detroitsoul

Thanks, we did flush the block when we pulled it and you are right-a lot of gunk did come out. We did not tank it however. Everything looked good to the naked eye-knock on wood! I had an in-line fuel filter that somehow got twisted and it wasn’t allowing fuel pickup from the tank. I definitely need to get the choke unstuck. The radiator is going to have to be on hold until then. That was the first time I ever ran it that high but not by choice. It might be worth replacing the cable. Is there supposed to be any lubrication on the slides for the choke and the throttle? It looks like metal on metal.

Needs more pics of the car 🤔

Thank you.

A while back, we pulled my radiator while rebuilding the engine. We flushed it and pressure tested it. There was one or two pinhole leaks near the top half but nothing bigger than that. After my choke stuck, a lot of coolant came out after the engine stopped. I would say about a gallon. It was mostly dark green with some slight rust tinge. I am wondering if I would be able to find someone local to re-core it would be better in the long run to just get a new radiator?

I did check out your suggestion. There doesn’t seem to be a step but the cable might be hanging up before that. I’ll check the cable out. Thank you, I appreciate it.

I will check that. Thanks!

The cable and the butterfly can be adjusted independently but the slide on the dashboard is what is sticking halfway out. It won’t go back in and I don’t want to force it.

How do I get the choke to release? It’s stuck out halfway. It will come out more but it will not go in past that point. It’s like something solid dropped down and it is stopping it from going all the way back in.

The last couple of months I have been trying to get my 38 to start again since I got it started last summer. It wouldn’t turn over completely and I figured out that the inline fuel filter my guy had put in was crimped. I bought a couple of gallons of gas and a new filter. I started it up, the choke stuck, and the engine ran high longer than I wanted it. Next thing I know, there’s coolant dumping out of the radiator. What a disaster!

Its hard to social distance in a Zephyr though because everyone wants to come over and check it out! LOL

Thanks. That looks like a handy tool!

Before I try that, I need to check the load on my battery. AutoZone said they would check it for free. I had a maintainer on the battery over the winter but I did not turn the engine over at all. I wasn’t sure how to start it and my garage is not attached or heated. When we took it around the block last June, I purchased a carb rebuild from Chris but my friend John wasn’t able to get to it before he passed. He was spraying starter fluid directly into the carb with the air filter off when we were starting it. I tried doing that before starting it with no luck which makes me suspect my battery. I could be wrong. I am no mechanic! I try though. LOL.

If you push in the panel, remove the pin from the handle, pull of the handle off, put the escutcheon plate and trim piece around the handle, how does one get the handle back on and the pin back in the panel?

Thanks for the response. I need to figure out how I am going to replace the missing metal at the front of rear fenders. There is nothing there for the locks to lock into! I might do a sheet metal patch temporarily.

When we took my 38 on its initial test run back in November 2018, one of lenses came out of it’s bevel and shattered. Shortly after that, I purchased a pair of 38 lenses. We had trouble getting the one new lens to fit but we made it work. We were more focused on getting the engine buttoned up. My friend and mechanic John was able to get the engine running last summer so that I was able to move it from storage to my home. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly this past November. I really relied on him heavily for most of the work on my vehicle. I am a man of limited mechanical know-how but I am willing. One of the last things we were working on was a carburetor rebuild. I purchased a kit and I had planned on John rebuilding it in the fall. John’s passing was unexpected. It set me back a little and I felt lost without his guidance. Last month, I tried working on a few of the things we hadn’t finished yet. One of those was headlight lens fitting. I adjusted the brackets because the lens seemed to be smaller than the bezel but I thought things might be out of kilter a bit. On closer inspection, I noticed a distinct difference in the styling of the old lens versus the purchased pair. Looking further, I saw the old lens had a 96H and both new had 86H. Researching it here, I came upon a post from 2010 that covered this exact issue! It seems that someone retro-fitted the car with 39 lenses and bezels. I am not sure about the bezel mounting brackets. If there is a difference between 38 and 39 bezels and lenses, it would stand to reason the brackets would be different. I am little lost and I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

I am so jealous! I haven’t been able to get mine to start after the long Winter sleep.

I haven’t messed with these in awhile because there are holes at the front of both wheel wells where the main latches go in. The right side has an adjustable lug nut to activate the latch. The left side seems to be missing. I would like to purchase it eventually. Can I buy metal for patching holes in the body? Chris at Boos-Herrell is who I get most of my parts from. I didn’t see this or the left lug nut for the fender skirt.

I’ll take another look, Keith. Thank you. I thought I might be doing something wrong. I appreciate the help, gentlemen!

Ken, the ash tray pull was easy! Everything lined up and the pull went on without a hitch. I had the old bolts for the glove box handle but between the old and new bolts I can’t seem to get the holes for the pull to line up in the radius of the pocket on the door. The shaft for the wiper went down into the dashboard. I am hoping I can remove the stainless steel bezel and maybe pull out the wiper pull shaft with some needle-nosed pliers. I am not sure how it is attached and I don’t want to break it. Thank you for the feedback. I am waiting for some help to do my carburetor re-build so I am trying to tackle these little items by myself. My longtime mechanic and friend passed away unexpectedly this past November and I am not as mechanical as I’d like to be. I appreciate your time.

So I purchased a few trim pieces for my 38 Zephyr Sedan from Knobsoup and I’m having a little trouble figuring out how to get them on. The first ones are the glove compartment pulls. The original holes in the door are 1 1/8” and the spacing on the new pulls looks like it’s 1 5/8”. That can’t be right, can it? I got a new windshield wiper knob too. I pulled the disintegrated original off and the retractable post retracted. Go figure. Does the stainless steel bezel unscrew? Is it threaded? Can I get to it without pulling the dash apart? I also got some escutcheons for the window and the door handles. Are the handles “pressed” on like newer models? Can I get them off with a leverage bar or a pry bar? If not, how? I could use a little help, please. Thank you!

Glad to hear.

Yes, it is a '38. I will try that out. Thank you!

Any tips to re-attach the fender skirts? Mine fenders have some holes. Thank you.

So when the weather was a little nicer here in Michigan this past fall, we took the Zephyr for a short ride. Unfortunately, most of the hub caps became unsecured from the wheels and commenced to rolling every which way. My nine-year-old son got a kick out of it but I was a little dismayed that my adjustments were not successful. Good thing we weren't going fast! Can anyone recommend how to better secure the caps to the wheels? I played around with the rim clamps but I am not sure what method to employ for success. Once I get the carburetor rebuilt this spring, I am hoping to go cruising again!