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How to start a 1927 Chrysler 50


Guest basketballtitan

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Guest basketballtitan

Ok folks you helped me before hope you can help me again. I got the 27 back to my garage and am ready to try to start the car. However, There is no ignition, however there is a dial on the dash where one of the options is ignition. Please help as their is no key to turn. There is also a knob on the floor to the right of the gas pedal. As you can see I am a newbie, just trying to get this car started for my dad. He has had in the shed for 3yrs and was told was running when it was put away. Thanks in advance for any help on this one

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Before you begin, check the gas has not gone bad. If it smells like gas you are ok. If it smells like old stinky varnish DO NOT start the car until you drain the gas and clean the tank. Bad gas can gum up or freeze up your motor.

Isn't there a key hole in the dial?

I'm no 27 Chrysler expert but my guess is, the knob on the floor is the starter. Push down hard with your foot and the starter should go. Set the dial to ignition, set the choke, and the throttle if there is one, and turn the starter.

There should be a hand choke on the dash or possibly on the steering wheel. In cold weather it needs to be closed all the way, in mild weather 1/2, in hot weather 1/4 or maybe not on at all if the engine is warm.

Hand throttle should be 1/4 to 1/2, again, depending how cold the engine is.

As soon as the engine starts you should adjust the throttle and choke for a steady idle. When the engine is warm they can be dispensed with.

With a little practice you will get the feel for how much throttle and choke you need to start. Or pull the choke all the way closed and open it as soon as it starts.

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I would suggest you look online for an instruction book. It will give you a TON of information. There are reprints out there. Here is an original...http://www.ebay.com/itm/1926-1927-CHRYSLER-50-ORIGINAL-OWNERS-MANUAL-RARE-ORIG-/200520958680?pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&hash=item2eaffb02d8&vxp=mtr

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Ok folks you helped me before hope you can help me again. I got the 27 back to my garage and am ready to try to start the car. However, There is no ignition, however there is a dial on the dash where one of the options is ignition. Please help as their is no key to turn. There is also a knob on the floor to the right of the gas pedal. As you can see I am a newbie, just trying to get this car started for my dad. He has had in the shed for 3yrs and was told was running when it was put away. Thanks in advance for any help on this one

There was no ignition key for this model, the dash mounted switch you see is simply used to make the ignition circuit live when you move to that position, you will note that the other positions are for lighting. The starter button or foot pedal will turn the starter over when depressed, it is live all the time, in other words if you depress it at any time the starter motor will operate - be warned.

Therefore moving the dash switch to ignition position is where you want to be, if you want the engine to run after you depress the starter button / pedal, to stop the engine you obviously move the dash switch to off, if you need to use lights then move the switch to the desired position and if the engine is running, it will continue to run - however if you have the lights on with the engine stopped, the ignition is still live, so if you inadvertently engaged the starter in this situation the engine would start.

So you may well ask how could you stop the car from being stolen if you don't need a key to start it, if you look at the base of the gear stick in the floor you will notice a lock in the transmission casing; so you should have a key but its not for the ignition, its to lock the transmission in gear when you leave the vehicle, not exactly foolproof but I guess life was simpler back then.

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Guest basketballtitan

Thank you all for your help, I am looking forward to getting home tonight and trying to get this car started.

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Guest basketballtitan

Here are a couple of pics of the dash floor buttons and a couple of switches on the steering wheel.

On the floor I assure the larger button is the gas? and the smaller one the lights? I also have no idea about the levers on the steering wheel. Lastly on the dash I assume the choke is below and to the right of the gauges. However does anyone know what the knobs to the left of the red gauge is there are two of them?

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On the wheel one lever is the throttle the other is for timing.

The accelerator is next to the brake petal and the starter switch is the one that has a rivet on top.

The timing should be in the full advanced position unless you are hand cranking it.

Open the throttle a bit and pull the choke out. The coke is the knob above and to the right of the oil/amp gauge.

If the car has not run in years you may want to take the spark plugs out and put in a bit of oil, then turn the motor over without the ignition on.

After you have oil pressure then you an try to start it, you may have to fill the vacuum tank with fuel or use a small tank hooked up to the carb.

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This might help you on the position to place your ignition knob when you try to start it.

Great job with the picture Jack, just to elaborate if I may on the switch labelling, curb - park lights, off -ignition off, day - ignition on (no lights), bright and dim - headlight hi and low beam with ignition on.

Moving on to the two items at the top of the instrument panel, the left one is actually the instrument panel light, twist the housing around and you will see the internal globe, or fitting if the globe is missing, the idea is that you can turn the housing through 360 degrees to have full, partial or no instrument lighting. The knob to the right of it is the choke control as already described

One other item in your photos is the speedometer trip meter reset knob, immediately under the dash below the speedometer. Cant remember if you push or pull on the control as you turn it, but it should rewind the lower dial to zero much like a modern trip meter reset.

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On the throttle and spark levers, does anyone know if they should be up or down for starting?

Spark lever would normally be set full down (retarded) for starting, particularly important if you are hand cranking to avoid kickback, move up to advance for normal driving; whilst driving you might move (down) towards retard if you were climbing a hill or slowly lugging along in top gear.

Throttle lever is moved down to increase revs, you might use this to crack the throttle a little for cold starting and warm up.

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