1937 Dodge, Ol Bessy Is Coming Home!

[RNR1957NYer]

For what it's worth, I've been insured with JC Taylor for more than 40 years.

[casper50]

I insured mine with Collector's car insurance.  Affiliated with USAA.  $201 a year.  I set the value.  I get to drive 2500 miles a year which is hard to do since I can only drive it about 4.5 months a year.  They never asked for an odometer reading so I have no idea how they will know if I go over.  Cannot use it for a daily driver though.

[Sam Buchanan]

I’ve used Heacock Classic agency for many years.  My policy is carried by American Modern. Allowed 3000 miles per year, no other restrictions as long as the car is just used for pleasure. I gain pleasure every time I drive it.  ?

Edited May 11, 2020 by Sam Buchanan

[Sharps40]

All good.  In discussion with three agencies now, none allow vacation or cross country driving as pleasure or basic usage.   Even if its only one "Vacation" each year and within the mileage limits, I must tow it to or have a second modern vehicle along and even then I must attend a show or go to an icecream parlor.   Basically, I can't drive it when and where and how I want.   So, I'll likely keep normal insurance on it.  I doubt I'll see 7500 miles a year but they will be miles when, where and how I want to rack them up and I damn sure ain't going to get many of those miles going to the average show where folks whisper crap about the mistakes in the car all the while leaning in and dragging their gut propelled belt buckles across the new paint..... and I can't eat that much ice cream.   I'm going to devils tower, grand canyon, up CA Hwy 1, Riding to the Sun Road, Rt 66, Bryce Canyon, Dinosaur Monuments, hunting, fishing.....maybe get an icecream on the way, maybe not.   Classic Insurance seems to be for the Hoity Toity Amelia Islanders.....

Edited May 12, 2020 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

Glorious!!   

Dad.

10 months ago I got your car back.   I thought 90 days.   I didn't know how much I didn't know.   But the skills you and Pappy taught me carried us through.  And now, she's driving again!!!!

[Sharps40]

Got the speedometer programmed after about 6 tries. It kept shutting down about half way through the set up. Figgured it out. Every time it blinked off was when the electric fan spun up. Must have a heavy initial draw. I'll have to put it on a relay to keep if from spinning when I shut the motor off, should keep it from eating up the battery.


Anyway, got it out on the road. 55 mph out bound. Max speed per the speedometer log was 63 mph on the way back. Rides great, loud as hell with 6 ft straight pipes coming out right by my ear at the B pillar. Ah well, ol man quite exhaust gets fabbed up on 6 July.


The rough home alignment is much better and she tracks straight. On our rough country roads there is no noticeable bump steer. But, i think she's going to need a sway bar fabricated. I'll have to call the mfgr and see what they have.


For now, I gotta go buy a new grease gun and get the front and rear suspension fully greased.


Next week some time I should have the flooring and insulation for the floor. That'll start to help with the heat and noise.


Coming together.

I believe I'm going to have to ditch the Thunderbird and get either a real coupe or truck to keep Ol Bessy company.

Edited June 20, 2020 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

Floor is insulated.   Doubled up on the trans hump to stop some heat.   Had enough to get the rear wheel arches at the rear seat and in the trunk as well.   Ribbed black flooring is on the way, that'll keep the flooring very close to original.

[Sharps40]

I think that's about right, and just about time to hit the road.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Getting Ol Bessy ready for her exhaust appointment Monday.   Went out to start her up and crank and crank and crank until she finally started.   Very unusual for her, she's been real good about starting so far.

 

Drive went well until she warmed up.   Then I started getting massive deceleration pop and she just wouldn't idle below 1100 rpm.   Stalled twice on the way home.   So, I assumed fuel or vacuum leak.   

 

Started with the old school stuff you taught me.   Smacked the carb good with a screwdriver handle to break loose any trash in the needle, reved it, no change.   

 

Adjusted fuel pressure from 2 to 4 and back to 2 3/4 lbs.   Reved it each time, no change. 

 

Took it out on the road again, punched her pedal hard enough to fully open and close both carbs......perfect.   Runs like a top.

 

Seems the throttle plate on the secondary carb was a touch open.   I'll have to get to that during my tuning weekend.  

 

For now, I think she's ready to drive or tow to the exhaust shop.

[Sharps40]

 

Dad,

Ol Bessy was not happy to be on a trailer again. She spit off the straps twice on the trip to the shop. Gotta love her for staying on the trailer dolly though and not taking off on her own. Once we got her on the lift she knew it wasn't another 4 year stint in body shop jail and settled right down. She'll be done Friday or so. Come drive your car!

