1929 Fargo Express Panel Update

[Jack Bennett]

On 8/3/2024 at 7:38 AM, 30DodgePanel said:

 

Haha, no need, I've not earned any degrees in either rite nor do I intend to become part of the buggaboo tribe.

I'll stick with the covenant I received as a young boy from the true master. 

 

Again, this is from the 1/2 ton Packet so I'm not sure if it is of much use.

A few weeks ago there were two 3/4 ton Instruction Books specific for the Clippers for sale on eBay. I guess they have sold. 
Hopefully you secured one as it may hold more answers that you may be looking for.

 

I am not sure if it was in this life, or a previous one, but Ii think I do remember seeing a owners manual for either a Packet, 1/2 ton, or Clipper 3/4 ton advertised for sale on eBay.

To the best of my recall it was $70.00 some dollars plus S&H, and, at that time, I wasn’t sure if the truck was salvageable.

I appreciate the reminder, and will check it out ASAP to see if either is still available.

Jack

[Jack Bennett]

8 hours ago, Jack Bennett said:

I am not sure if it was in this life, or a previous one, but Ii think I do remember seeing a owners manual for either a Packet, 1/2 ton, or Clipper 3/4 ton advertised for sale on eBay.

To the best of my recall it was $70.00 some dollars plus S&H, and, at that time, I wasn’t sure if the truck was salvageable.

I appreciate the reminder, and will check it out ASAP to see if either is still available.

Jack

I just ordered a 1929 Fargo 1/2 ton Packet owners manual off eBay for $39.95 + $4.35 postage. Sure hope it helps since I am now 99.9% sure the Fargo Express I now have is a 1928-1929 Fargo Express 3/4 ton Clipper.

But, this Manual is for a six cylinder truck, which mine is, so it may provide me with some information I can’t get otherwise.

Jack

Edited August 6 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)

[Jack Bennett]

And time moves on……….

Today may go down on record as a holiday, and the calendar will be marked to commemorate the arrival of my new brake hose set for the Fargo.

The truck is now fully mobile and the onset of colder Washington State weather grows a bit less scary as I prepare the truck for its first extra-yard solo drive.

These hoses will be the last……I did not say “final” step necessary to start….drive…….and stop the truck with some amount of certainty it is now safe to operate for a distance over a few feet.

The journey has been a long one, and still has much more remaining, before the truck is returned to any semblance of the fellow who braved rhe roads in 1930, probably laden with parts needed for other trucks.

But, the garage is now in sight, and the protection it will provide from the wet and cold weather as I put the finishing touches to “Mite” will be great.

Jack

[Jack Bennett]

Looking at the Fargo from the perspective of laying on my back, and looking up, seems more informative of the history of the truck than standing on my deck, looking down at the refurbished paint and wood.

The thing I have found common in the cars made in the early to mid 1900’s is their undeniable heritage, and the fact that their direct ancestors were probably tractors.

Back to the Fargo.

To me, personally, a good restoration, using duplicate parts or good re-pop parts is wholly acceptable.

Likewise, there are those, like me, who doesn’t mind looking at a car as it would be viewed while in use by a proud owner living in the 1920’s or 1930’s. I think fiberglass bodies, gaudy chrome, and acrylics are better used on Sea-Doo’s and things more suited for a 500 cubic inch V-8 than a 1923 Dodge Brothers Roadster would be.

But, looking from the balcony down does make the thought of, my body having experienced 80 years of life, and consequential wear, makes a visit to the local apothecary seem more attractive for a bit of BOTOX, a tad of fake testosterone, and maybe a facelift and tummy tuck seem totally totally reasonable.

Or, it may remind me that I have accumulated a number of battle scars, had a direct influence on the lives of all I have touched, and wouldn’t change a thing regarding the number of dents, dings and rust I bear as a testimony that I too am a survivor.

Jack

Edited August 12 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)

[Jack Bennett]

“Mite” is mobile.

A few days ago I moved (Mighty) “Mite”, the Fargo Express Panel I’m working on, from the automotive emergency surgical area, located in my back yard, to the automotive recovery and cosmetic surgery area located in my driveway.

To my knowledge this is the first time this truck has moved under its own power since, at least 1976. And it is this part of the hobby which makes tinkering with these old cars so very enjoyable.

The brakes are still a bit to spongy to feel comfortable putting the truck to test at any speed, but it sure feels good to have a brake pedal to push.

