Yes, they are still out there!!!

Makes you think, after you start making the car safe to drive and come out of sleep to drive again, yeah, learning alot about 34 cars and remembering stuff that I have not done in years, cleaning, oiling, lubing and adjusting!!!!!!!
 
Took the complete front end axle down to Don's today, we completely disassembled and I will take back to my garage to de-grease and order bushings and front end parts for drag link and tie rod. Removed brakes and will install new tracks for brake shoes to run on. We took the spring apart and removed the shackles. Both from spring and axle, then replaced, went very smooth with Don's special tools and punches, couple of photos,
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Installing new front shackle bushing in front perch,
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Installing new shackle bushing in main leaf of front spring
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QUESTIONS, NEED ANSWERS!!!!!!!!
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Don P. and I are re-assembling the front axle on the 34 car, looked in my "Brown Bible" 28-37 , it is not that detailed, also looked in the 33/34 Early V8 book. This is what we have came up with,
1. installed new brass bushings in the spindles, did fine. ( had to use old bushings because new bushings from MACS had very little resistance in spindle king pin shaft openings, new ones were not as thick as old ones, we checked with digital calipers )
2. New king pin with new bearing, next,
3. drop king pin down in top of spindle and add two thin, very thin washers, next
4. king pin down through the axle and add the cupped washer with felt, ( I put felt washer in vise and smashed so it would fit )
5. king pin through lower spindle, next
6. turn king pin so that the locking bolt would pass through the axle, seems to all fit up correctly.
Question#1
Do the small thin washers go right under the bearing on top of spindle or top of axle where I placed them, between lower side of the top of spindle and axle? or one on each side? or does something have to be checked to see if more are required?
Question #2
Replaced the shackles on front spring, cleaned each leaf of spring and greased with regular chassis grease. I found that they used a old pan head bolt and slipped a square nut on the bolt, ( could have killed us if the old head had slipped through the square nut!) I need to know were to get the correct bolt with the bumper on the bolt like I have seen on other 34 cars.

Thanks as always, Bruce
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Installed new bushings in the brake/clutch pedal assembly, Don P. made a new shaft, old one had worn spots in the shaft metal, old brass bushings worn through on one/each side, pedals still in good shape, grease fittings had hard grease in them, caught this at the right time. Everything you go to clean up needs some kind of attention. Installed new roller tracks on backing plates. Will start to put all back together after the MARC National Meet in Lexington, KY., next week.
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Completed, with new grease
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Installed new brake shoe roller tracks
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Removed and cleaned the brake equalizer today, needed to remove so I could get the torque tube out and replace with the new rear end/torque tube. We have cleaned up rear end and worked on brakes of replacement rear end.
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Closed the rumble seat and could not get open today, called Terry, OH and he called me back with the information. Where to look for problem and also how to access the cable behind seat, thanks for information!!!

OK, I got two other people besides myself. We took the 6 bolts loose that hold the front seat down to slide rails. Got two pieces of 6 x 6" wood blocks and some small pieces of 2 X 4 boards and we lifted the front seat up as high as I could because the interior and steering column. Then I reached up behind seat to see how the cable was routed. The cable had broke off from manual handle. Cut the cable with side cutters and pulled on the cable with everything I could. Don P. and my son worked on deck lid and it came open after about 15 minutes of pulling and cutting. This is the last thing I would have thought about checking, but now it is something else to fix. Don P and I then cleaned up the garage, got the car out and drove for first time out on main/public road to Scottown, OH and back to Proctorville, OH. (10 or 12 miles ) Did not miss a beat, this is first time in about 30 plus years it has been under its own power. Thanks everyone for all the help, going to Gallopolis, OH to meet up with Shadetree Saturday in the 34.
 
How's it feel to get it out and actually moving under its own power?

Small world. My wife's family is from Middleport, just a hop and skip from Gallipolis...

This is the one I found (yes, they are still out there). Took it on its maiden voyage today, also. It needs work. It looks good, but it needs TLC+
 

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Great Cabriolet, congratulations on finding it.

