1937 Dodge D-5 4 Door Touring Sedan

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
I set the grill pieces in place in the spare nose, just to see how they'd look.

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Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
No. I have no idea on status right now. Been almost back to back travel since February. I need to get up to see it.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Yep. Been 2 years in May since Dad told me I still own it. About Two years in August since it actually started getting worked on.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Talked with Dad. No progress. Still the corvette in front of it. But, didn't get to talk to the shop boss either. He's going to go back down next week and check in and find out what the schedule is. Naturally, we are both a bit ready to drive the car across country!
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
It was and Awesome day at GoodGuys in Raleigh. But I gotta tell ya.....whats being offered in the $25000 to $40000 bracket are not much more than/or should be priced lower as daily drivers with their heavily flawed repaints or very poor base body work. Folks, I didn't see a car worthy of a high price untill we were looking at vehicles in the $50000 and up price range. Dad and I were in agreement, what we saw at or below $40K was in large part much lower quality than even the amateur work we did on numerous cars back in the 1980s and 1990s. We look forward to having the 1937 Dodge home soon as we believe its professional body and paint work would compete much better than the many overpriced samples we saw. Neither of us was disappointed with the show, but rather shocked on our first foray back to Hot Rodding in over 25 years. We do not recall such overpricing of very poor quality work from our days trolling the annual shows and swaps of Hershy PA.


And as for the old 37. Doors are on and aligned. Front motor mounts are out. Much of the antiquated suspension is loosened and the car should be in the suspension/motor bay next week for transplant of modern heidts suspension front and ford rear and then the 5.3/4L60E.
 
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Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Long talk with Dad today on the phone. Bessy hasn't moved. Jan was epoxy and supposedly a week or so from movement to engine bay for the full suspension and drive line. This after about an 8 month sit with little apparent work. The corvette remains ahead of us after two years and just about every other car rolling in......

I understand we let it sit 21 years but that's Dad and the shops fault. No one told me until I threatened to purchase a replacement. I need to get it moving. There is a limited window where I can enjoy it with Dad and as his parkensons progresses, where he can actually drive Bessy with me in the passenger seat running a gopro and putting all the video to WAR Low Rider on a kickin stereo wide screen tv.....

Plus....I do realize there is an aspect of buddy pricing involved and that also means waiting for best paying work to be done first but.....we are agreed....

We need a status on finances and a date of completion. I've told Dad, I prefer to have the car delivered here, running, glass installed and fully painted (so I can at least title and register) and I'll take over final things like interior, trim, rubber, wheels/tires, etc. i.e. all the heavy lifting done. Christmas would be 2.5 years since commencement of work.

Quite honestly, as Dad and I discussed, I don't see the huge dollars in the body work. i.e. its great body work but at the price point I feel that I'd have been primed running/driving and fully glassed, wired and rubbered using a local builder here in Sanford. I let Dad know, the car is special but without a financial status and a date of completion I can't even decide if I should continue, or pull the car or get pissed and hand off the title and walk. The investment so far would have purchased the fully restored Maine 37 4 door I looked at in early 2015 plus a 37 Plymouth coupe (restored) that was for sale in SE NC last month and still left a couple thousand for paying off GoodWife for all the girlies that jumped into the car when I was sitting at stoplights......

Ok.

Dads gonna go to the shop and try to get this straightened out and moving. Bessy is special. But I did let Dad know if we are too far behind, I'm afraid I'll be forced to walk out on her, hand over the title and hope I can find another like the Maine car we looked over.
 
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smith-n-stokes

Old Mossy Horns
Hope things work out for y'all. I'm ready for some on the road pics! [emoji1360]


Sent from wherever I was at the time...
 
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Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Meeeeee too. Way overdue.....Always remember....cars, houses, motorcycles....YOU CAN'T BUILD WHAT YOU CAN BUY!!!!!!! Never forget that!
 

Raging Bull

Four Pointer
I ran into the same issue last year doing an LS conversion. I had 95% of it complete. Just needed a guy to finish the wiring and program computer. Sat outside his shop for 9 months. Threatened multiple times to go pick it up. Finally did and finished it myself. Will never make that mistake again.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
In a dark place.

Talked with Dad. We both believe shop is honest as the day is long but overwhelmed with day to day business.

Always seems to be a hot rod in front of the Dodge.

Dad wants to wait a bit longer and visit weekly to get it moving.

I laid it out. I'm broke. $25K in and nothing but body work and primer in 24 months and 12 months of that is all down time while other projects floated in in front of it. The damage wasn't $25K bad. Motor/suspension is all bought last fall but not installed. Told Dad, it ain't a $40K car even if it has a lifetime of memories. Yet its worth a Million to me. And finally, he and I can't afford it.

