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Alick's 1938 Dodge


sidevalvepete

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Heater/defroster ready for final fitting. Bit of work to do on vent nozzles. The smaller aperture one with mount tabs is original for the left side or driver's side in the left hand drive vehicle but as mine is right hand drive it needs to fit above and to miss the glovebox.  A bit of modification needed. Don't think they had a right hand drive version and shouldn't be too difficult to make alteration. Matching right side vent arrives soon.

Little bit of progress....

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  • 4 weeks later...

Bit of progress on the rewiring. Got the Aussie replica cloth loom in the vehicle. Perfect fit to all the attachment points behind dash. Going to need some more bits to incorporate the radio, heater and clock. Also trying to keep original bulb headlights operating. Bought a socket and cable for the number plate light off ebay. When I opened the package it had a single headlight cable and socket pigtail for the same vehicle in the bag as well  - a nice bonus! This has allowed me to make a matching one for the other side from some old metal connectors I got from another mopar fan in NZ. Waiting on a bit more cloth wire and matching connectors and a few chassis clips to hold the harness in place. Covid has slowed the mail system somewhat.

I know I have become a bit anal in all of this but it is just that I have developed such admiration for those old time engineers and designers that made these cars back then. The internet has enabled me to find parts or info from anywhere. Am not wanting to be over the top but I get a real kick out of finding or recreating a part that is just like what was used back then. That's the fun in it all. Anyway, each to their own. My car was missing the cover off the ashtray in the back of the front seat and a few years ago I saw one on ebay. When it arrived in was in original box with a technical drawing showing it's design. It was patented in 1935 and used over a number of years and Chrysler Corp vehicles  - so cool!! 4.jpg.2d2a5303441b3b700bfb2555c9b564e7.jpg

 

 

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You are doing fantastic, high quality work!
 

I find it interesting to look at your RH Drive cab layout. I noticed that they left the 4 pull knobs in the same positions as the LH drive. Your shifter has a dog-leg over toward the right, slightly toward the driver. My ‘38 LD driver shifter is identical. Yet it leans over toward the passenger slightly! Lol.

 

Your starter is interesting. Does utilize a solenoid? Mine has the foot push rod.  

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2 hours ago, keithb7 said:

Your starter is interesting. Does utilize a solenoid? Mine has the foot push rod.  

Yes. I have found this all really interesting too. Obviously the starter motor and every other component on the engine is in the same place as the left hand drive vehicles and this meant the designers had to devise a different system to start the car. Your left hand drive vehicle has the mechanical foot operated rod system that engages the starter motor but because the driver is on the other side of the engine in my right hand drive version there is no simple way to have a foot operated starter- hence the push button starter that uses the electrical system to engage the solenoid. The clutch pedal mechanism is also fascinating. My right hand drive has the same foot position for the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals as yours but it means the clutch pedal is closer to the bell housing than yours. Some of the small mechanical parts fit both left and right hand drive versions, some are a mirror image and some are completely different. The parts book documents this. Another reason why I have found it really interesting how those designers made it all work in all of the different markets that they traded in. Again, that's probably why I have tried to find or rebuild parts as the designers built them way back then.

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Pete & Keith.........both your comments and observations regarding the LHD/RHD layouts reminded me of the questions and answers I had and searched for when I started to restore my 1940 Dodge back in the early 70's.......then there was no internet nor any way that I knew of getting answers to questions I had relating to things like the dash layout, the clutch mechanism and one that intrigued me in the 1980's after I had found Andy Bernbaums business and obtained my 1st copy of his paper catalog.........it was truly a revelation.....the opportunity to be able to get parts and things I had only dreamed existed...........BUT............what the hell was a starter pedal shaft seal or pad?.........eventually I worked out why my car didn't have nor need such a thing but even after owning the car for 40 yrs you can imagine my surprise and delight in finding that yes, there was indeed a thing called a glove box door spring................lol............and the lack thereof was why my wife always complained about having to push & pull at the same time to open the glove box.............lol...........an easy fix once I knew what I needed...........about 10 yrs ago a local guy imported an ex Arizona 1940 Dodge Coupe and it was a chance to compare both my Oz 1940 Dodge sedan and his car...........anyway pete........you have done a great job on your restoration..........regards, andyd       

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  • 2 months later...

Making a bit more progress. Been busy in spring calving season and haven't posted photos for a while. Some underbody detail. Newly made splash pans yet to be painted. Am mucking around with leather dust Covers for universal joints and have to make up a suitable steel frame for leather clutch fork boot to secure it into the bell housing.

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  • 1 month later...

