1938 Dodge D8 4d sedan project

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

RE: 1938 Dodge D8 4d sedan project

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Great job on fixing the holes in your frame Hannu.

I cut a few pieces for Hannu to show him how the plasma worked

and then cut him loose to cut his own pieces. He did a great job

for the first time using one. He is doing a great job with this car

Thanks for posting

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

Lookin' good Hannu! You're keeping steady at it, nice to see the progress. And see how much you are enjoying the build.

Thanks for the pics and the update!

123pugsy · MARKHAM, ONT

Very nice patch work Hannu.

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

Nice work Hannu . Good score with the parts.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Thanks guys!

I'm quite happy with the small things I have done so far with the car. Not a show car but better than it's been for 50 years... And it has really been fun and good change to my work.

Once I get some ideas from Jari and the other pros today I may need to redo some of the sheet metal things

hemi43 · ONTARIO

Nice meeting you today, hannu !!

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Same thing here Dan, was really nice to meet you and whole bunch of other guys as well !!

Need to take some pics of the piece I made today with a lot of help from Jari and others as well.

Chris Stapley · CAMPBELLFORD, ONT

Nice to meet you as well Hannu, everything you have done to this point on your car has been great improvement and I admire how you're continuing to move forward...
Chris.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Thanks Chris, nice meeting you as well today!

Here the old and new piece, a bit of fine tuning left but really happy with it already. Too bad all that will be under the carpet...

123pugsy · MARKHAM, ONT

dodge38 wrote:
Thanks Chris, nice meeting you as well today!
Here the old and new piece, a bit of fine tuning left but really happy with it already. Too bad all that will be under the carpet...

You did a great job of that piece Hannu.

That material is satin coat steel which is a dull zinc. Grind about a 1/2" of the coating off at the edges where you're going to weld or it will spit when welding.

For painting/primer, just sand or scuff the other areas. The coating can remain.

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

Sweet good job guys.

slab · BRANT COUNTY, ONT

Nice meeting you yesterday. Glad I got to watch that piece being made. Very nice.

Lightspeed Mike · BELLEVILLE, ONT

Nice to meet you Hannu yesterday. Watched that piece being made for while , glad to see you got it done.

fatchuk · ST MARYS, ONTARIO

Hannu;

I am thinking you better get that finished soon..Hanging out with all those rodder guys your gonna end up pulling all that drive train back out by this fall to do a upgrade to a new drive train..looking good ..

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Thanks guys!

Great meeting you also Mike and Slab in the meet and Slim earlier.

Thanks Jari, I try to remember to clean it before welding.

No worries fatchuk, only rodding I will do to this car is that I'll replace the flathead 6 with another one...

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

2014: May

Got the new engine I bought from Gilles, looks really promising. Will put some paint on it once I get it cleaned a bit. It has 12V generator which I believe came only 1956, if the engine is that new that would be great! Based on the engine code I haven't found anything yet. It has a Carter carb and a truck bell housing etc. It also has a narrow alternator belt so my new 12V alternator will fit with standard modern pulley.

Continued also with some welding and fitting the motor mounts.

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

Thanks for the update Hannu . Keep at ER. smile

123pugsy · MARKHAM, ONT

Very nice work Hannu.
Are you going to tear down the motor or just run as is?

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Thanks guys!

I'm hoping to finish the frame (at least the front part) this week, paint the frame and the firewall and the engine, and drop the new engine in place.

The new engine was suppose to be somewhat rebuilt at some point of time. It looks quite clean so we try to get it running as is, if no problems I'm not going to open it for now.

I'm still waiting for the right time to finish that floor panel piece

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Agreed , nice looking engine and good workmanship. Those old flatheads used to idle at around 450 if i remember correctly.
I probably have all those old engine specs if you need any info.

