Jump to content

1954 dodge royal 500 convertible Pacecar restoraton part 1


Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)

I'm going to start a thread  on my restoration project  on this site ..........

 

weather is finally warming up here in wisconsin...... sooooooo

I'm going to start my restoration  on my 1954 doge royal 500 convertible Pacecar.

 

I've gathering all kinds of nos items all winter for the  54 dodge .

so it's time to get going on it.. hope to have it all done by late fall 2014 

 

here is alittle history  on the pacecar.

bought it last fall 2013

familly owned all it's life

owner owned a dodge dealership back 1954  that's when he purchased the 54 dodge  

when he passed on ... it was given to his daughter  and  she drove it for a short period of time thru college  

then was parked for 40 year.

california black plate dodge all it's life

 

here is what I will be restoring .  see pics.

john

post-5817-0-02654600-1395098722_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-16918700-1395099634_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-11597000-1395100256_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-20669100-1395100522_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-21110800-1395100852_thumb.jpg

Edited by dodge59
  • Like 3
Posted

Sounds good. Do yourself and the forum a favor and keep it all in this thread.

  • Like 2
Posted

Ok   Ed .

 

Thanks. Let me know if you ever get over to the twin cities. I do know where there is one of these sitting but there isn't much left of it.

IMAG0995.jpg

Posted

Thanks. Let me know if you ever get over to the twin cities. I do know where there is one of these sitting but there isn't much left of it.

IMAG0995.jpg

Yeah  ed ..  the 54 is stripped pretty clean . I see a 53  coronet next to it.

Posted

I was thinking the 53. I think the one closer to the camera is a 55-56.

Posted (edited)

I was thinking the 53. I think the one closer to the camera is a 55-56.

I think you are right ed..

more of a wrap around windhield on 55-56 dodge.

Edited by dodge59
Posted

ed

can you give me some info of that junk yard with those cars ? name - phone ?

Thanks ed.

john

Posted (edited)

got  my rear seat back from the  upholstry  shop last week .. Hour Glass did a spectacular job.! .  front seat will be done this coming week.

post-5817-0-23478200-1395531491_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-40698400-1395531499_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-17560200-1395531824_thumb.jpg

Edited by dodge59
  • Like 1
Posted

here is a item I think I'm going to have  a hard time finding.. my door sill plates for 54 dodge royal 500 convertible pacecar . theya re so beat up .. does your mopar dodge convertible sill  plates look like these? My 4 door has a totally different pattern stamped on them. just wondering  if any other dodge models have this similar pattern. 53-55 .

 

I called one company, they  wanted $325 minimum  for each sill plate  to straighten them and  that is not including any dents that are in the pattern design  script........ wow....   .

john

post-5817-0-24530700-1395588785_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-18868300-1395588793_thumb.jpg

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

few more pics of the 54  pacecar  when it was still in california  last fall before it was delivered to me here in wi.

These are pics after it has been sitting for 40 years .

post-5817-0-06931300-1395625638_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-85736400-1395625653_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-77299500-1395625680_thumb.jpg

Edited by dodge59
  • Like 1
Posted

here is a item I think I'm going to have  a hard time finding.. my door sill plates for 54 dodge royal 500 convertible pacecar . theya re so beat up .. does your mopar dodge convertible sill  plates look like these? My 4 door has a totally different pattern stamped on them. just wondering  if any other dodge models have this similar pattern. 53-55 .

 

I called one company, they  wanted $325 minimum  for each sill plate  to straighten them and  that is not including any dents that are in the pattern design  script........ wow....   .

john

 

Did you call the guy I suggested to get them remade?

Posted

Did you call the guy I suggested to get them remade?

hugh .. I called don at door sills LLC   .

. this guy is great.. pleasure to talk to hm on the phone and he can make my sill plates up from scratch.. He has all the patterns/dies  and has made hundreds  up for all kinds of mopars.  He knew exactly  what my pacecar sills looked like ..   He is backlogged right now probally 6 months  but  can make them .. i'm in no hurry so I'll have him make them. appox $225.

