Pete in PA Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Can anyone suggest a fair offer price for a 1936 D2 sedan described as follows: 68,500 miles parked inside a semi-heated garage since 1984 supposedly complete but the trim, grill, and some other external bits have been removed and are stored inside the car. only rust I could find was a bit of rot at the very back at the bottom of the body all the potmetal trim is pitted interior seems to be all there but isn't pretty. No mouse piss stench, fortunately. paint (black) isn't great and there are some dents and dings here and there I've never even considered a car as old as this one but it just showed up in my neighborhood and I'm intrigued. I'm a mechanic and I know I can handle any mechanical issues. Bodywork/paint and interior work is a different story but I wouldn't be going for a total restoration. I'd just want to make the car mechanically sound and safe to drive on a regular basis. I think it would be fun to experience what it was like to drive a car in 1936! Does anyone know if 2nd/3rd gear are synchronized? Here are some pics of my find: http://s1158.photobucket.com/user/1augapfel/library/1936 Dodge sedan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Transmissions of this era were fully synchronized and these cars are very easy and comfortable to drive. I'd make sure that the grille center section is complete and unbroken and that the crank hole cover is there. Also check the condition of the grille side inserts as they are usually damaged and fairly fragile. These parts are the most expensive and hard to locate in good condition parts on the car. The only potmetal trim is the ram ornament, center grille insert and crank cover and the thin trim spears on the horn grilles along with the grilles themselves and of course the door and trunk handles.. The horn grilles are hard to find in good condition, are expensive to replate and the spears are not available. They are pinned to the covers and removing them ruins the studs. I have made new ones from stainless keystock several years ago but cannot locate the 1/8 x 3/16 in. stock needed All other body trim is stainless steel. The hardest trim parts to find is the short body mouldings on the cowl which are only about 2 1/2 in. long. Most of the trim clips are not available new but there are some available from Restoration Specialties. The clips for the grille surrounds are not available new. All the clips and fasteners for the door panels are available new. Most all rubber parts are available new but fairly expensive. The extruded top door seals fit well but the lower seals are not the right size for the car. but can be made from glueing up different extrusions. The only seal that I've found that doesn't really fit well is the inner windshield seal. Steele rubber is tho only supplier that carries one and it's listed for a Plymouth, and while it looks similar, the mounting holes are not in the right location and the inner perimeter seal doesn't appear to be correct. Body parts are non existent with the exception of a few handmade, very expensive parts that may or may not fit as I have been down this road before. Most mechanical parts and engine parts are available or can be rebuilt and do interchange with some other year WPC cars. In looking at the pics I see that the lower portion on the grill center is missing as well as the crank cover unless it's there with other parts. If you have all the parts it can be fixed but expect to pay over $1000 for a good repair and rechrome. i didn't see the side inserts for the grille. Also, the headlamps have been changed over to sealed beam which may have damaged the thin outer trim ring on the buckets. That car is the standard four door sedan not a touring sedan as it has no trunk. You don't see too many of those but that doesn't increase the value. I purchased a touring sedan in about the same condition only running for $3,500 and in my opinion I wouldn't go any higher. These cars are expensive to restore correctly and are not considered to be of any great value so it will be a labor of love. Incidentally, the glove box door, instrument panel,dummy door, and ash receivers are covered in a grained decal which I believe may still be available but I have been told that the supplier may have passed away. Good luck in your decision on the car. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me and I'll give you my phone number if you would wish to call. Where in PA are you, I'm in Johnstown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehandleman Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 2000.00 TO 3000.00 AS WHEN ALL RESTORED TO A SUPER NICE DRIVER SHE STILL WILL ONLY FETCH 8500-10,000 SO ITS ABOUT THE ENJOYMENT IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU LIKE GO HIGHER IF ITS JUST NEAT STAY LOW, EITHER WAY HAVE FUN AND KEEP HER ORIGINAL SO MANY PEOPLE TAKE THE LAZY ROUTE AND HOT ROD THEM AND REALLY TAKE THE BEAUTY OF THE CAR OUT OF THEM. GOOD LUCK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 It always gripes me when someone carelessly places parts on the original upholstery that look like they were still in good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 That particular car model