installed a set in the 1929 very carefully and broke the spark lever. The next attempt was Ok. I have watched your progression with great interest. Our country would be better off if more of us had you enginenewity. Its proberly spelt wrong but I think you know what I mean. Keep up the great work & If you need any information on you Hupp post it and the Hupp Club will get you the answer Hupp 36 Chuck

[Guest Dean_H.]

That's a pretty good one on the '18 Stude, WTG on the Nash steering. Chuck, 12 Hupps??? You lucky dog.

My car had an owner in the mid-seventies who started restoring it. He had collected some extra parts, including this set of levers. My originals are all broken, but these look decent.

I bought my steering box from a dealer who stripped all the extras off. I guess this would have been OK, except my original pitman arm doesn't fit. I'm a little short on cash and don't feel like dishing out more $ for the arm. So, with a torch, hammer, and puller I removed the pitman arms of every old derelict in my yard. Sadly, none fit the tapered spline. I'll have to get back to this later

I managed to finish the front fenders. In this pic I have the fender clamped on the forks of my jitney for buffing.

Installing the fenders was a little tougher than I expected. After loosening all the bolts on the running boards and the splash aprons I was finally able to get the bolts to align.

Installing these monster headlights is like having a see's chocolate. It's so good, you just want to savor the moment.

[Hupp36]

Dean I winter in Fl so I will not be home in NH before April. I do not have any M,s but one from T or N may work. I can compare it to the A and see if it has a bigger shaft dia.If so I will trace the flutes and send a drawing for you to compare. By this time you may have this problem solved, but if you do not and the arm I have will work I will send it to you free of charge so you can drive a real car. Chuck

[Guest Dean_H.]

Chuck, you are very kind. Thanks for the offer, but I will have my steering going long before April. I'd sure like to see your cars, too bad you're so far away.

I put on the second frame cover piece today. Even though I paint both sides, I spray LPS 3 on areas that are not seen to lengthen preservation. I also put anti-sieze on all bolts. The self stick felt should stop squeaks. Also, to prevent squeaks, I make sure there are no missing bolts when I'm done.

I started to install the floor boards, won't be long...