Dodge In-Line Six Trivia Question of the Week: 1. In what year did Dodge become a part of the Chrysler Corporation? Was it, A. 1915; B. 1928; C. 1939 or D. 1950? 2. Singer, dancer and star of American stage and film, Ginger Rogers was well-known as a dance partner with who? 3. Born on September 7, 1936, this famous pop singer from the early-mid fifties made the Billboard top hits charts with songs like ‘Peggy Sue’ and ‘That’ll Be The Day’. He died when the private plane he chartered while on a midwest tour, went down in a cornfield near Clear Lake, Iowa on February 3, 1959. What was his name? 4. On January 31, 1936, a radio show debuted starring a masked, fictional crime fighter. The character would later appear in film serials during the forties, a network television series in the sixties and numerous comic book series from the forties through the nineties. What was the name of the masked crime fighter, which was also the name of the series? 5. On November 3, 1936, which U.S. President was re-elected for his second term in a landslide vote? Was it, A. Franklin D. Roosevelt, B. Theodore Roosevelt, C. Richard Nixon or D. Dwight D. Eisenhower? 6. By 1936, there were approximately how many television sets in operation world-wide? Was the number, A. None, B. 200, C. 2,000, D. 10,000 or E. 50,000?

For the answers to this week’s trivia questions, visit The FIN MAN’s web site at http://www.thefinman.com. You can e-mail The FIN MAN by clicking here: mailto://the_fin_man@msn.com.

At the turn of the twentieth century, John and Horace Dodge were operating a small, but highly successful machine shop in Detroit, Michigan. They were making a small fortune as an O.E.M. supplier selling engines, transmissions and other drive train parts to the likes of Ransom E. Olds and Henry Ford. But, after more than a decade of cranking out crankshafts and forging flywheels, the Dodge Brothers aimed their sights toward a much more ambitious goal. And so it was that, on November 14, 1914, the first “Dodge Brothers” automobile, a four-door “touring car”, rolled out the factory door. The fact that Dodge Brothers O.E.M. components had a well known reputation for durability, was a key factor in the success of the Dodge Brothers automobile. Sales of 45,000 1915 models were recorded, setting a first-year sales record for an American automobile.

Apparently that reputation carried on through the years, for this week’s feature car, owned by Terry Johns of Florissant, Missouri, has logged over 160,000 miles of service over the past seventy-five years and shows no signs of being sent to the scrap heap in the near future– not if Terry has anything to say about it at least.

Nineteen thirty-six Dodges are few and far between. If you see one at a local car show this summer, it will likely be Terry’s car as only 37,468 of the 2-door sedans like Terry’s were built. Terry’s twentieth century Dodge discovery is a twenty-first century success story– having been found and purchased from a Kentucky man, through an e-bay transaction! (Isn’t this ‘internets’ a wonderful thing?) Terry relates the provenance of his early Dodge by saying that it was first owned by “a farmer from Emporium, Pennsylvania who stopped driving it and left it sitting idle in the yard for many years”. Then, one day, in the mid fifties, a young man talked his parents into letting him buy it. The lad’s father helped him drop a six cylinder Plymouth engine in the car after it began making strange noises. The father-son pair of shade tree mechanics would later learn that the only thing wrong with the Dodge engine was a broken valve spring. The young lad who talked his mom and dad into buying the Dodge, would own if for another forty-nine years! Terry was able to contact the man, who now lives in New York, and learned that the man dated his wife in the car and has many fond memories from his half century relationship with the D-2 sedan... and oh yes, the Mrs. too! While Terry reports that the car needs a ‘thorough going over from stem to stern’, and has a rather dishevelled interior, it looks pretty darn good to me as it sits. Granted, photos can and often are misleading, but I can tell, from the picture above, that Terry’s car is at least a good ‘twenty-footer’.

When Terry’s Dodge D-2, 2-door ‘touring sedan’ rolled out of the dealership, it carried a base sticker price of $720.00... that was $25.00 more than the standard 2-door sedan which did not have a trunk. Dodge magazine ads of the day, (like the one shown on my web site [www.thefinman.com]), listed a starting price of $640.00 for the ‘Big, Money-Saving Dodge’ for 1936. Check the fin print at the bottom of the page and you’ll find a disclaimer that states the advertised price is for a 2-passenger, 2-door ‘business coupe’... the entry level model in the Dodge lineup for ‘36. With a production figure of 32,952, this model was the third most popular body style for the year... lead by the 2-door touring sedan at 37,468 and the 4-door touring sedan at 174,334. Seven additional body styles rounded out the Dodge lineup for ‘36, including a 5-passenger, 4-door sedan (5,996 produced– $735.00); a 2/4 passenger 2-door R/S coupe (4,317 produced– $695.00); 2-door, 5-passenger sedan (2,453 produced– $695.00); a Mafia-favorite style, ‘long-wheelbase’, 4-door, 7-passenger sedan (1,942 produced– $975.00); a chassis-only model for custom body builders (1,910 produced); a 2-door convertible coupe (1,525 produced– $795.00); a 4-door, commercial sedan, which was an early day ‘crossover vehicle’ if you will– a blend of passenger sedan and commercial delivery (1,358 produced at $665.00) and a 5-passenger, four door convertible sedan, the priciest of the 1936 models at $995.00, of which only 750 were built.

