Reconstruction of a '34 Chevy Master Coupe

[jpage]

Right after I had finished the restoration on my '28 Model A pickup I accidentally scratched the top of the hood when I dropped the gas cap. I also scratched the cowl side panel with a hood corner rivet which stuck out to far. It was painted in Manilla Brown, a color similar to your's. I decided to have the hood top and cowl panel touched up. Same paint from the same can but different days. They came out ever so slightly darker than the original job. I decided that I could live with it but it plagued me the entire time I had the truck. Many folks would ask why the hood was a different color; I wished that I had done what you did and repainted the whole thing ,but money was a big issue then ( that hasn't changed!!). The extra work aside ,I think you'll be glad you did in the long run! Doing a great job on a car I probably would have left set!! Just goes to prove almost anything can be fixed if you're willing! Jim

[Woodfiddler]

Pat - the project is looking great. Pictures 1 and 2 are great shots. The bright sun, beautiful car, treasured characters working in the cold and then lots of smiles. Great job keeping all of us up to date. Thanks for making me smile this morning.

Chuck

[Landman]

Roger, we did not repaint the firewall. He masked it where the cowl lacing goes.

Bernie, you have piqued my curiosity. Does it mean Permanently Worried Foolish Person?

Jim, oddly enough I also had a Manila Brown Model A at one time, and you are right, it is kinda close to that Light Chestnut I have on the Chevy. I must have a weakness for that color. By the way, are you a guitar player?

Chuck, several of those treasured characters had a hand in the project. The one behind who everyone thought was driving is the retired bodyman who performed the metal shrinking operations on the trunklid, tailpan and a hood panel. The one standing closest to the passenger door in the second photo is the retired millwright who measured my engines when I was trying to figure out which one to rebuild. The one in the fur hat installed the new tires on my repainted wheels.

[Landman]

After bringing up the Model A I thought you may be interested in a quickie version of its story.It was my first old car. It had been started by a man in Sebright near Lake Simcoe and he got as far as the chassis then gave up. A Model A restorer in our area purchased it and offered it for sale as a "partial restoration". I bought it from him and had him complete it. Sometimes I'd drop by and check on the progress. That's me removing masking tape on one of those occasions. The interior was a kit from Dixie Upholstery in Southern Ontario. The polaroid photo shows how he delivered it to me. I didn't like black tires on black wheels so he replaced them with whitewalls on cream wheels that he happened to have. It didn't take long for the family to outgrow it and I ended up selling it. The girls are now in their thirties and have children older than they were then. I should retake that photo with the Chevy when its done. The day that photo was taken was +30C. No fur hat needed.

[jpage]

I finished mine in Sept. '84 after 10 yrs. of hard work and lots of dough. I was 17 when I started in 1974. I sold it in 2000 to chase after a '36 Dodge;still don't have the Dodge done! I miss that truck, not totally original but pretty close(I took some dress up liberties with it). You asked about the guitar player,I get that all the time and I'm not( can't even play the radio) ; who knows,maybe he's a long lost relative . Here's some pics of my truck. Jim Ps. These pictures were taken in 2000, 16 years after completion!

[Landman]

Better day today. Removed the corner braces of the rear window frame as they appear to interfere with the window + rubber. Tried the window and like the windshield it is too big.

The glassman brought the windshield back after trimming it and proceeded to install it himself.

Installed the stainless trim on the other hood panel.

[Landman]

Masked around the roof insert and applied a tiny bead of caulking to seal the bottom of the hidem. Did the same inside.

Put a sidemount tower grommet on one of the front fenders.

Started on the driver's door. Installed some butyl sound deadener. I ran out of the foil covered stuff. The vent window is very tight for some reason. Enough to break the regulator housing. Good thing I have another one.

Installed the hood corners on the other hood panel.