with the rear mounted spare is the "more rare" model as there were only 5,996 built. I know that may not make a difference to some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 It's been a week, do you think we'll hear from Pete again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 (edited) Oh yes, you'll hear from me again. I have two elementary school kids and work to contend with! Thanks to everyone who took the effort to respond, especially jpage with all his great info! For one thing I'm very happy to hear that the trans is full synchro. I'm in SE PA, just west of the Philly city limit. I can see the Philly skyline from the top of my street. I spoke with the seller via telephone on Labor Day and the small talk about old cars in general went well. When it came time to discuss the car in question, however, things went less well. He spoke of seeing a car very similar to his sell for about $14k a while back and I immediately knew that things were not looking up. (The car he talked bout is a beautifully restored green touring sedan in the Pacific northwest.) He's looking to get 25% of that kind of money which I don't see happening. At least not from me. I don't know when he last laid eyes on his car but his recollection of it's condition did not match what I saw. For starters he recalled a straight, dent free rust free body with a beautiful cloisonne Dodge Brothers emblem on the spare tire cover. I saw an 80 YO body in good condition but with dents here and there plus a spot of rust at the very end of the body down low. The DB emblem is damaged at one end, possibly from someone trying to pry it off the spare cover. He's positive that all trim parts are in the car including the grill bits. I'm not from Missouri but, well... I flat out told him that I didn't want to insult him but I was going to start at $1000 and bump to $1500 if necessary. Hell, I don't know if the motor is stuck (I couldn't turn it by grabbing the fan blades) and if it is really stuck I'm in trouble. I don't know whether all the grill/headlamp parts are really inside the car and what condition they're in. Were the trim strips damaged during removal? Were the attaching clips damaged? Nightmare if so. Can the gas tank be cleaned and saved or is it a leaker? Is the carb rebuildable? Can I hone and recup the wheel cylinders/master cylinder? Is the radiator shot? $$$$ I know I'll need a new battery and 4 tires so there goes $1000 right off the bat. I'll speak with the guy this afternoon or maybe later this weekend after we've both had time to think about it some more. I'm curious why Dodge bothered to build that trunkless sedan body style at all. The owner tells me that you access the trunk compartment by folding the rear seat forward. Well that's inconvenient, isn't it? No wonder the touring sedan outsold the regular sedan more than 30-to-1. Maybe it was for people who knew it would be a people hauler. I do *like* the regular sedan body style much better than the touring sedan. I've mentioned this car to a couple of car guys including co-workers. The response is either "WTH would you buy that POS" or "oh man you could cut of the front end and weld on a Camaro front frame and put in a V8 blah, blah, blah" and both responses make me feel kind of sick. Especially the second one. Edited September 8, 2016 by Pete in PA (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 The main redeeming factor as far as I can see is that body design. Less popular, but quite good looking with the spare on the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 I forgot to ask this question earlier: what should cover the spare tire hold down bolt access hole? Another hub cap? And while I'm here: someone observed that the lower part of the center grill with crank hole cover isn't shown. Is the lower part of the center grill a separate piece or has it been broken off? Is the crank hole cover yet another piece or is it the lower part of the center grill? I'm having trouble picturing what's going on there. Thanks again to everyone who has replied. I really do like the plain sedan design compared to the touring sedan design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 (edited) The center grille piece is lying on the front seat. The crankhole cover is separate for the 1936 DB and looks like this.... The hole in the center of the spare tire is covered by a standard hubcap or a locking hubcap. Edited September 8, 2016 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 Ah, okay I see. Thanks for those pics. The lower part of the center grill *is also* the cranking hole cover so I don't need to look for 2 separate pieces inside the car. That's good to know. And I guessed correctly that the spare cover got a 5th hubcap installed. Great. I also forgot to ask about the little oblong plate above the center hole on the spare tire cover. I'm guessing that is an access hole for checking the spare tire inflation pressure? Is that oblong plate hinged at the bottom edge or does the whole plate pop off? The owner of the D2 also had a 36 Plymouth years ago. The hood halves for that car are in the garage and they appear to be in great shape. If I manage to reel in this D2 those Plymouth parts would be good Hershey or ebay