Vanderbilt Cup Races

By mid-November 2013, all four doors had been rehung and checked to fit properly as well as make sure the alignment for the mechanical  power door locks and rear windows had continued to work properly.

All new metal that had been welded in had the surface sanded smooth.

A light coat of primer was applied to all surfaces so a consistent color would allow inspection for any surface irregularities.

Although one rear door post had been replaced due to damage from damp rot the other post seemed stable and could remain. After refitting the doors and checking for even gaps, that original door post was found to be not as strong as was needed and could not hold the door with an even gap over a period of time, so that post had to be recreated/replaced as well.

All four doors have a tremendous amount of weight - several hundred pounds each, due to a combination of the wood framework, sheet metal skin, large glass area, and metal parts for latches, springs, cables, and other hardware that comprise the automatic mechanical system.

Once everything was properly restored and fitted, the doors were removed for further surface finishing.

Spring mechanisms and latches were removed to be restored cosmetically now that they were functioning properly.

Engine components such as the generator and starter  have been restored and are ready to be refitted to the car when the time comes.

At the time the car was completed by LeBaron in 1937 at the Briggs plant (LeBaron was bought by Briggs in 1931) extensive photographs were taken of the completed car.

After the car was delivered the chauffeur found several things about the car that he requested be changed for easier and more comfortable operation.

Outside rear view mirrors were modified to the windshield posts supplied by the  Nil Melior car parts store located in the Waldorf - Astoria Hotel.

The buttons for the intercom to communicate with the rear seat passengers were located at the top center of the front seat. This meant the chauffeur would have to reach back over his right shoulder to push them. This is something a contortionist would have difficulty doing!  The buttons were relocated to the center of the dashboard.

To add ventilation to the car,  a cowl vent was created and fitted to the area just forward of the center of the windshield. This was a major modification and required cutting the back of both halves of the hood as well as the top of the cowl. The Humer - Binder Co. on West 53rd Street did the majority of the repairs, alterations, and repainting for custom built cars in Manhattan since 1919 and was the repair depot for LeBaron before they moved to Detroit. It is most likely that they did this work.  Restoration shop owner Steve Babinsky  is seen here discussing the cowl vent. 

Body craftsman Mike explains to Howard the steps that are being taken to do the job properly

Here we see the inside of the dashboard and where the triangle shaped piece of metal was added to the top of the dashboard. Factory bodied Imperial had one piece flat windshields. Custom built cars like this one from LeBaron (as well as those the Derham Body Co. built) had V windshields with two pieces of glass.

The metal roof insert panel that fits over the chauffeurs compartment is about ready for final prime coat of paint.

A new plate glass panel had to be cut for the rear seat vanity as one of the two was broken .

The intercom system control boxes at the right rear quarter. Steve Babinsky said they measured up the amount of new wire it would take to rewire the body and that the total came to 1,500 feet!

All upholstery materials have been purchased . Bottom row (left to right) shows rear seat, headliner, and door panel cloth, carpet binding, carpet and the fuzzy sample above that is the loose rug that fits over the carpet. Top row shows leather samples for the front compartment and carpet and foot rest (for the rear compartment).

The firewall is essentially the only piece that was used from the production bodied  C-15 Imperial body stampings.

The entire cowl -windshield area is handmade specifically for this particular car as is the rest of the body.

A huge amount of work has been accomplished that is not shown in these photographs.