48 Dodge Guy

Thanks for the kind words. The house was built in 1877. Been a big project this past summer. It took a front seat (pun intended) to my driving the Dodge as much as my mechanic had asked me to. I don't think I've even got 25 miles on it yet since the rebuild. It's still below 48,000 orig miles. Next is some cosmetic paint work, a couple of mechanical issues yet (speedometer is jumpy, water pressure gauge needs to be replaced or "shocked" back into working order). But still a really nice ride and gets some approving glances from folks in my tiny town outside of Auburn, New York.

Ha! I've been working on the house all summer. It's no longer that color (and still not finished!) I'll have to take Bessie's picture in front of the house again come Summer.

Hey Everyone A couple of updates regarding my D-24 Town Sedan. It's been up and running for some time now. I get it out when I can and have found it a great pleasure to drive! Kinda tricky to learn how but once I have it in third I pretty much leave it. It's a lifelong dream come true to finally be behind the wheel. I found a local guy who rebuilt the engine for me and got it running like a top. I used the recommendation for the clutch repair and that worked out great! Thanks! Turns out the heater works just fine and we didn't have to replace the part my first mechanic thought would need doing. Here she is in front of my house, new tires and her first bath in forty years! The good news is - just tonight I finally found that mystery switch! On a fluke I went browsing on Ebay and thought I'd try, yet again, to land a switch for the dashboard. FOUND IT! It was pricey but it's original store stock and it is indeed a switch used to activate the backup light. Further evidence that it indeed is what some of you guessed it was. I hadn't seen this site until this evening. Thanks for all the help initially and the enthusiasm. I'm sure I'll have other questions as I keep tackling new issues. Hope you all have a great holiday season! Bill

That would be kind of a neat feature if that were it, Marc... but it's a turn switch... on and off... which had a red jeweled cap. I think what my dad was guessing is probably what it is. You use it to turn on the back up light and turn it off when it's done. Since that wasn't standard equipment, and neither was the windshield wiper fluid button, it stands to reason that those are the two auxiliary features along with the starter button.

Ha! Thanks Jim. That would kinda go without saying... especially since, when I put my foot on the brake pedal, it went all the way to the floor. We used the parking brake to stop it and secure it during the towing. Since then there has been a rebuild on the master cylinder and new brake lines installed. Once the tires go on we'll know more about the rest! Thanks for your concern, but my mechanic is pretty diligent about things

Thanks for posting Donald. Looks like that required some ingenuity on your part! I'm looking to keep everything as authentic as I can on mine. I have a call out to a place that might be able to do a rebuild on mine. Fingers crossed!

Hey there... Thanks for posting the detailed photos. I haven't checked to see if it flashes on mine or not. My heater looks pretty much like this one. And pictured below is the heater valve unit that I need to find a replacement for OR I understand there was a guy in California who at one time did a rebuild on this thing.

This is pretty much it... although it also doesn't have the windshield washer fluid pump button which mine does. And I found these on Ebay not too long ago... hoping I could use the red one on my existing socket/switch but it didn't fit even though the seller said that it would.

Hey Dan Thanks for the welcome. I spoke with my dad last night. He said that he only dimly recalled the switch being there and having never used it the handful of times he drove it. I guess, in part, because it wasn't working. But he seems to think that it was a switch you would turn that would glow red and trigger the single white back-up light by the trunk on the rear right-hand side. Since most cars didn't have back-up lights, he said, at that time this was an option or an after-market addition, likely. And if you turned it on and it glowed red, you would know then to turn it off once you'd backed up. Sounds plausible to me!

Hey Frank Yeah, I've seen the different colors in the graining of these dashboards. Even though I love my car, I'm not crazy about the grey/brown color. Much prefer the walnut look.