fodder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 I think that little door flips down in order to access the tire valve stem. Pretty certain it has a little hinge or bent edge holding it on. I never had one on my '36 as mine had sidemounts and those have different steel covers. I saw those Plymouth hood sides in the background. Good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 It appears to me, in the picture that the part of the grille center that the crank hole cover fits into is missing. If you look, the bottom of the piece on the seat is straight across and on a complete grille the bottom will have an opening for the cover and the bottom comes to an angled point. It's not unusual for these to be broken as many of these cars suffer from some type of front end collision damage. I would stick to my guns but I'm not surprised that the owner wants a lot of money. Today, everybody thinks that every junk car is priceless. The car is only realistically worth what has been mentioned in this thread and I'm sure that there are parts missing that could be hard to find. I had to get 2 parts cars just to find enough original hardware to restore mine! That little grille cover, in good condition can fetch over $400 and in perfect or restored condition can go for a lot more! Unfortunately, like most cars, it's probably worth a lot more in parts than a whole car! It would, however be an interesting restoration as like what's been stated, they are rare. I do see a lot more 2 door sedans than the four door but the touring sedans are quite common. WPC cars can be a hard row to hoe when it comes to restoration, but I think they are much nicer cars than the GM or Ford offerings. I've been at mine for nearly 20 years and am still looking forward to the day I finish! Maybe, if I can get up enough energy to unwrap my grille, I'll post some pics for you so you can see the entire thing. I would also be really sure that the grille side panels are there and undamaged, because they can be really hard to find and they are nearly impossible to restore properly! I have added some photos of the horn strips I made. One more thing, if you look at the car again, make sure that the ram hood ornament is there and unbroken. These can be found but they are all over the board with price and condition and can cost $500- $800 to replate alone! Many times the bases are broken or the horns are broken. Actually, the pictures are of a '35 ram ornament but the '36's look very similar except the front of the base is shorter and less detailed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 Here are some photos of the grille center and side sections. You'll notice the extension for the crank hole cover and that that portion is missing from the grille in the car photo. Also shows the cover in place and separate. The 2 sides are pictured but only one has the crossbar trim as the other is undergoing restoration. The one right side one is an NOS part that was never on a car and the other was in exceptional shape but all the fins had to be repainted so I did both to match. Sorry about the glare as all this stuff has been replated and/or buffed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35cz8 Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 Nice Grille L, I would love to have one like it for my RS CP. They are hard to find in "nice" condition and are out of my budget - price wise. Love the look of the slant back body and I personally would want it over a standard trunk model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 Thanks 35. That grille cost me a pretty penny! It had the bottom part broken off in 3 pcs.and was repaired very well. It had to be plated twice due to fitment problems . Pauls Chrome in Mars PA plated it and did the second repair free! It came out really nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted September 10, 2016 Author Share Posted September 10, 2016 Thanks again to jpage who has now made the center grill section issue crystal clear to me. Unfortunately the newly-acquired knowledge is bad news since I can now say with certainty that the grill on my possible 36 sedan purchase is broken. The crank hole cover frame, rectangle, box, or whatever you want to call it is definitely broken off the bottom of the center grill section. I have no idea if that piece (or the crank hole cover) is in the car. It's easy to believe that many/most of the 36 D2 grills were damaged in that way and the crank hole covers lost. It's not an essential part and I'm sure that most 36 Dodges were flogged to death by the end of WWII. Grill cover? Pffft! Who's going to worry about that when it's hard to get gas and tires? I'll probably speak with the seller again tomorrow. I'm excited about the prospect of getting the old girl running, moving, stopping, etc. but knowing that I'd have to begin a search for a complete grill (or parts thereof) is kind of a downer. But Hershey is less than a month away, right? