Rusty_OToole

What year is it? They made them with 6 volt starters up to 54, 12 volt starters after that. I believe the starters had a different type of gear, finer teeth on the 12 volt and a different gear ratio. The flywheel had to be different too, to mesh with the different gear. So, a 6 volt flywheel and 12 volt starter will not work together. When you have the starter off peek in the hole at the flywheel. If the gears are different it will be fairly obvious, the gears should look the same if one is obviously coarser with bigger teeth you should see the difference at once.

I don't know what prices are like in California but I would pass on that one. I'm sure you can do better. Yesterday I bought a 2000 Ford Windstar minivan for $600. It is a clean one owner vehicle. Only 125,000 KM or less than 80,000 miles. The reason the owner is selling is that there are rust holes in the rocker panels and it needs rear brakes. He also thinks the transmission is going but it isn't. This is a cheap price, the same van on a car lot would be $4995 or more. I already fixed the brakes, tomorrow I am taking it to a friend who does bodywork in his home garage. When he is done it will be as good as new, his work is the equal of any regular body shop. Total cost with everything done and on the road, right around $1000. I put this here not to brag but to point out that deals are around if you look for them. The best deals seem to be from well off people who bought the car new, and once it gets to be 7 to 10 years old, and has something wrong like a muffler, tires or brakes they think it is time for a new car. In this case the owner was a retired airline executive. He wanted $2395 for the van to start with, I asked him to have his mechanic check it over, when he saw what all was wrong with it he was shocked and wanted to send it to the junkyard. I had to talk him into selling it to me. The price of $600 was $500 for the van and $100 for the mechanic's inspection. Personally if I needed a reliable car to cover 100 miles per day without fail, I would be looking for a newer car namely one 5 to 7 years old, certainly no more than 10. There are too many things that deteriorate with age. In fact I would take a high mile, 5 year old car over a low mile 10 year old car. The Windstar is not going to be my only transportation. I want it for a hack to haul parts, go to flea markets, etc.

If you have both cars why don't you slide underneath and look? My guess is that the frame will fit although you might have to modify or reinforce it. By looking at the old frame and taking some measurements you will soon know for sure.

It is also possible the control system is malfunctioning. The ignition is supposed to cut out for a second during the shift, this is controlled by one of the switches on the carburetor and the controls on the transmission. Do you have a repair manual?

There is an over running clutch (like a bicycle free wheel) in the transmission and another one in the torque converter. It sounds like the one in the transmission is bad. I say that only because the one in the torque converter runs in an oil bath and so is less likely to fail. The transmission itself is ruggedly built and no harder to rebuild than any manual trans. The only difference is the oil pump at the back and the hydraulic controls. I had a 52 New Yorker with Fluid Torque Drive (same thing as your transmission). The transmission went on the fritz. A local mechanic repaired it using parts from a 50 DeSoto 6 transmission (Fluid Drive, no torque converter). So far as I know the transmission is the same as any M6 at least as far as the internal parts go. My MoToR Repair Manual says the 49-54 transmission is fundamentally the same as the 46-48 transmission with some improvements such as a different oil pump and simplified controls. So,it appears that any 1949-54 M6 transmission from a Dodge DeSoto or Chrysler will work in your car. I'm assuming the input shafts are the same. My 1951-52 Plym-Dodge-DeSoto-Chrysler part book lists the Prestomatic transmission with choice of 2 torque converters, A266 or A322. This suggests there were different torque converters for 6 and V8. The transmission can be removed without disturbing the torque converter.

The first phase of the merger was to put together Studebaker and Packard, and Nash and Hudson. Then merge the 2 companies into one entity. The first 2 mergers took place then Mason died. His successor George Romney refused to go through with the final merger, perhaps wisely. He did keep the name American Motors which is what the new company was to be called. He also dropped the names Nash and Hudson in favor of the name Rambler, which was their most popular model at the time. Rambler kept the name Ambassador for their top model, a long time Nash nameplate. The Ramblers were basically Nashes anyway. The last vestige of Hudson died with the 1957 models. Studebaker-Packard struggled along, dropping the Packard name after 1958. Studebaker went on until 1963 at their South Bend factory then made cars only at their Canadian plant until 1966. American Motors was absorbed by Chrysler in the 80s. The last ghost of the old independents is the Jeep. The Jeep was invented by Bantam, made during WW2 by Ford and Willys, became a Willys exclusive after the war, was then taken over by Kaiser, then American Motors, and finally Chrysler.

