austinsailor Posted October 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 First one on top is a 36 Coupe, a pretty rare car. Th last one is like mine (better finsh, of course), a 36 sedan. It has the correct bumper guards, mine has Chrysler. Who knows why, I sure don't. 36 was the first year of a steel insert roof instead of fabric. Chevrolet came out with it and they had to so they could compete. The surprise for me is, it's electrically insulated from the rest of the roof and serves as an antenna for the radio. And you probably thought hidden antennas were something recent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 From the Desoto Convention in Fort Wayne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 First one on top is a 36 Coupe, a pretty rare car. Th last one is like mine (better finsh, of course), a 36 sedan. It has the correct bumper guards, mine has Chrysler. Who knows why, I sure don't. Shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but Boyd Coddington of the infamous American Hot Rod show took a decent original coupe like that and butchered it. Lengthened and widened it and stuck in a V10 Viper engine. Got no problem with doing that to a basket case but not to a good original car, especially a rare one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinsailor Posted October 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 There are plenty of junkers around, a good one doesn't have to be cut up. That is sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T120 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 ...Probably the closest I'll get to having an Airflow - I bought this at a 2nd hand / junque shop a few years back.I believe it came from a '37 Chrysler Airflow.Unfortunately the lens is cracked... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstfish66 Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 (edited) Shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but Boyd Coddington of the infamous American Hot Rod show took a decent original coupe like that and butchered it. Lengthened and widened it and stuck in a V10 Viper engine. Got no problem with doing that to a basket case but not to a good original car, especially a rare one. boyd did not do that air flow, that air flow rolled across the barrrett jackson stage right behnd a boyd built one off copy based on a delahay,the boyd car went for 505 thousand the air flow went for 510 thousand bought by ron pratt from chandler AZ that buys most all the high dollar cars has his own inside car show not open to the public,,,,the builder of the air flow took a lot of heat from the air flow club,,, he grafted a 49 or 50 merc roof to the air flow,,it was a beauty,,,, all these pics of air flows make it seem there plentyfulll,,,,,ide love to own one,,,,,,,austin congrats Edited October 23, 2014 by fstfish66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinsailor Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 It's only the second one I ever saw in person. There was a Chrysler on Ebay about 2 years ago. We drove to Texas to see it, drove it, and bid on it.But it went for way more than it was worth. Mine is twice the car for about half the money. Still needs some work, but nothing like the one I passed on. It certainly draws attention! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Any one notice the similarity of design between the airflow and the Vw beetle. Me thinks Dr. Porsche was copy cat. Especially the profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 (edited) Airflows are one unique car for sure. I too am currently working on a 1935 CW Airflow divider window Limo. The rarest, biggest and most costly of them all. You are on your own when restoring some of these unusual Airflows! Edited October 25, 2014 by Dodgeb4ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 The frame parts and attachments appear over restored vs stock.?? Body is Beautiful already! Talk about rare! What's the somewhat transmission looking thing 1-2 ft. behind the regular? transmission?? Special OD? DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonaldSmith Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Note the curved one-piece windshield. New for 1934! It took a long while to get into normal production, the early 50's. I did see photos of a 1942 Chrysler Imperial limo that had a one-piece curved windshield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 The frame parts and attachments appear over restored vs stock.?? Body is Beautiful already! Talk about rare! What's the somewhat transmission looking thing 1-2 ft. behind the regular? transmission?? Special OD? DJ The frame parts and attachments appear over restored vs stock.?? Body is Beautiful already! Talk about rare! What's the somewhat transmission looking thing 1-2 ft. behind the regular? transmission?? Special OD? DJ The engine has the original type black wrinkle paint. Yes the paint on the chassis is a bit too shiny and stainless fuel and brake lines. The engine has quite a bit of factory chrome on it when fully assembled too. The owner likes what he likes. It is done to his request! The transmission looking thing is the heavy center bearing carrier case for the long two piece driveline. It has a oil sump in it to lube the two bearings and 15" long shaft that are part of it. The rear end is a Timkin worm drive type-similar to the rear ends in older twin screw trucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinsailor Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 I notice the steering has no shaft sticking out. Most have the work gear and shaft through the steering wheel as one piece. Was this built differently, or does it just not have the work gear installed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Strieb Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 ...Probably the closest I'll get to having an Airflow - I bought this at a 2nd hand / junque shop a few years back.I believe it came from a '37 Chrysler Airflow.Unfortunately the lens is cracked... Chrysler also used the same tail light and bezel combination on the airstreams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 (edited) I notice the steering has no shaft sticking out. Most have the work gear and shaft