1930 Dodge DC* Coupe

[countrytravler]

 

[Matt Harwood]

I, too, wear a white sweater when I'm working on an ancient car that hasn't been cleaned in decades. My wife loves it when I do that!

 

Actually, that's a great-looking car that sounds surprisingly robust, although I always hate the sealed-beam inserts in old headlights, like the car has black eyes. Nevertheless, great find!

[30DodgePanel]

Impressive gents.... Bravo ! BRAVO ! lol

And we wonder where it all went wrong ?? Even an envilant............................

 

για την μεγάλη συνάντηση για το τίποτα

 

And here we are. Welcome to 2016

 

Great find ? Yet the "Barn finders" are ridiculed..lol,,,,

 

Bizarro world continues. (God forbid a tongue and cheek comment in this world ayy gents

[30DodgePanel]

Open comments are very, very welcome if the AACA dare......

 

[jan arnett (2)]

He did wear rubber gloves to keep his hands clean.

 

[countrytravler]

Wear white to check for oil spray!! LOL

[hwellens]

Did not know that Dodge had downdraft carburetors that early.

[keiser31]

10 minutes ago, hwellens said:

Did not know that Dodge had downdraft carburetors that early.

Only on the eight cylinder cars.

[Spinneyhill]

The DCs were right up to date because they were mostly new. Downdraft carb, double acting shocks all around, hydraulic brakes, accelerator on the right, electric engine temp sender and fuel sender, mechanical fuel pump, captive-rubber spring shackle bushes.

[rogerpete]

Interesting video post. 

I mention it because my dad bought this car about 2 and a half years ago. We brought this coupe home from New York and started working on it. This would be my dads 4th 1930 Dodge, three of which were DC8's. I started getting active on this forum, made some friends, then dropped off. If you were one of the gents helping me out online, allow me to apologize for the disappearance. However, I will summarize-

We will round the dates, as it all is rather blending in.
We brought this car home around the summer of 2013. This car was to replace a 1930 DC8 that my father had before he married my mom. Dads coupe was lost in a garage fire in 1991. Brought this car home, worked a little on it, and dad got ready & left for Florida for the winter. Mom wasn't feeling up to the trip, so she stayed home.

January 2014 I am having a business dinner in Cleveland, (a 90 minute drive on dry roads). I am the Asst Chief of my hometown fire department and my phone received a text page. It was a dispatch for a fire at my mom & dads property.
I get home to find our FD putting out hot spots in the shop where the Dodge was. My neighbor see dads garage on fire, and my mom called 911. Dads new DC8, was destroyed.
We take the car to my shop,start disassemble, and find a autobody place up for a challenge. 

Mid summer 2014 my dad finds out he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and needs pretty immediate attention. This was Tuesday.

The very next day, Wednesday, we find out that my mom has a pretty large brain tumor. She would need almost immediate attention. 2 weeks later she is at the Cleveland Clinic. Moms surgery did not go according to predictions. Mom gets admitted to a nursing home.

Dad has his surgery, which went as expected.

I start having prostate issues.

The guy working on dads DC8 quits the body shop, work on the car stops for almost 18 months.

Mom's health improves, she comes home. We gutted the house, build a bathroom that a wheel chair could get into, put on a wheel chair ramp, moved her bedroom downstairs, and hired home help.

I start a new job.

Mom's health declines again, it looks like she will need 24 hour care. She was not eligible for medicaid, and mom & dad don't have the $9,800 per month the nursing home costs. We were advised that they should get a divorce so she can qualify sooner. Mom & dads divorce was finalized before Christmas 2015.

Mom & dad celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary 3 months after their divorce.

Mom starts having seizures.

We lost mom April 1. The entire family is devastated.

2 weeks ago the DC8 was completed at the autobody shop. Meanwhile, dad gets the chrome done, the interior nickel done, and the upholstery, door panels done. We have a local cabinet maker rebuild the wooden top.

Beginning the process of rewiring the car, and getting it running again. We are going to have to take some liberties with this car. The upholstery isn't a factory match. The paint isn't original. I'm going to install a small fuse block under the dash. I understand there are a lot of purists on the forums, and I respect that. However, in the same breath, respect what we are doing as well as where we have been. I want to get this car into a beautiful driver for my dad by spring. Dad turns 75 this December.

The DC8 dad lost in 1991 was a deep maroon. This car was black. I seen a DC8 sedan online that was two toned maroon & black. I knew that color would pay homage to dads first & this DC8. Not an original color, but it is perfect for this situation.

I'll be posting questions once in a while- might start a thread, might not. Thanks for reading.