The best thing to use today is Tractor fluid, TDH type, ISO32 grade. This is for transmissions, differentials and hydraulics on tractors (hence TDH). It is good for your transmission and for the fluid drive unit as well. I see you did not take my advice to search the Fluid Drive threads or you would have known this. There are a few other bits of info in there that would be to your advantage. I'm not going to type them all out again but they are there if you want to look them up.

How?

It used to be that using detergent oil in an engine that always used non detergent was a bad idea. Since detergent oil has been the standard choice in every garage since the early 50s it is hard to find a car that never used it. Your Model A might qualify. Is there any chance of finding out from the previous owner what he used? You could always take off the pan and clean out the sludge then use detergent oil. In fact if you do not use detergent oil you need to clean out the sludge manually anyway.

Does your car have the electroluminescent light system? If so you should read this thread. http://forums.aaca.org/f145/62-new-yorker-dash-help-279827.html Even though your car was the base model Chrysler it had a lot of features other cars did not have. Incidentally be careful monkeying around behind the dash. They operate on 270volts and can give you quite a lifter. Best disconnect the battery and let it sit for a while before you try to take it apart. Some more info from the Imperial people. http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1960/Panelescent/index.htm

By the way, not having those wires on won't prevent the car from starting. They will only prevent the transmission from shifting into high gear. It's possible your problems are only beginning. Is it too late to go back and do the job right? By that I mean, keep it original. It would be lot easier and cheaper in the end.

Yep. The master cylinder needs a slight amount of pressure to maintain a seal, there is a 2 pound residual pressure valve in the master cylinder. If the car is not used for a long time the pressure can go down then the fluid will slowly drip out. If the master cylinder is still in good shape and not rusty, and the rubbers not deteriorated by age, then filling the cylinder and pumping the brakes a few times will fix it. In other words this was your lucky day. They don't all fix themselves that easy.

What you are talking about is part of the control system for the transmission. It contains a circuit breaker and a resistor. The terminals should be labelled "Bat" for battery, "Sol" for solenoid, "Ign" for ignition and "Int" for interrupter. They are connected as follows Bat - goes to the - side of the coil. This was the green wire. Ign - goes to the + side of the coil. This was red. Int - goes to the interrupter switch on the transmission. This was blue. Sol - Has 2 wires. One goes to the solenoid on the transmission. This one was red. The other one goes to the carburetor anti stall switch. This one was yellow. There are other wires in the transmission control circuit but those are the only ones that go to the circuit breaker and resistor box . Also some models have other items piggybacked onto the bat and ign connections. The original system was 6 volt positive ground. This accounts for the - being Bat and + being Ign. What I have given you is the basic wiring. If you have any more trouble let us know and we will try to help. By the way. Good luck getting the transmission controls to work on 12 volts. So far as I know, no one has ever done this. Let us know how it works, or at least rig up a 6 volt power source. Or, if they will work on 12 volts without burning out. Whether the change from + ground to - ground will make a difference I do not know but my guess is it won't.

There were several different models, the Special was the smallest Buick that year. It was based on the GM "B" body. I believe the Super was also a B body car. The Roadmaster was a much bigger car, based on the GM "C" body also used by Cadillac. So, the bumper extensions could be for the big Roadmaster or they may be for a different year. If we had some pictures one of the real gone Buick fans could figure it out.

That's not too long. Add some stabilizer and the gas should be good for several years. If you drain the tank, put the gas in your new car or lawn mower and use it up. Then buy fresh when you need it. Would be a good idea to take the battery out and charge it up overnight once a month.

Recommended for cars with low compression engines. By 1955 pretty much all cars had high compression engines, about the same as today's. Cars from the 20s and 30s can benefit from some added kerosene, cars from the 40s maybe if you don't add too much. The gas they sold back then had kerosene in it also known as "heavy ends".

