I’ll PM you John

 

Need to figure out how to take this apart or restore it assembled which could be a challenge and I need to have a key made.





The original texture is called Madrid but the new Madrid has a more in your face grain. This original vinyl is on a canvas backing with very thin vinyl vs the new stuff that has much thicker vinyl and a thin cloth backing. It changes the look so I can only get close which the pic down lower is what I'll go with. The arm rests and seat cushions are stuffed with horse hair which we wont be duplicating! I'll keep the original vinyl pieces for future reference whether its for me or someone else restoring one of these sidecars. One thing is for certain, they didn't use the finest Italian craftsmen to sew the interior.




Foot rest wasn't painted but would they leave it bare just to rust over time? A pic in Palmers book shows a new side car foot well and its bright metal in appearance. It wasn't plated either, I just gave it a quick wash with the blaster.



Spare tire mount fasteners. CP1035 supposedly wasn't in use until after the war and this side car is 1939. The check strap bolts also have CP1035 on them, the carriage bolts have a U on some and the rest of the hardware is blank. So was the tire holder an option that was later added to the side car explaining the incorrect bolts or is the published date for these bolts inaccurate?





Preditor black seems to be the closest to original without sticking out like a sore thumb. I saw a 48 with a side car for sale on ebay last summer, everything looked great except the vinyl they chose for the sidecar and boot looked as wrong as covering it with diamond tuck velour.

 

Correct in the tone down black - it almost looks used new

 

I have a correctness question regarding the fenders and the struts. This is from my sidecar, the struts make the valances bow out which I dont like, is that how they were originally or some were and some werent as much / not at all? My front fender was like that at the front quite a bit so I squeezed the struts in to reduce it.

 

I have no experience with a side car fender, but I do with front fenders. The issue is the struts are straight, causing the side valance to bow out. My struts needed some bending to create a dog leg, straight at the valance, then angle down, then straight again at the bottom for the rocker mount plate. I think my strut was for a WLA, hence they were straight, unconfirmed. But that was my experience and solution. If you just bend the valance back, when you mount the fender, the lower mount to the rocker will just bow it back out again.

I hope that reads well.

 

Maybe an WLA thing because the struts on my fenders are not straight. They are U shaped to follow the fender then have a fold line where they angle out but its like that fold is too far up and starts to bend out before clearing the valances. Then it bends the opposite way to head down to the rockers. I'll probably just bend them because I dont like that bowed look especially if I paint it black.

 

I take some of that back, just looked at the NOS rear fender and the vertical braces are U shaped but still gradually wider as they head to the rear axle clips with no additional bend. The front has the additional bends but still flare out as they go along the valances.

 

Anyone have any of these common sense fasteners? DOT fasteners made them originally and they still makes them but not with a threaded stud. One of mine is missing the ****, DOT sells a pack of 100 for $90, I really dont want to buy 100 just to rob a **** off one of them.

 

I answered my own question about the CP 1035 bolts on the spare tire carrier. Looking in Palmers book I see the tail light and fender light are options and no mention of a spare tire so mine must've been added later in time. I like the cleaner look without it so I'll stash that stuff away, I can always add it later if I want.

 

Its like a car that did not come with a bumper jack - of course your going to buy both the tire carrier and the light