1937 Dodge D5 questions (with some '41 questions also)

[countrytravler]

Thanks for the detailed pictures of the horn bracket.

[Guest Kelsey]

You're speaking of the piece about 1 in. long that covers the miter between the top and bottom windshield frames right? I have 1 left from a '36 but I'm not sure it will fit a '37 windshield. Can you post a photo of the frame or of the other part you have.

Yes, that is the piece..

Here are a couple of pics

Countrytraveler.. You are very welcome ..let me know if you need any others...

[jpage]

That one looks rectangular in shape. the '36 is wider on one end. Don't know if it would work.

[one-shot]

Looks a whole lot like the ones used on a 37 Plymouth.

[Guest Kelsey]

Looks a whole lot like the ones used on a 37 Plymouth.

Yes those seem to be the same.. If you have some extras, I would gladly buy them from you

[Guest Kelsey]

Looks a whole lot like the ones used on a 37 Plymouth.

I got your email, but my server will not let me reply to your comcast.net email.. Not sure why.. So, I tried the online form on here.. please let meknow if you received my return email..

Thanks

[Guest Kelsey]

One shot.. thanks for hooking me up with the piece.. I owe ya big time!

Ok, we have been (well my boy has) trying our luck at stainless trim polishing and dent removal.. Bought a full kit and the polishing is going great! . The dent removal.. going pretty good also... BUT (always a BUT) the boy got a little over zealous with one of the dents and now where there was once a dent, there is a little hole (don't ask LOL). anyway.. so I would like to get this trim piece replaced.. It is the hood side trim . the one on the hinged door... So, I have checked EBAY with no luck.. But I only search 1937

Does anybody if this trim was common on other years besides the 37? Then I could search better..

Or, does anybody have an extra one of these??

My grille and all front pieces will be back from plating next week so I can install the radiator and all the front nose pieces.. Running boards are also on their way back from Acuff.. can't wait to see those.. Got my Glass back from Bob's (haven't even opened the box)

So, it won't be too much longer and it will beoff to upholstery..

Anyway, I will try and get some updated pics on here

If any body has any info for me on this trim piece.. please let me know

Thanks

[Guest 1930]

Someone that knows what they are doing can repair the piece and you will never be able to tell, I know a guy that does excellent work if it comes to that.

[one-shot]

Can you post a pic of the piece in question that you need please.

[Guest Kelsey]

Can you post a pic of the piece in question that you need please.

here is the spear

Spear is about 37"long and about 3/4" wide

[Guest Kelsey]

Someone that knows what they are doing can repair the piece and you will never be able to tell, I know a guy that does excellent work if it comes to that.

That may be the best option.. Who is the "fixer"?

[Guest 1930]

I will get that info, they guy MADE a stainless trim for my cars trunk, he made it out of two halves of some molding that he pulled of another vehicle, very delicate and small but long and intricately bent molding, I only had to provide a detailed pattern. Exceptional work and cannot tell where the two halves were joined.

It was some years ago and have forgotten the name but its on the tip of my tongue and I will find it

[Guest Kelsey]

Thanks to One-shot (again) I at least have the part number of the moulding piece I want to replace.. So, it is 745957.. so, if anybody comes across this part in their travels.. Please think of me

[keiser31]

Thanks to One-shot (again) I at least have the part number of the moulding piece I want to replace.. So, it is 745957.. so, if anybody comes across this part in their travels.. Please think of me

Sometimes in looking for a part for my '31, I will go to Ebay and see what is out there. If it looks like someone is parting out a '31, I will email them and see if they have what I need. 2 out of 5 times, they do and we strike a deal. I noticed quite a few 1937 Dodges and parts for sale today. It certainly never hurts to ask them. A lot of times they don't list everything that they might have available.

[Guest 1930]

David Stromberg, here is his site. VERY reasonable pricing ........ Antique fat fendered relics restoration

[Guest Kelsey]

David Stromberg, here is his site. VERY reasonable pricing ........ Antique fat fendered relics restoration

Thanks for the info.. I SPoke with Dave (super nice guy) and sent off my trim piece yesterday..

[Guest 1930]

Yes very nice guy and did I mention pricing VERY reasonable, if you do not mind mentioning Jason Anderson in Brandon FL, I want to remind him that I still appreciate the trim he made for my 1930 Dodge DA trunk. Thanks

[Guest Kelsey]

OK, It appears that my car is a Pos Ground system.. It was wired a a Neg ground (at least at the battery..not sure about the rest of the car) when I took possesion of it..

So, I just finished the dash install and wired it per the schematic..(which would be for Pos Ground)

Anyway... So, the question is...with the new harness installed, I suspect that the car is wired for Pos ground.. I want to wire it for Neg Ground..

So, I think I need to swap some wires on the AMP meter and the Ignition switch and maybe the coil..??

Do any of you guys know exactly what I need to "switch" on these?

The AMP meter has 3 terminals 1) fused terminal and 2 others ...I suspect I should just need to switch 2 of the 3 or do I need to switch all of them?