Thursday I made the trip up to Bellingham to pick up the radiator and shroud PFindlay donated, free of charge, and provided transport of the pieces from Burnaby, BC to Bellingham.

The radiator has surrendered itself to a life well spent, and, as a radiator may be retired to a more sedate life than watching a fan incessantly spin.

The shroud has a lot of promise as a welcome upgrade to the rust and rotten shroud presently on my old Fargo, and I am finding below the patina of well earned rust some very tantalizing chrome.

It will be a while before I am ready to remove the radiator and exchange the shrouds, but photos will follow.

I realize it may be taboo to mention another forum member by name, but I am so very impressed by the generosity and willingness of PFindlay to reach out and help a fellow old car nut……..I can’t bring myself to ask for forgiveness doing exactly that…………Thanks Paul……..you, and people like you keep this hobby fun.

Jack

 

Edited September 1 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)

[Jack Bennett]

As I mentioned in the previous post, my dog (Boo) and I made a sojourn from Lakewood to Bellingham, Washington to pick up a donated radiator and shroud.

The 51% of this hobby, which doesn’t require tools, and don’t result in greasy hands, is meeting and exchanging cordialities with other antique car fans.

And a huge portion of our trip to Bellingham fulfilled that in a big time way.

Colleen and Joe were the designated keepers of the radiator and shroud as it waited for me to pick it up.

Meeting them, getting to look at his superbly restored 1911 Model T Ford, and having their hearts and home welcomed to my dog and me, with the offer of food and drink made the trip worthwhile even if the radiator and shroud was not in the offing.

Joe is a living thesaurus of antique car information, and his willingness to share it with a total stranger is a character I sure wish was more widely shared among us older coots.

His library of books is as immense as his knowledge of antique cars, and he offered me several of them to help me learn also.

Accordingly, I will share any information from one of the books I found with some relativity to my Fargo, but this information will have to be digitally shared because I will not part with the original book.

So, if you are looking for information on a antique Graham Brothers Truck, and believe it may be found in this book, PM me and I’ll do my best to post photos of the pages you need…….and it will be my pleasure to do so.

Jack

[Jack Bennett]

Back to work on “Mite”, the 1929 Fargo Express delivery I have adopted as a reanimation project.

Much of the woodwork of which his body is made from is completed.

His engine, transmission, drive shaft and differential have been redone to the state where they can be trusted on a longer trip.

His brakes have been restored from the master cylinder to his wheel cylinders, and other than a final bleeding and adjustment, can be considered “done”.

His tires are all NOS and should last, at least, my lifetime.

I still need to have the radiator boiled out and some minor leaks repaired, and this can wait until I get the shroud I was gifted by PFindlay ready for its debut.

The steering is complete, the replacement steering wheel looks to be authentic and he tracks as well as any Conestaga wagon could be expected.

The interior is coming along, and I am getting near the point where the new (Tuxedo Grain) top will be installed. I wanted to go with “Cobra Long Grain”, but I suppose it has left the old car supply system.

The new key type ignition switch is due to arrive in the mail today and the starter solenoid is already installed, so I am close to the point where I can move the starter switch from the floor board to the dash board.

More photos to come as progress proceeds.

Jack

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

Jack,

It’s just amazing to see where you are compared to where you started…..and you have really entertained several of us with your additional musings. Thanks for the show as you near the finale.

[r1lark]

Jack, it's looking great! 

 

One question: will it fit in your garage? Looks pretty close! 🙂

[Jack Bennett]

4 hours ago, r1lark said:

Jack, it's looking great! 

 

One question: will it fit in your garage? Looks pretty close! 🙂

Odd you should ask. These old cars are so boxy making an accurate visual measurement is nearly impossible, and usually not even practical.

Thus far I have finished up the Willys, Dodge and Plymouth in my garage.

By far the Willys was the longest, but I still had room to walk in front of and behind it. The Dodge was by far the shortest and narrower of the three, and I had plenty of room at both the front and the sides. The Plymouth was the widest, and it was nearly impossible to even get the doors open when my KIA was parked inside also.

I put the Fargo in the garage, nose in first.

It did fit but I could barely get the door closed.

So, I backed it in………thinking it may be shorter from rear to front, than front to rear.

Nope, still a close fit, but it will not be parked in the garage normally.

Now that it is running I can nose it in, or back it in and get some protection for the part I’m working on.

Jack

 

[Jack Bennett]

My decision to “re-animate” and “preserve”, rather than “restore” Mite, the 1929 Fargo project I am now undertaking, has more to do with me, personally, than the truck.

