The Ressurection of Daphne - a 1932 DL

[Taylormade]

Some shots of the original bolt and my hi-tech toilet replacement.

 

 

The new ones slide right into the channel like they were made for it.

 

 

With that problem solved, I put everything back together using the new welt my upholstery guy made for me.  The new stuff was much better, easier to work with and it produced the look I was hoping for.

 

The old...

 

and the new...

 

 

 

 

[ArticiferTom]

Looking Great !   Detail prefect . Keep it up .

[keiser31]

BEAUTIFUL job!

[dodgedh2]

Is there anyone out there that reproduces that molding? My DH and my DD's are missing all but a few inches of that molding.

[Taylormade]

I got mine from L&L Trim (417-476-2871) in Missouri.  Since then the original owner's son has kept the business running on an off and on basis.  I can't guarentee you will hear from him, others have had varying degrees of success.

[dodgedh2]

I'm referring to the splash shield to body molding, not the running board trim. Thanks

[Taylormade]

Sorry, I misunderstood.  I don't know of anyone reproducing the channel at this time.  I'm not enough of a metal working expert to know if a skilled shop could reproduce the channel.  Mine comes to a point at the front where it meets the fender and is rolled under to form the channel.  I assume Dodge had a large, proprietary machine to roll the steel to this shape. I was lucky in that mine were in very good condition.

[keiser31]

There was a guy by the name of Sherwood Kahlenberg in Los Angeles who was making that trim. Don't know if he is still doing that or maybe his son is.

[dodgedh2]

17 hours ago, Taylormade said:

Sorry, I misunderstood.  I don't know of anyone reproducing the channel at this time.  I'm not enough of a metal working expert to know if a skilled shop could reproduce the channel.  Mine comes to a point at the front where it meets the fender and is rolled under to form the channel.  I assume Dodge had a large, proprietary machine to roll the steel to this shape. I was lucky in that mine were in very good condition.

 

Could you shoot me a few pics of both ends and the profile?

[Taylormade]

Unfortunately both are now on the car.  I'll dig around and see if I can find any shots I took during disassembly.  The back end is just squared off.  It's the front where things get complicated.  I'ii try and take some shots of the piece on the car, but black on black with all the reflections makes it hard to see.

[Taylormade]

I just noticed the views on this thread have reached 80,000.  I wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to read the posts, for all the wonderful and detailed information and advice I've received over the last four years, and for your patience in putting up with all the problems and requests I've made since I found my first car again.  I don't think I could have restored the DL to this point without the help I've received on this site.

Thanks, everyone!

[R.White]

Believe me the pleasure has been all ours.  Your determination to succeed when others would have walked away is an inspiration.

 

The end is in sight so you simply have to finish it now.

 

Ray

 

[Johnthistle]

Taylormade: I haven't had many comments that might have been useful, but have thoroughly enjoyed following your amazing, awe-inspiring restoration! This is a huge accomplishment and its progress has been enjoyed by many. Daphne will be a pleasure for many to admire in the future!

[knobless]

On 8/27/2017 at 1:12 PM, Taylormade said:

The welting worked perfectly and I had the entire passenger side finished - just had to tighten everything up.  Naturally, disaster struck. I snapped a bolt.  Not just a run of the mill bolt, oh no, that would be too easy.  I snapped one of the impossible to find odd headed bolts that slides into a piece of channeled trim that holds the top of the running board splash apron in place.  To get to it I had to remove the running board, the rear fender,  the trim piece and the splash apron.  36 bolts in all.  I tried an idea posted by someone on this thread over two years ago regarding these bolts.  I went out and purchased toilet bolts that hold the toilet to the floor.  They worked perfectly and were exactly the right size - they slid right on the channel.  I'll ,post some pictures when I get up enough energy to go back out in the garage and start reassembly.  The joys of restoring your car.

