50Traveler

I looked today at a really nice, but not nice enough '48. Really nice but neglected interior with good door panels. Not even the drivers seat had any wear. I found no real rust on it. It had all the added components of DriveMaster under the hood but I doubt it has been used or changed in some time. The person selling it on behalf of the owner is not especially familiar what makes Hudsons such amazing cars. He was given the job of getting it in motion after a long rest. It is running off of a tank under the hood and only driven between storage and this rod shop to show potential buyers. Biggest turnoff is the careless paint job. Right now there is one likely buyer on deck who has already confessed to putting in a chevy V8. The thought of it hurts my soul. It is listed on Facebook Marketplace in Warsaw, NY which is about an hour south of Rochester. I can forward a link if anyone needs it. Thank you, Justin

This issue resolved itself. After many conversations with the seller the car disappeared from Craigslist. That's OK, there are others. In fact, today I venture into Canada to collect a similar car that I had shipped over from British Columbia. That presents a whole different set of issues but I am prepared and the paperwork is complete.

A friend is pretty new to his Metropolitan so I have been walking him through various bits and pieces under the hood. In the vacuum line to the distributor advance pot there is a vertical canister that I have only seen in other small British cars like a Morris Minor. What is its purpose? I have googled about and found replacements, but not an explanation of what it does. Thank you, Justin

I have been looking at a vintage British car that was imported about 15 years ago and has been through two owners since then. The current owner has not registered it and the only paperwork he is able to show me is two insurance cards (Yes, from Hagerty), from the previous owner in Illinois, membership documents for a British roadside assistance company, and a window sticker from the garage it had been sold from in the UK. What should there be? Would Illinois have issued a title or a transferable registration on something this old? It’s a '63. What would the current seller in Pennsylvania have needed from him to register the car in his state? Thanks for any information, Justin

I wish. I have pushed and pulled, tugged and yanked, shoved hacksaw blades along the shaft front and back, worked my arm up from the bottom behind the upholstery, and can't make any headway. There is something on the shaft but I can't see it or feel around it enough to figure out how to make it release.

I have the shop and owners manuals. Still can't find what I am looking for. The hunt continues

On my everyday driver I need to remove the headrest so that I can carry a long item over the front seat of my 1984 Reliant wagon. I have had suggestions to shove hacksaw blades along the stem but I have tried this both front and back without success. I did chew up the plastic escutcheon a bit and hate the I marred something along the way. Any suggestions? I can't find anything in the shop manual either. Thank you,k Justin

Thank you. I will definitely be on the lookout for rust, especially soft floors. Any other typical rust spots unique to these? It is a NE car, suddenly cast out into the elements this year. Shiny paint in photos could be hiding lots of stuff. I will check the manifold by ear and sight.

I am going to drive 7 hours tomorrow to look at a '46 Super. It looks to be in really good shape but pictures were taken before the seller lost storage and it has been outside all this winter. Are there any predictable weak areas or areas/systems prone to trouble with these? I have been fiddling around with old cars and doing most of my own work for 40 years, and while a sedanet body has been on my wish list for decades this is the closest I am to bringing one home. Thank you for any info, Justin

I am slowly tackling the various bugaboos in my car. Latest question is what is the likely cause of the service engine light coming on/flashing once my tank gets to be about a quarter full? Once I fill the tank it goes off. I also need to replace the front parking brake cable. If anyone has hints to do that please share them with me. Thank you, J

Last night it was resolved. Electrical contacts in the governor were the culprit. Thanks for adding this info. Every bit helps. Justin

I have been all over the forum looking for an answer but haven't found it. My Traveler shifted fine and so does my '47 DeSoto. The car I am working on now is a '49 Gyromatic Dodge. I can't get the tranny/fluid drive combo to cooperate in the one to two upshift in the shifter's upper right position. The 3-4 upshift if fine, works smoothly, no clunking up or down. Why would one work and the other not? Fluid levels are fine. Thanks for any suggestions. Justin

Thank you 28 Chrysler. The cable from dash to fins is in three pieces. Only on the center portion does my little AA battery circuit tester not light up to indicate an unbroken conductor from the male plug to the inner female receptacle on the other end. I am guessing that is my problem causing limit reception of few stations. AND: Norman Pitkin, I believe I have the Mopar 802 in my '47 DeSoto. It is the vertical mount model with the chrome pushbuttons? The antenna wire from a standard antenna with a plug like the one described above fits but it was a snug fit that had to aligned carefully for the final squeeze. I had trouble with it, mostly because I am not that coordinated when I am upside down and crooked and my face is smushed by the brake pedal. Thank you both, Justin

A project for a snowy day has been to trace the antenna wires on my '60 DeSoto. I have two under the dash, two antennae mounted on the rear fins, and wasn't sure what was between. Only the right antenna had a wire to it but it is a different wire than what runs under the sills to the radio. Now that I have dissected and studied most of the situation I have a few questions. Why a Coaxial cable? Though at a distance, the outside layer seems to ground the antenna to the radio but where does the inside wire go. Does that go directly to the antenna and doesn't touch the car body or chassis in any way?. I'd like to run a new cable front to back but the body of the antenna doesn't have a simple outlet for a terminal and I need to repair what is there somehow. Thank you for any input. It is always appreciated. Justin

Thank you all for chiming in with advice. I will get back under with a more focused search. I'll report back. Justin