If I had to paint it today, here’s what it would be.  I like the polished prop, too.

The data plate was corroded so I cleaned it up and painted the back.  I also applied a coat of clear coat on the front.

On the original 108-2 models that came off the factory line in May of 1947, the registration numbers, or ‘N’ numbers, were 3″ letters on the vertical stab of the aircraft and in 12″ numbers under the left wing.  The original ‘N’ number was NC9391K, ‘C’ for standard.  That designation was dropped by the FAA in the late 40’s, so it was removed from the aircraft some time later and became just N9391K.  Someone also added 12″ registration numbers to the side of the fuselage at one point.  The original aircraft did not have those.

The photo below shows a 108-2, serial number 2382, from the factory.  This Stinson is just 9 numbers away from Grandpa’s (2391) and was delivered on April 18, 1947.  Grandpa’s was delivered on April 11, 1947.  Strange Grandpa’s was delivered earlier.  This Stinson has the original NC registration number on the tail and none on the side of the fuselage.  

At this point I want to take it back to the original off the factory floor scheme, so I plan to have it look just like the one above.

The firewall was a pain to clean.  Lots of rubber material that would clog the sander so I just used a wire brush on the end of my drill.  That sped things up.

Before:

After:

Long word for a small part.  Holds the parking brake cable in place.  I forgot to take a before photo so I’ve included a photo of it on the back on the firewall, just in front of the pilot’s right rudder pedal.  It’s blue in the photo.

Now.  I had the clamp plated with tin/zinc.  Looks brand new.

Clamp before plating:

Before:

Back:

Front:

For those who helped sand and disassemble you’ll remember we ran into some screws that looked like nails.  They are actually called drive screws and have an AN number….AN535.

Some more sandblasting and priming before taking it to paint.

A minor setback today.  I had the wheels mounted and after a closer look, they can’t be used.  Corrosion from them sitting flat in the dirt has made them un-airworthy.  I say a minor setback because the correct thing to do anyway is to upgrade from the original wheels and brakes to the newer Cleveland wheels and brakes.  This just makes the decision a little easier.  Not cheaper, but easier.  In the meantime, I will use the original wheels with the new tires and tubes until it is time to replace the wheels.

In the next two photos you can see the corrosion around the rim.  Click on any of the two photos below for a closeup of the corrosion.

One new tire and tube on the old rim for now:

One of the tubes in the old tire might have been the original.  The date on the tube is December 1946.

The two old tires before tossing them in the trash.  They have served their usefulness and are no longer needed.

Part of the control column. 

Before:

  
After:

Before:

  
After: