1937 Dodge, Ol Bessy Is Coming Home!

[Sharps40]

Emailing back to Dad as he sits in the basement office inventorying parts and taking notes....parts at the shop, parts in the attic, parts in the crawl space, parts at my home in NC, parts in his basement, parts under his deck.......Oh how Ol Bessy got meanly parted out over the years......I am sorry!

Dad,

Yes, lower center section missing on both cars as I recall. It is in fact a hand crank hole cover as the original engine has a balancer with teeth for a hand crank. I say we don't worry on the lower center section.

Sounds like we are 95%+ on front end trim work. We'll see whats at the shop for the doors and the curved pieces that go from rear door downward matching the curve of the fender. (ie the curved piece that runs under the rear vent windows.) Bet we have over 80% of the trim handy. As such I think we will trim it in the original and either locate the lost pieces or have custom bits made up as needed. With luck, we have the curved pieces in the shop as I think the custom stuff is straight only.

Good on the doors and their beauty covers.....we may need some bits there including window bottom metal and mechanisms.

Plan to put a tape on each piece and mark it left right front rear hood cowl, etc. It will save lots of money paying for time for them to locate and figure out.

As for Desoto bumpers, pretty but I agree, I want to keep it looking more original. We'll put Desoto bumpers on another project.

Thanks.

Rich.


And Dad pops back in with.....

Rich: I agree---we have most of the trim, maybe all of it. Do it up with what we have, and find the others as necessary.

[Sharps40]

Cool....found 3 37 D5 Four Doors being parted out in about 10 minutes of google foo. 

Closest is Mass. 

Got Dad continuin the inventory and pinged the Mass owner via text on running boards and stainless trim.  He's doing a rat rod but mebby can get some door handles and bracketry, etc.  Natch, for the right price, I'd go all in for a complete spare set of the stainless trim!  But, he might be usin that even on a ratty.

[Sharps40]

The rain never stopped today to hunt....and I don't have cash for the stocks on the coach gun yet so......fixin up the Cloisonné nose badge for Ol Bessy.

This is a $145 nose badge on eflay....mine was much worse shape...

My "restoration" won't be perfect, but it'll be good I think. 

After cleaning off all of the flaked chrome plating and using gentle heat and picks and brushes to remove the enameled inlays that were all broken down, I had a clean copper, original to Bessy, nose badge.

First step was to ink in the black circle and Star of David in the center.  The "Dodge Brothers and remaining Star of David will remain gold colored instead of the original chrome.  But, I'll still be able to replicate the gold background and chrome edging with some more effort.

Here in the photos, I have taped out the gold background of the wings to keep the paint off....after the black circle drys and I clean up the lettering a bit, I'll mask it to.  Then hit it with primer all over.  After that, a coat of bare aluminum spray for and aged look and top it off with clear to protect it all/seal the edges.    After I see how this turns out, I gotta dig around and try to find the larger badge that go's on the trunk and get it under a similar "restoration".

Tooth pickin in black paint on the circle and star were the hard parts so far, it is amazing just how little paint goes so far when flowing it in around the letters.

Edited November 30, 2015 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

First and second coats of primer.

[Sharps40]

A couple coats of bare aluminum misted on.  Last steps will be to pull back the tape exposing the gold color and several coats of clear.  But for now, it needs a day for the paint to set.

[Sharps40]

Couldn't wait.....watching paint dry is tuff!

Some clear coat and then I think it'll be ready for another 78 years in the wind.

[pflaming]

Now as the boys said a few years ago. "Sweet"!

[Sharps40]

Cameras are wonderful for showing old eyes where the mistakes are.  But after some clear its glossy and looks good for a battered 78 years old.  Other than cash, its my first contribution to Ol Bessy's return to life on the road.  It also highlights just how hard a true restoration is and confirms my and Dad's choice to have much of the heavy lifting done by a shop full of professionals. 

But, this will go on the nose of Ol Bessy, nestled under the leaping Ram to Ride Eternal....Shiny, and Chrome!

At the Thanksgiving Dinner table, I was asked who'd get Ol Bessy when I'm gone, In my 50s now and just getting her back after 23 years lost, I have to plan.  I indicated my stepson, he's the only one I think understands my connection to the car and with the skills to care for it.  So, I said so.  Boy was that a mistake.  But, Hell with the greedy ones, they just want it to want it.....never even  looked at the photos, old and new, of the car.  Stepson it is.

[Sharps40]

Doesn't look like much, but its the original shifter knob from Ol Bessy.  Brown hard rubber and now smoothed out a bit to remove years of dings and scratches and polished up....gotta get it adapted to the Auto OD trans lever that will be installed soon....

[Sharps40]

Found a series of photos of the wheel style for Ol Bessy.  All chrome like these.  Not sure if we'll go black or white wall at this point.  Leaning toward blackwall though.

In the meantime, after returning to VA from our recent hunting trip, he went to the shop.  It seems the body work is finally completed and the car is all in prime.  The entire front end has been removed to allow access to the front frame members and we are ready to strip off the antique suspension and update it with modern.  Last discussion, we had decided to go with Heidts Independent with power rack and power disc brakes.  Looking forward to getting up there soon to check out/photograph the progress and to spend some time locating and sorting parts.