If you just can't live without an aftermarket cam in your otherwise stock 2 barrel motor, phone the cam manufacturer's help line and go by their recommendation. To me it's like putting a jockey in pink silks on the back of a Budweiser Clydesdale but to each his own.

These transmissions require a certain driving technique. More or less like an automatic transmission but they require some assistance from the driver. The Gyro-Torque drive is the same as Fluid Drive but with a torque converter in place of the fluid drive unit. This gives them a performance advantage, in fact with the torque converter and 4 speeds to work with, you can get more out of them performance wise than any other automatic of the time. Try this and see if it helps. Briefly here is how the Fluid Drive transmission works. There are 3 shifter positions, High range Low range and Reverse. For High range pull the lever down, for low range push the lever up, for reverse pull the lever toward you and up. These are the same positions as High, Second, and Reverse of a conventional column shift. There is no Low gear position. NOTE later models had a shifter resembling an automatic quadrant. On those models the shift lever goes straight up and down except you have to pull the lever toward you when going into reverse. To start off here is how I like to do it in my car. Put the trans in neutral, if you are not familiar with column shift neutral is between High and Low range positions. So put it in neutral and pull out the hand brake. To avoid that annoying ratcheting sound turn the handle when you pull. Start the engine and let it warm up a minute. Step on the clutch, shift into High range, and release the clutch completely. Now release the hand brake and drive off as if it was an automatic transmission. You are now in low gear of high range. When you get going 14 MPH or more, lift off the gas. You should hear a *click-clack* from the transmission.Once you hear this you can step on the gas again. This means it has shifted into high gear of high range which is where you do most of your driving. You do not need the clutch for this. If you mash the pedal to the floor the trans should kick down like an automatic. At least, if you are going less than 50. When you come to a stop, intersection or stop sign, just use the brake and leave it in gear like an automatic. When you start off it will be in low gear of high range, you have to lift off the gas and shift up again once you get going. For slow driving, or heavy going in mud, snow, sand, or starting off on a steep grade, you can start off in Low range. This is the same as starting off in High range except of course, the position of the shift lever. Once you get going 6 MPH you can shift into high gear of low range by lifting off the gas pedal, same as in high range. If you wish to shift from Low range to High range, use the clutch pedal and shift like a manual trans. To go in Reverse, likewise step on the clutch pedal and shift into reverse, then drive as if it was an automatic. Do not slip the clutch. Use the fluid drive. You only need the clutch when shifting into gear or changing gear lever positions other than that it is like an automatic. It is actually a pretty simple, rugged, and reliable transmission. Much the most trouble free and easy to maintain of the early efforts at automatic drive.

To get back to the original question: were all new cars this bad? It's not easy at this late date to find information on this. But it does seem quality control was not what we are used to today. Some cars were great, some weren't so hot, and some were out and out lemons. On the whole Chrysler products were among the better built and better engineered products, but they were far from perfect. This is the experience of a buyer of a new 1951 DeSoto Suburban, the most expensive DeSoto model. "We bought this car from Art Frost of Glendale, California on November 30, 1951, at a very satisfactory discount from the $4278 sticker price. It was delivered in very poor condition, but I quickly decided not to rely on the warranty, unless something serious developed. Three unsatisfactory trips to their service department convinced me that “I'd rather do it myself.” The first night we had the car, it ran low on oil, due to a porous weld in the Purolator. Fortunately, I had been watching the oil gauge, and no harm was done. Many trim parts were incompletely attached, but I found enough screws in a sack under the rear mat to complete the job. The rear shocks were not attached to the rear axle and the shipping clamps were clanking on the frame. Many other unsatisfactory items appeared for nearly three years. Now I cite this sad situation not out of bitterness or anger, but to make a point. I still had faith in the integrity of Chrysler Corporation engineering and instinct told me that I had a most extraordinary automobile, well worth debugging. So my “restoration” started on a brand new car less than 24 hours old. I had long preached that there's no such thing as a “lemon” - just certain parts of any new car might be citric. Well, in spite of a doubtful start, patience and some hard work have turned this machine into the most satisfactory car imaginable. And it's been so rewarding, that I try to continue the policy of improvement whenever maintenance is required." He wrote about his experiences after owning the car over 20 years and driving it some 180,000 miles so it couldn't be all bad. For a balanced view of the new car buyer's experience in 1951 here is the full report. 1951 DeSoto Suburban cars - long term report / car review with trailer towing

