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1930 Roadster


Guest CHendry

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Guest CHendry

Need some help. We recently became the owners of this beauty. She has been sitting in a garage for the last 15 years. We are having some trouble finding a 6v battery for it. We have dropped the GAS tank and cleaned it out and the engine isn't seized up. What all needs to be done to get it running? 

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Guest CHendry

This car was bought by my dad's great uncle in Albany, N.Y. in 1930, brand new. My dad got it when he passed away.  This summer my dad decided to give it to me to enjoy.  It has been in two movies: OSCAR and THE WAY WE WERE, we have documentation. Right now we're just trying to get the engine to turn over, I  thinking the fuel filter. 

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Same family for 87 years! That's pretty cool.

This little roadster looks like it should be very easy and affordable to get back up and running. It will be hundreds, not thousands. Change the all fluids, filters, tune up parts (plugs, points, condenser, etc.) you already have the fuel tank cleaned so you should be good to go there. Tires look good but 15 years of sitting means they need to be replaced along with the tubes. I'd hook a power bleeder up to the master cylinder and flush the old brake fluid out, replace with new. Grease all the zirc fittings, new battery and Bingo! it's parade day. 

Can you share some more pictures of the car? B)

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Guest CHendry

Need some help. Car isn't getting any spark. It's good to the distributor and rebuilt the carbourator today.  Any suggestion on what to do next? 

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2 minutes ago, CHendry said:

Need some help. Car isn't getting any spark. It's good to the distributor and rebuilt the carbourator today.  Any suggestion on what to do next? 

No spark coming out of the wires? Maybe the condenser.

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Clean the points.

Many times sitting for long periods of time they tend to glaze over for some reason.

These are very basic ignitions and a simple multimeter with someone that know how to use it will make it look simple.

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Guest CHendry

Ok, need some help. Today we replaced all of the spark plug wires, distributor cap, rotor button, condenser on distributor,  new wires to distributor, new wire to generator....still no spark. Any thoughts?

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On 8/2/2017 at 5:18 PM, CHendry said:

Need some help. Car isn't getting any spark. It's good to the distributor and rebuilt the carbourator today.  Any suggestion on what to do next? 

So, you were getting spark to the distributor, but now you are not? Did you check the coil? Sounds like coil or condenser. I know you said that you changed out the condenser, but I might try another as sometimes they are bad from the start.

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6 hours ago, CHendry said:

Ok, need some help. Today we replaced all of the spark plug wires, distributor cap, rotor button, condenser on distributor,  new wires to distributor, new wire to generator....still no spark. Any thoughts?

 

With points closed and ignition turned on, using a fine screwdriver, lever the point open and closed; do you have a spark at the points ??

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Guest CHendry
9 hours ago, keiser31 said:

So, you were getting spark to the distributor, but now you are not? Did you check the coil? Sounds like coil or condenser. I know you said that you changed out the condenser, but I might try another as sometimes they are bad from the start.

 how do I check the coil? 

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Pull the center wire from the dist cap, hold  the wire near the block and have someone step on the starter with the key turned on.  Or, take the cap off, remove the center wire as above, turn the key on and open the points manually.  No spark your coil is a dead.

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Just curious. I think this car might be a '29. Doesn't appear to have a water pump in the engine shot. Compare it with the shot Keiser provided. Also it should have the horn on the head light bar. A check of serial numbers should sort it.  We have a Canadian '29 sedan.

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The coil is your best bet. These cars originally came with the coil attached directly to the ignition switch although many have been converted to a coil on the firewall inside the car, just an FYI.

 

I have the 30U version of your car, so feel free to contact me if you want to compare notes.

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Guest CHendry

 

1 hour ago, hursst said:

The coil is your best bet. These cars originally came with the coil attached directly to the ignition switch although many have been converted to a coil on the firewall inside the car, just an FYI.

 

I have the 30U version of your car, so feel free to contact me if you want to compare notes.

The ignition switch the coil however you could turn it on with a screwdriver because it was stripped out at some point.  We've tried two new could and have had no luck.  There is no spark to thecoil wire. New 6 volt ignition coil, negative at ammeter, positive to distributor. Coil mounted and grounded to the frame. What am I missing here? We could really use help with this

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It could be the movable arm of the points grounding out or a short where the primary wire enters the dist housing.  You can check the coil separately by holding the high tension wire near the block and having one primary wire attached and make and break the connection with the other one.  If that gives you a high tension spark then your problem is inside the distributor. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest CHendry

Ok... So here's the update. Got the car running... For about a week. Drive around the block several times, did great. Now it won't crank over. Any suggestions?

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I would try going to the 28-32 4-cyl owner's site located here: http://www.1948plymouth.info/28Q29U/index.php

 

I think you have to register to post, but these guys focus on these cars exclusively, so you may get more help there than on here.  You may also want to post what the current symptoms of the car are.  What have you tested at this point, now that the car won't turn over.  Is the battery still good, is the starter getting power, etc., just basic things, so maybe folks can tune in on what the problem may be.  Your post was a week ago, though, any news since then?

 

-Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...

In the past 25 years I have noticed about half of the points for my car have the notch in the spring a shade too near the end so that the spring touches the dist body.  The first time I was on the road and slid a piece of the cover from a book of matches as an insulator.  All the same manufacturer but some good and some not.

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Looks like my 1929 Plym Roadster 28 and 29 Q and U  used Anti syphon cooling 1930-32 used a water Pump my friends 1930 dodge brothers truck used a motor also looks like that with a silver dome in the U133 ton and half but water pump was on the drivers side and generator up front like the Roadster,   racertb why do you think or know its not a 29, I will go out to mine that my father had before me in he got the roadster in 1964 and  take a look

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