1937 Dodge, Ol Bessy Is Coming Home!

[Sharps40]

Going to have to make new chock blocks to keep Ol Bessy still in the garage.   My lil helpers, Gracey and Ruger, come down each day, pull the chocks out from the wheels and proceed to gnaw them into toothpicks.

[cturboaddict]

I love this thread bud! Showing me how to put together our 37 Plymouth. I'm sure I'll have weatherstripping questions here soon. I need to update where I am on my build thread too. 
Keep em coming!!

[Sharps40]

3 hours ago, cturboaddict said:

I love this thread bud! Showing me how to put together our 37 Plymouth. I'm sure I'll have weatherstripping questions here soon. I need to update where I am on my build thread too. 
Keep em coming!!

 

My friend, weatherstripping and glass is tedious.   Go slow, fit it 5000 times before you cut or glue it and.....you'll still get gaps!!!!!!

 

Big job doing the doors is coming up..   just waiting on all the stuff to arrive.   I've been using Mopar-direct on ebay and andy bernbaum.   Looked at lynn steele, coughed up a lung and put out the fire that automatically started in my wallet even before I had a chance to say "Wooooooooo, thas some spensive stuff in the Steele catalog"

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Getting ready for receipt of glass, rubber and window felts.

 

This morning, finished setting up the front door check straps and installed 6 of 8 pins in the door and window handles. Just got to make two more pins to replace the missing ones.

 

Also, preparing the front window risers for Drivers and Passenger side front doors. The best of the four vertical division bars are polished and awaiting their felts and sweepers.

 

The best of the window risers were chosen, stripped and painted. I'll do final assembly of the stainless division bars to the painted risers, and in about 2 weeks it'll be glass time. Probably set the glass in urethane rather than try to beat them into place using the old school butyl rubber tape. Less chance of breaking the glass. At $50 to $70 per pane, I'm glad to tell you that you only had to buy three pieces of glass.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Shop lost/did not send the chrome bumper brackets that mount the fog lamps that I converted into Run/Turn Lamps for Bessy's front end.

 

Additionally, I received the crusty rusty peeling bent parts car front bumper uprights instead of the nicely straight and shiny chrome ones that were on the front bumper to begin with.

 

So, I yanked the crusty bumperettes rather than spend a hundred or more to get new lamp mounts and decent bumperettes. If I ever find another pair of either part in good condition I'll grab them up and put them on.

 

For now, a temporary bracket was made up and the lamps put in place to see how they ride. Pretty good I think, the bumperette holes line up better under the headlights than just about any position possible on the bumper braces. Overall, a win I think.

 

Now to get some stainless steel carriage bolts to polish up and some heavier gauge steel to make a more sturdy bracket and finish the job.

 

Ol Bessy will finally have run and turn lamps out front, only took 83 years to find a way to do it.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

We had made up rear lamp brackets for inside the buckets. Fitted them to, before the buckets were painted. They provided positive ground, dual bolt mounting and wired for brake, run, turn and flasher.

 

Rather than use them as intended, including all the stainless steel hardware, the shop cut them up and installed them in there loose, no grounds, lots of vibration that would have broken the filaments with each bump in the road. So......I rebuilt them again.

 

Anyway, we have good grounds by wire instead of through the bucket, fender and body to frame. Only a single bolt was usable for mounting but the brackets are sturdy and shouldn't shake loose.

 

Tested here with a 9v battery, both are working fine.

 

Also, I found that the left over seal material for the cowl vent makes an excellent back of the lens retention gasket.

[Sharps40]

Dad....

Good news.  Rear is 1970 to 72 Chevelle 12 bolt.   Stamped E so it may be positraction.  Either way...the most desirable rear for a street rod.  Have to open it up but thinking positive.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Big box of rubber and glass sweep arrived. Glass comes in 2 weeks.

 

Tonights work:

 

1 Front door division bar sweeps installed. Once i figured out it had a thick and thin side, both went right into place.

 

2. Hood lace installed. I'll replace the screws with stainless steel later, much safer for now to self drill and tap the threads using hex head screws. Hood fits snug, very little rattle now.

 

3. Four hood corners installed. These just need stainless split rivets (Brass was original) or perhaps something as simple as Chicago Screws in the holes.

