Dixie Flyer "Firefly" speedster photographs

3 minute(s) of a 91 minute read

Hi Vern

Sorry, but you will need to be just a little more patient. The body is off the chassis and with a local restoration shop. I finally had to admit that the compound curves in the tail are beyond my limited panel beating ability. The four original mudguards are with another shop having the rather extensive rust removed and all the cracks and dents repaired. These are quite a complex shape, unchanged from the mid to late teens. 

The seat and interior trim is mostly finished and look terrific ready to be fitted but first the body, valances & mudguards have to be trial assembled and then taken apart for painting. Another job that I prefer to leave to the experts with all the proper equipment and expertise. The original bonnet (hood) just needs a couple of minor repairs. Finally I have to take a deep breath and take all the bright ware to be re-plated. I don't know about the USA but chrome and nickel plating costs here have left the planet! All about health and safety laws that have put a lot of the older plating shops out of business. Problem is that in most cases their buildings cannot be used for anything else and usually have to be demolished and about 3 foot of soil from the site removed to designated "Toxic" dumps. Meanwhile the four snubbers have been dismantled, cleaned, painted and re-assembled and are now fitted to the chassis. Finally the gearbox is complete and installed so the drive line is all assembled, The only tasks left are to make the leather "muff" for the sliding joint on the torque tube and to make a new "ratchet" for the hand brake. Of course I still have to make some new brake rods too. I should have lots of photos soon but must save some for the Antique Automobile too.

12-9-2009

Hi All

You have been asking for more photographs, here are a couple.

1. The new side valances. You will notice that these are folded rather than rolled. My theory is that the Wagon Company probably used the machinery they had already and were much more likely to have a "folder" that a set of rollers. The bonnet (hood) is also folded rather than "rolled".

2. The rear Gabriel snubber installation. These mount under the top spring the "tape" secured to a bracket fixed with the "U-bolts" under the main spring. The snubber adjuster shown in some earlier photos is used to tension the tape. without some "pre-tensioning" the snubbers would not work.