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Thanks Gents !! I wish I could take credit for its restoration but I cant. I am the benefactor of somebody else's hard work. All I can do is claim to be the caretaker for the next generation. I do have one complete restoration under my belt (1964 BelAir ) and partial on a 56 Olds but my increasing age and health necessitated purchase of a 98% completed veh. Ill find enough maint. to keep me busy.

Farmer John: yes you are correct with your statement. I missed adding in the 0 for the example. so in my example the correct measurement is 11.010 or then thousandths over. If I do go through with this idea I would create a form and instruction sheet along with an area for the mechanic to write in the appropriate information. Rich Hartung

Hi EAG: Yes, you can bypass and jumper your way out of almost anything, BUT: let's do a little logic here.....Does the car still have its original 1951 wiring harness? If so, take a good look. Is it stiff and brittle? Can you see any bare wires? Will pieces of insulation flake off with just a little flexing? Do the headlights go dim when the engine goes from road speed to normal idle? Again, is that wiring really 73 years old? If the harness has been replaced, was it done right? (i.e. with the appropriate gauge of wire) or a slop job by someone who didn't know what they were doing? Remember the name of the game with 6 volt systems is current, and the more current you are trying to draw, the more deleterious the effect of a given amount of resistance will be. Worn, frayed and oxidised wiring will have more resistance than wiring in good condition. And it matters: for example, if you draw 12 watts from a 24 volt system, you're pulling a half amp. (24x.5=12). It will be one amp in a 12 volt system (12x1=12) and yes, you can see where this is going, 2 amps in a 6 volt system (6x2=12). Lots of folks will switch out their 6 volt systems for 12 volt because they use wire of a gauge specified for 12 volt systems, because that's what you'll find at the auto parts store. Things will of course, work poorly. Six volts will work just fine when done right. Clean. tight connexions are a MUST. NEVER use those auto parts store battery cables! Triple ought is the way to go! So, my advice to you would be yes, check the ignition switch, but don't eff around, rip that harness out and replace it. For functionality, peace of mind and safety. These harnesses are quite simple, I've made quite a few, and with modern insulation you can go up in gauge (down in number) with the same thickness, giving you even better current handling. Supplies are available from Rhode Island Wiring and YnZ's Yesterday's Parts. They will also make the harness for you, even going up in gauge and with original style colour coded cloth coverings if you should so wish. Expect to shell out some buckaroos if they make it for you, though. I bought my first harness some 30 years ago, but after that I made my own. The process is quite easy, actually: you stretch out the original harness on a board 3 or 4 meters long and duplicate the lines one by one, keeping track of your colour codes, of course. You will want a volt-ohm meter at your side. You can also use the opportunity to add wires that might not have been there originally, such as for turn signals and back-up lights that you will want to add in the future. Hope this helps.

When you buy radiator hoses, the store always lets me go in the back and select a random hose that is correct size and has the correct bends to make it work .... just cut out the piece you need. .... 2nd one may be easier, 1rst one is no problem either.

Wonder why you would need mounting bracket mods? My aftermarket radiator had slotted mounting holes in the middle of the radiator .... I removed brackets from the original and bolted to the aftermarket .... works fine. My used $50 radiator is 3" thick all the way from top to bottom .... I believe it is a larger 3 core radiator. The one you show is a bargain price, is advertised to fit your application .... I have never heard a bad word against Champion. I would think it would fit? Because of West Texas and multiple months of +100F weather .... I might check the pricing on a thicker radiator just for more capacity. I would bet the one you show will work fine. I painted mine black, looks like it might be original ... unless you know it should be honeycomb. On a side note, My old one is in the scrap pile, it does have a good tank if you want to spend $1k to get yours re-cored.

first get your schematic for the year and model, your test meter and troubleshoot the problem......with wiring askew it would be impossible for anyone here to state your problem with certainty. Can you by-pass points of contact, make other changes...of course you can, but unless you annotate these running changes on a drawing for prosperity, you should not.

I took a look in my parts manual and it appears that the same starter P/N is used for all trucks through the H series. I haven't been able to figure out what the --- --- is referencing, but even though they break things down by serial number breaks, and what-not, they all end up showing the same part number. So, it shouldn't matter which year you get one from, ('48-'53) it should work for you. I know you are asking for '51 specific starters, but based on this Parts Manual data, I'll share a few pics I have of the starter in my '50 B2C. These photos weren't specifically targeting the starter when I took them, but I believe they'll show you how the starter yolk/arm on my truck looks, compared to what you may have. I couldn't find any pics in my photo library of the starter after installing the cab, to show the alignment of the starter to the stomp rod. If you want/need that I can go out to the garage this evening and get some for you.

After seeing it in person, I can't wait to see it in action with the new white walls on my race track! Tailgate BBQ #18, just around da corner! 48D

Yeah, my sentiments too. But on the other hand 😬 there were 5 million Model A's built in three years. Price reflects that aspect I suppose. Some models like the coupe will demand more, but not much more. Ironically, they are only worth more by turning them into good quality hot rods. Marketplace demand. I now get more enjoyment out of watching this clip than I ever did from actually driving the car! (But it was a totally fun build lasting over 3 years.)

That 56 Ford F100 that got me kicked out of the HAMB? It has a 3.8L Super Charged V-6 from the Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe. Including automatic transmission and 8.8 IRS. Interior also took advantage of many super coupe conveniences. I added AC before my Rte 66 trip using the original compressor and a look-alike interior blower cabinet. It all ended up looking like factory. Almost.