knuckleharley

Ed,some sharpie with the cash to risk may have bought the car from the ebay sale for 60 grand,and then put it up for sale at a big-bucks auction where the Palm Beach/Napa Valley denizens go to play. Let's face it,the crowd that can afford to set fire to money doesn't shop on ebay or admit they ever shopped on ebay. If you want to sell something to them,you have to present it at one of those "by invitation whine and cheese" auctions. Preferably one that is televised.

Yeah,but if you are running a museum you can write it all off your taxes as educational expenses. And really,other than the cosmetics,there is nothing you need to restore for a museum piece. How good does it have to run if all you would do is move it around the museum or drive it in an occasional parade?

I would think that a car museum would love to buy it for 60K. Being able to advertise they had a one of a kind prototype car could help them sell a lot of tickets.

A reminder that despite current theories,some people WERE taking mind-altering drugs in the 50's. Especially the artistic types.

Thank you for posting this. Maybe it will stop me from whining to myself so much about how hard it is to find parts and how expensive it is to buy them for my 40's stuff.

Ok,so which one of you guys bought it?

A like-new original unrestored 56 Plymouth Ute.

Maybe it was too big? I just posted a smaller photo.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/plymouth-cranbrook-ute/322541236273?_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20161027085944%26meid%3Da84ac3a82dc44d6198329d690fa259b0%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D322542279991 For those of you with deep pockets and the desire to be different from everyone else,here is your chance! Mods,I put this in the general interest category because I think most of the people here are going to be more interested in seeing this very rare and unusual vehicle than they will be in buying it. Please feel free to move it to the truck section or the classified section if you think it doesn't fit here.

If you have a steady hand you can use an acid brush with something like vaseline to carefully outline the stamped letters before spraying. Easy cleanup once the paint has cured.

Not as important as if you were building a 400+ HP engine with a high lift cam,but still pretty important if you want your engine to perform as it should. It's a lot cheaper to buy new valve springs if they are needed while the engine is apart than it is to possibly replace burnt valves sooner than expected,and buy more gas than you would have bought if your engine were operating at peak efficiency. One factoid we all have to live with is mechanical stuff wears out,and worn mechanical parts make your car less efficient and more expensive to operate. Putting worn beyond specs mechanical parts back into an engine you have already pulled makes no sense at all because you will have to go back into it sooner to make repairs,and the additional labor alone is more expensive than it would have been to have replaced them while the engine was already apart. Test them,and if they are up to spec,reuse them. If they aren't up to spec,now is the time to replace them.. Chances are you can buy new valve springs cheaper than you could buy the new head gasket you would need to replace them later,plus save yourself all that time and work.

When it come to art deco automotive beauty,it's awful hard to beat the 1934 Cord. As for being futuristic,they even had front wheel drive and superchargers. Also,notice the flip up headlights. if you want to buy one today you had better have a VERY long checkbook so you have the room to write all those little zeroes. They ain't cheap. IIRC,some of the 42 Mopars had flip up headlights,too. Was it the DeSotos?

Thanks,Jim. I guess there is no reason for me to every go in that case. I have nothing against muscle cars,but if I had that kind of money to spend and was going to spend it,it would be on a original muscle car. Something like a Auburn or a Duesenberg.

Excellent question. The two of us can't be the only ones wondering about this.

