Introduction and couple Questions

[hbpaints]

Good Morning everyone,

 

Name here is Rob and I am located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I am the new owner of a 1947 Dodge D24C and happy to have found this site.

My car is basically original, Flathead 6, Fluid Drive transmission, running and driving well. Needs some body repair/repaint and other small items such as door handles reconnected, window mechanisms being repaired, rear seat fabrication, and most of all, gauge repair (or replacement)

 

I have searched and browsed, but so far have not had any luck in finding definitive answers to my questions, so I apologize in advance if I have missed an area to search, or misread the information online...

 

I am assuming it is a "Canadian" car, but could be wrong... Hence my first question...

 

1. Serial number 9839017 --> Would love to determine more information

    Tag under hood on firewall states the following, 

     Model D24C 4 DR

    **** 1644 --> Cant read what that is? Weight maybe?

    Paint Code 4012 (or 4072) ??

    Trim Code B A 0 (Maybe an 8 ??)

 

    Engine Serial number - D24C 7056C (Stamped on block)

 

2. Outer Door handles on Passenger Front door and Drivers rear door just "pull" right out of door? I can't seem to locate how they are fixed in place ? I assume something is wore out or a       keeper is missing?

 

I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions as I start on this journey, but I appreciate being able to locate a forum like this where great information is at hand.

 

Thanks in advance...

 

Rob.

 

[Cannuck]

D24 (C) stands for Custom model. 

[junkers72]

Nice car . It’s very similar to my ‘47 DeSoto .  Enjoy it and welcome .

[RobertKB]

Here’s info on your car from my Canadian parts manual. Most, but not all, Canadian built Dodges were D25’s like mine. 

 

 

Door handles are held in place by two screws behind the handle which on the D25’s are fractionally over 1” long.

 

A specialty bolt that screws into the end of each handle keeps it from being pulled out by someone with bad intentions. 
 

 

 

 

D25’s we’re basically Plymouths with Dodge trim. At first glance they look similar but there are lots of differences from the D24’s. Fenders don’t extend into the doors, hood is alligator style not butterfly, rear brake light and taillights are different, etc. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by RobertKB

[Doug&Deb]

Nice car. I had one for 12 years. You’ll enjoy driving it. Are you talking about the inside door handle coming off? They are held in by a small pin and a spring behind the door panel holds tension to keep it from falling out. I believe Andy Bernbaums has them. 

[Dan Hiebert]

Welcome!  Your car's serial number is not consistent with Dodge's U.S. serial numbers.  For one, it has seven digits, rather than the eight U.S. cars would have at the time.  U.S. models should begin with 3 or 4, you may be "missing" that first number in some fashion.  I don't know what the Canadian serial number series are.  D24 is the model number for '46-'48 ('49 first series) Dodge cars like yours (and mine, bigger body, longer wheelbase, clamshell hood, front fender styling that goes into the front doors, etc.) regardless of where it may have been built.  D25 is the model number for '46-'48 Canadian built Dodges that were basically Plymouths with Dodge trim and badging. 

 

Ditto Cannuck's note that "C" designates it as a Custom trim series, vs. Deluxe trim, rather than being a Canadian built car.

 

Your paint code also does not match U.S. built paint codes, which at the time were three numbers.

 

Door handles.  Does the outside handle come out with the trim piece still attached?  If so, there are also two screws in the trim piece that the handle goes through (the one that matches the belt molding).  The handle's shaft was originally attached to that trim piece, so if those two screws are missing along with the inside screw it will come out.  If for some reason the shaft is no longer attached to that trim piece, and that inside screw is missing, it'll come out.  On our car, those inside screws are all missing, the only thing holding the handles in are the screws through the trim piece.

 

You'll like this Forum.

[keithb7]

Welcome @hbpaints to the forum. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful folks here.  A very important point to make about your Canadian car is the engine.  It will likely be a 25” long 218 ci. Do not confuse this with the 23” long 218 ci engine built in the USA.  Different bore and stroke. Crank. Rods pistons, bearings etc don’t interchange. 
 

I read and understand that the “C” on the end of the engine SN indicates it is a Canadian built engine. I have doubts that it means custom. That engine could go into countless different applications.  Custom on the block SN meaning custom what?
 

The car itself, the trim, the options, color, upholstery, map light, etc  indeed could indicate it is a factory built model Dodge Custom. I don’t think the C on the engine is an indicator.  
 

I could be mistaken. Anyone else have any thoughts on that?

[RobertKB]

Canadian car. I posted this info from a 1954 Canadian parts manual in a previous post. Check his car’s serial number.        

His engine serial number starts with D24 so is likely original to the car and according to the car’s serial number would be a 228 CID. 
 

It’s always good to read previous posts and look at the information provided. 
  

Edited January 14, 2023 by RobertKB

[Cannuck]

I just looked it up and D24 C on the tag on the firewall means it is a Custom  with the Custom trim>

It should also have a stainless trim on the rear fender above the tire ,which is missing .

There seems to be work done on your cars body  in the past  it may have been removed.

As for the stamp on the block no idea . Info from Field Guide To aftermarket parts 1946 -1948 Dodge 

[hbpaints]

Thanks everyone for the tips and assistance so far… 

the door handle that I’m having issues with is the “outer” passenger front door.the handle and trim comes right out and I’m left staring at a steel pin with a square end. I then can push it back into the hole, line up the pin and it works just fine…

 

I’m assuming from the posts above, there is a keeper screw or clip that should keep this from happening? 
 

Another question has popped up today as well… 

 

- noticed one side of my butterfly hood appears to be rotted out? It still opens and closes, but the metallics detached…

How is this hinge removed? All I can see is 2 bolts at front and 2 at rear… does this remove that hinge from car for replacement or service? 
( and yes, I will be purchasing a service manual for this car as soon as I can find one) 

 

Thanks again… there’s a few things I need to sort out, including some electrical… but I took it around the block today and it ran pretty good… 

 

Couple more pictures of the car, and the hood hinge in question…

[andyd]

Even tho' my car is an Oz assembled 1940 Dodge it uses essentially the same type of hood opening, ie, a center hinge that is attached to the cowl end and radiator surround by two bolts at either end........from memory these bolts are 7/16th AF.......your passenger side hood panel appears to have come away from the leading edge of the hinge compared to the drivers side which is quite close to the hinge edge.......from what I seen in various mopars overs the years with these side opening hoods is that the hinges,  brackets & and associated hardware that are on & around these side opening hoods are pretty much the same so it maybe worth checking other mopars & comparing if parts are needed.............Welcome aboard anyway from Oztralia.......Andy Douglas     

[Dan Hiebert]

This is how I remove the hood(s) on our D24.  That center strip is also the hinge for both hoods.  It bolts to a bracket on the firewall at the rear, and to a bracket on top of the radiator support just behind the nose piece that holds the ram hood ornament.  There are bolts holding the front bracket to its mounting locations, and a single captured bolt holding the center strip to the brackets.  The head of that captured bolt (probably technically called something else) fits into, and can slide in, that center strip, for fore-aft adjustment of the hood.  I loosen the rear captured bolt.  I remove the front captured bolt.  It has to be removed because it holds the hoods in, it just slides out the front once the nut is removed and the front of the hood raised a tad.  I find it a bit easier to get to the nut on the front captured bolt if I unbolt the bracket from the radiator support.  It helps to have two people to do this part, but I manage by putting a block under the front of the center strip to raise it above the nose piece.  Each hood half will then slide, independently, you don't have to do both at the same time, out to the front.  Voila, hoods are removed.