[Sharps40]

Found some original ad copy, photos that will help us decide how to lay out the interior pattern wise.

A three deer trunk too...

[DonaldSmith]

Those suicide doors make it nice for getting into and out of the back seat.  Too bad they didn't have safety door latches and seat belts back then.  Early thirties Fords had suicide front doors.  Real easy in and out. 

[Sharps40]

I always road up front but, was taught to lock the front and back doors at all times.  Actually, never seen a suicide door fail.  My guess is, them opening at speed is a problem amplified by lots of chatter but is actually rather insignificant.  I'm comfortable with them.  Though I do recall an after market/hot rod suicide door locking mechanism being marketed back in the 80s or 90s.  Don't know if its still on the shelf for sale though.

[DonaldSmith]

Bear Claw latches are sold for hot rods, etc, to get the safety door lock feature.  Their installation looks a little too complicated for my skill level.  Also, I would have to notch out the woodgrain plastic laminate door panels on my DeSoto Suburban, a desecration I would not want. 

[Sharps40]

Sounds like the best job is to ensure the latches and factory mechanisms are in top shape, shut the doors and swing the handles into the locked position.....and, drive without worries.

[Sharps40]

A pal linked me this.  Plymouth not Dodge but only minor differences between the two.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oLBnWDroTdI

[Sharps40]

Visited the car today.  Tearing it back down for suspension and drive line.  Spent bout 3 hours sorting parts.  We have all the chrome and stainless trim but one single 4" piece for the cowl.  Even found the original Ram Hood Ornament, glass, door handles, window handles, grab ropes, seats, door and arm rests, ash trays, gauge panel, NOS parts to sell, etc.

 

Today I gave away the mild performance 74 Maverick 200" L6 with C4 TCI Street Fighter Trans and Lokar Shifter.  Gave him the headers for it too.  One of the fellas doing much of the body work on the car really liked the set up so, its his.  It has 30 minutes of run time after being carefully assembled 20 odd years ago.  I suspect it'll need seals, but he has a project in mind...so....

 

 

 

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Edited December 28, 2015 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

As she sits now.  Old Bessy is about to loose her antique shoes and stockings for Mustang II, PS, PDB, etc.

 

 

 

 

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Edited December 28, 2015 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

We rounded up and laid out and marked all the trim.  With whats at the shop and at the house in VA, there is nothing critical missing for cosmetics.

 

 

 

The original Ram Hood Ornament.  The spare is much better condition, but this one go's back on the car and no Parking Lot Slummer better ever yank it off - perhaps I'll electrify it with a fencer, a good heavy duty weed burner I think!

 

 

 

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Edited December 28, 2015 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

Oh yeah. Pretty sure we decided on the Wheels and Tires.

All Coker.

600-16" Radial Wide Whites with Chrome Smoothie 600-16" Wheels and Chrome Baby Moon Hub Caps.

 

And....FOUND TWO Dodge Emblems for the trunk! Both in very good shape.​

Edited December 28, 2015 by Sharps40

[TodFitch]

Those suicide doors make it nice for getting into and out of the back seat.  Too bad they didn't have safety door latches and seat belts back then.  Early thirties Fords had suicide front doors.  Real easy in and out. 

 

'32 through '34 Plymouth had suicide front doors too.

 

I always road up front but, was taught to lock the front and back doors at all times.  Actually, never seen a suicide door fail.  My guess is, them opening at speed is a problem amplified by lots of chatter but is actually rather insignificant.  I'm comfortable with them.  Though I do recall an after market/hot rod suicide door locking mechanism being marketed back in the 80s or 90s.  Don't know if its still on the shelf for sale though.

 

 

The drive side strike plate on my '33 two door was worn when I got it and I did fly open on me once when I was doing about 30 MPH and hit a bump. Your instinct is to grab the door and try to hold close it which won't work at any real speed as the wind catches it. You are much more likely to be pulled out of the car than to be able to close the door. Fortunately not too much damage was done to the door, hinges, rear fenders. And none to me.

 

I built up the worn area on the brass strike plate with brazing rod and filed it to shape and the door has never come open accidentally since. I also always lock both doors before the car moves as I noticed the latch tongue on the door extends just a little farther when locked and I figure that will help assure the door is firmly latched.

[Sharps40]

I found a trunk handle and even got a line on running boards and some trim and other doodads now.

 

Feeling good about the project so far and the shop is starting to gut out the ancient suspension for something to carry it into the new century nimbly and well! 

[librado65]

Geez man, Im 25 years old. Story almost brought a tear to my eye. The love between man and his car is an irreplaceable kind of love. It doesn't matter the age and condition.Thanks for the inspiring story!

[Sharps40]

Yep, I figger after close to a quarter century of waiting on Dads part, I'd best roll in hot on a second chance. 

 

Its coming along.  I hope for summer completion but we'll see.  There ain't no real world where a dream is resurected in 10 days!

Edited January 6, 2016 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

Predictive photograpy.

Next hunting season this will be Dad and I heading to the Low Country to link up with Wncdeerhunter for the first hunt of the year....

Here we are in the blind.....several beers into the evening hunt.

And here, the hunt successful and pulling out of camp right fast cause the ice is melting in the September heat.