Nice that we've bypassed the age where the teardrop lamps got replaced with the uber ugly sealed beam kits. Of course, I'm married to 6V so I can't do the modern lamps. Maybe someone will make up an LED bulb that makes more light but uses same amperage as the 32 CP units.
I finally did something to improve the lights on my 37 after realizing that my friend's 23 T had brighter headlights. The reflectors on my car were badly tarnished. Bob Drake (and maybe others?) now sells new reflectors that are aluminum coated and vacuum sealed, same as the UVIRA process. These helped a lot. The other change was replacing the headlight lenses. Mine had darkened. I did not notice this until I compared them with new reproduction lenses. I highly recommend both new lenses and reflectors. If you really want to get bright (and spend more money), you can also add halogen bulbs intended for use with generator equipped cars. Order 170-756H which is rated at 35/35W or 170-957H which is rated at 50/35W from Little British Car Co: http://www.lbcarco.com/. I have been told these folks also sell these bulbs: http://www.classicandvintagebulbs.com/page2.html. Do not use the Drake halogen conversion kit, you loose your parking lights and I think the focal length for the bulbs is wrong on their reflectors. I love your 38 standard coupe. Don't change it too much, it is much more special as is. Just my 2¢...
Wow that story and look almost replicates mine. I just picked this up in June and they almost look identical!!!!
Thanks for the great info. Much appreciated. Little things to make it more drivable. Anything Drake that I saw was for 12V conversion cars anyways. Very cool. Yours looks much cleaner (shinier bright work). Any other pics on line? Radiator finally back home late Sun. eve. It was windy and bitter out so I babied out and stayed indoors. We'll get a few more nice days before grit your teeth and wait it out weather.
Great car, I'd love to have it... If it's parked in the back, that's where I'd be... Drooling... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
A little on my story, I went to a farm sell to buy a swather for this years hay season! This was the day before the sale. A young man saw my goodguys t shirt and asked if I had seen the old car that was going to sell in the barn. Of course we had to take a look. We were. Also looking at a Subaru for the wife. After looking at the car the wife and I thought if it sold for 12,000 or less it would be a good buy and maybe flip it and make a little money. Well as things went on we really did not have the money to buy both a car for her and this coupe. God blessed me with her cause she said she wanted the coupe not to worry about the Subaru if it went to high. Needless to say we went home with a 1950's era hotrod and nothing else. We really did not know what we had. As a few days went on and I washed it and opened things up it really reveled it's past. After I bought the car a older man came up and started telling me about the owner whom had died a few years prior. He had built the car in the mid fifties during high school while working a full time job to support the hotrod habit. The car has for all practical purposes been stored in a barn since 1964 50 years in hiding. The engine had been removed to be replaced with a sbc 327 which never happened. I found a folder in the car with receipts from a shop that was rebuilding the 327. I have since found out the motor was obtained but sold to someone else and not installed. Left unattended the flatty or maybe hemi ? That was in it had been sold. I have since installed a 59 AB. The car had already been updated with all juice brakes and a 39 tranny which is still in it. Interior was completed back then and is still in perfect shape. Worst thing I had to do was use a ozone machine inside to kill the urine smell from the mice. Has old school hotrod stickers on the firewall along with Jahns ravings stickers in the quarter windows. I have not even buffed the paint only a wash. Car is in absolutely excellent condition. An original 50's hotrod and it will stay that way. I have been offered mid 20s up to mid thirties for the car and my wife refuses to let her go. Guess it has a permanent home here. I have several cars nothing fancy just like to build. But this car holds a special place in our hearts I guess cause I know how much it meant to the original guy. Rest in peace Rich Swalde. I installed new radial wide whites and painted the rims to match the underside. It also had these cool running board covers from the fifties that snap on. I love this car she has a home again!!!!!! day I bought her this her now, I have put the front bumper on!!!!
I know where a '38 coupe is sitting away in a garage somewhere, but the owner is holding onto it close.. This makes me want to get back to bugging that owner again. Neat coupe!
Hey Chris; All my cars are "done" when I get them :~')) because they never seem to get much better afterwards. Last weekend I pulled the dipstick and found chocolate milk. But not before I'd driven the 60 enough to know it's too helpless to get the job done. SO, if anyone has a running 95 horse or better 59AB they want to sell . . with a '38 - '39 toploader box included please contact me. Would also need the bigger radiator. My first thought when I saw the chocolate milk was ^$%*^% I ain't got time for this. Think I'll get rid of it . . . but every time I look at it, I just think, what a gorgeous old car. Can't let it go.
Update: The chocolate milk was my fault. I'd removed 4 bolts on the intake while I was fighting with the plug wire loom and original end caps on the diving helmet dizzy and running around that way until water got in at the manifold. Re-sealed and changed oil and the wee motor is perfect. It actually pulls real strong until 40+ mph with the 4.44:1 rear end, and then it's pretty much done. I did take it on a shakedown cruise to Goldfield NV and back, about 55 mile round trip and it ran at a sustained 58 - 60 per with little complaint. Downhill. Probably spinning at 3500 the whole time, but the flatty's are so smooth compared to a Model A that I figure it's not hurting itself. Meanwhile I've been replacing glass and window felts. Side window mechs are a PITA but probably 80% of the problem is I don't know what I'm doing. New glass will help a lot. I'm mid deal on a parts car. '38 Tudor with a rebuilt good running correct 85 hp. So my plan is to trade out the 60, the tranny, the rear end, and the radiator. Oh and the Tudor car was converted to hydraulics which will be a nice upgrade. Well on the way to making a pleasant little driver out of this thing.
The Jalopy Journal