I believe that was one of my posts, glad it worked out,

[knobless]

My first attempt at making the complex running board apron, took a few hours by that hasn't deterred me yet

[Taylormade]

Knobless - It was your suggestion, and a good one.  They do come in different sizes, and it took a bit of work to find some large enough, but the local hardware had a few hiding on a shelf gathering dust.  Your running board apron is a very different duck than the one on my DL.

[JACK M]

Great thread and detailed descriptions of progress.

Enjoyed all.

I don't have the patience for this kind of restoration, fun to watch someone that does,

Edited September 6, 2017 by JACK M (see edit history)

[Taylormade]

The weather finally cooled down enough to allow me some time in the garage.  I got all the fenders, running boards, splash pans and welting on and lined up.  I was worried that all the work done on the fenders might cause an alignment problem, but everything went together much more smoothly than I anticipated.  We rolled Daphne out into the sunlight to take a few pictures and to thoroughly clean out the garage as there were bits of welting, tools and debris everywhere.  Deep black paint and polished aluminum running board trim make for a tough exposure, but you can see some of the welting in the close shot.  Now we are all ready for cool Fall weather and lots of assembly - door mechanisms and windows are next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ply33]

Looking great!

[keiser31]

That is sooooooo sweeeeeet!

[34dodger]

Beautiful job...love your attention to detail!

[Johnthistle]

Looking great! Thanks for sharing this adventure with all of us!

[Gunsmoke]

You set an awful high bar for the rest of us knuckle busters (or is it knuckle draggers), the black paint looks so fine. My plan was to paint my CD8 Roadster all black as well including the wire wheels, will mean getting superb job done on body panels like you have. May have to mull that over some more. Cheers

[Taylormade]

Thanks.  The. paint on my car is not perfect.  It's a classic example of a photograph looking better than the real thing.  Don't get me wrong, it looks terrific at five feet, but there are a few specks of dirt in the single stage that I'll have to get to eventually.  It's never going to win at Pebble Beach, but I built the car to drive, and at 71 I'd like a few years with the old girl rather than sitting in the garage nit-picking over small problems that only the eagle-eyed will ever see.  To get the best paint job out there was going to cost upwards of twelve grand and at that price I'd be afraid to drive it anywhere.  I spent about three for paint and the shop to spray it.  I did a lot of prep work myself.  I got what I expected for the price, and they were honest in telling me it wasn't going to be flawless.

 

Ever time I roll Daphne out  in the drive to work on her, all the neighbors come over and compliment me on the paint, so I guess it will do.

[Taylormade]

It's always the little things that trip you up.  I took my bumper supports to the powder-coater yesterday to get a nice, durable gloss black finish applied.  When I got back home I sorted out all the parts I'd need for installation of the bumpers and realized I'd never found a source for the end bolts that hold the bumpers to the supports.  It's basically a carriage bolt without the square section below the head.  After much searching two years ago, I had come up empty, then totally forgot about it until yesterday.

 

 

Mine were far too rusty to save, and two of them broke off when I removed them, so I was in trouble.  On line, I finally managed to find some stainless carriage bolts that I thought might work.  I could grind down the square under the bolt head and polish them.  Then I got one of my usual hair-brained ideas and called up Snyder's Antique Auto Parts.  They sell (dare I mention the name) Ford Model A parts.  I thought Model A bumper bolts might be close.  Shelly, who answered my call, said she'd measure their bolts and get back to me.  I got the e-mail this morning.  Their stainless polished bumper bolts are 7/16 by 5 inches, exactly the same size as mine.  Unbelievable!   I ordered four (I have a solid rear bumper since my car has side-mounts. so i didn't need six.)  Problem solved and at half the price of the other stainless bolts I was looking at.  I get the nuts and washers, too.

 

My car is a very early model, built during the first week of the production run.  I was lucky in this regard, as the bolts were changed sometime during the model year.  Later built cars have much larger bolts with a head that's twice as big as my piddly little things.  I like the look of the later bumpers, but I'll take this find as a lucky break.  Bumpers going on as soon as I get the brackets back, fresh chrome on all four bumper bars.  The 32 DL has some of the nicest looking bumpers out there, especially the front bumper, as evidenced by Phil Kennedy's nice original - with the larger bolts.

