1930 Dodge DC8 Roadster nearly finished.

[Aussie 8]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]211570[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]211571[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]211572[/ATTACH]In 2010 I started a thread on my old Dodge in The new "Current Projects" forum which now seems to have fallen out of use so I will continue on this forum.

About 40 years ago my late dad, a stock and station agent came across a very sorry looking uted Dodge Brothers DC 8 on a farm not far from where I lived at the time.

The ute body had been partly burnt, the remains of the hood were in tatters and broken bows, the upholstery consisted of a banana case for the driver.

It was missing rear mud guards, petrol tank, side lights and brackets. The wooden artilery wheels were in poor condition and had a crow bar jammed through one to stop it running away. It was also fitted with a pair of chains. More on this later. It looked a sorry sight but it did run in a sort of a way but it was an 8 cylinder vehicle so I bought it for a nominal amount and hoped to find the necessary parts to restore it.

The fuel tank consisted of a one gallon oil drum wired to the firewall which fed the petrol by gravity to a late 40's to early 50's Holden carburettor. Although the motor ran it wasn't drivable. The gear box and bell housing was split wide open. This had happened on it's final journey which was taking a tank of water up a hill to feed livestock during a drought. The owner's kids were driving it in second gear up a steep hill when the chains hit an area of smooth rock. The wheels started to spin, under full load in second, with a big weight on board until the chains once again gripped the earth and resulted in the total destruction of the gearbox and bell housing.

I pulled the engine down, fitted new multi segment rings to a seriously tapered bore after repairing a broken piston. I fitted the now welded up bell housing to a DeSoto K gearbox and was able to drive it again.

Over the years I was able to get most of the parts I needed through friends and contacts as well as regular forays to swap meets. The biggest sucess was getting a T J Richards roadster for it. The remains of a car had been left in the open on a farm since the war. I don't know what make it was as the front section was missing, but it had a Richards body that could be repaired and modified to fit. I did eventually get an original type gear box and another gearbox.

Over the following years work progressed slowly, marriage, a young family, transfers away with work, building a house, initially and later followed by our aging parents needs, and sorting out my dad's farm all took toll on my time. The car had also been stolen and retrieved in this period. At last I was starting to make headway with the project when out of the blue I became seriously ill and spent two years in and out of hospital and recovering. I was told that I may not be able to drive or walk up stairs

again. This news was the catalyst for my wife and I to get the car finished professionaly.

[Guest David 1955]

Congratulations on your restoration. I restored a 1930 DC8 Budd Body Sedan over a period of about 10 years. Had lots of parts missing. I found a lot of parts and had numerous parts cast as well. After my children grew up I sold the car I believe it is in the Sydney region now. I may have a few bits and pieces in the shed if you are still looking for anything. A great car to drive with plenty of torque. I drove it from Coffs Harbour to the World Vintage Rally in Tasmania and back in 1992. Lots of good memories. I also learnt a few tricks about controlling the overheating problems they tend to have. Hope you have lots of fun with yours. Regards David from Coffs Harbour

[Aussie 8]

Thanks David. I thought I had deleted this post when I reposted it with further additions.

On the cars first major shakedown run from Brisbane to Federal we had problems with overheating but this has been solved I think. The water pump was leaking but the main problem was water being forced out the overflow. This has been resolved with a different thermostat which slows the flow rate of the water through the block.

It has a new radiator of the correct honeycombe type . When I pulled down the original engine the water jacket around the two rear cylinders was absolutely choked up with what looked like cement and as a result water flow was almost non existant. The original block needed replacing as corrosion had eaten away from the inside right through the block to the outside.

I have found our car very nice to drive, and as you said it has plenty of torque but I feel that it is undergeared. What did you find a comfortable cruising speed to be?

I am still running the car in but the engine has freed up considerably since it's first run. To date we have not driven over about 45 to 50 MPH. I don't know what diff ratio is in the car but I do know that several ratios were available when new. Mine does not have the original diff as several teeth were missing off the crown wheel.

I do have most of the parts, or have had them remade or recast however I was unable to locate the correct side lights and brackets and have installed a set of Graham Paige side lights. Same maker and same glasses but slightly different in the construction and width of the support brackets.

I am also missing the entire controls from the centre of the steering wheel...Horn, throttle, light switch and the pipes that go through the steering column. Do you happen to have any of these parts? Cheers and thanks. Jim. mini1132@yahoo.com.au