Ty's V-12 rebuild is completed and is SOLD 4/1/2021

[Stinson]

Just a short status report: At the last minute, our daughter Elizabeth came home Saturday night and she drove Hope and me to the '37 on Sunday. We drove the car home then because it was a beautiful clear day and the turn signals and a new starter switch had been installed. We left Pete's house with turn signals working, driving 55 and 60 mph all below center in the white zone - and all seemed just fine. That is until we got to the 270 and beltway split. There were two of the loudest back fires I have ever heard and they came from the '37. We had just remarked how hot the floor of the car felt and we thought we smelled something burning so we pulled over at the absolute best location for miles. There was a long and wide area available just as we made the turn to follow the beltway. I checked the car as best I could but found nothing wrong so back in the car and ready to pull off - but the instruments were all dead and we could not start the car - completely dead. Ready to call a tow truck to take it back to Pete's but first called Pete and explained what happened. Pete was there within 20 minutes. He brought his instrument to check circuits - nothing. Out came the front seat and the floorboards. The end of the battery cable had melted away from the cable end piece left connected to the battery. Held the cable to the battery post and there were many sparks. There had to be a short somewhere. Later, we found that the new cable installed to the new starter switch on the starter unite had rotated down so that it touched the stainless exhaust pipe. The heat caused the casing to milt away (that is what we smelled) and exposed the bare cable to rub against the exhaust pipe and shorted out the battery cable and caused it to milt and separate. So, what to do. Pete clipped off the end of the battery cable to spread out the end and placed it over the battery post and pushed the cable end piece back onto the battery post. I used a short rope piece from Hope’s pocketbook to tie off the cable so it could not reach the exhaust pipe. Pete turned on the ignition and pushed the starter button on the dash and the engine started and all was fine. Pete followed us to the next exit and we were off again - everything seemed better than all other times driving the car 50 -60 mph and in the white. All was just fine until we got to Route 50 and then "Rain Hell" broke loose. Hope turned on the new windshield wipers as I looked for a place to pull over and stop. Well, you know what happens to very new things, sometimes they don't work and I had to see where we were going. Hope turned them off and on a hundred times until they were "broken in" and they would swipe both ways by themselves. They worked just fine and all was well again as we headed home. So much for picking a dry day between rainy days to get the car home dry. Then it happened. The windshield fogged up and again I could not see out so we opened the hood vent and side vents slightly. That took care of the foggy windshield but water leaked from under the windshield transmissions and was going into the dash and instrument panel. So Hope collected anything dry to constantly wipe up the water at the top of the dash. Finally, the rain stopped and there was light at the end of the tunnel for we saw the most beautiful full color rainbow ahead. We got home safely.

[Steve Passmore]

The joys of teething troubles when restoring old cars eh? Ty. 

[Stinson]

Hello, here is what it looks like today.
Ty Stinson
CLC22330

[Roger Zimmermann]

I see that you had to install indicator lamps under the headlamps. At least, they are discret and don't disturb too much the fine lines.
Nice car!

[Stinson]

Hello Roger, I think those are old LaSalle headlight buckets having the holes already there. So, that is why we placed the indicator lights there for now. I need to find two sets of bumper mounts for front and rear to relocate them.
Ty Stinson
CLC22330

[Roger Zimmermann]

Ty, maybe you have also some regulation in your country: in Switzerland, they would not be accepted as too far away from the side of the car.

[Stinson]

Good point. Also, indicator lights mounted directly in the beam area is probably not a good idea.
Ty Stinson
CLC22330

[Roger Zimmermann]

At one time, most turn indicator were next to the headlamps. Not quite visible!
My present car (2011 DTS) has the turn indicators right above the headlamps, in the same nacelle...

[Stinson]

Okay, now it was my granddughter's wedding day and this is what the car looks like today - still getting there. Need runningboards, some chrome items and a new rearend for better gas mileage and get those RPMs down, down, down. Also, I have another set of headlights I may chrome plate and exchange for the white ones. Will add foglights too.
Ty Stinson

[Stinson]

Getting there another step at a time. New runningboards now on the way for twin daughter's wedding November 2012 and son's wedding next June 2013.
Ty Stinson
CLC22330

[Stinson]

This is what the car looks like today. Added runningboards, chrome headlights, fog lights, and turn signals front and back.
Ty Stinson
CLC22330

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Ty,

That is one "photogenic" vehicle.

Well done.

Bruce.

[Stinson]

Here we are now almost finished with finished wheels.

[Jeff Wilk]

That is sure one classy looking ride!!!!

[Stinson]

Thank you. As soon as I can install the new dashboard (chrome plated) and new instruments I will finish this posting.
Ty Stinson

[Jeff Wilk]

The gentleman opening the rear door looks might classy too!   

[gary griffin]

Beautiful car Ty, and  I have been following your post a long time and I really appreciate the information you have presented.

Thank You,

Gary Griffin

[Stinson]

Many thanks Gary, I hope some of the restoration has been interesting along the way. I will finish soon with several final photos.
Ty Stinson

[Stinson]

The latest improvements to date.
Ty Stinson

[Stinson]

and the headlights