Rusty_OToole

For a 1937 car 30,000 miles was about the upper limit for "newness" or low miles. Many items might come up for renewal between 20,000 and 30,000 miles. Generator, starter, carburetor, brakes, tires, even a ring and valve job. Pedal pads steering wheel and upholstery would be showing wear but not worn out. By 130,000 the motor would have had 2 or 3 overhauls and one complete rebuild. Most working parts would have been replaced or act like they needed to be replaced. Everything else would be loose as a bucket of bolts. Unless the speedo cable was broken at some point my guess is the car only has 30000 on it, just going by the condition shown in the photos. West you don't want to judge a Pontiac by Packard standards. Not to take away from Pontiac but the senior Packards would have about double the life of a Pontiac. To be fair, they also cost more than double the price when new.

It is very unlikely for a car of that age to have covered 130,000 miles. Normal life of a car was about 80,000. To cover 100,000 was exceptional. The average car covered 5000 miles a year or less. 30,000 would be on the low side. 130,000 would be very high. It should be easy to tell the difference, in one case the car will seem to have an average amount of wear or less, in the other case it will be completely beat with hardly anything of the original car intact. Your car looks like a very well preserved low mile survivor. 6 volt starters turn slower than 12 volt. As long as the car starts it's OK. A fully charged, 6 volt battery should show 6.6 volts. When the starter is operating it could suck the voltage down to 5 or less. 6 volt systems are more sensitive to resistance. So it is important to keep all the connections clean and tight. Don't overlook the ground connections.

Near where I live they are building a cement factory that will burn tires for fuel. Since construction started recycling centers (dumps) now take old tires for free. They used to charge $5 apiece. I'm saving my old tires until the plant opens, I expect once the backlog of old tires is used up they will be paying for them. This technology, invented in Canada, is in use around the world.

Classiccars - you are correct. The 39 and 40 models had a fluid coupling and a 3 speed manual transmission. For town driving you could start off in second and drive around all day, stopping at stop lights and taking off without shifting or using the clutch. Out on the hiway you could shift into high and likewise drive around without shifting. I once drove a 1948 Dodge limousine with this setup. This was a very large, heavy car on a long wheelbase comparable to Chrysler limos but with the smaller Dodge engine and 3 speed fluid drive. It would take off in 3d but acceleration was very slow. If you wanted to get moving it was best to start in low and run through the gears. But for normal driving you could leave it in second as long as you did not mind a leisurely takeoff, and did not exceed 30 MPH. It would go faster in second, probably up to 50 or so but the engine would be screaming. fred please don't ask questions like that. I already strained my brain thinking up the first answer without getting into the Canada vs US models ha ha ha . I know US made Dodge came with 3 speed plus fluid drive in the 46 to 48 period and Plymouth came with manual trans only. So both types of transmission were available at that time. It's just a question of what they chose to offer in which car. I believe you are right about the cheaper Chryslers and DeSotos being available with plain 3 speed and 3 speed plus fluid drive in Canada, even if they were not in the US. But can't confirm this for sure. It would be fairly easy to adapt a Chrysler flathead six to a modern automatic overdrive or manual trans. Because of the way the block was made with no flange or bellhousing at the back. They had a thick steel plate that bolted on the block to fit the transmission or bellhousing. So it would be a fairly simple matter for a machinist to make a plate to fit any transmission. One thing to watch out for is the way the flywheel or flex plate bolts to the crankshaft. Modern cars have the flange close to the block with threaded holes for the bolts. The old flathead 6 used nuts and bolts that went thru plain holes. Consequently the flange extends back almost an inch farther, to make room to install the nuts and bolts. So, you need to space the transmission back a little so the clutch or torque converter will line up properly.

