1934 Dodge Full Body Off Restoration by Ian_Greenlaw

5 minute(s) of a 362 minute read

Hi all,

Took the instrument cluster to a specialist and he reconditioned the speedo but just checked the other guages. Finished off the brake line for the front of the car and fitted them. Got another company to make up a couple of fuel lines. One from the chassis to the fuel pump and the other from the fuel pump to the carby. Not sure if that length is right or not but hopefully will sort that out later.

Not sure what takes place around the world but in Australia ( Victoria ) you can buy personalised plates providing they are no more than 6 characters / numerics long. Also the less amount of letters / numbers you have the more you have to pay for them. This entitles you to keep them and at a later date register a car and use these plates ( another fee applicable ).

I decided on DODG 34 ( as other combinations were not available ), searched to see if that combination was available and bought them. I dont know if I mentioned this in previous posts but I did have the opportunity to buy the original plates but he wanted $3000. You know when you look back 10 years later and think to yourself I should have bought that ? Well we didn't have the money at the time and a young family so I had to pass. The original 4 digit plates are now worth approx $50k. Glub.... oh well can't have everything.

I also decided I'd put in an electric fuel pump and filter hidden in the chassis rail alongside the shock absorber. This should be handy in case of vapour lock or priming issues. Again we'll wait and see.

Cheers

Ian

3-9-2013

Hey all,

This was about the time I started to look at the motor. The previous owner had stripped it and put all the pistons and internals etc in a can full of diesel. I had an engine rebuilder come over and have a look at it and basically said it would cost a small fortune to restore it. I spoke to another friend of mine a little while after that and he said he'd thought he'd heard of a guy not far from me who had a Dodge engine. After a few phone calls I traced it down to being 10 minutes up the road ! I went up and saw him and a chap that owed him money went broke and gave him this "restored" engine as payment. I took both engines to my rebuilder and he proceeded to strip the second engine down. He said it was in good condition and he could rebuild it for a third the cost of the old one. I decided to go for that option and he stripped everything down. I didn't hear much for a while and I went over and saw him. He'd stripped completely the engine and was working on it when I arrived.....looking good.

A few weeks later I returned only to find his wife there sorting things out. I asked about my engine and she said her husband only last week found out he had cancer and was closing the business. I took the trailer over and collected all my bits ( hopefully everything was there ! ) and returned home

I spoke to the chap who was going to do my body work and he knew of a motor restorer. I took the trailer to his workshop and let it with him in the hope of having a good engine job done. I did call in once and he had ordered a new set of seals / gaskets and was well under way.

Hey all,

This was about the time I started to look at the motor. The previous owner had stripped it and put all the pistons and internals etc in a can full of diesel. I had an engine rebuilder come over and have a look at it and basically said it would cost a small fortune to restore it. I spoke to another friend of mine a little while after that and he said he'd thought he'd heard of a guy not far from me who had a Dodge engine. After a few phone calls I traced it down to being 10 minutes up the road ! I went up and saw him and a chap that owed him money went broke and gave him this "restored" engine as payment. I took both engines to my rebuilder and he proceeded to strip the second engine down. He said it was in good condition and he could rebuild it for a third the cost of the old one. I decided to go for that option and he stripped everything down. I didn't hear much for a while and I went over and saw him. He'd stripped completely the engine and was working on it when I arrived.....looking good.

A few weeks later I returned only to find his wife there sorting things out. I asked about my engine and she said her husband only last week found out he had cancer and was closing the business. I took the trailer over and collected all my bits ( hopefully everything was there ! ) and returned home

I spoke to the chap who was going to do my body work and he knew of a motor restorer. I took the trailer to his workshop and let it with him in the hope of having a good engine job done. I did call in once and he had ordered a new set of seals / gaskets and rebuilding was well under way.

Cheers

Ian