 

4. Headlight to body seals installed. There are none for the 37 Dodge sedans. But, 37 Plymouth sedan seals are very close, a touch of trimming inside and they mounted up just fine.

 

Headlights were color and cleared. Never buffed. They don't feel smooth. But I've been making some grand progress using fff gunstock rubbing compound to buff up the many marks and flaws in the paint that were added by the shop during the move to their new workspace. The clear is buffing up fine and a test on the headlights is giving a nice smooth finish with some light hand rubbing. I figure if fff gunstock compound is good enough to bring a Browning rifle stock back to as new condition, it oughta work for clear coat. So far so great!

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

You've had me working on and under Ol Bessy for as long as I can remember.   The earliest jobs were checking and changing the ammeter fuse before each night trip and making sure we had enough fuses in the glove box to have headlights all the way there and back.   I remember when I was 8 or 9, Joppa Town Maryland, Ol Bessy failed inspection for an exhaust leak.   You showed me how to fix it, hangers cut and straightened into wire, coffee cans cut into strips, wrap the pipe at the leak with coffee can smeared with muffler cement and twist the coat hanger wire tight around the coffee can patch.   Go for a ride to heat it up and seal it for re inspection.

 

And all those years and all those cars I put weather stripping and rubber seals on using 3M adhesive.   Just like you taught me, smear a coat on the steel and the rubber, let it dry, pull off all the stringy stuff that got on everything and every place you didn't want it, smear on another light coat of 3M goo on the rubber, press and hold.  

 

Where the hell was 3M weather strip tape when I wore a younger mans clothing?   Peel, stick to rubber, peel, stick to car.   Done.   No strings and no black or yellow goop on my hands for days.

 

In the time it took for you and I to wrap an exhaust pipe in tin and wire, all four doors are sealed.  

 

Thank the Good Lord its the 21st Century.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

 

Off duty for the hurricane (no worries, I'm in the mountains over 4 hours from the coast and more than 1.5 hours from the edge line, getting some rain here but not expecting more than flooding the roads and low water crossings). So, since I don't have to "work", I went to work this morning on your Ol Bessy.

 

Window sweeps. I have enough to do all 4 doors, both garnish side and exterior side. For now, working the garnish side as they are retained by clips. Parts cars provided sufficient clips to restore two car's worth of interior garnish sweeps.

 

A touch of contact cement to hold the sweep to the window garnish, install a clip, crimp with vice grips and ..... one done, three to go.

 

Super easy. Sorry, can't do the exterior sweeps today....gotta drill out the rivets and then go get more rivets. Can you believe it? I ran out of rivets!

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Found enough parts to replace broken springs and rebuild the Drivers side window garnish molding and vent wing. Rubber seals look good and I installed the stainless bottom plate. Used stainless hardware to attach the vent wing. Should hold up fine. Just waiting on glass for the vents and front door but proceeding on now to rebuild the Passenger side front door window garnish.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Passenger side front window garnish and vent wing is fully rebuilt and installed. Fit is very good.

 

This was the broken part that I took a replacement into the shop for them to use. They painted the broken window garnish molding instead. In any event, I took parts from a spare window garnish off one of the parts cars and was successful in rebuilding the painted piece. New rubber and window sweep is installed and looking grand. I had to cut the mainspring of an old Mauser Rifle in order to come up with a final spring for the tensioner on the vent window. The Dodge springs are 83 and they just break when you back the clamp screws off.....too old and stiff to flex any more. In any event, this one is up and running and looking fine.

 

Next job is back to the back doors. I think the glass is tight in its bottom track. Once cleaned and inspected I'll be getting started installing rear door window sweep on the exterior and putting in the fuzzy channels for the glass to move in. Hopefully this week I'll have all the glass installed except for the Drivers door and both front vent windows (those three are the pieces we had to order.)

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Fitting up one door with window channel. It don't get glued, thank goodness, pinch fit. Grabbed the worst of the unbroken panes of glass to check fit and function, this piece of glass had several gouges in it and a chip.

 

Got it all together, working great, (figured out/remembered, on the Dodge you have to install the glass THEN feed in the channel it rides in. What a pain).