At my age, being in the sunset of a long life, I have been shot at countless times, but missed. And, I have been shot at a few times, and hit, both virtually as well as literally. In either case, it was a clear indication that my boss (the US Government) really wasn’t concerned with my longevity.

In spite of worldly trivialities which would have expedited my formal introduction to St. Peter, I managed to fool them and make it to the crest of the hill.

That crest occurred nearly half a century in my past, a lot of water has been passed since then, and now it has became apparent that the downhill slide is becoming cluttered with obstructions which occur more frequently and, which no longer hinder what should be a pleasurable slide, rather each has the potential of ending it altogether. 
Now I must “box” my aspirations and energy to both realize, and retain, the value of the aspirations, while making use of the energy I have left to accomplish them.

This “box” no longer includes things like (literal) mountain climbs to visit Machu Piccu or scuba diving into Challenger Deep.

But it does include days which end with the knowledge of how a sleeve valve engine differs from a poppet valve engine, and the sense of accomplishment which comes when the last bolt of a water cover is tightened and, a leak which has been a plague for years, is finally stopped.

I would love to play line backer on the Packers football team, but, for the same amount of zing, I install a transmission in a old Dodge or a set of tires on a old Plymouth.

The “box”, in in this case, is a old, abandoned, abused and aesthetically reprehensible old Fargo Express panel truck, and even it grows smaller with each task I accomplish in order to return its mobility.

When the truck was first examined for assessment of time, labor and expenses needed to drive it again, it seemed as tall as any mountain or as deep as any unexplored part of a ocean.

Now that the engine, the clutch, transmission rear end, steering, and even brakes not only exist……….they actually work, and are no longer included in the “gotta-do’s”  in the box. Accordingly, the box labeled “Fargo” has shrank in shockingly obvious, and alarmingly disproportionate size.

But, as I intently used a grinder to de-rust the back bumper, license plate holder and rear light brackets, I became aware that I was no longer alone in the garage.

The fellow, obviously no longer a youngster, was standing inside the doors, a and said, with huge grin on his face “I am sorry to interrupt your fun, but I have been standing here watching you for the last half hour.

”And”, he continued, “not one single time you have looked up so I have waited to talk to you”.

The fellow explained that he has been walking by my home for the past year, and regardless of the weather, he has seen me outside working on one old car or another, and he has always, but never has, intended on stopping to talk.

”But” he went on, the only exercise he gets is the walk, and once he stops, it is becoming increasingly difficult to restart.

”Now” he said, it is getting nearly impossible to continue the walks and he needs frequent breaks, and since he has a few minutes, decided that today he was going to talk to me for a few minutes.

That was around 10:00 A.M…………………He finally left my garage at a time very close to 2:00 P.M. with a cold MGD, which he said he avoided even though he always wanted one, under his belt.

The cordial grin had been replaced by a real smile, he looked 100% more relaxed, and most assuredly, felt a lot better going back home after a day in my garage than a one hour (very limited) “power walk”.

The weight carried by the fellow which left my garage was increased immensely over the fellow who had entered it because he was told that sanding, grinding and standing while painting old car parts is more rewarding than spending hours on a machine, moving virtual weights, adjustable from zero to a zillion pounds, and stressing a body which already had arthritis and had been able, due to financial necessity, to work under some really extreme conditions, and were more susceptible to permanent injury now that he was older.

He was handed, with due caution, the spare flywheel from my 1923 Dodge roadster, asked to move the transmission I have left from the speedometer fiasco on the same car, and shown the difference between a “cone” clutch and a “disc” clutch. He was unable to lift the flywheel, as well as leaving the transmission undisturbed, but he was entranced by the shift tower, the interaction of the lever and the forks, and was able to lift the assembly with some effort.

I could see the light in his eyes brighten as he was shown how a Skinner vacuum tank works, how the fuel enhancement lever and rack on the Detroit Lubricator carburetor replaces the choke and how the primer ports replace the accelerator pump on my four cylinder Dodge.

He did finally leave, with a firm handshake, a sincere “thank you”, and assurances he’d be back soon, and much more often.

I couldn’t help but feel like a young sergeant, on the tank main gun firing line, in Grafenwohr, West Germany, watching troops I’d taken from cooks, medics and clerks, to highly effective tank crews, score 100% on the days firing tables.

So, the day did not see closure by final installation of a better preserved rear bumper, a more appealing set of tail lights, or even a more attractive place to hang the license plate on my old Fargo.

