The purpose of this Blog

This blog is to detail my 50 years (1973 - 2023) with a 1928 Chevrolet tourer, affectionately called "The Red Chev".

The acquisition, restoration, improvements and my experiences over the years are covered in as much detail as I can remember.

Some of the later postings include car club outings and other vintage car items that I hope will be of interest to people.

If you have the time, scroll back to where it all began in 1973 and follow the journey so far.

Thanks for dropping by.

Regards Ray Dean


See my new section "The Red Chev - Repairs, Improvements, Maintenance and Technical Details" located on the left hand side of the screen.




Pages

Saturday, June 30, 2012

1927 Indiana Dump Truck (With quoted text)

"1927 Indiana, model 127, This truck was put into storage in mid 1930's. It is original, unrestored, with 12459 miles. Not even broke in yet. It rides on Goodyear hard rubber tires, with the rear tire being wider than the front. We watch the Indiana earn its keep, doing what it was intended to do. It passes the camera with a load of dirt, and dumps it at the pit. We then watch an Oshkosh pass the Indiana on the dirt road. Indiana Truck Corp built trucks from 1910-1933 in Marion, IN. From 1928-1932, Indiana Trucks was controlled by Brockway. In 1932, White purchased Indiana Truck Corp for there good name and dependability.

This truck will stay like you see it. There are a lot of original details that can't be seen in the video. It would be a disgrace to remove the originality of this truck by "restoring" it. Believe it or not, the truck is worth more in this condition than if it were all painted and polished up"







 


"The lift is hydraulic and it is original to the truck. Hydraulic systems were not common back then, but they did exist"

 




Trucking Through LIFE

EARLY YEARS OF TRUCKING (Worth just hearing the music)

Trucking Old School ( A slide show of Vintage Trucking Pictures)

Old Time Trucking!!

Some Veteran trucks. (accompanied by terrible music)

Footage is great, music is a shocker.

Apologies to any Jazz fans.

1966 Chevelle Restoration

It may be just a classic car to some, but take a look at the amount of work that goes into saving this 1966 Chevelle from rusting away to nothing.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Monty the 1928 Chev Gets A New Clutch

With a few bits lifted from, some may say stolen from
http://montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/resto-new-clutch-installed.html

While out on his first official test drive with his permit on Saturday 23rd, Grant found out what it feels like when you "do a clutch"

We had already planned to have a day in the resto shed on the 24th, on a couple of nice and easy jobs, such as installing a battery kill switch and an in line fuse. Monty's revenge soon put a stop to that.

So its 8.30 am Sunday morning as we both stand discussing the plan to remove the gearbox, pressure plate and inspect the damage. From what Grant had told me when Monty spat the dummy, I was thinking pressure plate, weak or broken springs, or even worse, the centre of the clutch plate screwed up damaging the input shaft.


Accordingly I came up armed with pressure plates and other asorted bits.


But Monty was very kind to his owner as the only work required was:

1. Replace the clutch plate

2. Replace the carbon thrust washer

3. Retighten all casing bolts, one of which had come loose and allowed the actuating lever to move
    and ream out the carbon thrust washer

3. Very sparingly lube a very dry spigot bushing

4. Clean up both the pressure plate and flywheel contact surfaces


A few pictures below detail the days activities.

Out came the floor timbers, brake linkages, leads and other bits and pieces that were in the way.

The universal joint housing was unbolted and pulled back enough for us to crack open the uni joint.


The gearbox was removed and put on a bench and Grant set about removing 84 years of crud and dust.  


Before Grant handy cleaning skills


And after. Would you look at that. So clean that it burst into colour




One of several coffee breaks


Check out the amount of dust and dirt in the flywheel before it was cleaned


Half way




Done. All cleaned up with a new clutch plate installed








The pressure plate was cleaned up, no marks, no scoring, more importantly, no burning



By 3.30 it was all over and Monty passed his test drive.













Saturday, June 23, 2012

Not the best way to end Monty's first legal drive in 50 years

Monty the 28 Chev hit the road today legally for the first time in well over 50 years, and after lulling Grant into a false sense of security by allowing him to complete a couple of very important family tasks, it was time for Monty to take control of the situation, and let Grant know who was the boss.