Same with the Coil.. I know it will work reversed, but I think it should be switched as well. but it is part of the Ignition switch.. So, the coil only has the 1

"DIST" lead coming from outside the firewall . There is a "BAT" location market on the side opposite the "Dist" terminal but this "BAT" marking has NO teminal to connect anything to.. it is not accessable...

So, I am thinking that I have to run the "Dist" wire to the igntion switch (on the dash--which will be the "+" coming from the regulator) and the terminal on the coil (Formerly connected to the wire running to the Distributor) needs to connect to the ignition switch and Gas Gauge.??

BUT, in thinking about this... Is the fact that the ignition switch supplies power ot the coil enough or do =these need to be switched.. I am a bit confused on this one since most coils have access to BOTH the "+" and "-" and mine only has access to one???

Is it possible to reverse these connections at the IGN switch?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Edited July 30, 2013 by Kelsey (see edit history)

[ply33]

. . . I want to wire it for Neg Ground..

. . . Same with the Coil.. I know it will work reversed, but I think it should be switched as well. but it is part of the Ignition switch. . .

Not possible with the original coil with its armored cable to the switch and grounding through the mounting ring.

Why do you want the car to be negative ground? Positive works just fine and if you need 12v negative from the system for some modern accessory the inverter/converters for positive ground 6v are just as available as those for negative ground 6v.

[R.White]

I'm with Ply33 on this. Forget negative ground. There's no advantage in changing it. I would opt for the original design.

Stick with positive ground but keep your battery terminals clean and apply petroleum jelly (not grease). The definitive study on this was done by Henry Royce and terminal corrosion was the deciding factor in favour of negative ground.

Ray.

[Guest Kelsey]

OK, I'll keep it Positive Ground.. My reasoning behind switching was that it is simply the standard and this car got switched at one point (I always wondered why my AMP meter showed full discharge vs. Charge?) and it seems to be a real easy thing to convert..so I figured.. why not do it just to avoid future "swtich back" by mistake. Also, I read about the added corrosion and figured it would be nice to avoid that..

So, I need to re-polarize the generator and switch the battery leads.. and it will be good.

Again, many thanks for the help...

[R.White]

I am sure you will find it beneficial in the long run. I found it counter intuitive when I first encountered positive ground on my Dodge. That's not to say it's just American cars that were so equipped because many British cars were also positive ground but I had never had one before but after a while I found it becoming natural enough.

Good luck,

Ray.

[1936 D2]

I also agree with "ply33" and "R.White".

Look at all the things you needed to think about (post #178) just to have half a concept of what would happen in reversing the cars engineered polarity! You now have the right idea. Stay with the car as engineered.

Just consider when you have electrical issues in the future and came on the Forum to ask for help. Everyone would be thinking about positive ground, you would constantly have to describe the changes you made to negative ground just to have a meaningful conversation, and all the folks trying to help would be wondering why in heck you did that!

Also, considering the starter is just a DC motor, it would run backward when attempting to start the car. You would have to rebuild that completely. There would probably be issues with distributor point wear also. And every time you went into the electrical system to work on a section of it you would have to reverse your thinking concerning the polarity of the wiring diagrams. Things like how meters work and the internal design of the ignition coil, say nothing about how test equipment would be connected!

All this is just a messy idea and you don't want to go there. It is right to leave the original engineering the way it was designed and strive to make it work correctly and efficiently according to those engineering plans. That's some of the cool stuff about working with an old car!

[R.White]

Kelsey, you say at the beginning of this thread that you drove the car on occasion. Presumably at that time the battery would have been wired positive ground. I can only surmise that the battery has been incorrectly fitted with negative ground subsequently or the car would not have started on the starter if the comment by 1936D2 regarding the starter motor trying to operate in reverse is taken into account.

If, however, the battery was fitted negative ground at that time (and you perhaps had thought the starter was faulty) the car would have needed the crank to start. The starter might now work with the battery positively grounded. Just a thought.

Ray.

[Guest Kelsey]

Ray, I know it sounds logical that the starter would turn backwards it polarities were reversed..BUT, this is not the case.. the starter will turn the same direction with either Pos or neg wiring.. This is because the starter is energized via magnets.

If you ran a car that was wired for POS GND using a Neg GND batter connection, everything except electric fuel pumps and any electronics (radios etc) would function just fine.. The AMP Meter would read discharge when it was charging and Chraging if it was discharging.. the Coil would also work fine but it would be pushing the spark from from the ground strap to the electrode vs the electrode to the cround strap.. So, the coil's energy would be less but the car woud still run fine.. The Generator would function perfectly well also (an Alternator would not).

But, you guys are right.. I shuold leave it POS GND set up.. Much easier that way.. So, I have polarized the generator and all should be good to go.

Thanks again for all the help and advice

[ply33]

Ray, I know it sounds logical that the starter would turn backwards it polarities were reversed..BUT, this is not the case.. the starter will turn the same direction with either Pos or neg wiring.. This is because the starter is energized via magnets. . .

