General Jumbo Wheel Restoration Clev Weld Wheels

I call these General Jumbo Wheels Because that is what they are most often called. The reality of it is that these are Wheels that were made by Cleveland Welding Co. and these eleven spoke wheels were produced for Goodrich Tire Co.

Because the 11 spoke wheels are more of a refined look than the 9 spoke wheels that General Tire Co. used, we are modifying these to take the General caps. No one that I know of ever reproduced the Goodrich caps which were made to snap onto a clip ring that was spot welded to the rim center. The caps for Goodrich were larger in diameter too.

These wheels are far more complicated to restore than the 9 spoke because of the way the center was constructed.

The rivets were drilled out of the rims and a large portion of the rivet fell inside the spokes. That was when we realized that we would have to cut the center out of the spoke section. They had a bit of rust inside them making them hard to press apart after the centers were cut at the weld on the lathe.

We had all the pieces sandblasted and installed 1/4 inch nutserts in each spoke so we could refasten the spoke section to the rim without welding after the center section is chromed. Originally they just burned some of the chrome off the back side after riveting them into the rims, and just painted it with some silver paint to cover the burn.

We are putting wider rims on the pair for the rear so the holes for the spokes will have to be indexed by our machinist.

After we install the spoke centers in the rims they will be set up in the lathe again and the lug bolt plate will be welded into place. Also the adapter ring on the face so they will accept the General caps, will be welded at this time.

The next step will be to remove the centers again and copper and file and sand until they are ready to polish for the final chrome finish.

Installing the chrome centers and painting the rims black is the final step in this complex project.

The results will likely be proud ownership of what will probably be the only set of these wheels that have ever been restored.

235 261 Chevrolet Dual Exhaust Header Manifold

A split manifold on a stove bolt Chevrolet 235 or 261 engine makes for a unique sound and increases breathing capacity, therefore slightly increasing horsepower.

The early Corvette came with what was called the Blue Flame Six. It had the dual exhaust manifold and three side draft carburetors.

Through the years, there have been a lot of standard manifolds split, and they were done in a wide range of fashion. Sometimes done with a plumbing elbow, just scabbed onto the side of the manifold with just an extra hole exiting the manifold.

There was a rear section offered for splitting the manifold that was actually a separate cast manifold. You would cut the original manifold just behind the heat riser and block it off at that point, making the process quite simple. These are quite rare to find, but make for a nice vintage correct look and are of pretty nice quality, although they don't really look like they match when finished.

I have an example here of a very nice original 235 manifold that has been split, using an original flange from another manifold. It has also been blocked off just behind the heat riser so as to make two separate chambers. In making two separate chambers, it gives the exhaust a definite cackle. If you have pressure equalizing between the chambers, it softens the sound greatly.

The welding of the cast iron is a tricky process. It is best done in conjunction with an oven for preheating and controlled slow cooling after the weld is done. It can be done by Brazing, cast iron welding or nickel allow welding. Keeping the manifold bolted to a head with the intake in place as well, provides for a great jig to prevent warping.

This example here has a very nice tight shaft for the heat riser, with almost no wear on it. Because it is quite an involved process to do a manifold like this, it is not worth the trouble to split one that is not in excellent condition. This one was welded together with nickel alloy rod. A final finish of VHT cast iron paint was applied. This coating holds up very well. I used it on my 1937 Chevy pickup manifold, several years and 30,000 miles ago.
                 Sold                                           For Sale $325

Seattle Roadster Show Pick by Harley Earl's Grandson

The Seattle Roadster show was a three day event. It seems though that it always worked out that for several nights before the event, you were preparing into the early morning hours. There is always a lot of special preparation and detailing to get your car ready for the white glove treatment. This of course means that you will need to have the entire undercarriage absolutely spotless.

The variety of cars entered in a large indoor show such as the Seattle Roadster Show is quite interesting and usually presents something for just about everyone to enjoy. It's rare to see a true classic car in such an event though. They are usually displayed at shows like the Kirkland Concours d' Elegance or Pebble Beach and Forest Grove Concours d' Elegance.

I personally like the cars that are more toward the restoration side rather than the custom or modified side of the spectrum. Classic Car Shows are always interesting as they are almost always geared toward correct restoration.

Slight modification, sometimes to me is fun and really quite practical when it comes to bringing some of the early cars up to a level that makes them functional on today's highways. This doesn't mean you will need an independent aftermarket front end, disc brakes, and a computerized engine and transmission. You certainly don't need a 9 inch Ford rear end either. It's a strong one but if you're not drag racing with a 600hp engine, it's way overkill, and there are plenty of rear ends out there that will work fine for less money.

To me, there is something to be said about using "real car parts" and personally orchestrating a work of art that is both reliable and highly functional on modern roads. Following a "theme" in building that work of art as though it was built by a true hot rodder from the 1950's is what turns my crank. I also like to make subtle upgrades that are almost undetectable by the average car guy. This is what I did with my 1937 Chevrolet Pickup Truck.

