Gladillac

Recently I rebuilt the carburetor on this 1936 Auburn 852 Supercharged Phaeton, the carb is a Stromberg EX-32 downdraft. It is directly mounted to the Schwitzer Cummins supercharger that aspirates the 280 cid flathead eight. The rebuild was very simple as the float did not have to be adjusted, after the rebuild the car ran perfectly smooth. In addition to the carburetor rebuild, a new wiring harness was also installed. The harness is in multiple pieces for the engine, lights, etc. The installation of the harness was also very simple, and the car ran stronger than ever.

 

The Marvel Updraft Carburetor is one of the most unstable carbs ever designed; yet, it is also one of the most simple also. There is a fine example of this primitive carb in a 1922 Buick that I work on. This Buick I got running one year ago, and it ran great up until now. It has recently lost all torque and wont accelerate uphill.  I removed the fuel pump and carburetor to have a better view of the carb, it was pretty dirty, so I removed it. With the carb off I could disassemble the individual components. The first bits to come off were the needles, I inspected the jets and found them to be blocked. After clearing a passage in the jets so fuel could be aerosolized; the float system also came apart. In there I found the cork float to be shot, luckily I had another carburetor that I could use a solid cork from. I then reinstalled the carburetor and the fuel pump. After making all of these changes I was certain the car would run better, but to my dismay, it didn’t. I will follow up this article and post photos later so stay tuned.

The car before your eyes is a 1929 Cadillac V-8 All-Weather Phaeton, model 341B. The car was originally shipped to South America, but now it is back in America. A total of 18,004 were built in this configuration, power is supplied by Cadillac ‘s notorious 341 cubic inch L-head V-8. This engine generates 95 Brake horsepower, ample power for 1929. With its full Classic rating and stunning paint, it is sure to be a highly-rated car for years to come.

The next step to patching the fenders is cutting and welding them into place. First I start by attaching them with vise grips to the part of the original that is to be patched. Then I cut 1/4″ into the patch that is clamped on while taking the original metal off with it. The first side is then beat into place with a hammer and dolly. After  I determine it is flush I weld it in place and repeat this process for the remaining sides. After the panel is welded in I grind down the weld to create a flush surface. After grinding I dolly it all flush creating a surface that matches the original. Be sure to check back as the restoration progresses, and happy 4th of July.

When repairing fenders of a car that is one of two in existence, you can’t order your patch panels online; you have to hammer them the old fashioned way. The car that requires this work is a 1935 Buick 66s. It was stored near the ocean for all of its life; subsequently, the car developed a large amount of rust. First I started by measuring how large the patches had to be, then I cut them out from raw sheet metal. The next step is to hammer them on an anvil, to the correct form of the fender.  However, the metal can only be worked so much. If it is over-worked, its gauge will fade away and you will be left with a panel that is to thin. For final touch up I clamped my replacements on the fender and used hammers and dollies to fit them perfectly.

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Check out the new blog on gladillac.com! A 21st century boy’s fascination with antique and classic automobiles. This will become a better site as time goes by, so check periodically for updates!