through the steering wheel as one piece. Was this built differently, or does it just not have the work gear installed? There is a 1" X 10 splined slip yoke joint connecting upper and lower steering shafts together--upper steering coluum length is adjustable too like modern cars.. Pic of the lower end of the coluum.... Edited October 25, 2014 by Dodgeb4ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Watson Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Dodge Brothers used a Budd-engineered all-steel body on the 1928 Victory Six, including the floors, but soon found out the drumming noise was too much. So, the steel floor was replaced by wood. Wood is a great sound insulator and absorber. Chrysler had the same experience with the Airflow as the 1934 parts book lists floor pans (steel) but the 1935 models had "board assemblies" (wood) for the floor. And, contrary to what Chrysler used to say, the Airflow was not a unibody design. In fact, the parts book listed a chassis frame assembly, and the body could be purchased assembled in prime or even fully trimmed - windows, seats and all. Briggs engineered the 1936 Lincoln-Zephyr. a unibody structure that had no separate chassis. The sharing of parts between the Airflow models - front cowl / windshield, doors, front fenders / grille, rear quarters and rear deck - did help keep production costs down, while the high prices brought in more per vehicle. The Airflow interiors were trimmed luxuriously inside, while the prices were higher than the other cars in their market segments. Which is how Chrysler made money during the Airflow era. Chrysler was NOT on verge of collapse after the Airflow was introduced. From the beginning in 1924 through to 1957, Chrysler lost money only once - in 1932. Chrysler management was not stupid. They knew the Airflow was going to be a shock, and they knew it would not attract customers in droves. Thus parts sharing and high prices. And no year end losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Watson Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 The 1941 and 1942 LWB Crown Imperials used a curved windshield - although bent would be better description. The Crown Imperial Special of 1941 based on the New Yorker Town Sedan used the normal two piece windshield. Studebaker used a curved (bent) windshield on its 1941-1942 Commander and President club coupes. The Chrysler Custom Imperial Airflow CW used a true curved windshield with the curves at either end of the glass and not in the centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I have a couple cars here that are full unibody that on top of all things, is welded to a full x frame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonaldSmith Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 1942 Imperial with curved windshield (a rare bird indeed): Yes, it's more of a bend in the middle than at the ends, but not as abruptly as in the Studebakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle-Pekka Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Here are a couple I saw at a swap meet earlier this year....... Too bad to have expensive tastes, but no money... These mid-30's Airflow coupes are just so dashing beautiful and well built bodies. Painfull to realize I will ever never own one. Can you imagine how did it felt for someone who afford one brand new back at the day they were at dealers? The guy next door drove an used model A ford and you cruised down the street in this art-deco streamliner! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstfish66 Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 a few years ago on the show my classic car,,,they were visiting a guy that had a wide range of different collector cars,,, he had a desoto airt flow,,,said this is the car the germans came here bought 5 of them took them back to germany and designed the VW BUG,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Watson Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Don't know about Germans buying 5 DeSoto Airflow models and shipping them back to Germany - they could have bought them in Germany as Chrysler had an export operation and assembly plant in Antwerp, Belgium. Chrysler also had a plant in London, England, that assembled CKD units from Detroit, including Airflow models. It is known, though, that Ferdinand Porsche, the man who designed and engineered the VW, visited Detroit in 1934 and visited a number of auto manufacturers. He was a very forward thinking engineer and his work was ahead of the times. He would have thought the Airflow was a very advanced design, although only the design of the car would have influenced him. He was working on a RWD car with a unit body - no chassis frame but a platform foundation on which to base the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Watson Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Don't know about Germans buying 5 DeSoto Airflow models and shipping them back to Germany - they could have bought them in Germany as Chrysler had an export operation and assembly plant in Antwerp, Belgium. Chrysler also had a plant in London, England, that assembled CKD units from Detroit, including Airflow models. It is known, though, that Ferdinand Porsche, the man who designed and engineered the VW, visited Detroit in 1934 and visited a number of auto manufacturers. He was a very forward thinking engineer and his work was ahead of the times. He would have thought the Airflow was a very advanced design, although only the design of the car would have influenced him. He was working on a RWD car with a unit body - no chassis frame but a platform foundation on which to base the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobT-47P15 Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 I think this Airflow, which I saw in a garage/shed of a fellow I know west of Joplin, has been sold. Don't know what it's true condition was.........but exterior seemed to be pretty straight. I think there is another Airflow here for sale..........mostly original and needs a certain amount of resto work. Owned by an older couple who I've seen at some cruise-ins, but don't know them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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