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 Don't despair! Grilles are fairly common, broken and unbroken and if you have all the parts, they can be repaired. Bad part is, that everyone wants a ton of money for them even if they are broken. Another part that is delicate on the four doors is the door latch catches on the body. They have sliding alignment wedges encased in a cast cover. The covers allow the wedges to slide in a track to keep them uniform but the covers are very fragile and are often broken. Because of this, good latches are very expensive when you can find them. I was looking for 2 and then dropped a good one breaking it! Now I need 3 but haven'y located any. There was a set on Ebay but all but 1 looked, broken, and when broken they are almost worthless . I'm not telling you this stuff to discourage you, I'm just trying to help you get a feel for what you might be up against if you do decide to restore that car. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on this forum who can give info, advice and have parts that will keep you going. If you get this car, make sure you find a copy of the Motor's Maintenance Manual and a copy of the Dodge '34-'36 Master Maintenance Manual. These book are a must and I'd be lost without them. When you go back, make sure that you look for those parts of the grill and see if the sides are there and what shape they are in. If you have any questions when you're looking, please give me a call and I'll try to help. I'll PM you with my number. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankngin Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 You get that car and I will trade you Two rusty, fairly complete 4 Door 36 Dodges with a trunk. The With a trunk cars are 5 passenger cars that one is a 4 passenger car. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted September 10, 2016 Author Share Posted September 10, 2016 No thanks, Frank. I much prefer the trunkless body style. Now if you have an intact center grill section that you want to sell i may be interested. Let's see if I even buy this car. I will talk to the seller tomorrow. If we can't work out a deal I will let him know that others here may be interested in it. I do already have enough projects to keep me busy for the rest of my life. It's just that his 36 showed up virtually on my doorstep and I've never had the opportunity to even examine such a car, much less buy it. We'll see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Some advice on that crank hole cover. If you run over the right pothole or RR tracks it will fall off and get run over by the guy behind you. It only clips on and not very securely. I have some tiny zip ties holding mine on solidly as I have been thru this. Had to drive it around like this for a few years before I could find one. 37 sides fit right on. (might be pick up only.) X-Ram 2 fours optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted September 25, 2016 Author Share Posted September 25, 2016 I've been busy and hadn't contacted the seller but did so this evening. He couldn't talk because he was painting a room so we agreed to talk later tonight. Jack M -- is that a pickup shown in your post? If so, was the front end really so similar to the passenger car front end? I wanted to be more prepared to speak with the seller so I went to the homeowner and asked if I could poke around inside the Dodge and see what was and wasn't there. She said go ahead so I did. There is a lot of stuff packed into that interior and most, but not all of it, is for the Dodge. On top I found the bundle of exterior trim strips and there are a lot of clips on the strips. Most appear to be in good condition but I can't say that they're all there. I found the broken off pieces of the lower grill so maybe repair is an option. The potmetal is pretty pitted, though, so it may make sense to find a better starting point. In better news I did find the crank hole cover. Two, actually! One of them is cracked at the bottom and a mounting ear at the top is broken off. The second one is in much better condition, being intact and having decent plating. Joy! The grill side pieces are with the car but man are the steel parts rusty! Hard to say whether they can/should be fixed vs replaced at this point. Also found the horn covers! The grills have been removed so the mounting posts are broken off and the pitting is bad. The rail on top is missing from one. Then I found a second pair of grill covers, also pretty bad but intact. The headlamps haven't been converted to sealed beams but they are disassembled and the springs at the adjusters are rusty junk. I think that this car hit something toward the right side, damaging the fender, grill, horn cover, and headlamp because the parts for that side are in worse shape than the rest of the car. Rusty, like they had been laying around for a long time... There's a spare windshield with frame inside the car. Also a generator, master cylinder, bumper brackets, ignition switch, and more. I just disturbed the top layer. No sign of the hood ornament but in our last conversation the seller swore he had it in the car. There are some 36 Plymouth parts inside the car including a service manual, hubcaps, and a grill ornament to name a couple. I tried pretty hard to turn the crankshaft by moving the fan blades but had no luck. I also looked for the engine crank without success. That engine does have aluminum pistons, doesn't it? All 4 tires were still holding air from when I inflated them on Labor Day so that's good news. They