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Hello all:
Having joined the DMAC only a few years ago, I have meet many members and learned about many of their fine cars. Those who have talked with me have quickly learned about my restoration experience and Flint car knowledge. But it’s what I lack that surprises everyone, “No real knowledge about the other cars of the Durant line“.
Recently I was asked if I would be interested in doing a restoration to a 1926 Star Roadster? Why sure I said, “But I don’t know anything about a Star“! Well, it’s time to remedy that situation.
This Model M2 Roadster is a fine example of what I would call a mostly untouched original car with the exception of past cosmetics. The plan is to bring this car back to "Parade Car Status" while keeping within a certain budget.
For those interested, I plan to post pictures, questions and progress reports on this forum for everyones view and comments. With Carol’s help, others can follow this in the next couple of issues of The Durant Partner.
Yes Gary... there will be pictures of everything!
See Ya In Lancaster!
Jim G.
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
OK... First question.
I recieved an e-mail telling that I have listed the model of this Roadster wrong!
I am told that this is an "M" model and not an "M2". What is the difference?
I'll need to know the correct model if I ever order parts from the Durant Factory (Ha Ha)!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Thanks for the info Don. I ordered a couple of books from Frankwit.. outa be here in a couple of days.
Mike...It was kinda abandoned in my driveway last Thursday the day before the big snow storm that dumped nearly 2 foot on the ground so I pushed it on inside.
I think "she" ran out of gas?
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Hello all;
Monday saw this project get started with the dissassembly of the body and it yielded the results that I expected, "the wood, She's not so good"!
This seems to be the big downfall in this era of the cars, so I'll attack it first!
The wood in the pillar posts and around the roof area is in poor condition while the rear floor was stripped with 3/4" pine board before being covered with pieces of plywood.
Does anyone have any pictures of this rear floor area on a car with this type of deck lid?
I've removed the rest of the body wood (except the sills) and have decided to start by replacing the pillar, door and top area wood first with white ash.
Into the wood shop we go!
Don, thanks for the floor board pics! Can you tell me the width of each of the 3/4" floor board and if there are any type of "lap" joints between them?
Since I'll be replacing nearly all of the wood with the possible exception of the door wood.... Should I also replace the sills as well??
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Hi all:
I did get started this week with the making of both the "A" and "B" pillar posts. This white ash is definitely the way to go!
The biggest thing that I have noticed is the differences in the R/L sill woods. Not only are they different from each other in the areas where the pillars mount... The body to frame mounting bolts are different in location by as much as 1".
Next week, new wood for the roof area. Too much snow here to do much else!!
I'm still hoping for pics of the rear floor area for this model!
Thanks Jim G.
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Thanks for the comments Mike!
Well, here it is the end of the week already! The woodwork is steadily moving forward Thanks especially to Don Shilling and his "indepth" picture library!
I've gotten most of the body wood set up in semi-finished form while waiting to make the final surface trims until the entire body is aligned.
Working the wood around this trunk area is odd because there is no panel below the deck lid!
I've mentioned the fact that the r/l lower main body sills appear to be different especially around the A&B pillar (door/qtr. post) areas. A couple of places didn't even have pockets for the pillar bottoms to enter!
I've decided to remedy this!
I have designed the bottom of the cowl/qrt. posts to set INTO AND ON TOP of the lower sills. This should not only keep them in location but also never allow them to sag or lower! Next, I made excess clearence in the lower sills by removing wood at the post areas. Before installing the pillars, I applied several coats of paste wax.
After everything is aligned... I will fill in the area around these pillars with polyester (bondo) and it will form a pattern in the old sills to use when making the new sills! The wax job allows the pillars to be removed!
Those who attended the DMAC national meet in Auburn Indiana might remember Mike Linthicum demostating this procedure of forming a pattern with polyester during a tech session!
Next week.... re-fitting the doors and angle iron "X" bracing for temporary body support while removing the sills!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Hello Vince.... Good to hear from you.
To answer your question, no the wood wasn't originally built in 1 piece and was different from side to side. In this area as well as in the trunk side rails they used a "dovetail joint" and once installed into proper position they drilled and inserted a wood dowel securing the joint.
Since this wood will all be hidden, I built mine with a single dovetail joint (used in the later body styles) and got the proper upward angle by cutting the joint on an angle and adding a block to the bottom. This allows a square surface for sawing and installing. Once completely done... this bottom edge will be trimmed away last and proper screws installed.
As far as the White ash, It works, acts and looks the same as oak but I can get it rough cut for $5 a board ft.
Hope this answers your question? Jim G.
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Hello again... been a busy week!
OK, Time for the squaring and bracing of the body before removing it to make new sills.
While cross measuring, X measuring and length and height measuring, We jack the body into position. Next, After removing the R/L door metal outer skins, I've reinstalled the door wooden framing while fitting it perfectly to the body using 1/8" wooden shims.
I noticed the doors are not flat or square!
Star owners, If you stick a square on the bottom of your door skin and check up the frt & back edges you'll see what I mean!
I added a piece of plywood to the inside surface for support as it will also be needed later while making new door wood.
With $25 worth of 1/8"angle iron, I constructed my bracing system so it's good in all directions while attaching it to the quarter roof braces and cowl at the w'shield post while resting firmly in the corners of the floor board areas of the sills.