Yep. Its the relative polarity of the armature and the field that determines the direction of rotation.

Since the old DC motors (and generators) get their fields from the coils, reversing the polarity of the power applied to the motor changes the polarity of both the armature and field and the relative relationship the same. The motor will turn one direction (determined by wiring) regardless of the polarity of the input power.

A bunch of modern DC motors get their field from rare earth magnets. So reversing the polarity of the input power will only change the polarity of the armature and so the relative polarity of the field and armature changes and the motor will run in the opposite direction.

[R.White]

That all sounds a bit technical but makes sense. Older starters are not polarity sensitive.

[1936 D2]

Absolutely right guys. Thanks for the corrections!

[Guest Kelsey]

OK< good and bad news!!

I got the front grill and associated trim back from the chrome house so I can install the radiator and get this car back together.. The chroming looks excellent!! EXCEPT-->> The chrome house screwed up my driver's side trim piece (the one that surrounds the grille) They must have broke in when chroming then welded it back together.. then chromed it thinking I would not notice. Well.. I noticed! There was some imperfections in the piece due to their welding and they laid in a "gusset" to hold it in place.. well this gusset can not be there because the grille is recessed in that area for a reason.. So, when I tried to fix it it snapped at their weld (figures) it would not have worked anyway... So, it is the weekend and I have not spoke with them.. but long storty short.. I need this trim piece..

Does anybody have a source for this piece??? Again, driver's side small trim

OK, on to the next issue.... It was my mistake by letting these "travel" with the grille.. but they managed to make all but one of my wing washers (th eones that hold this trim piece that got ruined) I will attach a pic.. I have looked everywhere on the internet and can not find a source for these either. I will have to make some if I can not find them.. So, anybody know where else to look for these? (see pics)

Lastly, I think I need to get my front hood Dodge Brother emblem reconditioned (I remembered it being in better condition) anyway.. whoi is the person to send this to? I am sure there are a few.. please shoot me some names...

Thanks

[Guest Kelsey]

Decided to fit the Grille without the outside (broken) trim.. Good thing we did because there were alot of adjustments that needed to be made..

Here are a few pics

[one-shot]

Need to ask on the HAMB for parts. Some of those folks are like me and have parts left over when things get put back together. I have a perfect front seat (Complete) for my coupe (from a dodge) and I also got the spare tire holder/plywood/metal shelves From behind the seat. from someone's 37 dodge coupe project. Beautiful rear bumper/w/brackets too.

[Guest Kelsey]

Need to ask on the HAMB for parts. Some of those folks are like me and have parts left over when things get put back together. I have a perfect front seat (Complete) for my coupe (from a dodge) and I also got the spare tire holder/plywood/metal shelves From behind the seat. from someone's 37 dodge coupe project. Beautiful rear bumper/w/brackets too.

What is a HAMB?

[keiser31]

What is a HAMB?

Hot rodder's web page/forum. Hokey Ass Message Board - THE H.A.M.B.

[Guest Kelsey]

OK, thanks. I joined the HAMB and made a thread asking if anybody had the parts I am searching for.. thanks for the info

OK, just found one more thing (it never ends) that I am missing.. It is the headlight adjustment screw.. It threads into the bucked at 6:00 and has a hourglass portion near the end of the threads.. I will attach a pic.. hopefully, you guys will know where to find one of these.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Kelsey (see edit history)

[keiser31]

One thing you may have to do on the H.A.M.B. is an introduction on the "Introduction" part of that forum. Otherwise, you may get a little guff over your post. It's their rule. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=18

[R.White]

One thing you may have to do on the H.A.M.B. is an introduction on the "Introduction" part of that forum. Otherwise, you may get a little guff over your post. It's their rule. New to the H.A.M.B.? Introduce yourself here! - THE H.A.M.B.

It probably also helps if you already understand the slang and jargon associated with hot rods. It's and idiom that as an Englishman, I find difficult to comprehend.

Ray.

[Guest Kelsey]

So, does anybody have any contacts for the emblem restoration?

[Guest Kelsey]

In case anybody is interested.. here is what was done with my grille trim

I sure hope this can be fixed or find another one.. I suspect this trim fits other years \.. Anybody know?

[keiser31]

I believe that 1937 is the only vehicle that trim will fit. Look for that headlamp adjustment screw at this guy's website....Home | Andy Bernbaum Auto Parts for Chrysler's cars from 30's to 70's

or here....http://www.mcmaster.com/#

The screw should be found on other years and other Chrysler products.

Edited August 5, 2013 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Guest 1930]

In case anybody is interested.. here is what was done with my grille trim

I sure hope this can be fixed or find another one.. I suspect this trim fits other years \.. Anybody know?

I am interested and enjoyed the pictures above, the car is really looking good, what did the plater have to say when you called today, ( I bet I can guess ) also did you get the other trim piece back yet and what did he charge you, why dont you send him this one for repair?