would provide service for moving the car around while I work on it to get it running/stopping. In addition to a battery I can add wiring harnesses as part of my first expenses. They're junk and I'd be afraid the car would burn up if I put power to them. The generator is connected to the voltage regulator by lamp zipcord! There are sections of vinyl insulation wire crimped into the harness and it isn't secured very well, hanging loose in a lot of places under the hood. Well in case you couldn't tell I've really warmed up to the idea of buying/fixing an 80 year old car. I really want to hear that flathead 6 fire up and talk to me through a new exhaust system. It'll take a lot of $$$$ to reach that point though. We'll see how my conversation with the seller goes tonight. Thanks to everyone who's provided comments so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrytravler Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 (edited) 26 minutes ago, Pete in PA said: I've been busy and hadn't contacted the seller but did so this evening. He couldn't talk because he was painting a room so we agreed to talk later tonight. Jack M -- is that a pickup shown in your post? If so, was the front end really so similar to the passenger car front end? I wanted to be more prepared to speak with the seller so I went to the homeowner and asked if I could poke around inside the Dodge and see what was and wasn't there. She said go ahead so I did. There is a lot of stuff packed into that interior and most, but not all of it, is for the Dodge. On top I found the bundle of exterior trim strips and there are a lot of clips on the strips. Most appear to be in good condition but I can't say that they're all there. I found the broken off pieces of the lower grill so maybe repair is an option. The potmetal is pretty pitted, though, so it may make sense to find a better starting point. In better news I did find the crank hole cover. Two, actually! One of them is cracked at the bottom and a mounting ear at the top is broken off. The second one is in much better condition, being intact and having decent plating. Joy! The grill side pieces are with the car but man are the steel parts rusty! Hard to say whether they can/should be fixed vs replaced at this point. Also found the horn covers! The grills have been removed so the mounting posts are broken off and the pitting is bad. The rail on top is missing from one. Then I found a second pair of grill covers, also pretty bad but intact. The headlamps haven't been converted to sealed beams but they are disassembled and the springs at the adjusters are rusty junk. I think that this car hit something toward the right side, damaging the fender, grill, horn cover, and headlamp because the parts for that side are in worse shape than the rest of the car. Rusty, like they had been laying around for a long time... There's a spare windshield with frame inside the car. Also a generator, master cylinder, bumper brackets, ignition switch, and more. I just disturbed the top layer. No sign of the hood ornament but in our last conversation the seller swore he had it in the car. There are some 36 Plymouth parts inside the car including a service manual, hubcaps, and a grill ornament to name a couple. I tried pretty hard to turn the crankshaft by moving the fan blades but had no luck. I also looked for the engine crank without success. That engine does have aluminum pistons, doesn't it? All 4 tires were still holding air from when I inflated them on Labor Day so that's good news. They would provide service for moving the car around while I work on it to get it running/stopping. In addition to a battery I can add wiring harnesses as part of my first expenses. They're junk and I'd be afraid the car would burn up if I put power to them. The generator is connected to the voltage regulator by lamp zipcord! There are sections of vinyl insulation wire crimped into the harness and it isn't secured very well, hanging loose in a lot of places under the hood. Well in case you couldn't tell I've really warmed up to the idea of buying/fixing an 80 year old car. I really want to hear that flathead 6 fire up and talk to me through a new exhaust system. It'll take a lot of $$$$ to reach that point though. We'll see how my conversation with the seller goes tonight. Thanks to everyone who's provided comments so far. The 36 truck and car grill are the same. The difference is the outer grill shell, headlamps, and stands along with the gravel shield behind the grill The 37 truck center grill section is also the same as the 36 cars and trucks. 