As I’ve indicated on earlier posts, I am very much amused by all of the little design quirks of this vehicle. So, I thought that I would start a regular feature detailing the interesting, different, and odd things I find as I disassemble and build this vehicle. I do realize that this might be entertaining for only me, so please bear with me.
As I was unloading the car from the trailer last summer, I noticed something that puzzled me for several months. There were straps underneath the running boards... two on each side, four total. On each end they are held by rubber mounts and they are about an inch wide thin sheet metal running down the underneath side of the car. I though that I was looking at some storage straps or even the remnants of some compartment.
I wondered about these things for many months. Particularly I wondered what kind of negative effect this would have if and when I do not put them back on the finished car. As I was minding my own business, and just cruising the internet, I ran across the options manual for this vehicle (on the “old car manuals project”). So on this page, I found the answer to this question. They are not straps after all. For $5, a new car buyer buyer in 1939 could add the option of under car radio antenna. On the Master Deluxe model, it was standard. “For car buyers that prefer an antenna that is not visible.” Of course I had never heard of such a thing, but makes sense to me. I wonder how it worked... The other odd thing is that there is actually an external antenna mounted in front of the driver side door. Until now I had assumed it was stock, but now I guess it must have been added later.
I’ve got a link to the Old Car Manual project on my “links” page, and they have tons of great information including the original factory service manuals, marketing flyers and booklets, as well as some very early technical service bulletins. I love that site just for the history, but has proven very useful so far on this project.
