Bill Crowell
Well-Known Member
I'm removing all the stuff necessary to lift the body off the frame of my 1922 Dodge Bros. touring car because I need to repair rust-outs at the bottom of the cowl on both sides. Here are some pictures of the car as partially disassembled.
This is a late 1922 series car, similar to a 1923 model, with the higher cowl and taller radiator than previous models had. It was originally purchased by the gardening and landscape manager of a large estate in Atherton, California, whose daughter inherited it from him and kept it for many years. Her children sold it to a museum which planned to restore it due to its originality, and kept it for about 20 years, but never did restore it. The museum eventually sold it to a collector, from whom I bought it in 1986. It's a strong runner.
This car has the "single unit" motor (i.e., with a NorthEast Electric combined starter-generator). A few years later DB switched over to the separate starter and generator ("two-unit") motor because it was cheaper than the starter-generator.
The wood spoke wheels were made by Kelsey-Hayes and are painted the original "postal blue".
For the first 6 years or so of manufacturing the car, DB supplied top saddles as standard equipment, but when the 1921 recession hit they eliminated some of the standard equipment, including the top saddles, which then became optional extras and which hardly anybody bought. Most people would just lower the tom and let it ride on the rear-mounted spare tire, which wore a hole in it. Top saddles for post-1921 models are very hard to find, and you need just the right type or the top won't sit right when lowered. My car didn't have top saddles when I bought it, but luckily I was able to find the correct ones.
This is a late 1922 series car, similar to a 1923 model, with the higher cowl and taller radiator than previous models had. It was originally purchased by the gardening and landscape manager of a large estate in Atherton, California, whose daughter inherited it from him and kept it for many years. Her children sold it to a museum which planned to restore it due to its originality, and kept it for about 20 years, but never did restore it. The museum eventually sold it to a collector, from whom I bought it in 1986. It's a strong runner.
This car has the "single unit" motor (i.e., with a NorthEast Electric combined starter-generator). A few years later DB switched over to the separate starter and generator ("two-unit") motor because it was cheaper than the starter-generator.
The wood spoke wheels were made by Kelsey-Hayes and are painted the original "postal blue".
For the first 6 years or so of manufacturing the car, DB supplied top saddles as standard equipment, but when the 1921 recession hit they eliminated some of the standard equipment, including the top saddles, which then became optional extras and which hardly anybody bought. Most people would just lower the tom and let it ride on the rear-mounted spare tire, which wore a hole in it. Top saddles for post-1921 models are very hard to find, and you need just the right type or the top won't sit right when lowered. My car didn't have top saddles when I bought it, but luckily I was able to find the correct ones.