48 miles on the clock Monty, your the man. (Love the photos)

The following posting by Grant is from http://montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au/ and if you just read the header on Grant's blog you will see why today was a very important and emotional day for him.

G'idday,

With the wet weather holding off but still very overcast I quickly had breakfast washed down and I was out the door on this gloomy Saturday with the unregistered vehicle permit in my hand and I was headed right for the resto shed.

With a few tools thrown in the back it was time to give ole Monty a bloody good test drive and sort out the bugs if there were any to sort out.
First stop was the local servo for a fresh tank of fuel and the first full one in quite some years and by now I was starting to worry a little at the amount of WTF looks it was attracting as we sat in amongst the modern vehicles.




I now had one destination in my mind so it was onto the main Princes Hwy, where we headed east as we made our way out of town for the shortish drive up to the cemetery on top of the hill.....


Then it was back down through Trafalgar where I quickly called into Mums house for a chat and showed her the Chevy again as she likes to keep up to date with the resto and then I was onto the touristy township of Yarragon before the crazy weekend traffic arrive where I parked Monty in the main street, grabbed myself a hot coffee and by this stage I was grinning from ear to ear...

As I sat across the road enjoying the cuppa I was a little taken back by the amount of people that would slowly cross the street a wander over and have a good look at Monty as he quietly went about his business of pissing hot water onto the road from the radiator overflow outlet as you can see in the photo...... Love it :)



With the windscreen coming a little loose on the way home and me having covered 20 miles already I quickly headed for the resto shed where some running repairs were sorted and then I was off again.
In total I had covered 48 miles before my day came to a sudden stop, I pulled up at a corner and went to take off and nothing happened, I had no clutch at all, I could dump the clutch in 1st gear and not move anywhere..... BUGGER and 12kms from home.

I give Ray a call from the side of the road and I am soon told that "You ain't going anywhere sunshine, Ya done a clutch"........Hmmmmmm S***!

I quickly give a mate a call who lives around the corner and within 20 minutes I am sailing down the road under tow behind his V8 Jeep and we headed straight for the resto shed.

Once home I ring Ray back and have a chat about it and run through what and now the car was travelling up to the point of nothing.....

Ray tells me that he has all the spare parts to replace the clutch, "what doesn't that bloke have in his spares shed" and so now it is planned for a another good Sunday in the resto shed tomorrow.

So looking back on the test drive, yes the motor goes very well, starts great, will sit on 45 -50 mph easily, the brakes are good and getting better, even though it was a cold 10c degree overcast day, I had on my good BMW motorcycle riding jacket, beanie, and gloves and it was fine in behind the windscreen but it did not rain and that would be a different story

I will keep you posted.........

1938 Lasalle restored by Les Francis is finished and on the road. (Aus)

For those regular viewers of my blog, you would have seen the February posting below, detailing how close the 38 Lasalle was to being completed.

http://my28chev.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/beast-lives-1938-lasalle-is-about-to.html

Very pleased to let you know that Les had the car passed for club permit registration on Friday 22nd June.

I saw the new baby this afternoon, and its impressive, but as I say, the pictures below will tell the story better than I can.

Well done Les, I am sure you will have many years of enjoyable, and comfortable motoring.















































1938 Cadillac Series 90 V16 Convertible Coupe being restored in OZ.

I have been wanting to do this posting for sometime, and I was able to gather the information today (16th June) from the owners, Bev and Irwin Sinclair.

Irwin is the president of the Dandenong Valley Historic Car Club http://www.dvhcc.com.au/ and a founding / life member of the Cadillac Lasalle club of Australia. The V16 has been in the Sinclair's possession since the 90's.

The Car:
A 1938 Cadillac Series 90 V16 Convertible Coupe

The History Behind the 1938 Series 90 V16
The 1938 Cadillac models solidified GM’s position at the forefront of automotive design. The all-new V16 was now more like a twin eight in its basic design, and along with greater power output, it was more reliable and easier to service.

