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Good advise on the lighting. I plan on going with LED. The foundation for the shop and carport is in. They are coming back today to pour the driveway extension. The sidewalk looking thing around the foundation is the new drainage path for the back yard.

I bought Alshere59's 1950 Plymouth. He gave me a super deal. Won't be able to start working on it for about two months. The shop I'm renting has asked me to move out by the end of the year. So I decided to build a shop and it will be about two months before it's done. Probably shouldn't be spending this much money but I'm old and I need a place to work on stuff and not worry about the owner changing their mind. The new shop is not going to be big or fancy. But it will be big enough to work on one car at a time and have a lift. I shouldn't be starting another project but I'm too stubborn to stop working on stuff yet. This is a perfect project for me. The mechanicals are good. All I have to do is paint it and then put it back together. I think I can do all that. It may need a few adjustments here and there also. This is a picture of the dirt work and the day the car got here. Had the car transported from Ohio to Texas. That's a story for another time. More news latter.

As much as really I don't feel like doing it, my leaking timing cover gasket needs replacing. It looks pretty straightforward. I already removed the radiator, fan and water pump pulley. The front motor mount will have to come off. The manual says to lift up the engine in order to remove the crank pulley/hub, which I assume is to make room for the hub puller. The exploded view in the manual also shows a "jaw" and "washer" in front of the hub, so I'm guessing the jaw is the bolt/nut that holds the hub on? Is this correct? For anyone that's done this job before, any tips or tricks would be most appreciated. Thanks

Last weekend my local AACA club went on a car tour and we went to the Boyertown Car Museum in Boyertown, PA. The museum is the old Boyertown Truck Body Manufacturing Plant. Boyertown Boded trucks were their main business and they were very popular in our area. If you ever get to the Allentown or Chester County area plan a visit. They trace the history of all vehicles from sleight, coaches-buggies, bicycles and cars and trucks that have either been manufactured within the tri county area. Some very unique cars and trucks. When I first entered the museum I saw the back end on 1937 Chrysler and from the rear I knew it was a Durham Bodied car. Durham body works is a famous custom body compnay that was located in Rosemont, Pa which is next to Villanova near Villanova college. Upon reading the attached poster on this car I also learned that Durham Body Works was at one time a Chrysler Desoto dealership. The current building is nw the Algar Motor company that sell lotus and other high prices cars. Also of note is that the picture of the one carriage was made by the Wolfington Coach Company that later on became the Wolfington Desoto dealership located at 34 and Chestnut street in Philadelphia, PA. The dealership is closed but the name is still being used in Exton PA as the Wolfington Bus Company. I have shown my 1939 Desoto to the Great Grandson that nw runs the Bus company and told him that my 1939 Desoto was sold out of the Wolfington Dealership back in 1939. Also during my visit he informed me that the Wolfington dealership also did custom bodied cars and that they would share between them and Durham when ever they needed additional experienced craftsman. I told the tour guide about the history of my car and they then took pictures of my car after our tour was completed. I have attached pictures of these cars and the carriage for your viewing pleasure. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

To get at the front timing cover you’ll need to remove the front engine mount. You need to support the engine to do that. The rubber on your front mount looks poor. It should be replaced. You’ll need to remove the centre crank bolt. Then a puller to get the pulley off. Look at the sealing surface of the pulley. Clean it up. You may very well want a speedi-sleeve on it. Remove timing cover bolts. Remove timing cover. Kerosene and a brush. De-sludge everything. Clean all mounting surfaces like new. How’s the timing chain play looking? Install a new crank seal in the cover with a press. Get a new gasket in place. I like to copper spray both sides. Lay the cover and gasket in place. Do not tighten it down. Use crank pulley as centering guide. Install pulley. Then tighten down cover bolts. Put thread sealer on cover bolts.

Not sure how relevant this is, but KeithB has some good posts his made when he redid his box.

The front mounting points of the center section have slots in them. Loosen the bolts and pulling up may get it away from the overflow tube. Those stress cracks are really common, metal is thin and weak and difficult to repair with any kind of strength.

I love "resto-mods". Besides my P15, I have one: 1950 Ford business coup 350 SB Chevy...Racing cam, B&M 271 Blower pushing 300+HP, Datsun rack & pinion steering, 74 Maverick rear, Turbo 400, AC/ PS, Power brakes. Back in the day we would call this a Hot Rod (the term Street Rod was never used). "Patina" was called Rust Rat Rod was called a Jalopy. Engines were called "Mills" Auto transmissions were called "Slush-boxes" ...Now I feel really old

The new shop will have a tall celling for a lift. Going with a two post. A four post would take up too much room. Having a deep concrete beam poured where the lift will be anchored. I have been told that six inches of concrete is enough for a two post lift so I'm going with a one foot thick beam. Didn't get much sleep last night - kind of excited about getting this done. Concrete today. I lucked out and it has been perfect weather here in East Texas for concrete work. More news latter.

Please don’t think I still get upset about hot rods. I’ve out grown that. The hot rod guys love really nice paint and chrome. Their cars look fantastic! But the fact is, they were never built that nice even by accident when they brand new. I’ve had the pleasure of closely inspecting genuine “original” Model T Fords. Let me tell you they were just awful! However original Model Ts are extremely rare, they all have been repainted with modern paint and if the owner repaints the car they usually make the body parts fit right. Henry never made them that nice and if he ever saw one that was perfect, he would be mystified how that happened. lol In my miss spent youth I was a dealer mechanic. My Plymouths follow the formula of what a dealer mechanic would drive back in the day. If I can find an improvement from another MoPar vehicle that a dealer mechanic would know about, my car will have it. I have a Model A that the previous owner installed a T5 in. I really don’t like it. I am changing it to a 39 V8 gearbox with a torque tube mounted R10 Overdrive. As far as the wiring and switches and solenoids go….well a dealer mechanic would have an Overdrive that worked as designed. I appreciate the charm of the 49 to 52 Plymouths. I don’t want to get too far away from that charm. I think the Overdrive does nothing to diminish that charm. That’s my formula and while I like it, no one else has to like it. In fact I like the idea that most folks would think my car is dead stock. It’s all about fun and enjoyment.