 

We are blessed to have such good friends here in NC, BigTen got us there safely and ........Drum Roll...... She is getting her exhaust work done in Wadesboro NC, Gary Porter's Shop (Think Carolina Crusher Monster Truck). I think Mr. Porter is no longer with the business but his employees are and I know she's in good hands. She'll be singing right in no time.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

Here is Ol Bessy in April 2015 when you told me I still owned her (over 20 years after the accident that took her off the road).....hidden away in the basement of the body shop since about 1991/1992.   Look at her now!

[Sharps40]

Home with a quiet exhaust.   Rock solid great job.  Very pleased.  And while in Wadesboro we had lunch at the Ladybug.  Bessy is happy.   In the 92 degree heat she stayed cool at 55 to 60 mph never going over 200 degrees Fahrenheit (Small sweep gauges are hard to analyze but the heat gun tells me 205F on the gauge is 195F at the top of the radiator and under 190F at the thermostat housing.   She's good for cooling I believe.  Speedo is close, it reads about 3 to 4 MPH slower than actual speed at low highway speeds.   Just needs a minor tweak.....gonna have to mark out an accurate mile and run it again to tweek the calibration.

[Sharps40]

Dad. 

 

Modified 51 Desoto passenger visor to fit 37 Dodge.  Replaces what the shop lost.  Removed ugly Lokar shift knob and fitted up Ol Bessy's original to the shift lever, retained all lock out functions.  And, a few shots of the new exhaust, looks like a factory install, right down to the round muffler.

 

[DJ194950]

Single muffler and outlet exhaust pipe on the V-8?

 

DJ

[Sharps40]

Yep. Pics might be hard to tell. 

 

Stock motor.  200 to 220 horse.  Way more than any flatty we ever had in her.

 

 2 1/4 single keeps the torque, keeps her quiet, supports 300ish horses. Just like they did/still do on factory cars.

 

Duals would loose bottom end unless pipe dia was rather small. 

 

Stock left side fuel tank and battery box locations and  x central member make dual a helluva lot of work for about no benefit on a stock mill.   

 

I figure the extra money for left pipes and crossover went into a portion of the radiator and fan.  Dropped the ancient honeycomb for an all brass walker three row with trans cooler. 

 

Finally, fits the theme too, what dad could done on a basement shop in 1960.  

Edited July 10, 2020 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

Dad,

Got Ol Bessy's pinion seal replaced this morning while still cool out.   The old seal on the right was the deeper truck 12 bolt seal, installed with a 1/8" braded wire spacer.   Typically, it was leaking.   It had been installed sometime back I'm sure after the shallower car 12 bolt seals went off the market.   Glad we did this job, the pinion nut was a bit loose, breaking torque was under 60 foot lbs and the pipe dope sealing the splines had long since crumbled away.   Good news is Strange Engineering had the proper shallow car 12 bolt seal and the yoke was in fine shape even though the dust cover had long since come loose.   I removed the dust cover and tossed it in the junk bin.  Too loose to restake it and no need for a new yoke.

Got the Strange Engineering Car Seal driven into place with grease and sealant and sealed the splines on reassembly.   I pulled her nut up to 100 ft lbs, enough to retain the settings but not enough to crush the spacer sleeve any further.   Back together and we'll get a rattle and leak free test ride today or tomorrow.   Likely tomorrow as its 12 PM and already murderously hot out.  

So, off to the garage again to see if the 55 Buick gas pedal can be mounted more comfortably than the current late model jeep gas pedal.

[Sharps40]

Long day.   Went for a ride.   Sprung a leak in the proportioning valve.   Fluid coming out the reset pin and fitting thread.   It was not real tight....snugged it up twice, down to a weep, snugged it up till the head is round with vice grips, went for a ride, no leak.  I'll check in the AM but went ahead and ordered a CCP metering valve and a spare pv2 valve.  Hopefully I can sort it with just a metering valve replacement.

 

Bumped it into second from third (about 25 mph) by accident, heard a ping/clunk.   All was well below 45 mph but then picked up a vibration from the rear at 50 and up.   Wasn't there before, I don't think, but its so much quieter now, perhaps it was and I just couldn't note it.   Brought the car home and crawled under.   Everything looks good, rechecked the angles, trans down 4.2 degrees and diff up 3.97 degrees.   Nothing looks broken.   While under there I heard another loud ping, something is not happy.   I suppose tomorrow I'll check all the bolts and fittings, spring shackles, lug nuts, etc.,  from the trans mounting all the way back, drop the drive shaft and check the pinion nut, etc.

 

Still have a bit of a hitch in the steering.  Rack has a 3/4 ford V shaft with a matching Borgeson joint on it.   Can't seem to get it clamped all the way, it'll occasionally clunk when turning, mostly when still.   So, gotta get it to clunk then crawl under and see if it'll snug up some more.

