trini

[trini]

Hi Members, I have my 1928 Dodge Brothers in pieces. The wood  is eaten out by weevil and I am about to replace them. The question is what type of preservative should I use to keep the critters away ? What type of primer , or what is used to preserve the metal for the preparation for final paint. What is the paint code ?  The original colour looks dark green.

Cheers.

Harry. 

 

    

[stakeside]

I believe he original wood does not have a wood preservative. I am not sure if it was even sealed or painted. I used white oak for my Dodge Bros truck and sealed it with a polyester sealer. I have heard ash is a good wood to use also. I choose white oak because it was the original wood. I would be concerned about using existing would with new wood. You will have to make sure those little critters are eradicated. 

My metal had heavy surface rust on the interior surfaces so I treated the surface with a rust stabilizer that came in a spray can. Any Napa store will have it.

It looks like the paint is fairly good. If you use rubbing compound and polish you should get a pretty good true color to match. My truck was originally Dodge blue but years of being exposed to the weather  turned it green. 

Post some pictures or the paint after you get a good sample.

[trimacar]

Ask an old time trimmer about what kind of wood should be in an old car, and he'll cringe when you say oak.....I know I do.

 

Oak is a wide grained wood that splits very easily, and driving a tack into it for the upholstery is fraught with angst.  Ash, however, is a very tightly grained wood, and takes fasteners very well without splitting.

 

All that said, treat the wood with an epoxy sealer, such as West System or Smith's, and you shouldn't have to worry about critters eating through it....

[Spinneyhill]

Whatever you do, don't put any copper treatment on the wood that will be next to steel. e.g. copper naphthenate. The copper will promote rapid galvanic rust in the steel and the fasteners.

[keiser31]

I prefer kiln-dried ash when replacing automobile wood.

[stakeside]

My truck was built in Stockton CA. and it used white oak for the cab framework. My cuts and pieces were much simpler than passenger cars and oak worked out well. It appears the car woodwork is much more complicated.

 

 

 

 

 

[Larry Schramm]

I vote for Ash because of the strength and toughness. 

 

Think baseball bats!

[lump]

Ok, guys. Help me out of my shell of ignorance...again. I thought I recalled Dodge cars of the late 1920's being advertised as the first car with an ALL STEEL BODY. Is this incorrect? 

[stakeside]

I suggest that you move your questions to the "Dodge Brothers" in the "Chrysler" forum of this site. I believe "Budd" produced all steel bodies in the early 30"s.

[JACK M]

The early Dodges were the first to be all steel.

One of the reasons that I like them the most.

[Spinneyhill]

6 hours ago, lump said:

Ok, guys. Help me out of my shell of ignorance...again. I thought I recalled Dodge cars of the late 1920's being advertised as the first car with an ALL STEEL BODY. Is this incorrect? 

Yes. There is a bit of info. in

and in

 

[cahartley]

While most of the sedan bodies are of steel the tops are not much like the last of the Improved Model T's which have steel bodies but a wood framework for the top.

Here is an "as found" photo of a mid 20's Dodge Sedan.

[JACK M]

My neighbor picked up a hacked up 33 Buick.

I took many hours for him to replace the wood in the doors with steel frames that he fabed up. The wood was very soft and left the doors very flimsy.

My 28 Dodge has all steel doors and was much easier to work with.

[Stude Light]

My 1923 Studebaker Light Six Touring car was provided by Budd and was Studebaker's first all metal body.  As mentioned in the other post, Dodge Brothers adopted the Budd provided bodies almost 10 years earlier. But getting back to the original question....if you keep the wood dry, you will not have insect problem nor the microbial decay.  You do not need a wood preservative but a good coating to keep it from getting wet internally.  Good quality paints or urethanes come to mind.  My original roof bows were bare wood and pristine after 90 years as were the floor boards when I received the car but the roof material was intact.

Scott

[trini]

Thank you very much  my fellow enthusiast. I did not expect to hear from so many. I posted many pictures of my 28 Dodge Brothers Senior 4 door on the "Photo and Project Forum"

Although it is described as all steel it is not totally all steel. The doors are all steel except on the  inside along the door glass are 4 pieces 1/2 inch square around the perimeter that follows the door glass around. These strips are screwed on inside with  countersunk #8 by 1/2 long wood screws from the outside. There are several elongated cut outs holes in the metal panel in line with the screws. The door panel trim  is nailed onto the  wood inside through the cut out holes. May also use fancy head tacks. ( 1/2 strips only to accommodate the tacks to hold the trim.) A pleasure to work with .

On the B pillar or center post is also a 1 inch strip of wood attached lengthwise in the center to accommodate the trim using tack nail  The hold on strap is also attached to the wood by a brass # 8  wood screw. The front seat top portion is also attached with screws to the wood in the center pillar The rail at the top of the windshield is a heavy stamped steel. From left post to right post. It carries a piece of wood on top  across to nail the metal strip and the fabric roof. Also to hold the sun visor.

The floor board is wood. Looks like pine or spruce soaked in something green. It is in beautiful shape. The main sills are barely 6 feet long and 5 inches at the widest  point, and narrowed at the front, shaped for the bulkhead which is narrower than the rear tub. Two rails across  holding them together. The steel frame is in excellent condition with surface rust in some places. Never painted. Part of the lower battery box is eaten away.

It seems to me it was an attempt to design a semi rounded roof instead of the flat roof of the time . I would say it is truly a 90 percent steel body and way ahead of its time. I am fascinated by wood spoke wheels, but what I like  most is the hydraulic brakes, 14 inch drums. The drive shaft is solid like a modern Chevrolet. No torque tube. Easy to install a 283 GM and automatic. Modify the drive shaft  and use the existing wood spoke wheels. Tempting.

 

I appreciate your comments  very much, and will take your advice. The original top wooden rail to accommodate the roof are  red maple. They are cracked up by the nails for the most part and twisted out of shape because of age although they are painted black or soaked with a black liquid. NO OAK, please. I am going to post more pictures on the Photo and Project Forum.

Cheers