The money spent to date would have bought one fully restored 2 years back when I started looking and didn't know he'd kept the gal in the basement all them years for me. And it would have bought another one to boot, we'd have a 4 door and a truck or coupe. These are at best $16K cars or $25K hot rods. At this rate it'll never even insure for cost.

Harsh but I told Pops, I'm broke where the car is concerned and so is he. Neither can afford another $10/15K for paint, glass, rubber, interior. And Dad is 78 this month and has parkinsons.....I ain't waitin till he can't drive or even walk or talk to get us on the road in a 37 Dodge.

I'll wait a bit but he's to tell the shop, if there is a bunch more money needed even to just set the driveline, I'm pulling it. If its not running/driving by fall, I'm pulling it. If he gets more than even just a few thousand ahead without talking to me I'll walk.

Told Dad, I'll sign the title to shop and they can sell it or I'll sell it/part it out and try to save for one I can drive. Another several years waiting while nothing gets done is not going to happen.
 
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catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
When you have to beg for service with your hard earned money...its time to find another supplier. I feel for you too but just being honest. I have came to the conclusion time is money. The longer it takes the more it cost.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I'm very sorry to hear that, your excitement with this project was infectious and you have lots of us pulling for you to get this project done.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
I'm sitting tight a while. Dad wants to see if he can move it. Otherwise, I may well kill it this fall. Expensive lesson. But. Sometimes you gotta walk away from a dream.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Nope. Not posting anything until its been worked on or I remove it from the shop in December. Dad is pushing it, so far no luck. I reminded him this weekend, no progress by December, I'm pulling it and then will decide whether to continue the work or part it out in order to purchase one that we can use. Other than that, too much negativity and I'm not posting anything further unless there is a resolution.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Finally, Praise the Lord. Positivity.

Dad called. Bessy is in the maintenance bay. Entire front suspension is removed including the steering column. Frame rails are being prepped for receipt of Heidts suspension and power rack/tilt wheel, etc.

Rear end, wheels and drums are off and measuring and fitting up the replacement for the ancient 4.11/1 axle with something more suitable......
 
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Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Nope. Pretty much a dead project. Or it seems that way. I may go up this month. Wanted to yank it but Dad won't.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Nope. Had a talk with shop. Laid down. 2 things. 1. Dad wants complete car and 2. I want a delivery date in 1 year. Will see if it shakes it up. If not I assume the 25k spent so far is a loss.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Talked with shop owner. He admitted, his fault, not keeping it on the rotation. I can't pull the car even though I want to as its really dads car first and he now wants it done top to bottom, bumper to bumper and turn key....and he wants this shop to do it all. Friends.

I told Dad, I'd havepulled it, sold it/parted it out, etc and bought that solid restoration we saw in Maine for $13000 long ago..... Told dad so and then felt bad about saying it. I'm $25K in and paid up through all body work, instalation of drive line and power pack and wiring, etc to have a running driving primed body. I feel good about the investment, the body work is great, the mechanical work will be as good. Its just so slow.

So.....no wheels or control arms under it yet but at least a solid gm rear axle is installed, a good 5.3 is on hand along with a 4l60 and all the harnesses/injection/alternator, etc, to make it go. Front suspension was ordered from a major maker and summarily rejected by the builder due to the inordinate number of Chinese/Taiwanese parts included. So, Good for the builder, I still trust him,.....its just so slow!

but, after a heart to heart with the shop owner, he understands a bit better about dads health (which dad never mentioned to him, Dad is 78+!) and that time is going to become a problem....(i.e. getting Bessy done and running before Dads parkinsons gets bad enough he can't even drive it with me or even remember riding it it an hour later...parkinsons ain't just the shakes....it destroys the entire person, body and mind).....I asked for two things in Jan/Feb 2018: A $$ estimate of a fully completed car (since I'm out and Dad's got the money stick for HellCat B5 Pearl Blue, rubber/glass/tilt/ac/tires/wheels/stereo and upholstery) and the exact day in late 2018 or jan/feb 2019 for Dad to arrive at noon, link up an MP3 playing War's Low Rider at a setting of 11 on the volume dial and take his turn key car on its first run in over 25 years.

We'll see. Its hard to leave it sit there, but I have to honor dads decision. Its always been his car, even when it was mine.
 

HotSoup

Old Mossy Horns
You might not like this but as someone who has built cars for quite a few years and seeing how projects end up from shops....its your fault. NEVER pay up front for a project to be turn key, pay labor as it goes. Easiest thing for a shop to do after getting a wad of money is to push the project back and take in more work. The guy is no friend imo as he has treated you guys like any joe schmo who walks through the door. My advice, get something in writing....his word meajs nothing.
 

Sharps40

Old Mossy Horns
Ok...........that's what I've been doing. 6 hrs away I've had to trust some and rely on dad. This last year has been problematic. This was just an update as there rem-ns interest here. We won't be discussing blame here. Some lies in all camps. Well get it done.
 
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