Eneto-55

I ruined a pair of eye glasses from spraying Rustoleum with a spray gun when I was working at the plating shop back in Tulsa. The lenses were plastic, and so I didn't dare try any solvents. I eventually used buffing compound, and finished with toothpaste. I could see again, but they were foggy. I switched back to glass lenses then, and never had plastic lenses again until a few years ago, when they claimed the tri-focals I have to have now would be too heavy in glass. I somehow accidentally got a deep scratch right in the worst spot on the left lens, so had them replaced. Then those lenses delaminated. They didn't accept any responsibility for that, so I went back to glass. Plastic lenses? Never again.

I found out about brake fluid the same way - an accident. I had cadmium plated my back plates, and then just spray bombed them with black paint over that. While bleeding the left rear wheel brakes I got some on the backing plate, and the paint ran right off.

Mine had a white cloth tag sewn into one of the seams, but both were completely deteriorate, with nothing legible at all.

What about brake fluid? (Just curious.)

I should have stated more clearly, that I am only referring to the sedans, the design with the continual slope from roof top to deck lid. The other style sedans may well be different all together in that area. But on these P15 sedans, the arm rests mount in the exact same position in relation to the rear wheel wells. I will have to do some actual part to part comparison to know for sure that they are exactly the same. But if anyone else is following this topic, and has patterns for the P15 sedan rear arm rest upholstery, I would sure like to get in contact with them.

Thank you for that note. I only have the PDF scan from the Plymouth parts manual I mentioned, and it is not searchable. Yesterday I looked through all of the pages of the section titled Numerical Index, that shows the match-up for part numbers, page numbers, & part type codes (pages 444 - 482, with 4 column on each page) The photo on page 330 in the Body section indicates the Part Type Code. This list is organized per the Part number, but the PDF scan is not very clear, and I didn't find the Part Type Code. So I don't have the part number information for the Plymouth. But while I do not have my 49 P15 2-door here for me to look at it directly and make a 'real world comparison" (would also have to remove the arm rest from the car, to see the little bit of the back side that is exposed on the 4-door P15), the shape of the arm rests appear to be identical in the few photos I have of that area of the interior. So at least in respect to the P15s, I find it difficult to believe that they would have chosen to not use that very small bit of upholstery material on the 2-doors as well as the 4-doors, forcing them to have completely separate inventory supplies. (That piece of material is 5" wide by 13" in length. And they would have still had to use some type of fabric there anyway, unless the arm rest frame was also different. That just doesn't seem like an efficient manufacturing model to me - and my business is in manufacturing. Also, regarding conservation of fabric, along the back and bottom of the arm rest, where there is a need to be able to stretch it tight, there is around 2 inches of excess fabric.) But of course, as you said, I am talking about the P15, and you are talking about the 50 Dodge, so the case might be completely different. I WOULD be interested in seeing that page out of your Dodge Parts book, if you happen to have a scanner. (Or, if your Dodge book is available here in PDF format - the name of the book, and the page number where this information appears. Thanks.)

When you say "They are similar, but different. A different part number as well." - are you referring to the 1950 Dodge 2-door and 4-door, or are you saying that the P15 2-door and 4-door rear arm rests have different part numbers? I don't have any parts number manuals that cover the interior parts like that. My thinking (just based on my sometimes faulty memory and on looking at what few pictures I have gathered of both 2-door and 4-door P15s) is that they are the same. That is, aside from the possibility that the part of the arm rest that is exposed on the 4-door, and not on the 2-door may not have the finished upholstery on that area on the 2-door. It would seem to me, however, that omitting that narrow bit of upholstery for the 2-door cars would not be cost effective, in terms of then needing to maintain completely separate inventory during the manufacturing process - UNLESS the entire shape is different, which in the case of the P15s, I strongly doubt. (If there is interest, I have completely dismantled right rear P15 arm rest, and have more pictures of the actual frame. The fabric on mine is really deteriorated and fragile, with parts of the face missing on both sides. I also removed the upholstery on the left side, and have cut all of the stitching. I think I can come reasonably close to a reconstruction for a pattern by laying the two one over the other. But if anyone has good patterns of the upholstery for the P15, I would be very interested in knowing about it.) EDIT: I looked some more, and I did find info for the 4-door on page 330 of the "1939 thru 1948 and Early 1949 Plymouth Condensed Master Parts List (issued September 1949)" PDF copy I have - probably downloaded from this site. The picture there on page 330 isn't clear at all, but it points to the rear right arm rest, and titles it as "Rest Assy", with the number 23-76-66. If there is a separate plate (picture) for the 2-door, I could not find it. I didn't find this item in the actual parts list, either. Obviously the left rear arm rest would have a different number.

