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Looks like most of the leak is coming from the rear seal. Does that car have an overdrive in it, as the rear of the transmission looks different? Seals are usually easy to change, but for now just keep an eye on the level. I would recommend using at least a 140wt. gear lube which might ease some of the leakage. I don't think that there is a seal in the front of the transmission, if it's similar to the Dodge unit, but they can leak from the front. Are your u-joints exposed or are they covered with a leather boot?

My slowest car was my 1928 Ford pickup, which cruised best between 45 and 50 mph. Slow by today's standards, especially for a trip on the PA turnpike. I loved it though; you could drive the back roads. relax and take a good look at the surroundings. Today, everything is so fast!

I know of an all original, complete, unrestored '33 Plymouth coupe that sold for $10,000. But that doesn't happen everyday! The fact that your car has been altered and disassembled is definitely going to hurt the selling price. If the frame and body have not been altered, and if you have all the original parts and engine, that will be a plus. Just have to find the right buyer. The lack of replacement parts and the cost of restorations today will be a factor, but some of the rod guys will still put out big bucks. Hate to see it be rodded!

If I were you, I'd get a good rebuilt Zenith. You may have fewer troubles.

Thanks Alan, I couldn't find my source. Henry, I believe they're called u-joint boots.

If you can find any, get the covers that are split, lace up type, then you won't have to disassemble the shaft.

The second photo is definitely NOT the same car. Looks suspicious to me!

From what I understand, there may be a small fitment issue where the fender meets the splash apron. I think that the curve has to be reworked some, but I'm not positive. Check on the Ford Barn or on one of the Model a club sites, there's a lot more activity on those.

The rods should be straight not bent. Being bent is an indication that something wasn't right. I can't make the rods any longer, they'd only get bent for lack of travel. Looks like I'm going to have to mount the body and see if that helps. It was hooked up before I took it apart, so it should go back together again, theoretically speaking. Thanks for the comments!

Thanks Kevin. The shocks can only mount one way. The link rods are in front of the rear axle and are only about 11 in. long. The shock arms are integral with the bodies and cannot be repositioned. There are 2 bushings, a top and a bottom, on each end with the nuts at the ends of each rod. This allows for some flex in the system. The photos are mostly worthless unless one is familiar with the setup but these are all I had.

And nobody pays any attention to the speed limits anymore! I blame that on the cops and their superiors, giving people up to 10 miles over the posted limit. Give an inch, they'll take a mile!

I've replaced the original rear shock link rods with new ones that I made that are an exact copy of the original, but seem to have an issue. There is no way that I can get the shock arm to get anywhere close to hook up the link or even to line up properly. The frame is bare right now. Does it require the body weight to push the frame down far enough for the rod to meet the shock arm? The bare body doesn't seem to be near heavy enough to push the frame down far enough. The shocks only mount one way, and with the bare frame, the arm, when pushed down the whole way, just meets tip of the rod at an odd angle. Seems like this would put a lot of stress on the rod and the shock arm. I see on the lower shock rod mounting plate, that mounts under the spring, has a dipped recess to accommodate the rubber bushings on the link rod. I'm pretty sure that this "dipped' part faces downward in it's correct mounting, but I'm not certain anymore! I would appreciate any help. I think Plymouth had a similar set up. In the first photo, if you look real close, you can just see the top of the link rod, near the bend in the brake hose, and the left shock arm. The second pic better shows the mounting of the right rear shock.

Check with D and D Automobilia in Lincolnton, NC at 704-748-3447.

I believe that there should be a channel, about 1/2 in wide that runs around the body opening. The weatherstrip fits into this channel. The photo is of a '36 but I think the set up is the same. There are two sizes of this shape extrusion, this is the smaller of the two.

The build card should tell you, but since the Chrysler Historical Society site closed awhile back, I don't know if you can still get that info!

Take a look at Paul Shin's Model A videos on Youtube. He's found some LED bulbs that have the yellowish light, which looks more period correct but still has the brightness that you're looking for. I think the guy that was selling them is a Norman Wells. I don't have any issues with certain upgrades like bulbs, how often are the lights on anyway!

You're most likely looking for 600/650x 16 tires and tubes. I recommend the Goodyear tires as they look period correct. They come from Lucas Tire which is also owned by the Coker company. I think the T15 stem is a standard rubber offset stem. Lucas only showed 1 tube in that size. I don't think that those drop center rims require a rim strip, I've never used one, and I believe that the strip is to cover the welds on spoked wheels so they don't rub through the tube. Again, I've not used any, and I don't think that you'll need those with those style wheels, but I'm no expert. On my Model A, I just ran some duct tape around the center to cover the spoke ends and it worked fine for as long as I had the car. Caution, there has been some talk about really cheap and lousy tubes lately, so make sure that there is some guarantee on them when you purchase. Ask questions, I'm sure the tire folks will have some answers for you.

I anyone is interested, I know of a '47-'48 DeSoto Club Coupe for sale near me. Car looks complete, and in fair shape but needs a complete restoration. Garage kept and probably could be had for low money! Located in Johnstown PA. If interested, please PM me for more details.

Call Restoration Specialties in Pa at 814-467-9842. They have a good stock of nice material and are currently making new windlace in house. Ask for Jeff, he'll send you samples.

I don't know...Looks like a pretty solid and complete car to me and a good candidate for restoration, if you like Chryslers, especially for the price! I'm restoring a '36 Dodge that was much worse than this car! In the hobby today, you can't see every car as a money maker!

Restoration Specialties carries a stock of "cowlboard" which has a painted grained finish on one side' It's fairly flexible and could probably be moulded by slightly wetting the back. See online or call 814-467-9842

Check with Restoration Specialties in PA at 814-467-9842. First photo looks like their numbers 1360 and 1355 respectively, but you have to call for availability. You can also check online. Ask for Jeff. Good hunting

I may be wrong, but I think you can only register a car as a regular car, antique or classic, but not more than one. If you register it now as a regular car, you'll pay the standard fees for title, registration and licensing. Later , if you want to change it to antique status, you'll be required to retitle it as antique, which will cost around $100 I think, and apply for an antique plate, which is also around that figure now. I still think, that you'd be further ahead to go the antique route. Good luck in whatever you decide! Where is McKean county, I'm not familiar with it. I live in the Johnstown area.

Bottom line is that if you are going to use it as a daily driver, in PA, it must be registered as a regular vehicle, which means it will have to pass inspection and be insured. You'd be foolish to just get liability insurance and then risk having an accident that could destroy the car with no coverage . All lights, turn signals will have to be brought up to modern standards and in some areas, it will have to pass a pollution test. As far as I know, there's no way around that. I really think that you'd be further ahead to buy yourself a good modern car as a daily driver as a '36 Desoto, while being a nice car, will not suffice as your only car, both in reliability and traffic speed. These cars can be hard to find parts for and even harder to find someone who will be willing to repair it if it breaks down, unless you are mechanically knowledgeable. Enjoy the car as a hobby car and insure it with one of the collectable car insurance companies. They will give better coverage at a much lower price. As far as PA antique tag restrictions, I found out that they really don't watch that closely, as I used to drive my "A" alot. Then one must ask, define one day a week and you still have to have modern lights to drive at night. Still, one has to follow the guidelines. The state does not limit mileage. I've found that the insurance companies put far more restrictions on the vehicle than the state, including mileage. Where in PA are you located?

Bob Giles, a forum member is selling some wool fabric that might look pretty good in your car. He has a thread for this under the "parts for sale" section> Check it out!