keithb7
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Posts posted by keithb7
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I sometimes ponder why the same year Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler had the split hoods. Yet the Desoto had the alligator mouth hood. From my limited perspective it does seem like an inefficient option. Cool no less. One more car to add to the bucket list.
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How about bloodied hands? That’s a sure sign something surely was accomplished!
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I got tired of fighting with new fangled digital battery chargers. I found an old manual type. Brand new. Century brand. 6V 15A. No auto shut off. No load sensing. Just blast it with pure raw amps. Gets the job done well and lickety-split too. If a person needs to be warned not to drink battery-acid, this charger is not for you.
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Which competitor of Ford, initially built and supplied major components to Ford for construction of the Model T? Answer: Dodge Brothers. Later to become part of the Chrysler company.
What car did Harry Truman drive back to his home in Independence Missouri from the Whitehouse, when his presidency ended in 1953? Answer: a new 1953 Chrysler New Yorker.
Henry Ford did not invent the car, however what did he and his team invent and strive to perfect? Answer: The mass producing, moving assembly line.
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If there are no leaks and the pedal bleeds down, I imagine brake fluid is by-passing the master cylinder plunger somehow.
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Yes I feel your pain. I too feel like there are less parts in stock.
The world has changed tremendously in my lifetime and I’m only 51. Customer service and satisfaction are words thrown around lots. In reality it seems to mean little any more. Computers and algorithms trump common sense. It seems profits and efficiency bring investors and growth, over satisfied buyers.
We know on-line buying is killing Mom & Pop brick and mortar stores. You can get those $10 ignition points on Amazon for only $12.99 plus $15 freight. You may wait a couple days for arrival then the cheapest-junk points you ever unpacked reveal themselves.
I am restraining myself from going into a rant about how the computer has replaced a skilled counter partsperson.
I tend to agree few and fewer people seem to be doing their own work and repairs. Seems that way. I have no proof. How excited is the average person to open the hood on their 2022 truck when a Fault code appears?
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Having fun checking valve seal integrity. Cleaning up and bringing back any lost torque!
Fun job. Take ‘yer time. Drink a cold one and make it all right. When it purrs again the world will feel smugly alright again.
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On my old Mopars that have battery under the front seat I find “00” is a little too big. The cables leave the top battery posts then quickly turn down under the battery box to the chassis. Single “0” is adequate and fits better.
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The oil remains in the pools as the drain holes are situated up high near the top of the pools.
Pools seen here. How oil gets up there, I have yet to witness. Maybe oil mist settles here and collects? I am certain oil is not pumped into these pools. I’ve been in my engine, head up in there checking valve clearances while the engine is running. I’m not seeing any oil splashing up into these pools.
Just one more secret hidden with the Caramilk Bar and the KFC spices recipe I guess.
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Little oil pools. Oil collects here and drains out through strategically drilled holes that align with the tappets. This is how the tappets are lubricated.
If you are switching up to a modern detergent based engine oil, yes indeed clean these pool out. Remove all built up sludge from earlier SAE oil use.
Additionally drop the oil pan. Clean it out thoroughly. The main oil suction screen too. Open the oil filter canister (if the engine is equipped with an oil filter) and be sure get all the sludge out of there as well.
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I’ve been fixing up my 1938 Plymouth since I bought it 3.5 years ago. I’ve put plates on it every year and driven it. Every winter I tackle projects. Its been a very fun and rewarding project. I’ve yet to touch bodywork and paint. Not sure I ever will. I have done a ton of other work to it. I’ve learned so much. Approaching 3,500 miles since I bought it. The car has never been restored. The odometer just rolled over in June. Back to zero. I’ve personally rebuilt the engine, clutch & tranny. Drive shaft. Axles. Brakes. Cooling system. Electrical and lots more.
It’s been a wonderful journey. Anyone who has not personally rebuilt an old sick car is really missing out.I’d say me and the car are pretty “close” at this point.
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On the topic of current vintage car hobby concerns:
I have experienced cheap, reproduction new parts. Lousy quality. Made you-know-where. High prices. I’m seeing seller’s lack of accountability and professionalism. Poor service and general knowledge. Lack of care or ownership to correct problems. Dishonest business practices. Add-in all the scammers using the internet and technology to steal from an honest person just trying to keep his old car running. Then there’s the shipping. Its gotten exponentially worse and higher priced. How about a $15 part and $50 to drop in in the mail?
It’s no wonder many are going the hot-rod route. Bountiful parts. Nothing rare. Every parts business around the corner can get you what you need. Endless local used parts and bolt-on speed options. At every car show there’s countless owners to collaborate with. You walk-in to your local respected Chevy dealer and order a new LS crate motor to drop-in.
