Started in ernest last Monday. After inventorying all the spare panels from the doner car, pricing out all the bits to stage the budget of body, paint, suspension, power, etc.
Full time worker on the project and here we are, ready for the first infusion of cash into this long awaited project......
Near fully stripped, commencing completion of the accident damage, in primer soon. From there we hit the suspension. After that, discussion of remaining budget and the potential for V8 Power......last is paint and upholstery.......as the budget holds out!
Here is Ol Bessy as a bare naked lady....

 

Just got an updated set of photos from Dad. Seems the trunk floor still needs work, probably have to make it from scratch. Still repairing some rot at the lower cowls but doors hung and the final bits of accident damage along the door posts are corrected. Trying to get the photos moved from the phone to the computer, stand by.

 

These photos represent the end of Week 2 (10 Business days of work) since pulling it from the corner and inventorying the mess!
It was a fight....the photos are coming in as part of the html document in the email instead of attached jpg......I gotta show Dad how!
Anyway, recovered some of the photos and will get the rest off the big computer later.
Front floor pan and firewall pretty much done, the old dash (25 years ago I redid all the woodgrain!) still looks fair.

Lokar shifter on the TCI Streetfighter C4 that's been tentatively installed for 23 years is sticking up through the floor pan.

Up in the engine bay, the brand new moderate performance build Ford 200 L6 that we put in so many years back....it has about 30 mins or less run time on it. Might be replaced with a V8.

LF fender from the doner car bought and cut up for panels back when the wreck happened.

Rear floor plan areas nearly done, just some corner work to do in the cowl section and at the rear doors.


A bit of rot to work out at the rear of the trunk pan and the apron under it.

Drivers side rear door post and fenderwell accident damage repaired and the door being rehung.

 

Less than a week to go, and I should get to see and touch Ol Bessy for the first time in a long time.

Email to Dad this morning:

Dad,

Interesting bits about the old Dodge

Original Base Price: $830

Number of 1937 4 Door Touring Sedans Produced: 185483

Weight: 2912 lbs.

Length: 196.125" or 16 ft. 4 1/8 in.
Horsepower: 87

Total Serial Number Range for all 1937 Dodge models 4530451 to 4789907

Vin Location: Right front door hinge pillar post. Additional Serial Numbers include 9118501 to 9149360 and 9409056 to 9413740

Factory Colors may have included: Golden Beige, Mercury Metallic, Stratosphere Blue, Dodge Blue, Regal Maroon, Dodge GunMetal, Chillon Green, Echelon Green and Gyro Blue

Dads response:

Rich,

All great pieces of data. And I bought it in 1958 for $50. Do you realize---we have owned it for 57 years!! That's as long as my marriage---what great choices I made, and now are yours to make.

 

I see it tomorrow. It's in first prime to hold it till the last of the rust work is done. Dad has thousands in accidents Damage already done. New floors. Door pillar. Cowl. Fenders doors.

I have the title. Keys

Some panels are new. Some from the parts car.

Trunk and roll pan bEing done now.

Haven't slept for days thinkin about it

 

Rootin around the parts car here at dads house. I have located the ram hood ornament. With luck it's a spare and the original is with the car. Spare grill. Spare stainless front end trim and doors and trim. Spare fenders and rear quarters. Spare glass. Spare hood. Spare nose. Spare bumper.

 

In the shop being worked was a 48 woodie, 2 nd gen 442, 54 caddy, 67 vw van, a chevelle, a stud avanti, 54 nomad wagon, a 39 chevy sedan!


ol Bessy is in the right place.


Drivers side, where all the accident damage was, very nearly dead straight and prepping the final panels in the cowl. Firewall/cowl, front door, rear door, center door post and rear quarter all pulled out and reshaped. Some welding to do and some hinge repairs but this side will be pretty close to bondo free when competed.

Up front the nose is off and the firewall is perfectly wrinkle free.

Significant repairs to the front floor and restoration of the toe board for the hand brake.

Passenger side, some rot repairs to do on the lower cowl and the panels are already made up. Doors are hung and rough aligned....all door rust repaired. A bit of work to do in the lower rear door post. But at least this side did not need a cut out and replacement from the parts car of the center door post.

Out back, a total removal of the rotted trunk and hand crafting of a new deck and roll pan under the trunk lid.

The new pan tacked in and as you see, bead rolled for strength and good looks.

 

Running boards, at least this one, appear to be in miraculous condition. We'll have to check the other but it looks like these will get light repairs and reinstalled.

Out front the nose and fenders being worked. The fenders will need final shaping to blend out accident damage where it mates to the grill shell and then dipped or blasted to get them ready for paint.

Replacement drivers fender is mated/matched. Original Passenger fender is nearly completed.

 

This is the underside of the gull wing/alligator nosed hood.
Fortunately, all straight and I have a complete spare for this one too if ever needed, including all the trim and the elusive RAM hood ornament!


The "Bits and Bites" all stowed here for sorting and repair and reinstallation later....

And here in the corner of the shop, (looking at it from the inside view) an entire spare cowl and firewall with lower windshield posts. Most important here is that we kept this whole with the front body mounts and door pillars/hinge points intact if we ever need it....



Dad, with Ol Bessy. Smiling and telling me about how Mom got her drivers test and license when she was 16 years old in this car! Pillows under her bottom and back and a wood block on each of the gas, clutch and brake pedals!

And me, thinkin hard and kickin myself for ever letting this one go. Thank Heaven for Dad's!

 

A little induction art.
I just need to choose air cleaners to finish it.
Needed some aluminum welding and cast iron brazing to put them back into service shape. Not undoable but gave it a lot of thought. It was Dads first hot rod induction. The old 217.8" Flat 6 D5 engine, .030 over, .060 off the head, Dual Carbs, Edmonds Intake and Split Manifold Dual Exhaust and a skilled up hill driver.
First car he regularly broke 100 MPH in. (First car I broke 100 mph in too!) Doesn't sound like much but Dad typically did it up hill and down hill (naturally, easier) on South Mountain Maryland and around Camp Sinoquipe BSA in the same mountains but on the Pennsylvania side of the Mason Dixon Line.
At the time, Dad worked at Camp Sinoquipe and drove their daily, he new the mountain roads with his eyes closed. Many is the bet he won driving Ol Bessy against Straight 8 and V8 motors (late 50s and early 60s) on those mountains. The bet was always first over the top wins. Ol Bessy, with her Twin Ball and Ball carbs pulled and pulled and pulled in third gear, eventually pulling in front of the 8s on the long steep grade stretches where Dad knew he could pass and stay in front over the top.
A plaque is on the way. It will be engraved as follows, with the fourth line being his full name:
100 MPH! 1937 Dodge
Sinoquipe, South Mountain
Together We Ate The 8's!