Edited February 9, 2013 by Landman (see edit history)

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Hi Pat,

Great progress. after the repaint you've certainly progressed.

keep it up mate.

ian

[Roger Zimmermann]

The vent window is very tight for some reason. Enough to break the regulator housing. Good thing I have another one.

Could be the grease which more than dry. Is the replacement part better? I believe those regulators are not easely taken apart to see inside.

[Landman]

Actually Roger, they both turr freely.The one that broke had a slight crack in one side but without load it worked fine. I think it is a matter of the glass being slightly too large again. I squeezed the frame closed with clamps and it still rubs quite hard on the rubber and barely clers the opening in the door.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Pat, you have really no luck with your windows. Now that the frame for the ventilator in installed, you certainly don't want to remove the glass to modify it with all the associated risks.

[Landman]

Removed the vent window glass glass and squeezed the frame so it would clear the opening, then reinstalled the glass. Replaced the broken regulator with one from one of the rear vent windows in the parts car. They are held to the plate with two rivets and two locating pins which are part of the housing. Those pins are "heat swaged?" on the back. Remounted them with bolts and nuts. Ready to reinstall in the door.

[Landman]

Installed the vent window and division bar in both doors. Still tight but they work. Trial fitted the door glass. That too is too large. Not by much. If I get it narroweed by 1/8 or 3/16 it should clear the outside channel. Right now it wouldn't. Those are made from stock patterns. Must be my woodworking.

Installed the hood latch mechanism along with the one handle I could find. I keep losing stuff. This is scary.

Installed the door check link to the door this time, I think it will be easier to handle like this than the way I had it before the repaint. I had them mounted to the car.

Edited February 12, 2013 by Landman (see edit history)

[Woodfiddler]

Pat - it sure is looking good! I think 1/8" to 3/16" within your woodworking measurements from (how?) many months ago, is pretty darn good overall. Don't beat yourself up over it, but things look very good to me, from here!

Chuck

[Landman]

Continued pecking away at the doors. Trimmed and test fitted the outside glass channel.

Installed the door handle ferrules, their grommets, and test fitted a handle. One hole required some reaming of the wood to clear the skirt of the ferrule. Did that gingerly with a rotary rasp.

Installed the rear window. Installed the windshield wiper. I wonder if a certain Mr. Goldberg had a hand in the design of the mounting. :DInstalled the ferrule ,grommet, latch and handle to the trunklid.

[keiser31]

Oh yeah.....those are VERY tricky little wiper arm attachments!!

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Hi Pat,

With your door handles, did you get them stripped, copper plated and hand sanded them back and then replated or was it just a case of replating ?

I'm getting up to things now that I have never done before and if i could pick your brains it would be appreciated.

Cheers

Ian

[Landman]

Hi Pat,

With your door handles, did you get them stripped, copper plated and hand sanded them back and then replated or was it just a case of replating ?

I'm getting up to things now that I have never done before and if i could pick your brains it would be appreciated.

Cheers

Ian

They got the full triple plate treatment, copper, nickel & chrome. At $100 each.

[Landman]

Installed the trunklid.

Hung the rear fenders, cut & trimmed the welting.

Began installation of the dashboard.

[keiser31]

So.....you didn't need to install the rear splash pan before the body??

[ply33]

So.....you didn't need to install the rear splash pan before the body??

I wondered about that too.

Looks like very rapid progress is being made. After all the years I had futzed with my car the stage were I was assembling nice clean restored parts with visible daily progress was the most enjoyable.

[Landman]

So.....you didn't need to install the rear splash pan before the body??

Not before the body but I'll have to be careful getting it between the fenders.

[Landman]

Completed installation of dashboard and reinstalled garnish molding to hold windshield.Raised the steering column in position and bolted the support ring to the bottom of the dash. Hooked up heat gauge tube to the fitting in the head. Hooked up oil pressure capillary line and speedometer cable. Routed choke and throttle cabled to their destinations, left them long until I find a good way of cutting them. Labelled the knobs, they will be replaced by lettered units. Installed ignition conduit & attached to top of coil. Since the coil I have is a mismatch to the cap, I put on a super heavy duty clamp to hold them together until I find something more suitable.