Although sparse by today’s standards, Dodge offered a list of options for 1936 which included such basic items as front and rear bumpers (for the Gen-Xers [and newer], those are the chrome thingys that go from side to side across the front and rear end of the car protecting it from damage); fender skirts; bumper guards; side mounts (front fender mounted spare tires); metal covers for those side mounts; chrome ‘beauty rings’ for the wheels; white sidewall tires; a metal spare tire cover (for trunk-mounted spares); chrome license plate frames and special paint. Convenience options included a heater (yes, they were optional at extra cost); radio (AM only); clock; cigar lighter; seat covers; dual windshield washers; spotlights and an outside, rear view mirror. A fully optioned D-2 Beauty-Winner Dodge 2-door sedan like Terry’s could have pushed that sticker price to upwards of nine hundred dollars by the time all was said and done... or about fourteen thousand in ‘09 dollars.

When it came to drive train components, however, the Dodge boys left nothing up to consumer choice. One system was available... an in-line, L-head six cylinder engine displacing 217,8 cubic inches (that’s roughly 3.6 liters), which produced a mere 87 horsepower while loping along at 3,600 R.P.M. A ‘selective sliding’ manual transmission with three forward speeds and one reverse, harnessed all this power, directing it to a ‘semi-floating’ rear axle available in two ratios. A vacuum assisted clutch made shifting less tiring and the overdrive option saved a bit on fuel... and that was a good thing considering gas was running around 20 cents per gallon back ‘in the day’.

While Terry’s D-2 Dodge sedan looks great in its Hunter Green coat, the color palette for ‘36 was a far cry from the vibrant hues and springtime pastels that would debut two decades later. The ‘dingy dozen’ included primarily dark hues of gray, blue and green. Colors like Regal Maroon, Empire Maroon, Gunmetal, Dorset Gray, Dolphin Gray, Palm Green, Golden Beige, Dodge Blue, Stratosphere Blue and Gorgoyle Gray completed the twelve selections on the color chart for thirty-six.

If this story has inspired you to rush out and buy a ‘36 Dodge for this summer’s show season, you’d better start looking now. A quick perusal of the current issue of Auto Trader’s ‘Classic Cars & Parts’ turned up two copies... at opposite ends of the condition spectrum. If you want a real ‘fixer-upper’, a shell of what was once a proud ‘36 Dodge is offered for $1,000.00 or best offer. It’s a four door with Mustang front suspension, an incorrect motor, a pink slip and no seats! (Best of luck.) The second offering looks great in the postage stamp photo (of course you know how that goes)... is also a four door with many original items, but with new, candy apple red paint, new chrome and a new leather interior. The seller says you can drive it home for $18,500 (obo). Depending on how nice the customization is, will determine if this seller’s figure it realistic or not. Of course, when it comes to customized, one of a kind cars, the matter of ‘value’ becomes much a factor of seller’s idea vs. buyer’s idea. So many factors come into play in these cars, that putting a ‘reasonable and customary’ value on one often becomes difficult even for an experienced, professional appraiser. The appraised value can vary across a broad range compared to stock and original cars. Based on the highly respected Krause Publications’ ‘Old Cars Price Guide’, considered by many to be ‘the bible’ of collectible automobile pricing, a 1936 D-2 2-door Sedan in number one, show quality condition ‘should’ be attainable at price just a skoche over twelve thousand dollars. An average ‘20-footer’ should run you around eight to nine thousand according to the OCPG... and a ‘driver’ would probably set you back in the neighborhood of three to six thousand dollars. Stepping down the ladder... a rough example, which may or may not run and needs total restoration is valued around a grand or two and a very rough, parts-only hulk should be priced somewhere under a grand.

If you would like to learn much more about the Dodge and Dodge Brothers automobiles, check out the Dodge Brothers Club (DBC) at http://dodgebrothersclub.org. You’ll find all the information you could possibly need whether you’re in the market for a collectible Dodge or just interested in learning more about this great old marque.

One final note. In addition to his love for the 1936 Dodge, Terry is ‘heavy’ into historic military vehicles, owning a number of them. No time for things like bingo, a game of bridge or fishing for Terry!

For the answers to this week’s trivia questions, visit the FIN MAN’s web site at http://www.thefinman.com. You can e-mail The FIN MAN by clicking on this link: mailto:the_fin_man@msn.com.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS: Don’t forget the biggest and best car show of the year is coming up Easter Sunday in Forest Park at the Muni Opera upper and lower parking lots. You’ll see Dodges galore at this show... one of the largest in the midwest.

‘The FIN MAN’^TM is available for your group’s special occasions. In addition to his seminar schedule, he has been a guest speaker at group meetings including car clubs, engineering clubs and other professional associations. He has also acted as host or emcee at a number of special events including trivia parties, holiday parties, social and professional club events, benefits and fund raisers. During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties. His program includes a fascinating Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana. Guests also have the opportunity to play “FINS for FUN,” the video game he produced in 1987 which inspired his nickname, in which players compete to identify the year, make and model of cars from tightly cropped photos of fins and taillights. Those who score the highest win auto-related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors. For more information, click on this link: http://groups.msn.com/the-fin-man/seminaragenda.msnw. We are currently accepting bookings for the remainder of calendar year 2009 and 2010.

Do you have a favorite seventies, sixties, fifties or older car... perhaps the one your grandpa drove, or the one your dad lent you to take your date to the senior prom? Tell The FIN MAN about it and he just might feature it in an upcoming story. To e-mail The FIN MAN^TM, click here > mailto:the_fin_man@msn.com.

The FIN MAN^TM is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians and the St. Louis Chapter of the Buick Club of America. He welcomes your questions, comments and suggestions.

See you at the next Chuck-A-Burger ‘Cruise Night’ at the original location in St. John OR the new Chuck-A-Burger in St. Charles.