The stock cam for a 68-70 Roadrunner (base 383 4 barrel engine) is actually the cam for a hi perf 440. It was specified for the Roadrunner as much for the lopy idle as for performance. This is an excellent example of a cam that will give LESS horsepower in a stock 2 barrel 383. Believe me when I tell you 2 things 1) to get that big whale moving you need high torque NOT developed horsepower 2) compared to today's engines, if you get the 383 running EXACTLY as it did in 1967 with NO changes, it will feel like a Rolls with a jet engine no kidding. Do not let the "low" 270HP fool you. The large displacement and accompanying high torque will really get the old car moving. Anything you do to increase horsepower will pay off only at speed over 80MPH and most likely kill everyday performance. The best performance improvement would be from and RV cam, 3 angle valve job, dual exhaust and 4 barrel carb on a stock manifold which was an available option that year. But if it was my car I would rebuild it stock and let it go at that. Find out how it performs in stock form. I'll bet it has more power than you need. If you are still not satisfied the 4 barrel carb,dual exhausts and RV cam are simple bolt on extras that can be added later.

If it's a tap tap tap or knock knock knock sound in time with the engine it could be a wrist pin. They sometimes make a noise at idle that disappears when you rev up. If you have good oil pressure that pretty much eliminates a bad rod or main bearing but of course, we can't even go that far until he puts a good oil gauge on there and finds out if he has oil pressure.

Having seen the pictures that car is in much better shape than I thought. With the new paint and put back into condition mechanically it would be worth $5850 by the Old Cars Report Price Guide.

Definitely keep it stock or sell it to someone who will. Anyone who would suggest rodding a car that nice has total sh*t for brains. Lead additive is not necessary. That car was made to run on low lead or no lead gas of much lower octane than today's cheapest regular. If you want to be on the safe side add some Marvel Mystery Oil or upper cylinder oil to the gas. Depending if you have the standard or deluxe model, it may have a conventional axle with 2 leaf springs or a really weird looking independent suspension called "Dubonnet suspension" This was invented by Andre Dubonnet, son of the French aperitif king and a WW1 flying ace, sports car fan and inventor. General Motors built it under license for a couple of years and called it "Knee Action". This was their first independent front suspension. It was used on Chevrolet and Pontiac. After a few years it was dropped in favor of a cheaper more durable design. The one weakness of the Dubonnet design is that it had to be kept filled with oil. If the owner neglected it and the oil level got too low it would lead to erratic handling and faster wear. It needs to be checked and topped up at each oil change with knee action fluid or, a good substitute is hydraulic jack oil. If that car was in good shape it should have no trouble cruising at 50 to 60 MPH. You wouldn't want to go any faster anyway at least on 2 lane roads. Blasting around at 80, with a modern engine, might not be the greatest idea anyway especially from the safety angle. I'm still thinking about that wooden body with chicken wire roof. Speaking of the roof they were made of a material resembling today's vinyl top material. Yours has probably been replaced. When new they were reasonably weather tight. The weak place was the seam around the edge. When the top is replaced this should have a butyl rubber or similar sealer as used to seal windshields. It's OK up to a point but the car should not be parked outside in the rain if you can help it.

poci I have Holiday Affair and the plot is similar. The movie I am thinking of is more light hearted and Californian. I have been going throught the IMDb movie roster. Unfortunately it seems you can only screen for ONE thing at a time. So I have been going through every movie listed year by year starting from 1946 including every cartoon and Hungarian goulash documentary, 1500 movies or more per year. Am now up to # 1054 of 1950, Rakkaus on nopeampi Piiroisen passiakin directed by Wilho Ilmari. I don't think it's the one I am looking for.

I know Bob Cummings in fact I have some episodes of Love That Bob on the shelf. I'm pretty sure he is not in the movie. Tiger you are right it is a question for movie trivia experts. I have already asked all the old movie buffs I know. Thought perhaps there would be a few old movie fans looking at this board.