Instead, it provided a conduit for me to exercise my brain, renew my knowledge of some things that even a much younger person ever learned, and the opportunity to see the walk of a fellow human become more purposeful and energetic without therapy, medications, organized athletics, and most importantly, the new realization his brain needed exercise as well as his time depleted back and knees.

I think you can grasp the drift of this lengthy spiel, or at least I hope it caused your brain to have something to digest which doesn’t include television or Skype.

Jack

 

This is the new water cover of a 97 year old engine…………..Sorry I could not find an equivalent weight on the Charles Atlas weight bench or an equal amount of accomplishment I realized in its replacement on the internet.

 

Edited September 5 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)

[Jack Bennett]

As I said in a previous post, I am sharing a few photographs of the radiator shroud PFindlay so generously provided for my 1929 Fargo Express Panel Delivery project.

Sadly the radiator he also provided is so badly anodized that repair is not a feasible undertaking.

The shroud was recoverable, and it will be put to use on my Fargo as a upgrade to the badly rusted shroud it previously hosted.

I have no intention of trying to re-chrome the shroud as it will serve its purpose to give representation to the truck as it was when in use.

I feel a loss at the radiator because I realize that once it is gone, very probably it cannot be replaced. But, any attempt to repair it would be a waste of time and money so I will take it to a recycle center and let them deal with it.

Should I receive any money for surrender of the radiator I will donate that amount, and an additional $100.00 to St. Jude in the name of P. Findlay as a gesture of acknowledgement we need thousands more like him in our society.

Jack

Edited September 8 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)

[r1lark]

The Fargo is looking better and better Jack!

[Jack Bennett]

16 hours ago, r1lark said:

The Fargo is looking better and better Jack!

Thanks Paul.

The Fargo will never be finished because it is a hobby, and the retirement benefits just aren’t worth rushing toward.

I always stop just short of finishing something to a point I will not hesitate tearing it apart again to redo it just a tad better than before.

Note the missing edge on the left front fender? Well, there is a large support brace which runs from the frame, under the headlight bar, and ends in a weld to the outer edge of the fender…….where it is now missing, with a section of the fender which rusted away with it.

I have welded sections of metal across the fender and repaired the damaged brace to stabilize the fender, prevent further rust and stress damage, and securely mount the headlight bar.

However, to weld a piece of steel rod into the missing part of the fender, and compete the sheet metal repair would mean that I have more to tear apart when I remove the fender to grind, sand and repaint it at a later time.

The whole truck, as well as my other old cars have the same sort of insurance policies built into them to ensure I alway have something to do.

The Fargo is probably my last antique car project, so I need to make sure it lasts another few years as a resource of hobby pain and pleasure.

However, I have always been infatuated with the old, gasoline powered Maytag washing machines, the single and two cylinder engines will never get old, and I really think the sound they make is cool.

So, while the Willys, Fargo, Dodge, Plymouth and my old Ford pickup look on, I may strike up a sunset-sunset relationship with a washing machine🤓.

Jack

Edited September 8 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)

[Jack Bennett]

Back to the search for another starter and a ignition switch to replace the junk I bought from Amazon.com or eBay.

The starter lasted three days and the the bendix stopped engaging the starter gear to the flywheel, and the starter runs like a electric motor while it does nothing.

The ignition switch fell apart as it was being taken from the box in which it was shipped. There is no grounds for complaint here because I got exactly what I paid for, and the lesson was worth the price.

The starter is another story though.

It cost nearly $200.00,and was bought from the marketers who sold it because it appears to be non-available elsewhere.

I am not sending the starter back, or filing a warranty claimregardless of how bad the decision was leading to it.

Instead I like lemonade, and believe in making it whenever I do something stupid which blows up in my face.

I don’t know what the warranty is on the starter, or even if it has one. I have no idea what the return policy is regarding junk, which is what is being sold as car parts.

I think spending money to pay return postage on a item, and returning the item to a seller in hopes they will send another is ridiculous.

Instead, I get my moneys worth in education regarding how modern day junk is made, and how it is being marketed in good faith as usable merchandise.

So, instead of toting the starter to the post office and giving them nearly as much for postage as I,paid for the starter, I tore it apart to see what made it fail.

Immediatey apparent is that they manufactured the starter by accident. It may have been a leaking beer keg or a jack which would not lift my dog.

It is made of pure junk, and the parts are clearly intended to maximize profit and minimize life expectancy.

I suppose I will head on down to NAPA or O’Reilly’s and pay whatever they are asking for a starter which can be eyeballed before I put it on.