You could go nuts trying to figure out the welter of transmissions used by Chrysler corproration between 1939 and 1957. But it went something like this. Fluid coupling plus manual 3 speed. (Fluid Drive) Fluid coupling plus overdrive 2 speed. (41-42 Vacamatic, straight eight models) Fluid coupling plus vacuum controlled 4 speed (41-42 Vacamatic [Chrysler]or Simplimatic [DeSoto] six cylinder models) Fluid coupling plus hydraulic controlled 4 speed (Fluid Drive, Fluid Matic Drive, Tip Toe Shift) Torque converter plus 3 speed manual trans (Hydrive) Torque converter plus hydraulic controlled 4 speed (Fluid Torque Drive) Torque converter plus planetary 2 speed (Powerflite) Torque converter plus planetary 3 speed (Torqueflite) Plus the usual 3 speed manual and 3 speed manual plus overdrive on the Plymouths and the cheaper Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler models. You are correct about the fluid coupling being a self contained unit. It allowed slippage at low speeds and tightened up the faster you went. But there was always at least 3% slippage. This was initially used with a regular 3 speed manual transmission and clutch. It eliiminated most clutch work in city traffic but that was about it. There was another version that used an overdrive transmission. It was a 2 speed made by using a 3 speed plus overdrive, with low gear blocked out. This would shift in and out of overdrive in the usual way. When the fluid drive was added, it came close to an automatic transmission. The Vacamatic transmission was a manual 4 speed that self shifted. If you know about transmissions, they have 2 shifter forks that control the gears. One moves back and forth for the 1-2 shift, the other for the 3-4 shift. What they did was make a vacuum powered 3-4 shift. This had a similar effect to the overdrive. When combined with the fluid coupling it worked like this. You could shift into gear and release the clutch fully before you moved an inch. Then drive away like any automatic. Once you get rolling just lift off the gas for a second and the tranny automatically shifts to high. The shift lever allowed you to select high range (normal driving) low range (climbing hills, pulling through mud, snow or sand) and reverse. Next came the M6 hydraulically controlled transmission. It worked basically the same as the Vacamatic or overdrive. But it worked hydraulically. It had a little gerotor pump and a hydraulic cylinder to push the shifter fork back and forth. Hydraulic pressure was controlled by a solenoid valve and a governor. The final refinement came in the 51-53 models when they went to an optional torque converter. I don't believe the torque converter existed when the fluid coupling was introduced. It was invented later. The torque converter was not self contained. It needed a separate oil supply. On some models the oil supply was carried in its own oil pan like an automatic transmission. On other models the torque converter was supplied with oil from the engine crankcase. These models had a king size oil pan (10 quarts) and a special engine block with passages to feed the torque converter. Just to make it more confusing, if you go back a few years to 1931 and 32 they offered a vacuum clutch and freewheeling. The Fluid Drive models had the freewheeling in the lower gears but not the vacuum clutch. If they had only added vacuum clutch to the fluid drive they could have eliminated the clutch pedal and had a fully automatic transmission 14 years earlier than they did. Why they did not do this is one of those mysteries that may never be solved.

You could take your old alternator to a local rebuilder and have it rebuilt. A good shop will do a better alternator than the parts store. They use better parts. Ask around the local garages and old car people for the best rebuilder.

Also you are smart to use your head and take it apart carefully. This usually works a lot better than the Borneo gorilla approach.

You are lucky, many of them are rusted solid and can't be removed without wrecking the clip. Is it possible the bent up bit was how they locked them in place at the factory so they couldn't accidentally work loose?

There are access holes in the floor for servicing the brakes, fluid drive and transmission. On the left or driver's side there is an access plate for filling the brake master cylinder. On the right, just below the instrument panel there is a plate for filling the fluid drive unit. Behind that is an access plate for the transmission governor and solenoid and their wiring.

Have you tried your local NAPA store? They are usually good for parts like that although you may have to order them and wait 3 days for them to arrive.

Tom McCahill remarked in a Chrysler road test of the early 50s, that if you examine a Chrysler piece by piece every part looks like it cost more than the corresponding part of its main rivals. I can confirm this by my own experience and that of others. Another example. I have several magazine articles on hopping up the early Chrysler hemi written at various times from the mid fifties to the early nineties. One point they all seem to agree on is that you should carefully check all dimensions but remedial machine work is almost never required on a Chrysler. In other words they come from the factory "blueprinted". You may have to true up the cylinders due to wear but that's about it.

I thought this would be an easy question to answer but it isn't. Unless a real expert comes along, this is as close as I can figure it out. It is easier to get the picture working backwards. The 1946-48 models are obviously very much alike, and share the same body. This design actually continued into early 1949 because the new 49s weren't ready in time. 1942's look the same except for the front fenders. They don't blend into the body the way they do on the 46-48's. So it looks like the 42 body got new doors, fenders and front design for 46. The 41's look much the same except once again, the front grille was redesigned and so was the bottom edge of the body, flared out to cover the running boards. This brings us to the 1940 model which looks much the same as the 41. Now here comes the tricky part. Was the 1939 related to the 1940? If they were the rear part of the body and trunk lid were redesigned, this area looks the same from 1940 to 48. But this is an odd thing to do on a one year old body. The alternative is that the 39 was a one year only body. This would be very unusual but the 39 is obviously completely different from the 1937-38 body. My best guess is that the same basic body was used from 1939 to early 49 (11 years) with successive face lifts. Over time the body gradually changed so there isn't a panel that wasn't changed but the continuity is there. Like George Washington's hatchet that has had 3 new heads and 5 new handles since the 18th century. So here it is: 1939 - all new body 1940 - new front end, new rear end 1941 - new front end, new tail lights 1942 - new front end, running boards covered 1943-45 - production suspended 1946-49 - new front end and front doors, minor trim changes

It appears the clip slides away from the lock. I would try penetrating oil then tap and pry gently until the clip moves around. Once I was sure it was not stuck I would try prying it away from the lock while pushing the lock in from the outside. If this was not practical I would try prying. If that did not work I might try grasping the clip with pliers or vice grips and wiggling it loose.

The carburetor is unique to the early Chrysler hemi, 1951 to 53 models. It is a Carter WCD with 2 switches to control the transmission, and a water heated base. It is practically impossible to replace with a different carb because of the switches. So, yours is probably a rebuilt which is a good sign. It looks like someone already took care of the gas tank and carb.