Yes,the P15 design uses two tabs, one at the rear and the other at the top front, that fit into slots. (Without going to look, I think the rear one is a bracket welded to the wheel well, and the front one is a slot in the inner body body panel.) Then there is a single screw that holds it in place (at the lower front corner).

My 49 Plymouth is a P15 (First Series 49). I just thought the photos of the "bones" of the arm rest might be helpful in constructing replacements. Obviously, it would be best if someone could supply detailed drawings of the frames for your model of Dodge. I would think that as many of these vehicles are parted out, someone would have the parts available. Of course, finding that person is the difficult part. Too bad your employer didn't at least ask around before tossing yours.

The first three are the left side, and the 4th one is the right side, which is in much worse shape. I want to keep the left side as it is, but further disassembled the right side, in order to be able to show the interior frame work. (I have more pictures, and I'm not finished with disassembly, either. Had to stop & fix the lawn mower..... I will post more if you think it would be helpful.)

I would guess that the arm rests are the same, for both 2 & 4 door vehicles. I don't have a Dodge, but here are some photos of the ones out of my 4-door P15. (I also have a 2-door, but it's at my brother's place, over 1,000 miles from me.) The P15 4-door arm rests stick out into the door opening a bit. That's why I would guess that they are the same. I think that if you had pictures of a 4-door Dodge, you could determine if they are the same. But as far as the construction, these photos may help.

Never tried it, but to get old undercoating off, I've heard that using a quick freeze spray works well, because, they say, it makes it not so sticky. I think they say you can freeze it, then wack the panel with a rubber mallet, and the stuff cracks up and breaks loose. I don't think I would want to try to dissolve it. Seems to me it would make it worse, unless it was a very thin layer. I have never tired to get any off, so I don't know what works best, just some ideas I've heard over the years.

I looked at the license plate mount this afternoon, and tried to get the old plate off to be able to get a decent picture. It isn't quite as I remembered. The center (vertical) bracket hooks under the bumper, and the center bumper bolt passes through it, securing it to the bumper. Then there is a horizontal c channel bracket fixed to it (welded?), with long slots, to accommodate various mounting points for the different shapes of license tags used during that era. This is the best I could do, as the tag mounting bolts are rusted fast, and just turn on the back side. (I could have broken the tag off, but didn't want to ruin such a perfect license plate.... )

My 49 P15 came from a state that required a front plate, and it has a sort of clamp on system that hooks over the top & bottom edges of the bumper, then the tag is attached to that. (On our 2009 Dodge Journey, which came from Florida, I used pull-ties to hold it in place. (Ohio discontinued the requirement for the front tag a couple years ago. But already a fair number of people didn't mount the front one, even though it was the law. My niece's husband has some sort of Camaro or something that he considers a collector car, and he never put one on.)

Reminds me of a related question I've had - Has anyone used a small spot welder to weld in replacement brackets in situations like this? (The hand-held spot welder I used to borrow from a former employer is too large for this, but I've seen videos of how to build small spot welders, especially as related to welding the contact strips to replace batteries in battery drills, etc.)