You may have already figured this out, but the grille on your car is original and correct, the rusty grille is an Argentinian reproduction and is not as pretty as an original given the repro's slightly wider bars and spot-welded sheetmetal crank hole bezel. Those repros had a pretty cheap chrome job on them which is probably why it deteriorated so badly.

All the best with the car, it's a beauty!

Randy

Bruce in southern OH said:
This 34 grill was still in a bad box, filled with mice nest, never on a car, but rusted due to storage in the garage with car, who would you recommend to attempt to do re - chrome. Any ideas let me know, thanks Bruce
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Randy, thanks for information, went to garage and removed the reproduction old grill and installed the original grill. Here are a couple of photos's, will drive the car to little car show in Gallipolis, OHIO this weekend. Original grill is pitted very badly, would not think it could be re chromed. You and Don are correct, the old grill looks better even if not (shiny) thanks Randy and Don P.
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Reproduction grill
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Original grill
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Original grill
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New Drake running boards
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New/Old Wheels on the car
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Bruce in southern OH said:
Was just reading your post, sharp car, looked at your information, no info, do live down in this area????
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I live in Canton, Ohio, but I'm down Marietta and Belpre way quite often for work.

My wife still has relatives in Middleport and Tupper's Plain.

I don't think my car can make it, but I would love to make the show in Gallipolis. Maybe next year? Do they allow "modern" cars? My '74 Torino has already survived a 450 mile road trip, so I know it can make it there...
 

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Got all the rear body parts assembled correctly now, frame tube spreader, gas tank cover with nuts and bolts, bumper brackets and spare tire carrier, will finish installing the bumper today, thanks
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Well, drove the 34 down to Ashland, Ky, to Don P. for a longer trip, everything fine, about 25 miles one way. Came back up river and stopped at Dave M. and everything was fine, driving between South Point and Proctorville, OH and car picked up a vibration. Stopped twice to see if I could find out what it was, nothing. Pulled up to my garage and opened the garage door, got back in car and it would not go in gear, raking the transmission. Turned car off and placed in 1st and pulled in garage, worked on the clutch linkage, would not adjust and have clevis all the way out and still no clutch. Going to have to pull motor and transmission and install new pilot bearing, throw out bearing, clutch and pressure plate. Made several trips with the old unit, thought I had everything worked out with car, BUT old clutch gave OUT! Will advise.
 
Pulled the motor out of car today, removed the transmission and found the problem of why my clutch would not release. After driving with no problem for miles, then when I got home, car would not go in gear, found small brass rivet on the disc. Also found the problem (I hope) of why I had no adjustment on the clevis for clutch link and no free travel. Clutch disc is thin, hope new one is a lot thicker. Pressure plate and fly wheel are fine with no damage. Also, in the beginning of making car road worhty I had purchased a rear motor mount because all mounts had dissolved like front ones due to oil and fluids on the rubber for years. Old rear mount was like gum, just broke it up in little pieces. I then wire wheeled the rear motor parts clean and moved to new mount. Will order parts and re assemble in next couple of weeks. Will also rebuilt cross in transmission shaft for throw out bearing with new one and bushings, thanks Bruce
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Engine Removed
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9" clutch disc with top of old rivet.
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disc photo
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Fly wheel, undamaged
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Rear motor mount damage by years of oil and grease
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New rear motor mount and mount parts moved
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A real beauty. Well, your life has peaked now. You've landed the big fish. Kind of sad. Maybe you would consider throwing it back?
 
WOW, that rear trans mount is one of the worst I have seen. Good you caught it when you did. Super nice car and just getting better. Keep up the good work.
 
If you ever decide to have the original grill rechromed give it to Jon Wright at Custom Chrome in Grafton Ohio. It won't be cheap but you won't find another original grill nicer than yours when it's done. John
 
Glad you pulled the motor and found the loose rivet. Can you imagine how long we would have been trying to guess what was causing the problem? Glad you just launched in and got straight to the cause.

It will feel nicer with the mounts all repaired.

Glad you have driven it, it's another little milestone in it's history.

Mart.
 
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