In the meantime, I have finished installing the rear bumper and both door windows. 
Jack

 

 

Edited September 13 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)

[Jack Bennett]

Starter update………day before yesterday I discovered the starter I bought was made right here in Washington State, and a company which sells them is located right here in Tacoma.

But, upon calling them and telling them the problem with the starter, I was told any warranty problem was between eBay and myself. They did not get involved in sales with on-line marketers.

I explained that I did not want a replacement starter, or a refund. All I wanted was to get the starter fixed so that my car would start. Again, I was told that they would repair the starter but I would have to bring it in and it would be done as a customer of that company.

I asked if I could just buy a bendix and do the repair myself because the starter had only been used to start the truck five or six times, and there was nothing wrong with the electrics.

I was told by the person on the phone that he was very familiar with this particular starter, and he knew, personally, that there had never been a case of the bendix failing in one. But, he continued, if I brought the starter in to make sure the parts was right, they would sell me a bendix.

So, I disassembled the starter……the bolts holding a plate in place between the bendix and the armature are made of such soft metal they simply round off rather than act as a bolt head…..and I had to cut them off to gain access to the bendix.

The starter is assembled in a manner whereby the bendix cannot be disassembled because it is made of light steel, and torsion strength is gained by sealing the pieces together with crimps, and they cannot be taken apart without destroying the entire assembly.

Anyway, I took the starter in to the dealership and waited through a lengthy conversation with another disgruntled customer, finally told the counter fellow who I was and what I wanted.

He again reminded me that they could repair the starter, but it would be the same as any other customer, or they could sell me the bendix…….which he reminded me probably wasn’t the problem, and could not be verified as such without repairing the starter.

To legitimize the distancing between the merchant and the customer seeking a “handout” there is a sign prominently posted which clearly states that labor charge is $165.00 per hour, with a minimum charge of $57.50………GOD I love what this country has became during the 17 years I spent overseas defending their right to do it.

I told him all I wanted to do was buy another bendix and I could replace it at home…….and the tension grew.

About that time the guy comes in from the shop portion of the business and picks up a part of the starter which is laying on the counter, and he casually looks at he piece, turning it around in his hands as if it was the sort of gift my dog gives me in the park.

The fellow looks at me and says “There is nothing wrong with this starter, but we can fix it if you want”.

I told him there was nothing wrong with the starter other than it did not start my car, and that is why I bought it, and it did not do it. The motor runs but it does not engage the starter drive gear, and fifty years of mechanics told me it was a problem with the starter bendix not moving the drive gear forward to engage the engine fly wheel…….all I wanted to da was have it do that.

He again said it was not the bendix, and, gathering the parts, said (arrogantly) he’d fix it.

I told the counter guy I’d fix it, if he had a bendix I’d pay him and he could do whatever he done for a living…..I had a car to move and was not doing it here.

The repair guy came back to the counter and said he could not fix the starter because parts was missing………so I pointed toward the rear plate, spacer washer and bolts he had left laying on the counters as he had hastily left, and without another word, he gathered the parts and returned to the rear of the business.

Eventually the repair fellow returned to the counter and told me he needed me in the rear before he could finish the starter…..so I accompanied him and showed him the proper placement of the electrical connection in relation to the opening for the starter drive gear to make it fit my truck.

I asked the fellow what was wrong and he said he did not repair the starter and had no idea. He said “You wanted the drive replaced, and I did”.

”Was the other drive bad…..and will the new one work”? I asked.

He again replied that “he had no idea…..he had just replaced the drive gear, and had not tested starter”.

I paid the counter guy the $74.00+ dollars for the drive gear, thanked him and went on to my dentist appointment.

While in the dentist chair my cell phone rang, and the lady on the other end of the call identified herself as a representative of the company, located in Kent, Washington, which had manufactured to sort of starter I’d purchased.

She apologized for the problem I had with the starter and informed me that had I brought the starter to them in Kent it would have been repaired, or replaced, without charge.

I told her the bendix had been replaced, I was confident the starter would work, and that was my intent for the day. 
And now, I was into a more pleasant part of my days tasks, sitting in the dentist chair, and, while I appreciated her call, just wanted to get back to the business at hand as the dentist was becoming uncomfortable waiting for me to get off the phone.

I reinstalled the starter, it now works as it should, amd proceeded on to making ready to install the new top on the truck before the rain starts.

Jack

 

 

Edited September 13 by Jack Bennett (see edit history)