Hi - I just posted this on the open forum in response to another thread there, but I thought it might be a good idea to post here too!
Quick question about this - my 37 Terraplane (ex-Duke Marley and virtually mint and unrestored) has had very little replaced. However, one of the things that have been replaced are the bumper grommets, and the rear ones are brilliant - an absolutely perfect fit. But the front ones don't in any way fit (don't lock into the holes, loose on the bumper irons, don't follow the profile of the fender). In hot weather (like now) they are so bad that when I brake the slide forward until they meet the bumper.
I have looked at the Metro rubbers, and they look exactly like the ones on my car, so my suspicion is that for the front grommets they only make a generic one that suits a lot of different years and/or makes. Or am I wrong? Perhaps when Duke (or a previous owner) replaced them, these were the only ones available, but maybe now there are better ones.
But it certainly doesn't look like it, going from Metro's pic! Has anyone got any experience to share?
Thanks
Alan
P.S. Finally got the car running really well, following 8 nightmare years with a badly-rebuilt engine (in the end I took a deep breath and had it done again). Here's a pic of it last night - only one foglight because I am still in the process of hooking them up. Sorry about the 'bat' bug deflector, but I collect this kind of stuff and it's one of the rarest ones I have - I wanted to try it out on a car. But I am not intending to leave it there long term...
Alan, what a swell looking Terraplane!
Glad you now have it running properly----
It's the most amazing car - it is AACA HPOF AND Senior Concours Winner - not a combination you usually meet! The interior is 100% original and perfect except for the front mat, which had been replaced with a rather nasty 70s looped pile carpet and I have now re-replaced with one of the good repro mats that are on sale; exterior is 75% original - fenders and roof have been painted but rest hasn't. It has a little paint checking, but most of that is on the areas that have been painted, because they weren't bare-metalled when it was done. I don't want to paint any areas that haven't been painted, but I have no problem with doing the roof again. I redid the fenders myself in what we in Europe call (nitro)cellulose - i.e. the stuff that was current until the 70s and not the modern 2-pack kind of paint (I ran a bodyshop till last year), and I have enough matching nitrocellulose paint left to redo the roof to a better standard, so one day...
It was an utter nightmare the first few years I owned it, because I was screwed over by an incompetent engineering company who line-bored it wrong so that the crank used to lock up when it got hot. As he had taken my entire rebuild budget and my shop was always too full for us to pull the engine again, I had to save up for 5 years until I could get it done again, but now I have done and it runs like a dream. I almost had to sell it earlier this year to pay debts left over from closing the business, but luckily that has passed, and now I can enjoy it! And thanks for the nice compliment!
ALan-
Will you be in Colorado?
I wish!! 🙁
One day...
Cheers
Alan
Good to hear from you, Alan. And the "T" is looking fine!
Park
Coincidentally, I just emailed you!!!
Thanks Park
Cheers
Alan
Alan, I remember driving this car. It was my first experience with an electric hand shift. Drove quite well as I remember it. Duke insisted I take it for a spin. Glad to hear it's still with us.
Thanks Gordon
I had had a look at Doug's stuff, but if you look at that stock list it has no front rubbers for 37s - only the rears, which look to be the same as the ones I have (and are really good).
That was the purpose of the original question - it is my surmise that as Doug doesn't (appear to) make 37 bumper rubbers, the ones on my car might be as good as it gets! But I wondered if anyone else had another source.
Duke, the previous owner of my car, was an EXCEPTIONALLY careful and thorough owner, and I feel that it is very likely that if he didn't put correct front bumper iron rubbers on my car, then correct front bumper iron rubbers are probably not available.
But I just hope this is not the case!
Cheers
Alan
The only other thing on my car that is less than perfect is the fuel filler neck rubber grommet - and Doug doesn't appear to stock those either!
I had a problem with the torsion arm bushings and frame to axle grommet. Doug had a set made for me and now carries them. Give him an email with what your want, he might surprise you. Good luck!
Saw this below on WildRicks page.
1934 - 39 all models and 41 - 47 Pick-up
Gas filler neck grommet
$38.00 #539
[quote="Alan Wesson" post=12863]Thanks Gordon
I had had a look at Doug's stuff, but if you look at that stock list it has no front rubbers for 37s - only the rears, which look to be the same as the ones I have (and are really good).
That was the purpose of the original question - it is my surmise that as Doug doesn't (appear to) make 37 bumper rubbers, the ones on my car might be as good as it gets! But I wondered if anyone else had another source.
Duke, the previous owner of my car, was an EXCEPTIONALLY careful and thorough owner, and I feel that it is very likely that if he didn't put correct front bumper iron rubbers on my car, then correct front bumper iron rubbers are probably not available.
But I just hope this is not the case!
Cheers
Alan
You might call and ask - They may well have what you're looking for, but have not yet listed it...
Alan, yes we do have the gas filler neck to body grommets. I am glad it was brought to my attention about the frt. bumper irons. I will check this out tommorow morning. Thanks and check back soon.
Thanks Doug - and thanks Rick! I've been away for a couple of days, so I hadn't had time to come back to Rick and say thanks for the idea (I was being defeatist!), and now you've beaten me to it! If you have got any it would be wonderful, and if you need me to send a pic of the (wrong!) ones on my car, I can.
Thanks again - to both of you!
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