[GARY F]

gotta love that woodgrain job you did

[Landman]

gotta love that woodgrain job you did

Thank you Gary.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Ah! Pat, you have the same hydraulic jack as I have! I'm using it also for odd jobs like you!

[Guest starcclarke04]

I wondered about that too.

Looks like very rapid progress is being made. After all the years I had futzed with my car the stage were I was assembling nice clean restored parts with visible daily progress was the most enjoyable.

hello you seems to be well experienced person. I need to end of tenancy cleaning gold coast bearings of my car. Which lubricant or other stuff will you prefer

Edited February 18, 2013 by starcclarke04 (see edit history)

[Landman]

Hi Starclarke,

I used either Varsol or a degreaser like Dunk in my parts cleaner.

[Landman]

Masked the taillight buckets and painted the inside with chrome paint to enhance reflectivity. I'm told white works well too.

Checked the ignition lock, good. Checked the wire in the conduit between it and the coil, good. Checked ascross the coil, good.

Started hooking up wires under the dash.

Heated up some water as per the instructions, warmed up the choke, light and throttle knobs as well as two window crank knobs and installed them.

[Landman]

Hooked up everything else that's on the instruction sheet which came with the harness. I'm left with 2 mystery wires.

Reinstalled the choke & throttle cables with their new lettered knobs, cut them to lenght & hooked them up.

Installed the second sockets and the cover plates in the taillight buckets.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Getting close!! I'll bet you are excited. I know I was at this point in mine.

Ben

[gfw2]

I just looked at the first photos again( I forgot how bad it was when you started) and you have done an amazing job on your fathers old car.

[Landman]

Thanks George.

Feb 21: My grandson came to help. he worked a bit on his truck, took both the old Chevy and the Mustang for a test drive. Then he went to work testing the lights and running a die on some bolts. Finished assembling the taillights.

Today:Hooked up the last wire and mounted the headlight switch. Nice bird's nest! Mounted the passenger side tailight. I thought the conduit would look better coming out the other side but I was afraid it might interfere with one of the fender to tailpan mounting bolts. Looked at the flasher unit.

[Landman]

Could anyone enlighten me as to how this strap is routed to mount the flasher unit to the steering column? Again, no instructions included.

[sambarn]

Pat, I had so much trouble with the aftermarket stalk that just mounts by pulling the aluminum band tight and folding it over, that I removed it and just use hand signals. When it would rotate, it would point straight down, getting into the way of my feet and scratching the heck out of the Steering column. I would toss it in a box and move on....

[Landman]

That bad eh?

[r1lark]

Pat, the pics of your grandson helping you in the shop are great! It's nice to have some company once and a while, isn't it?

I follow your thead closely, and am amazed at how far you have brought this car. The history of it makes it something very special to you, I can tell. Beautiful work................

[Landman]

Pat, the pics of your grandson helping you in the shop are great! It's nice to have some company once and a while, isn't it?

......

Oh yes, company is nice since I'm alone in there 99% of the time. However with him, production becomes an issue. LOL.

[F&J]

Could anyone enlighten me as to how this strap is routed to mount the flasher unit to the steering column? Again, no instructions included.

In your picture the aluminum strap is not correctly threaded into the slots.

You have it on the insides of each side bracket. It needs to go into each side bracket from the outside, and each "excess" tail ends up compressed against the column, by the outer wrap of aluminum. (the tails end up on the inside)

So, in theory, the more you tighten the screws, the tighter those tails get compressed against the column. What I don't recall from the olden days, is the strap made from aluminum. The ones I saw were thin steel, that does not stretch like some very soft aluminum will.

[Landman]

Thanks F&J, you are absolutely correct. Someone directed me to an entry on eBay where thay sell the mounting kit and it has a diagram which shows what you are describing.