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One last thing I needed to do on IWOYTD... A brake and grease seal check....all A-Ok! It's been a great IWOYTD weekend!

Worked on my race truck today, "The Brick"........doing my best, to continue to domesticate the poor bastard. lol I sorted out a low-side bed for it, and unfroze a correct "side" mirror. The replacement mirror always bothered me....well, because I knew it was wrong. The correct mirror frame, casing, housing, which ever....has its pivot off center. I unstuck the pivot and got it ready for some shaping and new reflective glass. Its slightly larger too, but not much, .....so there you go. My truck is far from original, so who knows why an incorrect mirror would bug me. 48D

I've been working on this 52 Dodge 230 engine for over a month now and have just about finished. She's got new valves, guides, seats, springs, new .030 over pistons, new bearings, seals, gaskets, etc, new oil pump and starter. After cleaning the head, I found someone had stamped the head underside (gasket side) with .023 so I guessing it was already milled/shaved. It does seem like an odd amount to remove but I have no way to know how much, if any was milled off. Checking with my very old Starrett straight edge, it's in great shape with no more than .003 gaps anywhere. I would like to shave more off (around .045-.050 more) After placing a new head gasket in position and setting the head on with putty in 3 chambers and head bolts very snug, I get readings from .204 to .216 of head to valve clearance at the thinnest places after 2 complete revolutions. In the past, working on other engines, I tried to keep the head to piston clearance somewhere around .090-.100 so I'm guessing this wouldn't be any different for valve to head space. I was able to finally get the engine back where it belongs. See pics. Does anyone see why I shouldn't go ahead and shave .050 off the head?? Many thanks in advance...

GL1 is readily available at NAPA..if not in stock is in their inventory and available on an overnight....maybe same day if you get there early....it is gallon container but relax, that gallon is better priced than many quarts of other similar lubes....I bought a gallon not long back for under 17.00

Well the car made a 240 mile trip home Friday, then its driven about 40-70 more miles since that trip. The car is doing great. I put it on a lift today to check out the underneath. Turns out its pretty solid.

I think I am going to have to set down my tools, raise my hands and back away very carefully. I put a few items on just for inspiration, If I think about my original goals, A daily driver to go to the hardware store for lumber or bags of concrete, grocery store post office etc... Do I need paint? Thinking I don't need no stinking paint! If you open the hood and see the frame painted, all maintenance up to date, new brake lines and fuel lines it is safe to drive, new wiring ... Do I really need to extend the project another year for body paint? Or just get it on the road and start driving it? I am 57 years old and retired on disability, have limitations and have a lifetime of IWOYTD. This truck is rougher then a corn cob, a paint job for a noobie is not ideal. I love the work others are doing on their cars/trucks, I want to see a mud puddle, yell "HANG ON MOMMA" And hope I do not need to dry out the distributor on the side of the road. Just another reason why IWOYTD is valuable, I can work on my truck fer next 20 years, what I need to do is get it on the road.

Great stories. I hope to make memories like that with the grandkids.

Yes you are going to experience issues with Ebay too. “People are the same wherever you go.” -P. McCartney. I’m just saying ebay is likely the one place with the largest offering of NOS parts. There are many sellers there with their inventory on the site. A quick example: I was considering a replacement synchromesh assembly for my 82 year old Plymouth car. I looked up the original part number in my 1938 parts book. I searched that part number on E-bay. There were many NOS options at various prices there. Not too shabby at all for an 82 yr old car.

If it is stainless steel trim and you have it, good chance someone can save it. My ss grill bars on my truck were smooshed flat. In a couple hours messing around I was able to get them looking pretty good. If it is not something you want to do yourself, maybe find a old school body and paint shop, one with a older worker that remembers this type of work .... They will enjoy fixing it. It can be welded, hammered out and polished. This may be your best choice if you actually have the original trim.

ok done deal, I went searching again found this one in my price range ($85) Looks like it will work once or twice. and clicked buy now and it is on it's way. NAPA- 3 LEG HUB PULLER # NH 2251 "NEW"

sorry no pictures of the "work", but had some friends over for some barely pops on Saturday and my buddy and I talked TODD interior layout concepts for about 45 mins.

In reality, unfortunately there is no single source of all the highest quality, great fitting parts. As cars get older, quality parts become more scarce. Reproduction parts? Few if any meet or exceed the original design by the Chrylser engineers. If I had to pick one place that has the largest selection NOS high quality parts? E-Bay. There is no easy quick answer. Your choice of part selection will come with experience. When ya get burned a few times you don’t forget.