1/2 ton only for the trucks that we are talking about. The black truck pictured is a 36 and the red one is a 37. Edited September 25, 2016 by countrytravler (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 Sounds like you could be off to a good start finding all those parts.Remember that almost anything can be fixed with some knowledge and a lot of patience. You'll find a lot of help here too! Good Luck! Remember. if you have questions don't hesitate to call me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35cz8 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Page is right, you WILL find a lot of help here so don't be afraid to ask. I have found a LOT of help with locating parts and getting information and leads from people like Page. I have a long ways to go with my 1936, but each part I find, takes me a step closer to the restoration. If you do get the car, be patient and you will find what you need. Also, be prepared to spend some money as some of these parts cost a bit. I would bet that I am going to have a lot more into my car (if I ever get it done) than it would ever be worth, but I enjoy riding and driving these old cars and that is what it is all about to me. Good luck and keep us posted on what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Met with the seller yesterday afternoon. More on that later. For now, can anyone tell me what size battery this car would use? Our supplier at work says that something that old would use a group 1, 2, or 2L. Sound right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbbbbb9 Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I think I have my 36 sold but will have extra parts so keep me in mind when you need stuff. I have grill side pieces that are not straight but also not rusted. And they don't have kinks either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 thanks for the info, bbbbbb9. The grill side pieces are one thing I'll be looking for assuming that this sale goes through. Where are you loacated? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 I think that it's a standard group one size. Only difference is the size, just make sure it fits the battery box. Before you buy any grille sides , make sure that they are not damaged because they are nearly impossible to repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
36 D2 Coupe Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Hi Pete If you have the side grille pieces and they are straight but rusty, I have a solution for you. I just did mine by using a Dremel and tiny wire wheels to get the worst of the rust off, then soaked the sections, one at a time in a tray of Evapo-rust. It cost me about $70.00 for a 3.5 gallon pail of the stuff and I think that would work for you without beating up those thin fragile vanes. Once cleaned, then I coated them with etching primer and black glossy Tremclad. You will need some 1/4" masking tape to cover the stainless ribs, a fussy kind of job. Oh, and I very carefully removed the trim bars on the face of the grille by heating the clips with a propane torch and gently unwinding and straightening them. them. Only lost two and they are easy to make from body steel. Another suggestion - a little cheaper - is to soak the sections in a water and molasses solution 9:1 I think. Somebody correct me if I have the proportions wrong. It may take a while but you should get the same result. If you are patient, your grille should turn out nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Sorry Pete , been out of town for a couple of weeks. To answer your question, no, its a coupe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 Met with the seller again this afternoon and agreed on a price. It's now *my* 36 Dodge D2 4 passenger sedan. Not sure if I should rejoice or cry. Step 1 was to empty the interior of all the boxes of "stuff" and see exactly what was in there. Turns out it is almost all parts from the 36 Plymouth he bought, stripped, and scrapped 20+ years ago. Windshield and frame, hoods, splash pans, bumpers, radiator, carb, starter, generator, driveshaft, headlamps, hub caps, emblems, and a lot of other stuff. Guess I'll be selling it all off or buying a space at Hershey next year to fund this D2 project. I'm sure some of the parts will fit my D2 but I don't know what those parts are. Yet. Hint, hint... With the interior emptied, step 2 was to tilt the rear seatback forward and see if there was a crank back there. Nope, no crank. Or jack. Just an old fuel pump and a box of rusty tire chains. After I got over the disappointment of not finding a crank in the "trunk" I went on to step 3 which was to pull all 6 spark plugs, squirt some ancient 10W oil into each cylinder, put the trans in second gear, get behind the car, and rock it forward/rearward with increasing vigor until "pop" the engine started to turn. Yay! Then I set the parking brake, put it in neutral, put a spark plug loosely in cylinder 6, and rotated the fan until I got compression (resistance and hiss past the rings). Then I removed plug #6, installed plug #5 loosely, and repeated the procedure. Then #4, etc. Have compression in all 6 cylinders so that's good news. Here are some pics from the event. See anything interesting? I haven't dug to the bottom of the boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) Oh, one more thing. One box contained another Dodge hubcap that had a lock cylinder. Well that makes sense! It must be for the spare tire so someone doesn't steal it. Unfortunately the previous owner (the guy who owned it before the guy I bought it from) didn't have a key for that 5th hub cap so he pried it from the spare tire cover. Which explains the damage to the spare tire cover... Should I try to have a key made for the existing hub cap or find a replacement hub cap with key? Edited October 31, 2016 by Pete in PA (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Lots of