In my experience the situation is certainly a detriment to the stock, old vintage car hobby. Depends where you live and your car brand of choice. Your mileage may vary.-
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She's a looker. Nice coupe. That's a big car, perfect for Sunday drives. A little work here and there to address a couple things, then you've got a fun car at a very low entry price into the vintage car hobby. According to my library, the car should have a 251 ci engine
I never see these around my areas. Never at shows. Never on the road. Never our cruising. None to be had it seems.
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I am thinking about the times that my 1938 car sits for a few weeks, unused. The pressure in the fuel system drops. The fuel in the lines flows back to the tank. Fuel in the carb bowl evaporates a bit. The level lower than it should be to start the engine. I jump in, crank the starter and the engine turns over many times. The mechanical lever action fuel pump is doing what it's supposed to. Drawing fuel out of the tank. This take some time. Sometimes 15 seconds. The float bowl fills back up and finally it will start. (I have installed a secondary electric fuel pump to alleviate this issue) The car has a hole for the option to use a hand crank. I suspect few attempted to accomplish this by hand. You could unbolt the air filter, pour a little down the carb. It would sputter and fire a couple of times and then stall again. It would assist in priming the fuel system, making it a lot easier. Yet the risk of the engine flooding it was a concern when doing this. You'd be going backwards then. If you were in a hurry to get somewhere, that wasn't happening. Imagine a hot summer day, in your suit and hat trying to clean out a flooded engine with a hand crank in 1938, on a car with a mechanical fuel pump?
I suppose cars mainly had an updraft carb, placed very low down by the oil pan. That would help with ease of fuel system priming and hand crank starting. A little gravity action to get some fuel moving. The vacuum fuel canister system, I assume retains some fuel in it that does not evaporate over a period of a few weeks? If the car were sitting unused? Henry Ford refused to pay premium dollars to acquire the patented vacuum canister fuel system. Stewart-Warner had the industry locked up and were milking it. The fuel system of Ford cars used gravity to feed the carb. No pump. The early model T had the fuel tank under the seat. Just slightly higher than the low mounted carb. When the fuel level got low, you hear stories about folks having to drive backwards up a hill, to get fuel to the carb I believe. I imagine it might be challenging to start an early model T by hand if it were low on fuel, parked on an uphill incline? Later Ford fuel tanks were relocated to the cowl area. Model A cars had the fuel tank in the cowl too. No more fuel delivery problems. Yet average cars were traveling faster now. Greater in numbers on the roads. Of course accidents were becoming more frequent and ever more deadly. The fuel tank in the cowl would be a serious safety issue in a front end accident. The mechanical fuel pump had been developed by 1928. It was proven to be reliable. By 1932 Ford finally started using a mechanical fuel pump. I believe the electric engine starting system was the norm by now. Mechanical fuel pumps common in the automobile industry. Yet the hand crank remained as an option. As someone mentioned, likely to help the stubborn folks slowly move ahead with improvements.
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I drive a ‘38 Plymouth sedan. 4.11 rear end. If I am rolling at all, any speed even slower than a walk, 2nd gear pulls just fine. California stops, this car has ‘em mastered.
After a couple drives you’ll get used to waiting for a full stop before going into first. Its a great car. Love mine to bits. The ‘38 and ‘39 gears are cut on an angle. They are called helical gears. They have more strength as they have a wider contact area. Also quieter operation compared to straight cut spur gears. Helical gears do create thrust forces. The cluster (countershaft) gear is shimmed with varying width thrust and standard washers. Wear on the washers means the cluster gear will move fore-and-aft too much. When shimmed back within spec, the tranny runs smoother and quieter. Also not chewing itself apart any more, making metal.
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The car sounds like a great project I’d enjoy. Just pay the appropriate price based on what it is and fix it! Is there a car with a better aftermarket parts supply chain supporting it? How many Model As did Ford produce? How many are still in the USA? Whether running or rusting in a field. Many thousands is likely. Sounds like a great opportunity to me.
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1 hour ago, Peter Gariepy said:
YOU HAVE 1938 CARS!
Yes. I am spoiled with two stock 1938 Mopars.
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17 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:
How many years old were the cars you walked past while looking for old cars?
Chopped. Blown. Chromed out. Fleck paint. Tubbed rear ends. Pick any year you like. From 1938 to 1988. Too many years to accurately say.
I’m pretty sure my post was clear. I was was interested in stock vehicles. Not just old cars.
To each their own. Not my thing. No malice intended.
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There are some shining moments for the stock vintage car lover. Just a lot less.
I saw these cars below at a small local show last week. I spent a good amount of time with the Model T owner. Asking lots of questions. I learned a ton about Model Ts that day. I’m grateful. I met a new Mopar contact. For me it was a worthwhile show to attend.
I agree with the comments about who car show organizers are catering to. Once motivated by money, you pretty-well know who they will be attracting.
1926 Model T
1935 Dodge
Ford Model A-
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My survivor. You'll kind of see my perspective.
