busycoupe

From the looks of them you could probably do a good job of replicating them with rub down lettering. Try an art supply store or graphic arts supply. You would probably have to cover them with varnish or spray lacquer to make them permanent. Do some experimenting first to make sure the varnish or lacquer doesn't dissolve the lettering, or finish on your knobs. Dave

I'm glad that it all ended up well Rodney. It's good that no people, pets, or cars were hurt. Dave

Wolf whistle: http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/5362

The whistle on your car is not the same as the whistle tips shown in the video. It is apparently controlled by a wire for one thing. I wonder what it sounds like? Can it be controlled like a manifold 'wolf whistle?' When you get it running please post a video with sound so that we can hear it. Dave

my 'big butt' '48 coupe.

I had a '71 Triumph Tiger that I bought at auction in 2005. I did a mostly cosmetic restoration of it. Powdercoated frame, new tires and tubes, wheel bearings, repro seat, exhaust system, etc., had tank and fenders painted. It was a blast! 4 speed, right hand shift. It was great on the winding country roads near here. Unfortunately I am moving, and anticipating less space in my new garage I sold the bike last summer. Here is a pic of me with the bike at "European Bike Day" at the Larz Andersen Museum of Transportation in Brookline, MA in 2009. Dave

I guess I feel like Frank. When I drive my old car it is so that I can experience what it was like to drive back in the day. Driving any old car comes with an increased risk of injury. It is true they do not have modern brakes, they also do not have modern suspensions, dash padding, crush zones, air bags, etc. Even if you replace the brakes and bolt in seat belts driving an old car is still far more hazardous than driving a new car. I would never want to drive an old car as a daily driver, there are simply too many cars available for short money that have been built in the last ten years and have modern safety features. That said, I still enjoy my old car and enjoy driving it when the roads are dry and not too busy. Even then I try to leave myself plenty of room to maneuver and stop. Dave

It looks like he had a Plymouth wagon that didn't run and a Chevy that needed a body. - A marriage of convenience! It is interesting that the length of the wheelbase is close to correct for the wagon.

I just got an email from Rock Auto this morning reminding me about a discount code. Most of you know about Rock Auto, but for the new guys, Rock Auto has good prices and service if they have what you need. Here is the info from the email about the discount code. Dave Your RockAuto discount code 45640931820173 will expire on February 27, 2011. If you or anyone you know is thinking of doing some vehicle repair, now's the time to order the parts! Taking advantage of this discount opportunity is easy! Simply enter your code in the "How did you hear about us" line of the shopping cart. If you are using our traditional HTML catalog, please click the "Apply" button to the right of the field. Your discount will automatically appear, subtracted from your order total.

I agree with Don. I enjoy seeing cars restored to AACA standards, but to try do one is not my cup of tea. I enjoy working on my car the way I want to. I like my car mostly stock without having to worry about things like the color of the oil filter and whether the correct stickers are in the correct places. I haven't won any awards, but I do enjoy taking my car to local shows and cruise nights. Most of which have viewer favorite awards, or awards by category. The car gets me on the field, and I like seeing the wide variety of cars shown, and enjoy talking with the owners. One local show I attended 2 summers ago drew several hundred cars including hot rods, sports cars, all manner of old American cars, even an original "Moxie car" and a Pierce Arrow that had won an award at Pebble Beach not long before. Dave

It would have made a good long-weekend trip for me. However, I am moving from Mass. to North Carolina at the end of March.. I don't think that I will make it this year. For those of you going, the Hemmings garage/museum in Bennington Vt. is a good take. Bennington is in the south-west corner of the state. Dave

That looks great Charley! My car is in the garage for the winter, but I think that I will treat myself to one of those. It will make me feel like I am making some kind of progress, even if it is cold! Dave

If you are concerned that the wiring leading to the gauge is designed for 30 amps and that it may overheat if much more is put through it, you could fuse the circuit at something like 40 amps. This would protect the wiring, but the downside is that if you blew the fuse everything in the car would shut down. - Just a thought. Dave

Roberts auto parts (http://www.robertsmotorparts.com/index.html), or Bernbaums (http://www.oldmoparts.com/Default.htm). They are parts dealers for old mopar products. You might also try your local NAPA or other auto part store. It would be best if you could bring the spring with you to match it. Dave

Thanks for the offer Moose, but I'm afraid it might end up with some wild manifolds and 2 or 3 carbs! Dave

I hope that your Mother has a speedy recovery. Take care. Dave

I love the pics of the old gas station! I wonder if the pump has been sitting there set at 37 cents since the seventies, or if someone was playing with it. It looks like you are having a trip of the lifetime! Good luck! I'm looking forward to your next report. Dave (In frozen Massachusetts)

Thanks to all for your help and support. I will contact exotic auto transport and some of the others listed in Hemmings. I will let you know how the move goes. Dave

Has anyone used an auto transport company to move their car? We are moving from Massachusetts to North Carolina in March and I want to hire an enclosed transport for the trip. Any recommendations? Cautions? Thanks, Dave

My 48 D24 business coupe has had lots of work over the years. The interior upholstery is not original, however, I believe that the dash and steering wheel are. The business coupe is the less expensive model, called "Deluxe." As Tim says, the dash and windshield trim is wood-grained. Dave

I love the color of your car! What color is it? I wanted mine to be similar to that, but when the paint was on the car and dry it came out considerably brighter. Dave

I found this site which explains coil polarity. Greg is correct that the coil will work when connected either way, but the spark plugs are polarity sensitive. That explains why all of our coils have contacts that are labelled either for polarity or BATT/Dist. etc. http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/ignition/ig104.htm Dave

I used to think that coil polarity didn't matter. However, about 5 years ago I bought a 1971 Triumph motorcycle as a project. It ran, but started hard and ran rough. Looking it over I discovered that both coils were wired backwards. I reversed the wires and the bike ran strong. I'm not sure why this happened, but I know that it did. Dave

Congratulations! I hope that all goes well this evening. Post pics of your car at the cruise in. Dave

I see you antiqued my coupe. Nice job, Thanks. Dave