parts that look like they go to the Dodge. Some Plymouth and Dodge parts will interchange. The carbs and linkage are different from Dodge and Plymouth. The tailight is the same and the air cleaner is correct. PS I can restore those air cleaners. I see a horn grille which is hard to come by but make sure it's not broken. They were mounted with little nubs which were peened over and are probably gone but that's not a problem.That hubcap is a good find and you could probably get a key made at a good locksmith.I see the remnants of a crank hole cover, if you have both sections that could be repaired. Also save all those bakelite bullet connectors from the wires as I believe that they are not available. There should be 1 3 hole connector for the headlamp harness. Those inner fender panels look to be bolt on . On the Dodge the right side cover is bolted on for access to the valves, the left side is riveted to the catwalk on the fender. Looks like the grille side is pretty rusty but the stainless doesn't look too bad. The pits in the fins are hard to repair on those because of spacing but it can be done. The stainless on the flutes and the straightness are the biggest issues. Looks like you're off to a good start but it also looks as though you might have quite a long road ahead. Good luck and have fun. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
36 D2 Coupe Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Congratulations on joining the '36 Dodge owners' group! I agree with jpage - there are a lot of parts for '36 Dodge in what you have in boxes. It looks as if the crank hole cover may be intact and that is a huge plus. The grille side panel should clean up ok as I suggested in post #31. Don't be in a hurry to get rid of anything (except perhaps the Plymouth hub caps and emblem) until you are absolutely sure that it does not fit your car. Nothing is more annoying than discovering an OOPS after the fact. Have fun sorting and learning about what goes where on your new prize! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrytravler Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Good find. Rear brake drums and wheel cylinders are one year only. We're parting out a 36 and we get a lot of calls on those 2 items. Also, have a customer working on 3, 36 Dodge coupes. He has had one since 1965. Really nice cars. Here is a 36 at the 100 year Centennial in Detroit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Hi Pete, Great looking car. It looks very solid and with your mechanical skills, it should be running soon. I like your idea of putting it back on the road "as is". If you're tempted to go any further I'll save you half the investment by checking out The WPC News of The Walter P Chrysler Club, right now there's a 36 Dodge 4 door sedan with dual side mounts for sale under $14 k. Good luck with your project and I'll be checking on your progress here. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reg Evans Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Steve9, Can you post a link to that 36 with side mounts for sale ? I can't find it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Reg, PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted November 8, 2016 Author Share Posted November 8, 2016 I was thinking that I'd have to find a color other than black but that convertible, oh, oh, that's beautiful. I doubt that *any* 36 Dodge looked that good when new but it sure looks good now. Just wow! Yesterday evening I got the title and a neighbor with a Toyota Tundra pickup helped me to flat tow the Dodge to my rented garage. It'll be safely stored inside as winter approaches. I'll get it up on stands pretty soon and start work. My son and I went to the garage this afternoon and he got to sit in the car and ask lots of questions. He's very excited about beginning work and wants to go through all the boxes in the car to see what's there. We identified all the stainless trim that was bundled up with twine. No cowl short sections but I'm hopeful that they will be somewhere in the car. The seller gave me the hood ornament and it is every bit as beautiful as he said. It can't be original to the car or else it was removed a *long* time ago. There's not pitting and the chrome is deep and lustrous. Only problem is that the tang at the rear of the mounting surface is broken off so I'm not sure how I will mount it. And whatever fastener/bracket used to mount it at the front is also absent. Hope I find that in the boxes, too. Anyone have a pic of what the underside of the ornament with fasteners should look like? Another question: what kind of gasket or sealer is used to close up the joint between the roof center and perimeter panels? For that matter, how is the center panel held in place? Is it spot welded to the perimeter and the gap filled with sealant? All I know is that I don't want this car to get wet until I know how to seal the roof center section to the perimeter. Maybe it's time to start a new thread titled something like "The 36 Dodge father/son project" Thank's to all who have offered info, guidance, advice, or encouragement. This looks like a fun project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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