TexRiv_63

If you need a radiator cap and motometer for your car there is one on Ebay right now: http://www.ebay.com/itm/360736537404?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

If your battery and ammeter are hooked up correctly the problem may be that the polarity of your generator is reversed.

Unless you need a cosmetic match for the original the Optima is your best bet. Look for the best price at Amazon including free shipping. It is powerful but small and should fit most any application, you will most likely have to shim out your battery box with wood to keep it from moving around. I just put one in a 34 Packard and built a new box around it the size of the original battery, works great.

Probably not but it may mess up the polarity on your generator. Connect it the right way and see if your ammeter shows normal charge.

Welcome to the forum, great choice of car. Definitely join the ROA and lots of help forthcoming here.

65 degrees at the vent is way hot even with R134. You should have a shroud (CARS sells a good repro) but that wouldn't cause a lack of interior cooling. Not sure if the sight glass tells the whole story, you need to get some gauges on there. I'm sure others will have more specific info.

Another Ebay bash thread, seems we get one every few months. I still haven't heard anyone name an alternative site that even remotely competes, please share if you have one!

Somebody please buy this car so I won't keep looking at it...

My father had the same problem many years ago with a tank for a Monte Carlo only he didn't catch it in time - guess what we had to do!

Thanks Peter, working great now.

They have been working on changing this for a long time but you can still search by year - open the cars and trucks page, look at the search modifiers on the left side. scroll down until you see the link "other refinements" and click. One of the choices is searching by year. You can also search by era. Go to the main Ebay Motors page, scroll down to Cars and Trucks and hover, you will get a submenu, click on "collector cars". That page will let you choose antiques, 40s, 50s, etc. they definitely don't make it easy...

I got a cannot connect notice yesterday morning and saw Peter's note last night - what actually happened to cause the outage?

This is the coffee table in our family room, its a great conversation starter.

Welcome to the forum. A 50s Dodge Royal sounds like a great "dare to be different" car, you probably will not see another one at any show you attend. I'm a little concerned when you say you know nothing about cars, if this means you have never driven the type of car you are thinking of buying you may need to step back. The first issue is that you need to be fully aware of how a car like that operates and understand its limitations regarding performance, safety, and required maintenance. If you are not you may not like the driving experience. The second issue is if you cannot do any work on the car yourself you definitely will need a dependable mechanic with experience sufficient to handle maintenance and repairs. The more obscure the make the more difficult this may be, and that also affects parts availability. Lots of people who own old cars are not mechanics but they all need a support system. If you have not already done so, you should heavily research the type of car you are thinking of buying including contact with current owners thru car clubs like you are doing here. If you have never driven a 50s car you need to do so before you buy. I'm sure you will get many comments on this site, Good Luck!

No comment on your basic question but most on this site do not support 12V conversions on 6V cars. If you have a "starter weakness issue" the most likely explanation is that the starter or another part of the electrical system needs repair rather than modification. 6 volt systems were used on all cars for more than 55 years without issue, the 12 volt systems were ultimately needed to support high compression engines and multiple electrical accessories, which should not be a problem on a 1925 Studebaker.

This is the correct alloy cover / spinner cap assembly for a 64 which is what I had (incorrectly) on my 63:

Arthur, I had these on my 63 and bought a number of sets and pieces before I found a matching set nice enough to use. If you are not already doing so do a weekly search on Ebay, I used to search Buick Hubcaps, Buick Wheelcovers, Turbine hubcaps, etc. They are out there but be prepared to pay a good price for a really nice set.

Makes sense, glad you found someone to do the work. The Battery Tender is your best bet to keep the battery in good shape until you can get it moving. Good luck.

Jim, I have both 6V and 12V Battery Tenders. I have used the 6V on three cars since 2007 with no problems. It has a quick disconnect in the line that goes to the battery, this allows you to connect the leads to the battery and leave them in place, then disconnect the rest of the unit when you are driving. I do not leave mine connected all the time as I think that is dangerous, rather I use it regularly to top off the charge. I would recommend a good heavy duty battery disconnect switch like I recently installed in my Packard, avoids all drain on the battery when sitting plus eliminates a fire hazard. I also recommend dumping the lead acid battery for an Optima which eliminates the need to add water and the acid spill hazard. My main comment would be to drive your car more if you can. Starting it infrequently and not letting it warm up is not just bad for your battery but hurts the whole car. I make it a point to take both cars out at least once a week for a 5 to 10 mile ride, more often if time and weather permits. Get all the parts moving and all the fluids warmed up and fully circulated - the more you drive the better they run.

Possibly linkage for a trunk rack? Have no idea of make.

What he said... Would you take all the cars I own in trade?

I think it's Jordan with the arrowhead logo.

I think most will agree that OWNING a collectible car is a bit irrational since it can be expensive in both time and money. Deciding which car to buy is definitely emotion based but the purchase part should be where logic comes in. Do all the homework and research, check the car out top to bottom, and buy the best possible example you can afford. I am impressed with your restraint but if you want to have fun with cars you need to take the plunge and buy one. Work on it, enjoy it, sell it, buy the next one - I've had many in my life but my wish list is still miles long...

Walk away, quickly.

I love it, great idea!