 

But, put in the last screw, tink, cracked bottom to top. No worries, I have two much newer pieces of glass that match and have no gouges. Also have one more 83 year old piece of laminated glass, also clear and defect free.

 

Now to get those pieces of glass on good risers so I can install them.....now that i remember how!

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Rear door glass is in and functioning. All external sweeps riveted on. Seals tight. Nothing busted.

 

Originally there were no exterior window sweeps, dodge had rubber bumpers in the middle of the door pressing on the outer face of the glass. These prevented rattles but are long rotted away. I'd put sweeps in in the 90s, liked it better for sealing up the door and window. So, did it again here, a sweep inside and outside and no rattles.

 

The riser track on the passenger side door was worn. Closed it up as much as i could but the fix to keep the button from jumping out of the track was to bend the riser arm slightly, it pushes the button into the track now rather than pulling it out. Works fine. Just got to let the adhesive holding the track to the glass set for 24 hours and then we should be in business.

 

If needed, after the glass runs have set in for a while, I'll glue the tops in place or set them with small sheet metal screws should they look to be loose. But, the originals and the ones I had put in in the 90s were not glued or screwed and never fell out. I suspect the additional efforts will not be needed. Starting front windows as soon as I get the 3 pieces.

 

Ol Bessy is nearly buttoned up!

 

 

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Glass #8 of 11. 3 pieces to go when they arrive. This is passenger front door. Small strips of electrical tape at 4 locations center the pane.

 

Gorilla adhesive for glass instead of urethane or butyl tape (easier to clean off and edge is paintable to black out the seam.) Clamped lightly to line it up in the bottom of both grooves. Grabs fast so I can pull the clamps and remove the ooze out while soft. I think it'll be fine.

 

Off to inspect the differential now.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

Not a positraction but still rear gear gold. Made 1970. Chevy. 12 bolt. Low wear. Ratio is 3.31 to 1. So. Itll be perfectly happy with a small displacement small block engine and 3 speed or a torque making 350 chevy and a 4 speed. I couldn't be happier!

Just set the last of the original glass in place, passenger side front door vertical window. All sweeps and felt channel in place too.

Got the underside of the new trunk floor primed and painted black.

Pulled the cover on the rear end and see its a good Chevy/Chevelle 12 bolt with a 3 series carrier and a 3.31 to 1 gear. No posi but has the bolt in brake cylinders and the gear lets do about any engine and trans we could desire. Very little sludge inside the pumpkin and I believe it'll be a good rear for the car.

Getting together a list for all the wiring now, that'll be the next big job.

Crawled under the front. Good we are pulling the LS engine. Zero clearance between steering rack and engine/power steering pump. Hoses would be a supreme challenge and with the steering shaft less than 1/4 inch from the power steering pump, hooking up the steering column would likely be impossible.
 

[RobertKB]

What are your plans for the interior?

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Finished for the day. Gotta do yard work. I'll get back on her this week.

 

Finished setting up the drivers front door for glass. Riser is lubed and working fine, glass channel cut and fitted, exterior window sweep installed. Just waiting on glass.

 

Pulled the fuel sender from the NOS tank I'd put in back in the 90s. Sender is a VDO and still works but we can't use it for the new gauges. I'll have to modify the tank for a 6 bolt sender since the Dolphin gauges come with a modern 6 bolt sender. But I'll check the ohms first, maybe the vdo sender will run the dolphin gauge.........

 

I cleared the gunk from the fuel pipe that connects tank to motor. Inside of the tank is great. No Rust Icicles and I think it'll spray clean. May give it a vinegar or CLR bath right before installation and let it dry inside good with a hot air blower running in it.

 

Pulled the gas tank filler neck to paint, the solder on the old vent line broke off. No worries, I'll get a bulkhead fitting and we'll have a functional vent, while I'm at it, I'll add a roll over valve on the tank.

 

Toying with using the hood welting at the front of the hood too. There are holes there for rubber bumpers but taping the hood welt over them makes the hood sit in place vibration free. Much more so than the rubber bumpers do.

 

I added black chicago screws to the hood corners for now, I want to find some brass or stainless split rivets like it had originally.

[Sharps40]

15 minutes ago, RobertKB said:

What are your plans for the interior?

