Vintage Vehicle Club

of Australia (1919-1930) Inc.

History of this Vehicle

1928 - 2006

History unknown.

2006 - Today

The car was restored as shown in the pictures.  Take some time and read the delightful story on the restoration below. The car is beautifully restored, drives well, and is driven regularly on club outings and rallies.

If you would like to contact the owner of this vehicle, please send email to Contact us

The Journey

1928 Chrysler Royal sedan 72 series

Specifications

• Flat head straight six engine, 5in stroke, 3.25 in bore, 7 main bearings
• Three speed non synchronized gearbox
• Wheel base is 118.7 inches
• Delco Remy electrical system converted to 12 volts
• Six wheel equipped, with 18 in wheels
• Four wheel hydraulic external brakes
• Developed 75 hp, 4.1 ltr, 248.9 cubic inch, SAE horse power 25.35
• Timber bodied

Our Journey began at the end of 2006 when I purchased the dismantled car from a fellow Vintage car club member. As I understand it, the previous owner had spent some 16 odd years collecting an enormous amount of spare parts, some that fitted, others that did not.

Off we went with a 2 ton truck and utility, gradually shifting the huge mound of parts to centre floor in my garage and also out on the front lawn.  So begun the massive learning process, to be able to identify the different parts, many of which, did not belong . To identify the parts, many hours were spent reading any documentation that I could find and also, to some degree on the internet. The internet in this instance, was little help as this was not a large production car and relatively few had been made. This eventuated in very few that had actually survived the test of time.

My aim was to restore the car to its former glory and to add to it, in order to make it full optioned.  This included being six wheel equipped, dummy landau irons installed, cathedral kick plates and a trunk mounted on a fold up trunk rack.

After most of the parts were sorted into identifiable crates, the chassis was stood on stands and there it began, the start in earnest of the restoration.  I decided to start with the sanding of the chassis and a new paint job for it, then came checking the wheel bearings and repairing or replacing various components as they were required.  The next part was the gearbox, differential and clutch. These were checked and it was found that there had been a coating of very viscous oil, almost a tar like substance. This required extensive cleaning. However the coating had protected the internal components from moisture and hence corrosion. These were re-assembled with new gaskets and manually tested, under no load conditions.

I set my sights on the engine next. This was a huge concern as the head and distributor were missing and the generator was destroyed. As good fortune would have it, I tracked a head down from an enthusiast based in the Orange area. This head had a typical crack in it; this I found was very normal with some Chrysler models. I managed to find a small establishment situated on the central coast to do a re-fusion process, that repairs heads, this was successfully accomplished and after a valve grind, the head was fitted.  After this was completed, the engine was cleaned and a fresh coat of paint brought it back to its former glory.

Then came the generator, this was sent to a rewinder for a full re-build and the radiator sent out so the top could be removed, the honey comb checked, the radiator pressure tested and painted. In this instance it was found that the radiator was in fact new and never had been used, but it needed finishing off.

I found the key to driving your self to complete these restorations, was to be several steps in front of your self, particularly with components that needed work that I could not do myself. This makes you the restorer, feel that things were being accomplished rather quickly and always made you strive to see more and more completed. When I pushed myself, my hunger grew to a level that I found myself working on the car every spare moment of everyday.  This created great enthusiasm.

I then moved onto the more time draining part of the restoration.  The timber work and body panels. firstly all the body panels were shot blast, any repairs made and then all were painted with a 2pac primer filler. This was completed to seal them from humidity as the time frame to finish the timber work was an unknown. Then 4 months of tedious timber work, both in locating the silver ash that I need and also in the construction was undertaken.  A large amount of labor was required to ensure everything fitted, without the help of measurements to assist in my endeavors. I cannot begin to explain the feeling of accomplishment when I sat down next to my car, with my partner and said the immortal words “She is ready for painting”.

Whilst all this was going on, I was also organizing the reproduction internal and external handles, internal light fittings, posy vases from the USA , re-timber graining the internal door sills, radiator cap and stripping and re-painting the artillery wheels. The wheels were re-painted with 2 Pac paint after extensive repair work and some new rims being made.

Finally the car was masked and the first coats of Acrylic colour were applied.  After a few short hours of painting, my pile of rusted parts took life. From a distance my car actually looked like something that I was going to be proud of. That was somewhat of a major milestone of an event and gave me a huge sense of relief. I must say that from that moment, many hours were spent sitting down on an old milk crate, looking at my work, being critical and proud at the same time.

The next phase was to collect all the chrome components and send them to Coffs Harbour for repair and re-plating.  This was a lengthy process as there was many parts that had rust pitting and dents. During this time the floor was installed the body panels hand polished and timber patterns made for all the glass. The glass was ordered as safety glass, which was a very painless exercise and then fitted with new tracks, purchased from a supplier in Melbourne .   I managed to purchase all the rubber components required for the restoration from one supplier, purchasing reproduction rubbers does not pose to be a problem, as there are many suppliers. The window assemblies were re-installed, sealed and tested to completion.

I decided at this point to purchase the new tyres, from experience this sometimes can be a painful exercise and placing an order early is much recommended. Care should be taken when ordering tyres as you choice, can dramatically change the appearance of the car and the type of look you wish to achieve.

I found by far the best part of the project is loading the car onto a trailer and taking it to the upholsterer.  As one could imagine after many months of work, the feeling of relief is almost unbelievable.  The process at the upholsterer usually is one of picking the colour, the type in fabric or leather and the stitching configuration you want.  I picked  full leather in a burgundy colour, to match the exterior and grey ceiling lining,  The final detail to be decided on, was the black carpet and the type of system to be used for retaining the door trims in place, with this I chose a hidden type fastener to complete the look that I was after.

The day finally came after about 3 weeks at the upholsterer, for the telephone call, to come and pick the car up. The apprehension was indeed overwhelming and I remember counting the minutes waiting for the clock to sound 5pm so I could go and pick up the car trailer and take my car home for the final journey.

Your car really come alive as the final detail is finished off, every piece of chrome, the running boards and lights changed its appearance. The car comes alive in front of your eyes and I believe that you end up spending more time at this stage looking at your car, rather than working on it.

I reflect on the lessons that I learnt during the restoration of my cars and I believe that these lessons are a trap for the inexperienced novas.

• Do not be in any rush to purchase parts as you will inevitably pay more than necessary
• Do your home work before jumping in on the restoration
• Find a club that is prepared to help, like the VVCA
• Ask for help within your club, as they are a massive source of information and assistance
• Link up with someone in your club to use as a mentor
• Be involved with others of similar cars
• Most of all do not hesitate to ask for help, getting frustrated will not help you in your quest
• Go to as many swap meets as you can, as you never know what is going to be at the next one

I can honestly say that there is never a time that your car is totally restored, it seems that it will always continue to be a work in progress, constantly reaching another level of fulfillment with every new adjustment. Whether it is in adjusting the carby or timing to achieve slightly better performance. Or finding that little part at a swap meet, that you have been looking for, for many years.

Ultimately the final car is a reflection of your self and your input, don’t cut corners and spend the time that the car you want deserves. This will give you much enjoyment and a few headaches, but overall a sense of achievement.

Laurie & Monica Debono

.

If you would like to contact the owner of this vehicle, please  Contact us

> VVCA Home <