The 1938, Cadillac was one of the few luxury cars remaining in production in America. Despite the disappearance of many of Cadillac’s competitors, the marque survived while its longstanding competitors, including Pierce-Arrow, Duesenberg, Marmon, Stutz and Franklin, slowly disappeared. The Series 38-90 V16 was the proud company’s pinnacle of engineering and design achievement. The Fleetwood bodied Convertible Coupe epitomizes the triumphant Cadillac V16 of the era with its beautifully flowing lines and contours, while the smooth 16-cylinder engine provides an abundance of power and torque. 

The 1938 Cadillac V16 clearly demonstrates that a high volume automobile manufacturer, in this case GM, could produce a low volume prestigious vehicle that would hold its own against any comparable vehicle of the day. Having recently helped another DVHCC member (Les Francis) with his 1938 Lasalle, which shares many Cadillac components, I was impressed with the standard of engineering and "strength" built into the finished product.

Here is an example of the model




Specification:
Series 38-90. 185 hp, 431 cu. in. L-head V16 engine, dual Carter carburetors, three-speed selective manual transmission, syncromesh on 2nd and 3rd gear, independent front suspension with coil springs, semi-floating rear axle, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 141" Left Hand Drive.








Here is an example of the V16 motor

1938 Cadillac V16 Convertible Coupe

Irwin's car is body number 3 of only 10 produced by Fleetwood USA
Body no 1 was for Gary Cooper

Lets start this cars journey from the present day and go back

Part 1 - Current Status (16th June 2012)

Irwin reactivated the project this year and after several weeks and assistance from DVHCC member Lindsay Tharle has the body to the stage where Irwin is hoping to have in it primer coat by Christmas. The following photos were taken today and show a body very close to being ready for a coat of paint.


Update 23rd June - Repaired rear corner. (by Irwin) replaced metal section.


Update 23rd June - Rear corner after being lead wiped by Lindsay. What an improvement!


Update - 23rd June. Very pleased with the gap after lead was put in side of edge.


Update 23rd June - Other rear corner after the same lead treatment.


Update 23rd June - Off with the door.


1. Only Irwin would know how many hours of work have gone into this rear end.


2. No rust in here, only good metal.


3. On this model, no provision was made for right hand drive.


 4. Even in primer the lines of the body look very smart


 5. How far would you need to park from other cars to avoid making door contact?



6.


7. Showing repaired lower section with primer guide coat applied.


8.


9. Take a look at the size of the chassis that has perimeter and centre X frame and heavy steel plate 1/4" thick on the X frame.

 

10.


11.



 12. You can see how much the door has been extended from standard.




13. Hidden under that dust is a very robust front end


 

14. V16 cars had finned brake drums.


 15. This is where the transmission fits between the chassis rails.




16. Note the X frame in the chassis and the heavy steel plate on the top and bottom of the X frame.



17. This is an example of the rust areas that Irwin cut out and replaced with new metal on both sides.


 18. Count the plugs, 8, and that's only half.


 19. Seeing double. Two fuel pumps, two distributors and 2 water pumps. The Right Hand distributor has 2 sets of points, one for the left hand coil and one for the right hand side coil.


20.  Irwin is not sure if the engine has been rebuilt or original, but suspects it to be original. He was told by the seller that the motor was good. Consultation and subsequent inspection by a friend in the States gave the opinion that it appeared to be a good motor when he ran it for the previous owner.

When the car arrived in OZ,  Irwin started and ran it for quite a while with a mechanic friend who gave the same opinion that it appears to be in good running condition.

Irwin hopes to have the engine back in the car around Christmas or shortly there after. All that is required then is a new set HT leads.


21. Give or take an inch, but from the end of the gearbox to the front engine pulley is 80 inches.



Part 2 - The work done by Irwin to get the Caddy to where it is now 16th June 2012

22. The body taken off the chassis



23.


24. The floor pan had many small pin holes and larger rust holes, that were all repaired by welding.


25. Some of the rust areas that Irwin removed and replaced.


26.