Hood strut and latching mechanism fitted. Have had these sort of moving parts electroplated in a zinc finish. I really marvel at the design and engineering around some of these simple mechanisms. The handle on the hood lock also acts in a manner that slightly raises the hood so that it is easy to put fingers under to lift up. Hood side panels are easily detachable by unscrewing 4 bolts if better access required eg: valve adjustment. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Finishing off the running boards. Version 2. Have had a few lessons like this over the years. When I got the car off Alick it was in very poor condition. A lot of rust in floor and lower guards, doors etc. The original running boards had long gone and been replaced on the cheap with cannibalising the guards and putting a couple of wooden planks on altered brackets then covering them with rubber mat. My mistake was choosing a heavier gauge steel and making them on look without original pattern. A few years later I found the Runningboard Rubber guy in Canada that made and fitted authentic patterned mats. He wanted me to send my boards to him to be covered. This was not an option for me as the heavy gauge steel made them astronomically more expensive to freight there and back from the bottom of the world. Managed to persuade him to send me a pair of mats in the correct style and pattern for my vehicle as he had just done some for another 4 door Dodge of the same year.

 

So when they arrived the obvious happened  - they didn't fit well enough. Parked it for a couple of years while other things were done then tried to bring them together recently and hope the problem had diminished in my mind. Bugged me even more now. So the solution has been to make some more running boards in correct gauge steel to fit mat design and size. Now fitted with mats, yet to be glued down though.

 

These running boards are also not to original design. This sort of happened by accident as at the time of reconstructing the guards, front and rear, they were built to have the running boards fit between them,  not slide under the front guard. I thought this was how they went at the time and as anal as I have become, this will do. They can stay like this.

 

So, some progress......still to do is complete headlight wiring and fit, sort a turn signal system, get a bit more chrome trim back from the plater, wire up the heater, clock and radio. Then carpet and trunk lining.

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Nice work on the running boards, I'm still chasing a US passenger side one to suit my Dodge, got a NOS 40/41 Plymouth US drivers side board a few yrs ago, it fits as the Oz mopars were Plymouth based but it seems the US passenger side one is very uncommon, I check ebay every week............lol............your car is a real credit to you, the colour suits it perfectly............one thing I noticed in an earlier pic of the rear end, the fuel line has a pronounced loop that appears to hang down quite low.........is it me or a photo thing?................andyd

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Historical Services:

Due to the high volume of requests, Historical Services requests that all inquiries be submitted by mail or fax. With all requests, please provide your name, contact information and specific request. A confirmation email or letter will not be sent.


Address:

Historical Services

12501 Chrysler Freeway

CIMS: 410-11-21

Detroit, MI 48288 USA

Fax: 313-252-2928

 

https://www.fcagroup.com/en-US/footer/Pages/contacts.aspx

 

they have nothing NEWER than 67.  Not sure how far back they go or if they have any non-US built info.

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On 12/19/2020 at 10:53 AM, Andydodge said:

.....one thing I noticed in an earlier pic of the rear end, the fuel line has a pronounced loop that appears to hang down quite low.........is it me or a photo thing?................andyd

You may be right. It is a bit of a big loop. Was constructed when chassis was pretty bare. With body back on and springs closer to final position I will recheck it.  Don't want a big bump to wreck it! Probably wouldn't have happened if I had run the fuel line in original position inside the chassis rail. Put it outside to compliment the brake line and make good use of holding clips. Thanks for the heads up!

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On 12/19/2020 at 1:50 PM, Sniper said:

Historical Services:

Due to the high volume of requests, Historical Services requests that all inquiries be submitted by mail or fax. With all requests, please provide your name, contact information and specific request. A confirmation email or letter will not be sent.


Address:

Historical Services

12501 Chrysler Freeway

CIMS: 410-11-21

Detroit, MI 48288 USA

Fax: 313-252-2928

 

https://www.fcagroup.com/en-US/footer/Pages/contacts.aspx

 

they have nothing NEWER than 67.  Not sure how far back they go or if they have any non-US built info.

Thank you. Will give it a go and report back how I got on.

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  • 1 month later...

Sidevalvepete - Thank you for posting and all the photos! .... you have set the bar high my friend!

  I believe your many years of successfully operating and meticulously caring for a herd of dairy cows and all that it entails , has had a hand in your “attention to detail “ approach, to this very commendable restoration! .... Well done ? 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm doing the same thing with my 40 D14 coupe. Lots of work & thousands of hours to attain this level of detail. I had my running boards shipped to Kris Arneson in BC and he turns out very high end work on these old mopar bonded type steps. MAXIMUM RESPECT ON A BEUTY RESTO PETE! CHEERS M

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