Remember earlier how I waxed the bottoms of the A & B pillar posts? After double checking everything, I now mix and squeeze bondo into the sills at the bottom of the pillar post securing them and forming a perfect pattern in the sills to be used when making new sills.
OPPS... forgot to take this picture. I'll post it next week.
After remove all clamps, the door should fit and operate perfectly!
Next week, new door wood and then... new wood sills!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Here's that picture I forgot yesterday!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
OK... here it is Friday night and time to update our progress.
I got started on the doors this week and there are 2 problems. Do you remember me saying earlier that the doors are not square or flat?
1st problem, flatness: It appears that the upper rear inside corner of the door needs a 3/4" shim added to it before mounting the plywood to the inside of the door using our paste wax and bondo method to create a flat surface.
Remember... You must have 2 flat surfaces that are square to each other to be able to make the wood.
Next, I've cut the joints and assembled the door frames while always remembering where that 3/4" of "flatness stock" was added.
2nd problem, squareness: The doors are out of square by 1/2" at the bottom.
I've clamped 2 pieces of squared wood to a table at the proper distance and marked the offset. This jig will be used as an aid continuously while making the doors.
Meanwhile... we were sandblasting items for another job so we cleaned the undercoating from the inside of the door skin and sent them to the booth for a quick blast. New lower tacking edges will need to be fabricated and installed before the skins can be reinstalled.
Now the "real wood work" can begin.... next week!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Thanks Mike!
They could have been crosseyed, but I don't think so? When you look at the curves and angles of the rounded bodies, you'll understand about the flatness and squareness.
Well, I finished the wood work on the doors... more work than I thought! Then I shoved the skins back on temporarily and fit them back to the body. I waxed and polyestered all of the joints and pulled them into the proper position until they dried. Good enough for now!
Tomorrow.... preparing to remove the wood sills and rear body metal!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
WARNING....
The following pictures might contain images that are of graphic nature and upsetting for some antique car people to view.
If you are one of these people...exit this forum immediatley! Otherwise... scroll down (Ha Ha)!
The complete bottom edge of body had been previously repaired and will need replaced so we just trimmed off the bottom inch to remove it from the wood framing!
Hey BoB.... you told me at Auburn when you saw the Flint wood sills that I just scared the Heck out of ya! What do you think now?
Monday, I'll make new wood sills!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Jim
I'm watching, as you know I've never restored anything. However I do have a couple of projects. I have a few questions for you, as soon as I find a box big enough I'm sending them your way.
I like to think of these cars as only a pick-up load of wood that I can form with a wood chisel. At Auburn, it was more like a Bridgeport mill and Mt. Rushmore.
Bob
Where Are You From? tucson
Do You own a car built by Durant? 6-33, a-22, b-22
Hi All....
WOW !! Jim this sure is looking good. Almost a shame to cover this beautiful wood with sheet metal.
I don't think Jim has used any of his specialty tools so far. Most of what I have seen has been done with tools that most folks would have in an average shop. The real skill comes in the measurements and jigs that he is making and using.
Really enjoying "Following a Star"
Frank 
---
Where Are You From? Hookstown, Pennsylvania
Do You own a car built by Durant? 16 Durant & Star cars & a Durant Dort buggy (one horse power)
Well, Tuesday has come and gone and so have the old wood sills.
Not only have I replaced the sills but I have also made and fit a new cowl panel wood piece that mounts under the windshield.
Next, some re-squaring of the wood and then I'll start working with the rear body sheet metal
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
The last couple of days I remounted the body sheet metal and re-squared everything while refining and securing the new body wood. Started to work on the floor and seat wood.
Meanwhile, Pat scraped the undercoating from the rear fenders and cowl...
And headed for the blasting booth!
Blasting reveals all the previous repairs and the true condition of your parts... good or bad!
It's 65 defrees in Ohio, Sooo.... off this Weekend and back at it Monday
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
The last week has been used to finish the floor wood and build the new wood for the seat area. Then we squared,secured, dissassembled and refined all of the new wood.
We also gave the rear body shell a first time through in the blast room.
I'll reassemble all of the wood on Monday.
Now.... here's the big questions??? All opinions are welcome!
1)What type of sealer should be used to seal the wood??
2)Was the original wood painted or just sealed?
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Thanks for your reply Bill. I'm still not sure how I'm going to finish the wood as I still wonder what they originally did? How about it Mike, don't your AACA buddy's know this?
Monday was spent reassembling the body's complete wood skeleton. I also finished the seat riser and installed the correct screws everywhere. Rebuilding the door hinges, aligning the cowl & door and securing the front door( A pillar) posts happened on Tuesday.
Next I... ah...
"Whoa".... wait a minute... hold your horses... stop the presses!!!
I think I'm out of wood to build!
Yeah, there will still be the usual couple of little things, but it's basically done!
Time to switch gears and get out all of the metal working tools as the schedule "dictates" having the body ready for paint and to our upholstry shop by May 1st!
If we miss this appointment.... we will have to wait for the next opening somewhere around August!!!
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80
Well, with the wood basically finished... it's time to switch gears.
These are the final pictures that I will post on this thread as it has grown too large for a quick refrence on some computers.
Stay tuned for a new thread next week that will begin with the next step in this project.... the repair of the body sheet metal and preparing for the upholstry shop.
See ya next week.... Jim G.
Where Are You From? Ohio
Do You own a car built by Durant? Flint 80