27. Inside the rear quarter panel between the front door and rear wheel well.



28.


29. You can see in this picture a piece of metal that has been replaced


30. Bracing was put into the body to prevent any distortion during the rust repair process.



31. A less motivated person may have been scared off the project faced with rust repairs such as this


32. Lower outer body skin.


33.


34. The timber body rails that sit on the chassis required full replacement.


35. The laminated timber rails were remade to original specifications. Old and new side by side.


 36.


37.


38.

 

39.



40. The vertical side rail timbers on both sides were all replaced.


41. More unwanted ventilation


42. Note the absbestos between the body and timber rail, which allowed the floor to be welded in place on top of the timber as part of the manufacturing process.


43.


44. Front Right Hand Side skuttle after the timber was removed.



45. Right Hand Side, between the front door and rear wheel arch. Note the holes on the bottom to nail the metal body to the timber rails. Irwin used the same process after repairing the area.


46. Right Hand Side sill panel. Both sides were replaced with newly made panels.



47. The first stage of repairing the areas on both rear corners of the tub, marking out the piece to be removed. Irwin told us that the double panel construction was the main cause of rusting.



48.



49. Underneath rear where bumper iron goes through the body. (inside view)


50. Inner panel behind outside panel. All were replaced with new metal. (cant get much worse than this)


51.


52.


53.



54. This area is prone to rust due to moisture and dust getting between both panels.


55. You can see the rust has eaten through both panels


56.


57. The inner panel section welded in place



58. New inner panel welded in place.



59.After grinding and finishing off the area looks like new.



60. The other side.



61. Chassis painted and in place ready for the body to be fitted.


62. Ready to lift.



63. Going up.



64.


65.


66 New sill panels were fitted to both sides.

.

67. Laminated wooden timber frame.


68 Area above the rear differential.

.

69. Inside the rear boot



70. Starting to look like a complete body again



71.


72.


73.


74 Forming a replacement panel, with just a bench, block of wood and a couple of G clamps, using the original timber for a pattern.



75. The sills were spot welded as originally fitted.


76. A replacement rear quarter panel section timber before welding in the new metal section.



77.


78. A very nice looking under body


79.


80. Forming a replacement panel, with just a bench, block of wood and a couple of G clamps.


81.


82. Some timbers from the rear boot lid (deck lid) were able to be reclaimed by replacing a section.


83. Oversized timber was spliced into place using special water resistant glue.


84. Excess timber was removed to take the piece back to the original size.


85.


86.


87.


88. A complete new wooden frame for the boot (OZ), or the trunk (USA)



89.


90.


91.


92.


93.


94. Quietly waiting for the day when it will rejoin the chassis

  


Part 3 - The Early Days

95. This is the Caddy in storage as Irwin first saw and purchased it.


96.


97. Original trim removed. (Was Bedford cord) Note the two jump seats for rear passengers if required.


98.


99.

100.

101. The front guards were off  the car and were fitted before it was shipped.


102.

103. An improvised lock on the trunk for the trip to OZ.


104. Out of storage ready to be trucked from San Francisco to Long Beach LA.


105.


106.


107. My first OZ sighting after customs checked and released the car.


108.


109. The car chassis and overall length is the same as the 7 passenger limosine, but with just 2 doors.


110. Loaded onto the flat top, next stop, home.


111.


112. Lets just keep an eye out to make sure it does not get lost.


113. Being unloaded in Cranbourne 22nd November 1995


114.


115.


116. The eagle has landed.


117. Safely tucked away in the shed


118.


119.


120.


121.


122. The Caddy was invited to a display at a Victorian winery


123.


124.


125. At the panel shop of Perry Becker in Fern Tree Gully. Perry repaired the skuttle, both front guards, front wheel wells, rear guards, bonnet and made the 2 replacement sills that I fitted.


126.


127. Cant see all that hidden rust repaired here


128.


129.


130. Left hand distributor has no points, HT rotor only.


131. Sitting in the panel shop less the chassis.


Stay Tuned Folks, the Best is Still to Come.

Regards

Irwin Sinclair