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JimM: Thanks for the tip. I suspected the two halves could be clocked. But maybe there's no problem having the connector at the bottom. Don Coatney: If you stand upside down, the battery would look OK. Sometimes at work a set of drawings would be printed completely upside down, with the staples at the right side instead of the left. I would simply put the set on a table, and go around to the other side of the table to look at it.

This past January, some friends of mine and I got together at an abandoned strip of old Highway 99-60-70 and highway bridge in Whitewater, California, just NW of Palm Springs off of I-10. We took our old cars and dressed up in post-war period attire. I had also taken along some copies of some original highway signs and shields that I made which would have been erected in that same area back in the 30's and 40's. The signs and post were made to exact scale aof the original ones. The whole purpose of this event was to recreate a 1940's highway scene and see how close we could make it look real on film. The great thing about this strip of old highway was that the old pavement and wooden guard railing is the original from the 1930's. The portion of highway and the bridge were abandoned when they were bypassed in 1954. The cars we used were a 1939 Dodge, 1938 Ford, 1947 Pontiac and my 1947 Plymouth. Ironically, the Pontiac was the same, exact car used in the film "Devil With A Blue Dress." We took different shots of the cars going up and down the road and also used them in the background for taking some candid shots with the signs, just like people used to do when they travelled across country to mark where they had been. All in all, it was a blast to do, and we plan to do it again soon, but with more cars and people.

I'm still slowly working on the truck. I have 90% of the interior done. I need to finish putting the door panels and handles on along with the arm rests. My neighbor is recovering both of my sunvisors for me too. Other than that, I decided to order new bed cross members to replace my old beat up ones. I finished the tail lights this week too. I didn't like the way the original sockets for the bulbs were so I replaced the sockets with the more common type. I then wired them with the correct wiring to make them look "correct" and painted them. My next step is to get the crossmembers painted once I get them and get the bed floor laid out the frame ready for the bed sides. Is this a good approach or is it better to assemble the bed first then put it on as an assembly? I'm still not 100% sure how it all goes (but I'm getting there), because it was already off the truck when I got it. Also, how many people does it take to put it together safely without hurting the paint?

The starter is the one that came on the truck in 1953, to the best of my knowledge. It does not have a solenoid. To activate the starter, you step on the starter pedal, the pedal moves the starter lever to push the starter switch (or button - the shop manual uses both words). At the same time the internal part of the starter lever riding on the sleeve moves forward against the spring, and that moves the starter clutch assembly forward. This is all described using the parts diagram in the Shop Manual to try to cut out some of the confusion. The shop manual shows a different looking starter lever than my '53. The starter lever on the one in the Shop Manual is long and straight, with a built in return spring. My '53 lever is shorter, has a factory bend or two in it and does not have a built in return spring. Based on JB's description, I am planning on replacing the starter clutch. Thanks again for all the ideas and input.

Thanks so much for the photos, they are fantastic. Here is one that I did last summer with my wife at an old farm nearby. I know that my wheels aren't correct, but I had to share just the same. I hope you don't mind, not trying to hijack your thread

I reckon your starter clutch needs replacing...had one snap on my '49, luckily I was pointed downhill so I was able to get back to the house. The external lever arm connects to the starter clutch to engage the pinion shaft to the flywheel ring gear. It has a compression spring that forces the pinion shaft off of the flywheel ring gear when the lever arm is released. A quick check if you have the starter on the bench is to manually actuate the lever arm fully; if it snaps back, the clutch & lever spring are ok...if it returns without that snap, then one of those two springs is busted, or the clutch is sticking on a gummed up shaft.

This is my 1930 Chrysler taken in 1962. Looks a lot like yours. A '29 looks the same as do the Plymouths.