 

 

Other than no way in hell we are going back to Mohair, the only plans right now are to provide the upholsterer photos of original 37 interiors so he can do the ribbing in factory pattern.  Probably cloth.   Probably grey....ish.   Don't know.   Mom and GoodWife will choose when the time comes.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Good news. On a goof I went down and looked at the gas tank again. Also looked at the Dolphin sender. Believe it or not, the modern sender bolts right up to the ancient gas tank. Life is grand. I can clean the tank and put it right in, no modifications, no drilling, no cutting. Just a nice clean install!

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Doing well here on Ol Bessy. Awaiting the last of the glass, when it arrives, about two hours work to get her buttoned up if all go's well.

 

So, getting her ready for the next phase, electrical. On order from Painless Wiring is 21 circuit universal harness, 4 ground straps, heavy gauge battery cables, dimmer switch, headlight switch, dome light switches, ignition switch, reverse light switch and bracket.

 

From Headwinds is the parts needed to finish the headlights.

 

From Newport Engineering is a set of modern 2 speed electric wipers to replace the old slow unreliable vacuum wipers.

 

I spent so much today that Visa locked my account for safety. No worries, got it unlocked and finished the orders. Expecting to see all the glass and electrical components arriving in the next week or so.

 

So, after our September visit, I'll get rockin on powering your girl......which begs the ultimate question.....

 

How many speakers do you want installed? The rear package panel is already cut out for two 6"x9" speakers. (Back in the good old days we could still get the 6 volt positive ground to 12 volt negative ground converter/inverter for such installations!) Two more up front in the kick panel? Stereo in the glove box?  The stereo with blue tooth and usb and the pop up TV? (not the tv, please!)

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

We need a lamp to activate the alternator, since I won't use a single wire hot rod alternator. 3 wire with remote sensing back at the bulkhead connection is the best way to set up charging.

 

Found this. Should work nicely in the panel. So, left to right in the factory holes in the panel will likely be headlight switch, alternator lamp, ignition switch, Choke, wipers.

 

[Sharps40]

Dad,

Main harness arrived. Neat package. Every single wire labeled where it goes. I remember installing another big companies harness back in the 90s,.....nothing labeled. This one should be be more fun and less trouble.

Also arrived is the back up switch. It'll fit what ever automatic transmission we select and light up that single white bullet light we acquired and added to Ol Bessy's rear bumper so I can see what i'm running into at night. (I only added one reverse light on the drivers side cause when I'm leaning out the window backing i can't see what i'm hitting on the passenger side anyway, so no need for two lights.)

The battery cable kit is good and heavy. We can use it for top or side post battery. I ordered the 8 foot kit in case we decide to stick with the factory battery box location, which is under the drivers seat. If not we can move the battery out board the passenger side frame rail, under the fender, just like your 47 Chevy Truck.

Ground straps and switches should be here soon, glass too.

Guess i ought to dig out my battery charger so I'll have something to test circuits with as they are installed.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Electric Wipers and ground straps arrived.   Wipers installed.  Not too bad, only had to install the wipers three times.

 

First, the holes in the roof for vacuum motors are under 1/2, the electric shafts are beefier and need 5/8" holes.. ....ticklish job drilling in a painted car.   But done and the edges of the wider holes are primed and painted.

 

Second, I fitted it up, it was loose and wobbled and bonked the motor against the roof line and the transmission stuck out quite far which would entail a big ugly bump in the headliner.

 

Third, seems the instructions don't mention the motor mount tab that must go behind the first headliner strut support, instead of in front of it.   Once i took it out the third time and put it back in i was able to bow the mounting brace to fit the curvature of the roof, fit the motor mount tab behind the headliner bow support brace, drill one more hole and anchor the motor.   

 

Nice fit, and it appears to have the clearance it needs to operate.   And the transmission is far enough in that there should only be the slightest bump in the headliner when installed.

 

I'll fish the wiring Sunday, install the new two speed switch and give Ol Bessy's new wipers a run.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Video with sound. Your gal has wipers. Running slow on 2amp battery charger but fully functional. Hey Dad, your girl has an AWESOME pair of wipers!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQTQs1YlT_E