Thanks... I think so too. Mostly because I have such a history with it. I used to sleep out overnight in the backseat when I was a kid. Or sit in it and turn the headlights on and pretend I was driving down the highway late at night in our garage. Till the battery died! It was mostly just covered with sheets and eventually a custom car cover and was just something I would visit once a year when I went home to Missouri and peak underneath to see and to breath in that musty old car smell I remembered so well as a child. I appreciate your appreciation!

Hey Busy I thought that, too, at first. But it's actually a turnable switch. On and off. Back and forth. It's been referred to as a dashboard light... but it's still a mystery to me at this point.

Andy Thanks for the welcome... and glad to know that you appreciate this car as much as I do. It's a handsome car and I can't wait to drive it. I've driven at least once a week in my dreams since I was a kid. Tires, clutch and re-cored radiator and we're in the final stretch! I'll post more pics once I get it back from the shop and looking good. All the best!

Also... has anyone had any problems going with G78-15's as opposed to 710-15's. They are appreciably less expensive in the wide whitewalls and a couple "tire guys" said they were interchangeable. I'm about to order and I believe I'll be going with the Royaltons unless anyone has had a negative experience with them. Thanks!

Thanks for the recommendation, Don!

Hey Dave Thanks for the insight. Yeah... I think it's a switch that turns right and left for on and off and the base of the old bulb is broken off inside it. If we can get that out and put a bulb in it, we'll be able to tell a bit more about what kind of dome it needs. I will definitely look into your suggestion! Thanks

Thanks for the welcome, John! And yeah... I've dreamed about driving this puppy since I was a little boy. The closest I've come so far is steering it while it was being hauled up my folks' rear-entry garage driveway in Missouri. With any luck, after the clutch and radiator are done and I get new tires on it, I'll be tooling around in it sometime in July.

Thanks Keith I am looking to do a faithful restoration using original parts. It's a survivor and we only paid $325 for it back in the day. I figure I can put a bit more in it to get it back on the road

Thanks for the reply, Frank And for the name dropping. I'll try to track these guys down. I'm happy to post more pics. I just figured anyone reading this would already know what a black 1948 Dodge sedan looks like : ) I could pick up a copy of Hemmings, I suppose, and read it from front to back but I would still be flying blind without recommendations from guys who have actually been where I am. Hence my post, Frank. Again, thanks for the quick response and here are some pics as per your request. (Note: the first pic of the dashboard is mine with the empty switch/socket on the left. The following pic I found on the internet that appears to have the intact jewel capped switch in place)

Hey folks... I'm hoping I might get some advice/help on a few things to complete my 1948 Dodge Town Sedan. My dad and I bought this back in 1972 when I was 11 and it's been up on blocks for more than 40 years. 47,500 original miles on it. It's a beaut! But clearly, after that many years of sitting, it needs pretty much everything and so it's been a process over the past few months since my dad shipped it up to me. My mechanic says I need a heater control valve . I bought the manual valve by mistake (looks like a spigot) so that's gotta go back. I understand there is a guy out in California that rebuilds them. Any leads? Cause I haven't been able to find a replacement online. The clutch needs to be rebuilt. There's a guy in Kentucky that seems to know what he's talking about and will do a rebuild for $150. Kentucky (KY) Clutch. Anyone know of them? Also, my car has a dash light socket on the far left of the dashboard. There's a starter button, the windshield wiper fluid button in the middle and this open socket that I understand once had a red jeweled cap on it. I'd like to find a complete one or something close, if anyone has a clue. Most people don't know what I'm describing when I mention it. I need to get the clock working again... any recommendations who might do repairs on that? And... finally... the radio. It would be cool to have it operating again, obviously, but I don't know if I would ever listen to it. There's nothing worth listening to if I were to turn it on. I mostly only listen to 30's and 40's music. Is there a way to retrofit an MP3 player or hook up a hidden CD player through the existing speaker? It'd be neat to have old music and radio shows playing. Pipe dream? Thanks guys! Glad this place exists for guys like me. Bill Daugherty