1929 Essex RS Coupe parts wish list.

rusty_apache

So far I need....
rumble seat back rest cushion or pattern
Bakelite headlight and throttle levers (possibly 3dprinted?)
oil pressure gauge 

Steering wheel hub
Im sure that the list will grow after I get elbow deep into it!

Jon B

One thing that might help you, would be to check the Club roster and find others who own the same car as yours.  Especially if they live nearby.  Then you could ask if it's okay to stop by and take a good look at their car, taking photos and measurements of the various items you're trying to find.  Maybe they would even have some idea of where these items might be found.

The Club's website has a feature whereby you can search for 1929 Essexes which are registered with the Club, and find out who owns them.

29sptphaeton

Geoff Clark has the steering wheel hubs.

Geoff

Sorry, I only make the '28 hubs.   Gary Lynch has the '29 ones.   For some reason they altered the column diameter form 1" to 7/8" in '29.

rusty_apache

Jon B said:

One thing that might help you, would be to check the Club roster and find others who own the same car as yours.  Especially if they live nearby.  Then you could ask if it's okay to stop by and take a good look at their car, taking photos and measurements of the various items you're trying to find.  Maybe they would even have some idea of where these items might be found.

The Club's website has a feature whereby you can search for 1929 Essexes which are registered with the Club, and find out who owns them.

Great suggestions!
The club roster really came in handy while assessing the various vehicles and the sellers distance from Wilson county as well keeping their names all straight in my head!

The general problem with living in Texas is that it’s the size of an entire country. 

Half of fun of obsolete orphaned vehicles is the research!

rusty_apache

Geoff said:

Sorry, I only make the '28 hubs.   Gary Lynch has the '29 ones.   For some reason they altered the column diameter form 1" to 7/8" in '29.

Thanks for the heads up, both of you!
I’ll get with Gary on that soon.

Does anyone know about someone 3D printing the switch levers?

Seems like they could be done in metal and simply painted black.
 I have an excellent machinist who made me some proprietary spiral chain tensioner axle washers for National cycles from the 1890s to the teens. I have shipped a handful of them all Over the world which eventually absorbed some of the pattern costs.

54coupe

If Essex is like Hudson, the levers were cast onto the rods that go down through the column...

35 Terraplane

These are the switch levers as I received them from the guy I bought the car from.  He'd tried to repair them with epoxy but with no success.  I X-rayed the largest outer ring to see how the metal part was embedded in the bakelite thinking I may have them 3D printed at some point.  They are packed with other parts that will go to Rusty Apache.  

MikeSheridan

I don't see anything there that could not be 3D printed. If you are interested, I can put you in touch with a guy who does 3D printed parts.

rusty_apache

Thanks for the information!

I’ll see when I get them in my grubby little hands! The previous owner made a valiant attempt with the epoxy but I may be able to get out my dremel, clean them up and refine them enough to work again.

They are in much better condition than I had imagined from the way Mr. King described them.
 I will show them to my machinist and I have a feeling that he might make them out of billet aluminum. Then they could be painted black or highly polished. Mainly they would be more durable than the originals. I may have four or five sets made up and he will always have the pattern on file if more are needed.

rusty_apache

35 Terraplane said:

These are the switch levers as I received them from the guy I bought the car from.  He'd tried to repair them with epoxy but with no success.  I X-rayed the largest outer ring to see how the metal part was embedded in the bakelite thinking I may have them 3D printed at some point.  They are packed with other parts that will go to Rusty Apache.

They don’t look too bad!  If I do attempt to repair them further I will get everything scanned by my machinist beforehand. That way he will have the dimensions either way.
 It might be 5-600 dollars for the first set but once he makes the pattern, more sets get less expensive.

35 Terraplane

Kevin, my name is Tom. Mr. King was my father

rusty_apache

Heheheh, sorry Tom, it’s just how I was raised.
Tiny Tim was also in the habit of it!

rusty_apache

54coupe said:

If Essex is like Hudson, the levers were cast onto the rods that go down through the column...

So they can be detached down at the switch (and throttle) and removed up and out of the steering column? If so I think I should have no trouble repairing the levers using more epoxy. 

I have a Nash Metropolitan with the turn signal switch behind the horn and to keep the mystery about it I have never taken it apart to see how it doesn’t rotate with the steering wheel. 

I suppose I will lose my innocence with the Essex because it’s probably based on a similar concept. 

Hans

They have a snap ring that fits in the groove, that secures the handle to the top of the shaft.

They are not molded on to the shafts, they are removeable

rusty_apache

Ah! Thanks!
That changes everything.
I can see why repairing it with epoxy would be difficult.

rusty_apache

Forty five minutes with a mill file fine tuned the epoxy so that they fit perfectly. The failing steering wheel hub is the likely culprit that caused the levers to break in the first place  

If anyone has any driver door handles or possibly rear door handles I would be interested. Mine is really okay, it just shows a little wear. 

I would also be interested in a driver quality radiator grill and bumpers. The chrome would just come completely off if I tried to clean it and rechroming it would be too nice.  I am just thrilled with the car just The way it is but those touches would just make it a little nicer  

Jon B

Rusty:  just a suggestion (I'm always full of them) regarding your various parts needs.  It might be beneficial to stop and take a careful inventory of exactly what you are missing, then work up a sort of catalog sheet, with photos of each missing part along with dimensions and a brief description.  (If you don't have the components to photograph, you could possibly rely on photos off the internet, factory photos, or photos from a parts manual or sales brochure, to furnish you the missing images.)

Once you've assembled the list of parts you can make PDF's and mail it out to many of the Hudson parts vendors who regularly advertise in the WTN, as well as other mixed-make parts vendors found online or in Hemmings.

Many of the Hudson parts vendors may indeed have what you seek, but they may lack knowledge of the earlier Hudsons, so won't know what they have until you show them.  Also, many vendors do not spend a lot of time hanging around the various Hudson forums, and thus will miss your parts inquiries posted here or at the H-E-T Forum.

This approach (instead of using a piecemeal method) will save you lots of time.  You won't have to keep coming back and re-posting as you discover yet another item that you need!

rusty_apache

Actually I wouldn’t even have this car if you weren’t full of helpful suggestions, so point taken. 
 The door handle, bumpers and Radiator grill are just wants, not needs. This car is very complete and it just ran for about 30 seconds and sounded great! SoI don’t expect to need too much more until the unexpected happens. 

I would also like to find the right oil can too!

rusty_apache

So my list needed an update...
I am still looking for a rumble seat rear cushion, the lower step plate and a windshield wiper arm.
if anyone has a driver quality radiator shell, I would like to have a nicer one, but fresh chrome would be too shiny!

rusty_apache

Thankfully I have located rumble seat cushions, so I am still looking for a driver quality radiator shell and a rumble step assembly.
if anyone has a rusty stash of loose Hudson nuts, bolts, washers, I am looking for spares as well.