Thanks hugh.

john

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Finally !!!!!!!!!!!!! A beautiful day here in wis. 60's wow.

worked on the 500 today .. got all the door panels and rear side panels off .. vacumned the inside of the doors bottoms and rear side 1/4 panels bottoms . lubed all the window guides, tracks and regulators.. everything is working real smoothly now.

the cardboard backing on the door panels is all original...... even has the stamping on it still ....Says 2 dr cl cp in print on the carboard. boy....... that is sure some thin cardboard backing .. looks just like carboard box material . no wonder why it did not last ......

the door panels have the factory clips and it also appears some used some kind of gun to shoot these screw like nails into the door panels right thru the metal shell .. I had to twist them out like a screw. they just had a round head on them. geeeee .. they sure used some weird stuff back then for sure.

here are some pics of panels .

pics of the front and real seat belts too.

boy........ did it feel good to get out in the garage and do some wrenching..

post-5817-0-57034400-1396232815_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-28569400-1396232893_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-54858500-1396233009_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-78106500-1396233082_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-43652900-1396233148_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-63384800-1396233216_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-51158300-1396233316_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-08946000-1396233915_thumb.jpg

Edited by dodge59
Posted

If this frame is just stripped, not wrecked, one could buy a coupe parts car and make a nice convertible. . . 

 

 

IMAG0995.jpg

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

I will have  my new sill plates  by doorsillsLLC .. in approx 6 months or so .. He is really backlogged with other orders. 

 

found a nos fender........... it's on it's way also.

that is going to eliminate at least 20 hours of  hard work labor  .. that old fender was in terrible shape.

still looking  for a nice pass fender .. anyone have one? 51" in length.

dodge59@wi.rr.com

post-5817-0-05442800-1396275059_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-20538200-1396275084_thumb.jpg

Edited by dodge59
Posted

I think Shep Johnson in north central CA may have a nice one. Here is his e-mail. Mention me in your message if you send him one. 

 

smj@surewest.net

Posted

Finally !!!!!!!!!!!!! A beautiful day here in wis. 60's wow.

worked on the 500 today .. got all the door panels and rear side panels off .. vacumned the inside of the doors bottoms and rear side 1/4 panels bottoms . lubed all the window guides, tracks and regulators.. everything is working real smoothly now.

the cardboard backing on the door panels is all original...... even has the stamping on it still ....Says 2 dr cl cp in print on the carboard. boy....... that is sure some thin cardboard backing .. looks just like carboard box material . no wonder why it did not last ......

the door panels have the factory clips and it also appears some used some kind of gun to shoot these screw like nails into the door panels right thru the metal shell .. I had to twist them out like a screw. they just had a round head on them. geeeee .. they sure used some weird stuff back then for sure.

here are some pics of panels .

pics of the front and real seat belts too.

boy........ did it feel good to get out in the garage and do some wrenching..

so thats the car that has the arm rests with chrome at the bottom,,,now i need a  pair of those  ,,,

Posted (edited)

well today.......... got a call from the seat upholstry shop .. Front seat is Done .

Beautiful job well done . Love this companies workmanship.. 2 man shop ... They do excellent work? Called "Hour glass and trim" 1 262 251 5250. in menomminee falls wi.

everything brand new except for the frame and springs. the side/ends of the seat bottoms are covered with another trim panel. and yes ........... they are sooo comfortable .

I will be performing all he work on the front door panels and rear side panels. same colors as the seats . I have to rebuild them from scratch .

post-5817-0-02134200-1396476939_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-96942100-1396476949_thumb.jpg

post-5817-0-62672500-1396476966_thumb.jpg

Edited by dodge59
  • Like 1
Posted

What material did you use. It looks soft even in the pictures. Sure doesn't look like Vinyl. Very nice, will really show nice in the car. 

Posted

Thanks pflaming

material is high quality vinyl. kind of looks more like leather.

and doesn't feel like vinyl either.

by the way pflaming .. shep is getting back to me on the fender. Thanks !

john

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Terms of Use