Furby,I am not trying to be a wiseass or to discourage you in any way from learning to work on your car,but if you have to ask if a bracket will bolt on an engine and work,you do NOT want to covert a 6 volt positive ground electrical system to a 12 volt negative ground system using an alternator. Electrical system mistakes can cause a fire that will burn the car to the ground,and you may be in it when it burns. If you are committed to doing this right away,hire a pro to do it for you, Wiring and brakes are not the areas to take chances on,although brakes are much simpler. Also,in case you don't know,there is absolutely nothing wrong with the 6 volt systems themselves if they are in good condition. Automakers only switched to 12 volt systems when higher compression larger engines became popular and they needed the extra "umph" to start them. Alternators came in when auto manufacturers started loading cars down with electrical options like air conditioning,cruise control,power antennas,power seats,and power windows. If you car has the original engine it is fine as it is if your wiring is good. Get someone who understands wiring to check your wiring harness for shorts because unlike modern cars these old cars had cloth-covered wiring,and it;s more common for bare wires to be exposed due to age,mice,etc,etc,etc than the modren plastic-covered wiring. I personally have several old cars or trucks that are still running their original 6 volt systems,and am perfectly happy with them to the point where I have no intention of changing over to 12 volts or an alternator. My daily drivers in good weather at this point is an all-original 51 Ford coupe and a 1937 IHC pu. Both have 6 volt systems with generators. I hope to be adding my 31 Plymouth coupe to the mix this summer and my 42 Dodge coupe to the mix sometime in the near future. Both will also have the original 6 volt systems. This board is filled with people with original or restored cars that are perfectly happy with the original systems,as well as a few others who have switched over to 12 volt negative ground systems and alternators for their own reasons. It's all about personal choice. Either will work fine if in good condition with a stock car or truck. You are new to old cars,so the most important rule of mechanics and restoration you need to understand at this point is "If it ain't broke,don't fix it." Fix what you HAVE to fix at this point,like the brakes,and enjoy the car by driving it as you learn more about it and gain a little experience and knowledge. There have been more good old cars and trucks dragged off to the scrap yards due to novice owners with all the enthusiasm in the world and no experience who tear them apart to rebuild them without even driving them,and then get in over their heads financially as well as mechanically,and just give up than any other reason. Drive it,enjoy it,and learn from it as you go. This ain't a contest. You don't have to have the most modern,the most original,or the most anything car in the world. You do have to have one you can drive and enjoy,or what is the purpose? BTW,if this car has been sitting since 1998,your ONLY concerns right now should be in completely rebuilding the brakes and the fuel delivery system. Replace or rebuild EVERYTHING in the brake system,including the brake lines and the rubber hoses. Do it ALL at the same time because it all NEEDS to be replaced or rebuilt. Use the new copper/nickel brake lines you can bend by hand without kinking because it is easier to install,and because it will never rust inside or out. Buy new rubber brake hoses because your old ones are 50+ years old and rotten. Buy new wheel cylinders because it is cheaper to buy new ones these days than it is to rebuild old ones. Master cylinders can almost always be rebuilt,so you can save a few dollars by rebuilding the one you have. Brakes are NOT the place to cut corners or to try to save money. Then use the same hard lines on the fuel system you used on the brake system,but in a larger diameter,all new rubber brake hoses and fuel filters that are rated for use with ethanol. This is VERY important as ethanol will eat old rubber fuel hoses and plastic filters like acid,and your car might catch fire while you are driving it down the road. Focus on brakes first,fuel system second,and then move on to other areas like the electrical system. Make it safe,and then make it reliable.

Whatever year is is,the one thing you can be sure of is that it is rare,and well worth saving. I was old enough to interested in cars in 1955,and could identify makes and models from the 1930's to the new 1955's I had just gone to the showroom to look over,and I have never actually seen one of those trucks "in the steel". Only seen photos. They were work trucks mostly used by plumbers and electricians,and by the time they were 10 years old they were beat to death and replaced with new ones. Most were too beat to death for anyone needing a panel truck to be interested in buying them,so most went straight from the original owners to the junk yards.

I love most of the art deco styling. Here are two shots of my 38 Ford "Standard" tudor sedan. This car is absolutely dead stock and original in every respect other than the primer paint. That's right. It's not lowered and those are the stock 16 inch wheels and hubcaps on it. I posted it before,but the photos never showed up or they were deleted. I'll try again.

Works for me. I'm old now,and would need to take frequent breaks anyhow.

I love the 1-3/4 S&S Drag carb I have on my shovel. That and the Sifton cam really woke that old girl up. The idiot that decided that sorry-ass Jap carb (Kolien?) was perfect for Harley's should be tracked down and beaten until he cries like a little girl,and then beaten some more.

I sure liked the way the SU worked on my old Knuckle with the lightening valve train and 74 pan flywheels,rods,and pistons.

If I had deep pockets I would be inviting you all to come see it and the rest of my collection at the Houston Astro Dome,and the satellite buildings.

I'm sorry, I should have posted the original EBAY post that shows the ID of the seller and has close ups of the engine. The head was cast by the Lewis Brothers,as you can see in the one photo if you go to the link. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/lewis-brothers-ski-boat-motor-dodge-flathead-six-with-brass-head-/282490235772?roken=KaxmPm

Australia or New Zealand. Can't remember which for sure now,and I have already deleted his email to me. I suspect since you live in Australia all you would have to do is mention the name on the head and you will find out right away. BTW,what kind of water pump is on your engine?

It probably was at one time. The engine has been sitting around,so some of the linkage may have been robbed to put on another engine. Or the owner may have just been running 2 carbs after discovering it was overcarbed with 3 2 barrel carbs.

Any mention or art deco styling years has to include 2000,when Chrysler started selling the PT Cruiser. If you can't look at one of those things and see late 30's Chrysler styling,you have to be blind.