 

 

I got another break this morning.  When I bought the car, the front bumper was held on by some odd, square-headed bolts that were obviously not original and way too small.  The back bumper was held on by larger hexagon bolts that screwed directly into fittings on the frame.  i have always assumed (for the last 42 years) that the front mount fittings were stripped, thus the smaller, odd bolts.  So, as I sat on the garage floor in front of the car, I was trying to figure out how to mount the front bumper.  Bolts would go through the holes and out the back,  sticking out above the front of the front springs, where I could get a nut and washer on them, but it looked terrible.  Then I thought I might be able to re-tap new threads into the hole if it wasn't too torn up.  As a final solution, maybe I could drill out the hole, weld in an insert and tap it for the correct threads.  Naturally the frame is powder-coated and I have both front fenders installed, so this would mean disassembly and...I know, I know, what was I thinking?  So, I got one of the bolts off the back of the frame and tried it up front to see if any of the threads were still in there and to determine the size of the tap I would need.  The darn thing screwed right in!  Tight, solid - the threads were there all the time and in very good shape.  Why the bumper was installed with these smaller bolts escapes me.  Maybe the PO lost the original bolts and used whatever he had lying around as a jury-rigged temporary solution that was never corrected.  That fact that I never checked before this is certainly not a good reflection on my restoration skills - or lack thereof.

 

On to the next catastrophe!

[Johnthistle]

Good find! Turns out my '31 DH also has just had substitute hex head SS bolts. For some reason I have 7/16 diameter X 5"" bolts on rear but 1/2"+ ones on the front. Looks like they both could take 1/2" but 7/16 would be fine. So I'll have a look at Snyders. Thanks for the tip!!

[Taylormade]

It looked like mine would take 1/2 inch bolts with no problem, but all four of my bolts were 7/16.  I'll let you know how it all work out,  Can't wait to get my lights and bumpers on after seeing your 31!

[Johnthistle]

It is pretty cool to see all the lights working! I got some replacement  headlight sockets from a headlight 

guy. The original ones were pretty shot and these worked great. I could probably find that source if you need them. 

I got the roof insert done this summer with a couple of good photos from other guys. I could look them up too if needed.  John

[keiser31]

Love that Chrysler coupe!

[Johnthistle]

Yep, overdrive, last year for the crank open windshield. My first old car @ 45 years ago!. Needs some brake work this winter but otherwise she's good!?

[Taylormade]

Nothing very spectacular today, just more assembly.  I got the bumper brackets back from the powdercoater yesterday and they look great.  I had him do the luggage rack, too, and I'm very happy with the way it came out.  I got the front bumper brackets on with no problem, but, as it always seems to be the case, I discovered that I had forgotten about the two pieces that attach the chrome bumpers to the brackets in the center.  I should have had them powdercoated with the other parts, so I still need to clean and paint them before I can get things back together.  Luckily, they are behind the bumper and don't really show.  So, I'm stuck at the moment with this much done,

 

 

 

Since this is a sidemount car, the rear bumper is not split, but one single piece.  You can see the bracket in this shot to the right of the luggage rack.  My wife is at the high school helping my daughter at the concession stand, and It's a two man (or woman) job to get the luggage rack on without scratching the paint, so that will also have to wait until later today.

 

 

The bumpers are rechromed and ready to go, so it's frustrating when I run into these minor roadblocks.

 

[Taylormade]

Rear bumper on.  Baby Duesenberg!

 

 

[Johnthistle]

[Johnthistle]

i can't tell if my note got incorporated with these photos, so to reiterate: I added a polyethylene 1/2" OD sheath/bushing to get a tighter fit for the 7/8" Model A bumper bolts.  JOHN

[Taylormade]

I was going to use brass tubing.  Where did you get the poly?

[Johnthistle]

Just the local Ace Hardware. 1/2" OD X 3/8 ID POLY.