I even wore my NOS "EIS" brake cap... BTW....I only wear my special "EIS" cap and DT shirt for the IWOYTD weekend ! A very special weekend event!

try Michael Warsaw Vintage American Parts Company

I was told by a machinist to use a pilot drill bit that just barely bigger that the web of the drill bit size of the larger drill to be used. The Web is the cross section between the flutes of the drill bit. (The sharp center). Hope I am clear of the explanation. The is no need to progressively drill larger and larger holes to get up to where you want to end up. I have drilled up to 2" holes using this method. Say a 1/2" drill bit has something like a 1/8" web (off the top of my head). Therefore a 1/8" or barely larger will allow the 1/2" bit to easily drill the hole and will be centered and round not oversized and out of round. DJ

I would recommend same. More trans options without the enblock bell housing of the earlier engines

I own an original 53 Dodge Coronet convertible with the 241 Red Ram hemi. It has an extended block connecting its Gyro-Torque semi-automatic transmission. I don't know for a fact that all 241s had the same block, but this combination obviously did. (My first car, was also a 53 Coronet hemi but with a 3-speed, and if I could go back 56 years, I'd check.) That said, adapters are available to connect these longer 241s to more common transmissions, so I wouldn't give up if you run across one. They're great little engines.

I ditto the prior remarks about the extended bell housing Chrysler. Neither DeSoto nor Dodge had that feature. Dodges and DeSotos are great alternatives to the Chrysler Hemi and they still have the "Hemi presence" If memory serves the Dodge is a good 2" shorter then the Chrysler and in every case narrower than the Chrysler at any deck height. DeSotos fall in between the two but IMO, DeSotos are the most rare and therefore even more expensive to rebuild. I am just now starting on my second Hemi build, a 270 cu. in. The prior 325 has just clicked over 40K miles and I couldn't be happier or more proud of an engine I built myself.

I'm using the orignal MC on my 48 with Scarebird disc and Cherokee rear with drum. Not sure how it would work with 4 disc. I also found answers on the Plymouth Owners Club facebook page.

And now we are all Bald.....

When you have the bulbs out of their mounts you will see the ground wire attached to the rear of the bucket. This area is exposed to moisture, dirt etc by the front tires. It's an area that when the car was used as primary transportation was subject to splashing of water, mud and grit from the road. It in many cases was a rust prone area. Inspect the metal that the ground wire is attached to and make sure it's a good solid ground. Also if your car doesn't have a ground strap from the body typically the fire wall, to the bell housing, engine or frame install one. This can usually correct a lot of lighting and other electrical accessory performance. 6 volt systems rely on current flow to get the job done. Less resistance, thicker wires, good connections and adequate grounds make for proper working of the circuits.

Well I made it....wasn’t much today, as I rented a tree bucket for my skid steer and spent the day moving trees, but I managed the last touch on my electric parking brake today for the 50. With the original “T” handle with just an extension cable going to the splitter I could never get enough force to really set the brake, and rather then mess around trying to find a lever/bracket to amplify the torque, I just purchased a 12 volt linear actuator, built a box to protect it and ran a rod from it to the splitter. So now there is just a switch on the dash and when it’s tight there is a buzzer that goes off, which also keeps you from driving away with it on. Next will be to get the wiper motor working better, but then it’s up on the For Sale block....time to relax at a cabin and I just can’t swing all the toys

My 52 3/4 ton still sports the original bed. The support bracket goes under the shovel strip so that it’s the same level as the other strips. The bed wood has quite a deep route for it. The tailgate on my B3C, however, has been modified with an opening for a grain slot, so the bracket offers no support. -roland

I thought this was a personal grooming thread at first glance. When I first read it my thought was. Marijuana is now legal and haircuts are against the law. It took 50 years but the hippies won after all. Peace!

additional information - Column Shifter Adjustments

We got that rain last night ..... It poured! No more in the foreseeable forecast. Generator bracket pulled cleaned and painted.

the parts manual I have updated 1May53 lists this as a center hinge, used on 3/4 and 1-tons, and should be mounted below the shovel strip, though I only have one applicable bed mostly intact and it appears that it is above the bed wood...I would assume that the bed wood needs to be notched out enough to accept this hinge so that the shovel strip is not too proud of the others, but I cannot find factory documentation to support this so customize as you wish... the center hinge with the countersunk holes is for the B-4s... I am unsure if this is called the hinge support in the parts manual because it is only used on 1/2 tons '48-'53 but the manual lists it for all express bodies...my '53 1/2 ton has the long bed that is the same as the 3/4 tons and it has the countersunk hole center hinge

*sigh* We lost greybeard a few years back and Don Coatney just at the end of this last year........ They both posted great stuff, glad you're using the search option my friend. 48D

I am really glad he shared the link. After sleeping on it, I realize I must have placed my high bid at $75, and thinking it would need to sell for $80 to beat me. My high bid was not $80. And it sold for $75.59 ... probably a sniper software program at final seconds. I really need to get on the rear brakes, front is finished and master cyl cleaned and working and new lines ran to the T block to the rear. Only thing stopping me from having usable brakes is the drum puller tool. Looks like I will be heading back to the bay, I really want a good original made in USA tool. Have to bid higher. Why do I feel like I need a long hot shower after bidding on ebay ?

I took a closer look at this and, shamefully, I must say that it’s from a Model-T. Hopefully, the site admin won’t boot me and make me join the H.A.M.B.

well....for the life of me...can't upload my pics and they are'nt even 2 mb!! I give up...you will have to trust me! Ha!

I didn't have any work to do ON my truck, but since today was designated "yard work day" I decided to work WITH my truck. I used it to run to Menards for some mulch.

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