I've been through it. I rebuilt the engine, transmission, clutch, driveshaft, axles. Stock brakes. Foot starter. 6V. Positive ground. Worm steering. Vacuum wipers. Electrical wiring renewed. I drive it a lot. The only modern conveniences would be the cell-phone USB charger hidden inside the glove box, and a back-up 6V electric fuel pump. Used for ease of starting and address any possible vapor lock. Which I think I have 100% sorted out. Up here in Canada we have "marked" marine fuel. No ethanol. No road tax. Supreme grade. Same price as regular grade. Illegal to run in an on-Road driven car. Yet there are ways to sneak it in! Indeed I do. 😜
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Yesterday I made the trek to probably one of the largest car shows in my region. I did not take one of my vintage cars. It was about a 2.5 hr drive each way. I made a last minute decision to go, so I was not prepared for the trip in one of my 1938 cars. I respect that people are into different things. Muscle cars. Resto-mods. Hot-rods. Whatever. To each their own. I like to remember to live and let live. My post here today is a limited view, generalization about the automobiles I saw at the show.
I will admit that I like old stock cars. Not necessarily original, but stock and maintained. A good old driver is pretty cool by me. My 23 year old son said recently " thats part of the charm of owning an old car. Experiencing how things were so many years ago". I have to agree with him.
I estimate there were 500-ish cars at the show. I went for a stroll basically. I walked past 95% of what I saw. I was in search of old stock cars. They were hard to find. After some time looking I got a little excited to see a 51 or so Fargo pick up. When I got closer it had a V8. I moved on looking for other examples. I can't honestly recall seeing more than a couple of stock vehicles up to 1950 or so. There were plenty with massive V8's and endless chrome. Manifold risers and blowers. Chopped. Dropped. Bagged. Rat-rods. They were all there in big numbers. Camaros, Trans-Ams, Corvettes, late 60's and early 70's Mopars galore. Dare I say Mustangs? I saw more there than on the TV series Yellowstone. I am sure there must have been a few more stock cars that I am not recalling right now. I must have been overwhelmed with all the bling and horsepower.
Based on what I saw, it seemed clear to me what is very popular. Stock old cars appear not at this period in time. At least not at that show. I know there are lots of us still out there that appreciate and love our old stock cars. We are indeed a shrinking number. Chrome, HP and torque has always been popular since the earliest hot rods. I respect that. It's culture carries on. I suspect younger people are attracted to it. TV shows like Monkey Garage and like, certainly are appealing to a large upcoming generation.
I think my mind was enlightened a little after yesterdays stroll through the show. It must be very difficult for Vintage Car clubs to keep up their memberships. I do know that I should have made the trip in one my my '38 Mopars. To show them to the crowds. I calculate that I would have had a great chance to win a "Survivor" award with my Plymouth. Or maybe best stock car pre 1950 for my Chrysler. Maybe next year I will plan the trip. Folks need to see these old stock cars and how they were built. Let them see that they are still out there driving today without an LS swap.
Yes, perhaps I am stating the obvious. I’m just sharing my recent experience. I suspect many here can relate.
I did enjoy this gasser on the portable dyno there. It sounded great. I believe the owner claimed it was a Pontiac. He pulled about 400 ft lbs of torque.
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Nice to see that car and hear the history. She’s going to live up to what she said she’d do. Over the last 30 years how many times has she said “No it’s not for sale. I’m going to restore it some day”
Good on you girl. Go bake the tires. Light ‘em up at any opportunity!
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Tri-5, Corvette, Mustang, Camaro. 4 models that account for 50% of a car show it seems. I keep quiet about my limited interest. To each their own.
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When you have been driving for a while and everything is at full operating temperatures a few things happen.
The older carbs are multiple sections bolted together in layers. Like a sandwich with gaskets between the sections. As the gaskets age the carb area will be wet with some gas. A little sweating out. The hot engine parts make it flash off and it stinks up the garage when parked.
Even when that is addressed, all sealed up, when you park a hot car you get heat sink. The engine is off. The fan not turning now. You just parked it. Everything gets a little hotter for a while before it starts to cool down. The modern gas in the bowl starts to expand and vaporize. Its pushed out of various tiny fuel passages in the carb. Out the bottom inside the carb, near your throttle valve. It dribbles into the hot intake manifold and vaporizes. Stinking up your garage for a while. Then when things cool down it stops. Be sure to run non-ethanol fuel. It will help. Ethanol infused fuel boils-off at lower temps.
You may be interested in going deeper into the topic here if wanted:
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Used Car Sales In The 30’s
in General Discussion
Posted
For an interesting look into used car sales business practices during the great depression. Read chapter 7 in the “Grapes Of Wrath”.
A fiction book yet I suspect the account was accurate. Quite a chapter.