On the gas tank situation. I think he was referring to the filter inside the tank. Your car has a neat workaround for inspecting the gas tank. Roll up the trunk floor mat and you will find, right in the middle, a hole over the gauge sender. It is supposed to be covered by a rubber cover. Take off the cover and you can remove the gauge sender without taking the tank out. This leaves a round hole 4 or 5 inches wide, perfect for inspecting the inside of the tank. An even easier method is to take off the gas cap and take a whiff. If it smells like gas you are in. If it smells like old stinky varnish Uh Oh we have a problem. It is also possible to disconnect the gas line and pressurize the tank. There is a cool way to do this, find an old truck inner tube and cut out a circle of rubber with the valve in the middle. Clamp this on the filler with a hose clamp. Now you can pressurize the tank with an air hose, forcing the gas out the fuel line. You can actually drive a car for miles and miles using this trick, without a fuel pump. From what you say the tank was redone not too long ago and so was the carburetor. So you are probably OK, as long as they put stabilizer in the fuel. A smell test will tell the tale. Even if it passes the smell test it would be wise to drain the tank and add fresh gas.

Hi from Canada. I don't know if your car originated in Canada but a lot of "American" vehicles in Australia did, thanks to preferential duties in the British Commonwealth of Nations days. Welcome to the group, and thanks for not ending your posts with "cheers".

The best repair manual is the original factory manual supplied to dealerships. Since there were so many dealers and they all had them, there are still quite a few around. The going price is $40 to $50 at least that's what they used to go for. A web search should turn something up, or perhaps one will show up on Ebay. Before you get carried away may I suggest you get the car going and drive it for a while? This will show up any bugs, and you will find out if you like the car enough to keep it. Both valuable things to know before you put a lot of money into a project. I used to own a 51 New Yorker and was happy about the whole thing once I got used to the car being what it was. By that I mean, it was built in 1951 for substantial middle aged business and professional men who wore double breasted suits and fedora hats, and drove accordingly. Once you got used to the idea, and sat back with your shoulders back and head up and let the car do its thing, it was great. If you expect it to drive like a modern car you will be disappointed. Well, if you want a Toyota why not buy a Toyota? Don't try to make a neat old car something it's not.

$4000 is a good price for that car. It will probably sell. Good luck.

I checked out the photos in your ebay ad. The car looks to be in real nice shape for the age. I would keep it as is not restore it just clean it up and preserve the originality. A couple of points. I was mistaken about the fluid torque drive, your car has fluid matic drive which is the regular fluid drive. If it had fluid torque drive (extra cost option) it would say so on the shift quadrant. I couldn't quite make it out until I saw the larger pic in the ad. The other thing is the heater is missing. It lived in a black tin box about the size of a bread box, about where your left hand is resting in the engine photos. There was a blower fan on the rad support, connected by a round flex hose to the heater. From the heater, there was a duct made of molded cardboard that ran to the firewall. In the firewall beside the heat duct, was a thermostat that connected to the heater. Your car looks different, I see the blower and the heater duct but the heater is missing. It is barely possible your car has a heater under the dash but I doubt it. Unless you found a big black box with a heater core in the trunk it seems to be missing. You might contact the seller and see if it is lurking around the garage someplace. It is not unusual to take it out when working on the engine.

I didn't know the 1948 Chryslers had 2 mufflers. But this was very common on the more expensive cars of the 50s and 60s. The second muffler was called a "resonator". There were 2 reasons for this. One was, 2 different sized mufflers tuned out different tones. By using 2 mufflers they could tune out all sounds without excess back pressure. The second was room. It is easier to find room for 2 small mufflers under a car, than one great big one. A possible third reason has to do with engine size. The bigger more powerful engine required a bigger muffler. This gets back to the packaging issue. For the most powerful cars it would be even more necessary to use 2 mufflers, because one would be way too big. I notice that only the Imperial, New Yorker and Saratoga got the 2 muffler treatment. These were the 8 cylinder models, all the other Chryslers had a smaller 6 cylinder power plant. It makes sense that the most powerful and expensive cars got this extra refinement.

It's been a long time since I had one of those apart but I don't remember having to take out the door lock. Isn't there a small rod held on by a spring clip?

I can't believe you want to sell that car. Unfortunately that car's looks are against it and the public has no idea how good they are. So they tend to be hard to sell. You could probably put a battery in it and get it running without too much expense. Just be careful not to mess up the originality, but I think you have enough savvy to do that. I'm tempted to buy it myself.

King Midget.

If you need a new battery I suggest you spend the extra bucks for an Optima 6 volt. They work a lot better than the old lead box and will also last twice as long so you get your moneys worth in the end.

I suppose if there is no spark you know enough to clean the white fur off the points with 600 or finer sandpaper and contact cleaner. Chrysler uses dual point ignition that is best set up off the car, preferably on a Sun ignition machine. So don't mess with the points if you can help it. Just clean them if the points aren't working. There is also extra wiring on the carb and distributor plus a little box on the air filter support. This is all for the transmission control and can safely be ignored. If the insulation is falling off tape it up and if necessary, replace it later.