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

Hannu, I'm thinking a good carb, check the fuel pump, maybe freshen up the water pump, as I personally wouldn't trust the seal, at least as far as driving it, any extent of time. That engine has been gone over, I have some receipts here (somewhere), from the builders on Victoria Island BC (where the truck came from). I don't recall what was done to it, as I personally wasn't interested in using that engine in my hot rod.
I'll try to do some digging, I think I kept the receipts, probably in the filing cabinet.

Just keep in mind, it'll smoke "a lot", when you first fire it up. I was a bit generous on the oiling of the cylinders, lol.

You're doing great progress, keep that up, you'll be cruizin' shortly.

Cheers.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Thanks sasquatch!

Need to find out first what engine that really is the serial nbr starts with K195xxx and nothing found with that code, guys are thinking that it was restamped by the rebuilder.

And thanks Gilles for the engine deal and advice!

If you find any info of the engine or those receipts that would be great. Need to remember to keep the garage door open when we start it the first time

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

gotta be better to breath those fumes than the rust dust

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

34guy wrote:
gotta be better to breath those fumes than the rust dust

Back workin' on the Ford are ya? biggrin

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

all my ford pick up has done since it's been out is drag around broken dodge stuff

from baden to Mississauga LOL.

hemi43 · ONTARIO

34guy wrote:
all my ford pick up has done since it's been out is drag around broken dodge stuff
from baden to Mississauga LOL.

Is that the same Ford pickup that barely ran when it got here?? I think I need to give you a ride in a Dodge so you can really see what cars are supposed to drive like.

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

hemi43 wrote:
34guy wrote:
all my ford pick up has done since it's been out is drag around broken dodge stuff
from baden to Mississauga LOL.
Is that the same Ford pickup that barely ran when it got here?? I think I need to give you a ride in a Dodge so you can really see what cars are supposed to drive like.

Geez Hemi

It seems to me that when I drove my barly running ford truck

out to your place your non running Dodge was up on the hoist with the rear

axles pulled out of that dependable 8 3/4 dodge rear end .A bareiy running ford truck

is at least still drivable .

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

That Dodge rust dust I created the whole winter in Joe's garage will turn Joe into a hard core Mopar guy really soon

Guys, you really need to do something with the cars with that energy you have

janies dirty 37 · SOUTH RIVER, ONT

I've saved all the rust dust from mine in jars and put them in the trunk......Then I can say its all original metal.

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

janies dirty 37 wrote:
I've saved all the rust dust from mine in jars and put them in the trunk......Then I can say its all original metal.

I didn't know you owned a Dodge , Did you have to fabricate a trunk first??

janies dirty 37 · SOUTH RIVER, ONT

don't own one anymore. lol But don't have an issue with them.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Great idea Janice! Damn, I left all the dust in Joe's garage and he already had the spring cleaning. Well, I still have 3 boxes of rusty sheet metal to be proud of...

Joe, you got it all wrong, Dodge's trunk is always really solid, everything else around it is a bit questionable...

Btw: Joe likes to store only the stone dust which he has plenty of, interestingly he stores that on top of his non Mopar cars which seem to be just fine for that purpose

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Gazoo wrote:

Back workin' on the Ford are ya?

Hey comment's like that wont help getting the rest of that

Dodge crap that's cluttering your driveway removed biggrin biggrin biggrin

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

34guy wrote:
Gazoo wrote:

Back workin' on the Ford are ya?
Hey comment's like that wont help getting the rest of that
Dodge crap that's cluttering your driveway removed

Are you trying to tell me the Ford can't make another trip? wink

I've got another early flathead 6 here, turns free, (would require opening to check condition), and a couple low mileage 318's and transmissions, if you require a transplant. biggrin

And a few 8 3/4" rear axles. I'll even throw in a Ram hood ornament, for when you put the 318 in. smile

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Gazoo wrote:

I've got another early flathead 6 here, turns free, (would require opening to check condition), and a couple low mileage 318's and transmissions

Tempting... on the other hand I already have an extra engine and a rear end... what I really need is a bigger garage and a truck frame/cab...