Because I built my truck so different than the majority build their cars, it is something that most people question. I wanted it to look like a 1937 Chevrolet Pickup and not a plastic replica car. In other words I want my outside door handles, hood ornament, original mirrors and all the trimmings that this truck came with. When you open the hood, it still looks like a vintage truck engine, not a modernized kit car. I did use some vintage speed equipment on it but nothing you can buy off the shelf or out of any magazines. When you look in the bed of my truck it looks like a truck bed, not some funny furniture.

In order to make a point, I drove my drum brake, 6 volt, 6 cylinder 1937 Chevrolet Pickup Truck with 1941 running gear and a R-10 modified overdrive from coast to coast and back on a solo trip in 2007. Cruising speed was 70 mph for most of the trip. It handles fine a 80 mph too but it runs real smooth at 70.

Getting back to the Seattle Roadster Show and the point that I was going to share here:
During the show when I and a couple friends were looking at the cars at the show, we were admiring a 1950's open Cadillac that was a very nice restoration, but it had a cut rate parts store battery in it. That stood out like a sore thumb. As we where looking at it, another guy came up and also made a comment about that battery. In talking to this guy, the question came up "what's your favorite car here?" His answer was "that blue 1937 Chevrolet Pickup". Shortly thereafter he shared that Harley Earl was his grandfather. Was his choice based on the fact that his grandfather was doing the design work for General Motors at that time period?

Kelsey Hayes Bent Spoke 40 Spoke Wire Wheels

Bent Spoke or 40 Spoke are common terms when referring to early Ford 16 inch accessory wheels made by Kelsey Hayes. Kelsey Hayes has made a lot of different wheels throughout the years. Some of them were wire spoke wheels. In fact a lot of them were, in the 1930s. Probably most of the standard wire wheels on production cars where contracted out to Kelsey Hayes. Even the wire wheels on the 1950s Buick Skylarks were made by Kelsey Hayes. The 15 X 5-1/2 inch original accessory artillery wheels that I have on my 1937 Chevy Pickup Truck were also made by Kelsey Hayes.

Ford guys seem to have adapted the terms, Kelsey Hayes, bent spoke and 40 spoke as their own, however you can see a very nice example of those wheels that were made for Chevrolet as a genuine accessory wheel in the early 1930s. They have the bow tie stamped in the center that signifies Genuine Accessory. Comparing the design of the Chevrolet wheels opposed to the Ford wheels of the same type, you will notice a much more pleasing appearance of the center design. They just seem so much more balanced in design appearance.

I had collected these wheels thinking that I would some day build  a teardrop trailer to pull behind my 37 Chevy pickup, but I'm realizing that I probably won't get around to it in this life time. If you are interested in the wheels, you can contact me through the Contact Doug link on the top left of my site here. I also have a nice period correct hitch for the trailer, and possibly a light. THESE WHEELS ARE SOLD

General Jumbo Wheels on 1937 Chevrolet Pickup Truck

General Jumbo Wheels made by Cleveland Welding or Cleve Weld Wheels that were used for the General Tires and equipped with General Hub Caps give the 1937 Chevrolet Pickup a very unique look. When I first saw this combination on my truck, I thought "nasty". The tires are Good Year Collector Series tires because they are the only tires reproduce in this size that are period correct for the wheels. I now have some custom made Good Year Caps that fit and I have the wheels, tires and hub caps all for sale. Update: My truck has the red Kelsey Hayes artillery wheel back on it now.

2011 Silverado Towing 1937 Chevrolet Pickup Truck

My 1937 Chevrolet Pickup Truck is quite a compliment to the new 2011 Chevrolet Silverado. I'm hopeful that this filming of the new Silverado towing the 1937 Chevy in the Cascade mountains of Washington, will actually make it to national television advertising. It was an interesting afternoon spent with the filming crew. We hooked the trailer to the new Silverado about noon and finally disconnected it about 8:00 pm. Though it was raining off and on, filming continued through the afternoon and into the evening, during the summer daylight hours. The crew that did this, was involved with a number of different themes for the national Silverado advertising campaign throughout the week here in the northwest. Keeping my fingers crossed for Superbowl Sunday! Gotta dream right?

1937 Ford Pickup Truck Brakes

Alex wrote:
Where and how do i put brake fluid in my 1937 ford pickup?
Thanks,Alex

Alex obviously is new to vintage vehicles, and that's okay. We all started there at one time. It's good to see new people interested in the hobby.

My answer to Alex:

Alex,
If your 37 Ford is original, you don't have brake fluid. It is a mechanical connection from the pedal to the brakes. Ford did not go to fluid brakes until 1939 and I am not positive that the trucks had fluid yet then. Usually commercial vehicles were a little behind the cars in technology. Mechanical brakes can work great as long as you keep them in good condition and adjusted properly. They do require more adjusting and maintenance than hydraulic brakes do.

A popular conversion is to use the 39 juice brakes on the earlier models, but as you can imagine, it is usually a bit of a hunt and when you find the stuff, you will need a pretty good chunk of change in your pocket to do some serious talking.
Doug