VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 She Runs!!! - Update

As you will recall, recently I was able to get my '32 Special Sedan out of hibernation in the back of my shop after being in storage for 35 years, and the old girl fired right up after all those years. Today, as one of the steps to get her road worthy, I fixed the drain valve on the bottom of the radiator. I then filled the cooling system with water, so that I can continue to run the engine at length to do some much needed work before putting her on the road for a test drive.

After the radiator was full, I started the car. The car has not been started for about two weeks. Anyway, pulled out the choke and the throttle, touched the gas pedal, barely touched the starter pedal and the car started immediately! This is a very good sign! Let the car run for about half an hour while I adjusted the timing to 18 degrees, adjusted the carburetor, and checked the accelerator pump. While all of this was going on I kept an eye on the radiator, which is 78 years old, and also because some of the hexagon sections of the core have small mud nests from mud daubers that made their homes in the radiator core when the car was stored in a barn for decades on a large ranch by its first owner.

Found that the radiator core seeps slightly at the location of each nest. Checked the temp. gauge on the instrument panel and after a half hour of idling time the gauge was reading just slightly above the cold mark! This is great since many '32 Chevrolets run fairly hot....however, this old girl won't even warm up! Cool! (no pun intended).

Unfortunately, the muffler is totally shot and it is leaking lots of exhaust fumes into my shop, so replacing the muffler will be the next step. Got two new mufflers in stock so replacing the old muffler with a new unit won't be a problem.

To be continued.........

Don't forget pictures....We like pictures

Yep, I will post several photos as soon as I get the car out in the sun light. Won't be for a while yet since I still have other items to do on the car while it is in my shop on jack stands.

Sounds great!! I'll bet it feels better than an ice cold beer on a 100 degree day????

Jim.

I wouldn't push it that far with the "Dog".

Sal is right....the old mutt has priorities and the ice cold draft beer would be number one! Chip knows what the number two priority is as well.

Anyway, more updates on the '32 as work progresses on getting her ready for the road.....

Ahhhhh, yes. Seriously well built. 'Nuff said.

All the Best, Chip

I was browsing through my really old G&D's and found this picture! I thought it was funny that we had been discussing your car, and it's lengthy hibernation...and up pops a pic of the day it all went wrong!! Your garage looks so clean (but dull!) here! For those interested, the "My Story" is also printed in the mag...May of 1975

Wow!! I had totally forgotten about that photo! The photograph was taken when my shop was brand new back in late 1974 and I had just put the old '32 in storage on jack stands. The car has not moved from that spot since then...that is until a couple of months ago. When the car was put in storage in late 1974, I pretty much "furnished" the inside of the shop around the car and a few years after that photo was taken the car was "land locked" and it remained that way for the next 35 years.

Thanks for posting the old photo that appeared in the G&D decades ago!

A quick question... (I did a lot of reading today!)
What ever became of "Clunker", your Peoples Choice Award winning '51 sedan?

Cool picture !!

Old "Clunker" (the car was actually a rest bucket with almost no body remaining from the center of the doors down) was retired to my boneyard about 25 years ago. I sold him in 2008 to a 1951-52 Chevrolet collector friend of mine after I removed the accessory outside sunvisor from the car (which I still have). As far as I know, "Clunker" is still sitting on the car trailer that was used to transport him to is new home.

Great pic with jack stands....

May I ask where the car is resting on the jack stands on the rear? I have to pull out the rear end and can't find a good place to put jack stands except on the spring - which seems unsafe??

Tim

ps... which mine looked this good! Still haven't got the stuck valve loose.

I have a pair of really old (1930's) cast iron jack stands and the top of the stands are curved to fit the curvature of the rear axle housing, therefore, the rear axle is sitting on the jack stands. That is the safest place to support the weight of the car....that is if the rear axle housing is not going to be removed.

If you are going to pull out your rear axle housing, then the jack stands should not be on the rear leaf springs. That is unsafe as you already know.

Hey Skipper!
Is this going to be your "new" daily driver?
We should get our Mabel's together for a race!
Russ

Hey Russ You Old Cuss!! Welcome to Chevy Chatter II! This is your first post since you joined CC II way back in 2002. Cool!

Actually, "Mabel" is our 1969 Impala that was totaled. My '32 is "Charlotte Mae" and sure...bring out Mable, your '32 and we can race '32's. That would be fun!

Talking about old jack stands, did any of you ever use model T F0RD rear axle housings for jack stands? They bolted on to the differential carrier (banjo housing)from each side. The filling station I worked in had 4 or five of them. We rounded out the ends near the wheel with a cutting torch so that the round rear axel housing and front straight front axle would sit on the stands. They worked really well, before I ever knew that there were store bought jack stands.

Latest Update: Replacing the exhaust system is part of the process for getting the '32 ready for the road after 35 years of storage. Other than the tail pipe, the current system is a mess and the header pipe doesn't even go inside of the muffler as it should.

Ordered a new header pipe from Parks Pipes, removed a new old replacement stock muffler in the original box from the shelf and then set to work on removing the old exhaust system. Everything came apart easily and it only took about 20 minutes to remove the exhaust system. Discovered that the tail pipe had been replaced eons ago and it is was excellent condition so the decision was made to reuse that portion of the exhaust system.

Installed the new header pipe into the NORS muffler and then installed the unit in the old '32. The header pipe from Parks fit like a dream as did the muffler. In less than an hour the new exhaust system was in place. Fired up the car. What a difference! The '32 is quiet and the fumes and the smoke diminished by 50% with the new exhaust system. Still have some blow-by coming out of the breather but that is a later project.

The old girl is getting closer to seeing the sunlight again after all of these years. My next project will be to replace the broken speedometer cable.

To be continued..........

JYD, It sounds like you are having fun! good deal!

Just wondering if you have ceiling room for a hoist somewhere in your shop, or whether you do such work as exhaust repairs using stands and creepers.

My garage has 12 foot ceilings so it has room for a hoist. My shop has 8 foot celings so jack stands have to be used instead.

I recall, and perhaps have around here somewhere a Popular Mechanics article or tip about fabricating stands from old Ford parts.

I have a pare of the Ford jack stands that came with my 31 coupe from my grandfather. The wheel end of the axel was just hammered over on two sides to make the cradle for the axel support. They are also pretty tall if you need the clearance under the car.

Well Skipper hold onto your exhaust pipes- here comes post #2;
I may have missed this earlier but what are your plans for Charlotte Mae? Going to enjoy driving her as an original like I do with Mabel? Unlike the new 2010 Toyota Camry my sister bought last summer, these old Chevies are trustworthy and easier for us to keep going!!!