Ninop69 · THORNHILL, ONT

Great work, Hannu. We could ALL use a bigger garage!!!

DaveM · ONTARIO

I'd love to take one of those '50 ish Dodge flat head sixes, fuel inject it, cam it, maybe a small turbo. 5 speed overdrive trans. Would be a good project.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

DaveM wrote:
I'd love to take one of those '50 ish Dodge flat head sixes, fuel inject it, cam it, maybe a small turbo. 5 speed overdrive trans. Would be a good project.

I was thinking about a turbo as well, well after I get it running first. My friend is working on a Suzuki Samurai and he is installing soon a turbo to it's 1.4 litre engine, he also has a newer Suzuki single point fuel injection on it. HP rating would be quite close to my flathead 87 HP so...

But the oiling seems to be a weak area on these flatheads and doesn't really allow high rpm. I read somewhere that the issue is with too much oil going to cam and not enough to crank and connecting rods, there were instructions to restrict the oil passages to cam. But I guess still 4000 rpm is max. Not sure if turbo benefits with that low rpm yet, or is just a matter of sizing the turbo for that?

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Ninop69 wrote:
Great work, Hannu. We could ALL use a bigger garage!!!

Thanks Nino!

DaveM · ONTARIO

The turbo will help greatly on low rpm torque when sized correctly. You need a tuneable efi system.

The bottom end bearings and crank strength would need consideration. I'd think about converting to a shell type bearing. Not the cheap way but would make the bottom end much more better. smile Then nitrite the crank, balance the rotating assembly.

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

DaveM wrote:
I'd love to take one of those '50 ish Dodge flat head sixes, fuel inject it, cam it, maybe a small turbo. 5 speed overdrive trans. Would be a good project.

Not to sidetrack Hannu's thread, but I do have another complete flathead 6, less carb, turns free, sitting here. Good prices for OnRod members, cheap, cheap. I haven't opened it up, so I don't know if there's anything wrong with it, I'd consider it a core.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Okay, did something during the weekend... took out the engine...

finished welding the frame, cleaned up and primed (tremclad solvent based rust paint) the firewall and front/middle part of the frame, looks OK in the pictures...

added today some seam sealer to the ugliest welds... plan to paint tomorrow with semi gloss tremclad rust paint...

Also got an interesting bumber/transmission jack from my neighbor... not sure what to do with that yet

hemi43 · ONTARIO

dodge38 wrote:

Also got an interesting bumber/transmission jack from my neighbor... not sure what to do with that yet

Put two wheels on the front of it so the whole thing can roll. I had one of these, and these jacks are great for lifting the side of a car up 45 degrees to do rocker or lower door bodywork.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Yeah, I was planning to lift the body of the frame a bit so I can clean and paint those areas easier, will try this one for that, one of the seals is leaking but seems to work anyways, it also locks when lifted up so kind of safe...

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Oh, the neighbor told me that this rolls quite well as is... they lifted their car many years ago and both the car and the jack rolled to the street very fast

hemi43 · ONTARIO

dodge38 wrote:
Oh, the neighbor told me that this rolls quite well as is... they lifted their car many years ago and both the car and the jack rolled to the street very fast

LOL !! That could be dangerous..

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

I painted the firewall and front part of the frame with paint brush and semi-closs black tremclad, may paint the firewall again with spray paint but let's see...

and painted the engine with some engine primer first and then engine aluminum color spray paint, a bit more bright than I thought but will be the only one in the car so I guess I'll leave it like that... will add some black heat resistant spray paint to manifolds tomorrow...

It's funny how a bit of painting get's the motivation up!

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Cleaning up real nice, looks great.

dodge38 · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Thanks Sasquatch!

Yes, when compared to the yet uncleaned part of the frame the new painted part looks great... I sometimes forget that when analyzing the painted areas too much but that picture shows a nice contrast...