[Sharps40]

Dad,

 

Continuing to stick close to the theme, "What you wanted to do in the 60s with Ol Bessy", and staying close to the period in materials.   Inexpensive saddle blanket seat covers for now.   Clean and though the colors are a bit garish, comfortable until the bugs are worked out and we are ready for professional upholstery.

 

As you recall the original floor mats and trunk liners were brown, ribbed battleship rubber.   No longer available in brown or rubber I'm installing a good equivalent.  Black ribbed (black go's with everything) garage floor mat.   Tuff enough to drive on, much lighter and thinner than the original 1/4" or more thick rubber and flexible enough to work over Ol Bessy's driveshaft tunnel.  Under it is two layers of buetyl and dense poly foam insulation/sound barrier.   In the photos, the rear floor and trunk shelf are completed and permanently applied.   New door sills of aluminum and the lower door seals are installed to keep her air and water tight.  I'll get on the front end tomorrow and get the front seat back in place for the last time.

[sidevalvepete]

About 5 to 8 years ago The Plymouth Doctor was selling rubber mats that were reproduction of original mats for these vehicles. Brown was an option too. Not sure whether he still does. FYI

[Sharps40]

Too late!

[Sharps40]

I looked anyway.  23 pages of sheetmetal and air cleaner stickers.   Not much else.  

[Sharps40]

Dad,

Flooring is completed.  Front floor mat is not down tight yet.   I still need to make up the shifter boot and a heel pad for the accelerator pedal.   But, mustly looking good and mud and deer blood will wipe right off.  I'll have to start disassembling the old arm rests and use them for patterns.  I'll get them made up and installed, planning to reinstall both original ash trays in the rear arm rests.  No sense in not having a place to smoke cigars!

Tomorrow's job is to remove the rear axle, again, from the leaf springs.   I stopped reading the internet and went directly to Spicer for pinion angle information.   I'll take the pinion shims out from between the leaves and axles and see how she sits with no shims.   We'll hope the shop set the axle perches for about 3 to 4 degrees nose down before they welded them in place.  Need to get the vibration out of the rear end.   Its only on acceleration so that tells me the up angle is too much and the pinion needs to go down.   Shouldn't be hard, just a lot of really tight bolts to break loose.      

[Sharps40]

Dad.

Coolant recovery tank is in.

[Sharps40]

Who says you can't nicely bend Forged Chrome Vanadium Steel with a low output propane torch, 60 seconds of heat and I had this lovely Small Block Chevy Distributor wrench made up, didn't even crack the Indian potmetalsteel!  I have accumulated a small but useful collection of inexpensive tools just for such low impact operations.   It was two minutes work to save an hour round trip and about $20 at the tool store.   

 

But, then I lost the entire rest of the day.

 

Loosened up Ol Bessy's distributor clamp and went to start her up, totally dead.   Seems the brake pedal jumped the switch and the lamps stayed on till the new battery was totally dead.   Three hours later at 6 amp charge she grunted to life.  

 

I bumped the initial timing from 6 degrees before top dead center to 10 degrees before.   She smoothed right out and even sounded better.   Checked her mechanical advance an it was a solid 32 degrees before top dead center at highway rpm.   Added in the vacuum advance and she made 48 to 50 degrees of advance.   Just about right for now.   I may take out some vacuum advance but for now, didn't hear any pinging or rattles from the motor..   Readjusted the idle speed and took her for a ride.  More pep off the line and feels and sounds smoother.   

 

Looks like the fan controller is finally adjusted right.   I have a 180F thermostat in it so have the fan coming on now at 195F.   Seems a good balance for driving as the temps stay at or under 200 degrees and the fan doesn't run too awful long after shut down.

 

The axle seems much happier with the 2 degree shims instead of bigger ones that were in there.  I just followed Spicers recommendations for operating angles and such.   So, torqued all that down too.....before the test ride.   Had her out about 65 mph for 15 miles or so, and feels plenty good.   Honked at a few deer and a several folks and brought her home.  Put her back on the battery charger at 6 amps for a few hours and later tonight I'll bump her down to 2 amps for the overnight.   Should be charged like a bandit in the morning.

 

I don't see any leaks from the new coolant recovery system, so happy about that.

 

So all that done, still waiting on the metering valve kit to fix the brake leak and gotta raise the front end and see what the clunk is, don't know if its steering or control arms or just all the parts settling in to their new old spots.

[Sharps40]

Finally    Found a transmission govenor bail and got it installed on Ol Bessy.   Should be able to get back on the road today.    Some tuning to do and hopefully Monday we get the vin inspection and schedule her alignment.    Cant wait.   Got only a few weeks left till Dad is here to drive her for the first time in many years.