VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions 29' Dodge Brothers 4dr Sedan

First off, I know this is a Chevy site and I am a member but I figured I'd ask. Today at the local VFW I came across an old acquaintance and I told him I was restoring my 31' 4dr Special. He then proceeded to tell me that he bought 15yrs ago a 29' DB 4dr. He told me it needs to be bolted back together but it has all new chrome, tires, interior, etc. Interior is all installed and all windows, channels, dash, etc. is like new. He mentioned only the bumpers need painting and that the fuel pump needs a new vac line. It ran when he got it and when he parked it. The PO, who had it garaged 30+ yrs ago started the resto and never got it finished before passing. My friend bought it and wanted to finish but never did anything. He said chassis in like brand new and also rest of car. When parts were moved one door and hood got scratched and need repaint. Not dented, just scratched. Won't know until I see it. It is a 4cyl and I suspect the fuel pump is a vac type and might need work. All electric is new and still 6v.

He wants to sell me the car for $7,500. Can anyone tell me anything about the DB cars and if there are any chats as good as ours it on them? My friend told me the 29's are rare compared to the 28' and 30's. I don't see any for sale and am curious about value when restored. The car is local so no transportation costs. If its that close and complete, I'm curious what the total investment would be. Any help would be appreciated. Not that I need another car to do, but what the hell, it might be nice having a couple.

From what little I know about Dodge cars they did have a good reputation for reliability in the 20's. The condition and amount of work needed would be my biggest concern. "New" tires that are 15 years old are no longer new. From an internet search of restored similar vehicles I found prices that ranged from $13-22 thousand dollars. I believe that Hagerty Insurance also has a price guide. All the cars I viewed had the six cylinder so perhaps the four is the "economy" model which may make it a little less valuable.

besides our chevys and corvettes, we have a 32 dodge 4 door sedan that my uncle bought in 1960 and i bought from him about 1980. its a rather rare(aren't they all?) 8 cylinder dodge. from my knowledge, the 27 dodge was the last year for the "fast four" engine. in 28 the 6 cylinder was standard. in 1930 or 31, dodge offered the 8 cylinder option. altho i dearly love my 29,30 and 31 chevys, this old dodge will run circles wrong the bow ties. more power, better handling, smoother ride and way better brakes. there is club that deals with dodges, The dodge brothers car club. i'd say 7500 for this 29 is a bit high,even if u i tend to complete the restoration. good luck, mike

From Mike M's post I would be looking to verify the year and check that it's factory correct. The value could be greatly affected if it's not an as assembled at the factory car.

a 4 cylinder DB dodge brothers was last made in 1928.

In 1928 they also produced the VICTORY SIX with a continental made motor PLUS a 6 cylinder of their own design.

This is one of those times I wish I had never sold my gasket application books.

mike

Thanks for the info guys. We were at the VFW and there's a good possibility his memory of the number of cylinders was clouded!

I would like to buy it for less too but I'm not sure if he'll sell it. He told me he paid $8k for it 15yrs ago. But money talks and we'll see. If I don't get the right price I won't buy it.

We have a 29 Dodge that was cut down into a tractor. It is a 6 cylinder. They were a sweet running engine and they did originally have a vacuum fuel pump.

Went and got a look at it today. It is in very nice shape. It is Budd bodied DA model. The interior is brand new and the body is straight with decent paint. One fender has some scratches and so does the rear deck lid but other than that not bad. Has a new roof also. It had been running and turns out I know the guy that fired it up for my friend a while back. Wheels and tires are good. Box with all the chromed parts that have been redone.

There are three main issues. The car is missing the threshold plates, the running boards are not the correct ones and there is no splash aprons (my friend said they are supposed to be one piece?), and he wants too much for it. I'm thinking it's about a $5k car as it sits. A member here gave me the contact info of a very informed Dodge guy so I will inquire with him. I will post some pictures in the member's area.

To restore one to that condition would cost a lot more. If it's a car that you would like to have then don't let it get away trying to get it at bargain prices. Saving a few dollars would be good but I think it would sell easily for the asking price if put on the open market.

Tried to contact a bunch of Dodge guys about this car. One guy even lists parts. Not one has contacted me back! They're not as enthusiastic as us Chevy guys.

I spoke with someone yesterday that has a 27 and is a Dodge Club member. He basically verified what has already been posted. The 29 is a good nice driving car but just doesn't bring the same values as a Chevy or Ford. He also thought that the price was a little high considering it will need some work.

Try finding the Walter P Chrysler club and seeing if they have an "online chat" like we do here.

mike

The Dodge Bros. Club has a listing for cars for sale and one is a 1929 sedan. Maybe that owner could provide the information you are seeking. It's the same color scheme as the one you are looking at and the price is $14,000.

I have always owned Chevrolets. With that said, I bought my uncle's father's car back in 1972. It is a 1934 Chrysler CA four door sedan. In terms of 1934 pricing, from high to low, it was Airflow, Airstream, CB and CA. I bought it with 23,000 miles, the original mohair upholstery and the original two tone paint. There were only 17,617 of this car made. It was nick named "Canadian Chevy" when I took it on tours with the local VCCA region. The best advice I can give you is to check the availability of parts. They are not as plentiful as Chevrolet parts are. I am still looking for a headlight switch. This switch only fits 1934 and was used on Dodge, Chysler, Plymouth and DeSoto both passenger and truck models. Talk about hens teeth. I was able to buy a stop light switch for the master cyliner from NAPA several years ago. Good Luck.

if you can determine what type of 29 dodge you are considering(either a victory 6 or a senior 6), then i can give you contact info on the Dodge Brother Club technical advisor for that particular model 29 dodge. send me a pm and i'll PM you with the contact info. mike

Hi Mike,
I will send you a PM. Still no correspondence from any of the Dodge guys. I've sent out emails to three different individuals. I have been looking for availability of the running boards and haven't been able to locate any. A local guy who is my late brother in law's uncle is 91 and considered the local antique car "guru" in the area. It was his niece's husband who owned this car 15+ years back. He told me he's been looking for a set all this time and has not come across a set yet for sale. He is not internet savvy though so you never know what I might find with persistence. This is the reason I figure the car is worth in the $6k price range. The proper running boards/splash aprons are an important part of the car.

Thanks for all the effort from everyone.
Ted

There was four different Dodge models in 1929
The Senior came outn Aug of 1928. It had a 241 CI 6 cylinder engine and a 120" whellbase. This was of the Chrysler design.
The Victory 6 came out at the same time. It had a 208 CI engine, 112 " wheel base and was an original Dodge Brothers car I believe.
Then there was a Standard 6 with the 208 CI engine ans 119" WB
In Jan 1929 the series DA came out. It had the 208 engie and a 112" WB.
This was at a time the Dodge was being converted to a Chrysler product rather than a Dodge Brothers car.

A DB is a 1930 Dodge.
Info from RED BOOK used car value guide.

It is a DA model with a Budd built body.

The Red Book also says the DA also has curved tie rod joins head lights, Winged Dodge name plate on radiator core, hoood extends over radiator shell, exhaust pipe extends down in front of motor, formly at rear. Engine has 58 HP weighs 2954 pounds and has a 4.45 or 4.72 gear ratio.

A great site for dodges & Plymouths is: p15-d24.com It is geared to the post war models but people with earlier cars are often on the site. I