[Taylormade]

I'm having a real problem with the swing out windshield on my DL.  It seems to be a different setup than every other 32 Dodge Brothers I look at to get some information on how it's mounted.  This may be the penalty of owning a DL that was built in the first week of production.  Somewhere along the line, they seemed to have changed the mounting style of the windshield frame, probably because the early mounting was not a good design.  Paul Reichert, another DL owner, and I have been corresponding via email, and he's sent me photos of his windshield frame and mounting style.  And that's where the problem lies.

 

This gets a bit complicated, so patience, please.

 

My car's windshield frame has two pivot points sticking out of the top side of the frame.  In this shot you can see the pivot assembly - it fits inside the frame and the threaded stud sticks out of the side of the frame.

 

 

I'm not sure if anything actually screws onto the stud to make a smooth pivot point, but there was nothing on it when I disassembled the car.

 

Here is the hole where the studs stick out of the frame.

 

 

The studs fit into a rubber thingy at the top of the windshield opening.  There is one of these at each top corner.

 

 

When I sent my frame to NC Industries to have a new one made, they had a pattern for the DL windshield, but said, unequivocally, that the DL frame had a hinge on top.  We went around and around - I sent pictures, information and plaintive missives and they said they had never seen anything like my setup.  Paul graciously sent me photos of his frame and, yes, you already know the answer, his frame has a hinge along the entire top - just like NC Industries said there should be.

 

This is his frame - you can see the hinge.

 

 

 

My problem is that the rubber thingies are hard as a rock and no one has ever heard of them, let alone tried remaking them.  I'm thinking I should Have NC make me a hinged frame, but I'm not sure if I can actually attach it to my car.

This is a shot of Paul's car with the holes for the hinge clearly visible.  You can see the flat surface where the hinge would lie.

 

 

Here is a similar shot of my car.  There are screws there, but they are holding on some sort of channel - perhaps to hold a rubber seal?   I think I can take the channel off, but I'm not sure if the holes would match up with the new hinge or if I have a flat surface under there.

 

 

What do you think is the best approach to this problem?  I'll see if I can get that channel off and discover what lies beneath.

 

 

[Taylormade]

The screws holding the channel are not going to come out without a struggle.  They are threaded, not sheet metal screws, and the slotted tops just twist, destroying the slot.  I may be able to get some penatrating oil up inside , but it won't be easy and I'm not sure it will do much good.  Heat is out of the question as the car is freshly painted.  The old story - I should have done it long ago.

[Gunsmoke]

Assuming the hinge style is how you want to go, seems like all you need is a suitable flat surface at the right level to attach the hinge to. Start by plugging the old end holes. Admittedly working around fresh paint is problematic, but I'd start by finding some good padded material to protect paint in this work area. Then do what ever is necessary to get those old screws out of top recess. Vice-grips, Dremel tool, .driiling heads off etc. The surface they go into should permit a new flat surface (1/8" flat steel perhaps) to be screwed (countersunk screws) to it of sufficient thickness to create the correct level to receive the new hinge. If the new hinge's pre-drilled holes are not in ideal locations, drill new ones as necessary. The new flat surface should allow you to put the screws anywhere, and if thick enough to be threaded, that can be done before installing, or tapped after install; I make it all sound easy eh? As for weather stripping top and sides, I assume the window supplier provides that. . 

[Taylormade]

The screws go into a metal plate with threaded holes inside the area over the opening.  The heads of the screws are simply tearing apart when I try to remove them.  Grinding the heads off will leave me with nothing to grab to get them out as the channel they hold in place is very thin.  I think the surface under the channel is flat and at the right height to take the hinge with no problem, and I'd like to use the threaded holes to attach the hinge.  I could grind the heads off, remove the channel, and then drill new holes and thread them but the original holes would be nice to use.  The heads are too small and rounded to get any decent grip on them with vice grips.  The height of the windshield opening makes it impossible to use an impact driver as there isn't enough room to swing a hammer.  I'll eventually figure something out - l always seem to, usually after I needlessly destroy some valuable part or paint finish.