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Hello all, I've been a ghost on this forum ever since June 1st of this year, when I acquired this fairly awesome, well-documented, mildly famous 1949 Dodge Wayfarer: Some members who have read quite a bit on these cars may recognize this car from a certain Mopar reference website. This is the oldest vehicle I have owned (newer notables include a 1967 Dodge Coronet and 1958 Plymouth Belvedere), and therefore came with a new set of challenges for me like 6 volt positive ground electrical systems and the wonderful tapered rear axles, and Fluid Drive. So thank you all for making this forum what it is today. I've gained the info I've needed to get going on this awesome car. As of today, front brakes and master cylinder have been replaced/overhauled, and the rear axle is to be reassembled in the next couple of evenings. She should be safely on the road for a neighborhood cruise-around this Independence Day. Stay tuned for updates. Glad to be a part of this forum. PS - It's a shame to say that this car was actually under a carport within the debris field of a tornado about three years ago, so the driver's side isn't as pretty as the rest of the car. That will be fixed later. It may need a door. You can see so many ripples in the metal around the large bondo spot. The whole door skin just looks "pissed off" for lack of a better way to say it. I feel like I can fix the fender myself. Also - I DID NOT PERFORM the Bondo "repair" you see pictured below. That would have been a PO.

I would think the oillite bushing would actually last longer than the aluminum. I hadn't gotten that far but if you actually managed to drive it far enough to wear out the carb again rebush and keep on truckin

I watched as my dad almost loose his eyebrows looking down the throat while I was cranking. It was great. Recommend doing this in the late evening when the light is low because its a great show when the flame shoots up. Perhaps you can try this July 4th in place of fire works.

Maybe even a classic! ?

It's nice to get to see an informative video, where there is no personal tension or animosity as the basis of the video...pure education and fun! Thanks Keith!

I’m there, 81 in September so best to say some thankyous. (1) Names very difficult but Plymouthy Adams, Tim Estrada, Casper 50, Bob Riding quickly emerge. (2) Quick, unexpected passing of friends and relatives. Lost two, one with a six month illness, the other a 60 day illness. (3) personal note: my health seems to be good, only two pills per day, eye sight is fine, no apparent heart or lung problems. But do have a severe hearing loss, I.e., cannot hear without my hearing aid, and now struggling with leg strength (4) forum gratitude : when I started 12 years ago did not understand intake vs exhaust manifold, , the three essentials for an engine to run, the difference between an engine and a motor, negative/ positive ground, body vs chassis. This forum taught me mechanical skills, personal tolerance, better respect for alternate views, religion, politics, and profanity are toxic, the means and value of internet friendships. Few things have been as enjoyable, rewarding, mental expansion as what I have enjoyed this past decade. So then, my unreserved, heartfelt gratitude to each and all. I trust this post is premature, but better that than never. Paul Flaming aka pflaming

Thought I'd post a little about the 56 since I sold my 48 D24. The biggest attraction to the 56 over the 48 was an automatic transmission. The second reason was the ability to add ac. At cruisin the coast, a standard transmission will work you out! And lack of ac will make it not as pleasant. Although we just altered our schedule a little so we wouldn't be in stop and go traffic, I still desired an automatic transmission and ac. So when I ran across the 56, and I liked the 56, I thought this was the answer. Little did I realize what I was getting into! Once I got the 56 home, I got her on the lift and realized this thing leaked from every seal, gasket and freeze plug in it. And the brakes were horrible! First order of business was the brakes. I messed around with the oem booster for a while but couldn't get them adjusted. I wanted duel master cylinder anyway so ordered modern duel master cylinder with booster

My wife and I purchased a home on 11 acres - it's the perfect place we wanted with more than enough space for my 1K sqft woodshop. The home had one owner - built well and solid. It feels perfect for us. We needed a truck for the property though - I wanted something I could work on and 'cut my teeth' in learning more about working on trucks/cars beyond replacing calipers and simple electrical. We found this - a 1950 Dodge B2C stake bed just up the road from us for $3,600. It is one owner with less than 53K miles - all original (so we've been told) but it appears that way. Maybe best yet: the owner who passed was cousins to the owners of our property. I'll be upgrading it this summer to be drive reliably and safely. Then, either this winter or next summer, I'll be looking to rebuild it. And so it begins: Here. We. Go.

I was out cruising this afternoon and stopped at an acreage that is a bit shaded. I went up to the road and took this picture. Once I got home and looked at the picture more closely, I was struck by the contrast of greens varying from the lighter green of the car to the darker mature summer green of the trees, with other shades in between. After blue, green is my next favourite colour.

Forum Friends, I wanted to draw your attention to our fellow member, KeithB7. He's been super helpful to me personally and puts out some really good content on his YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVoBq2i7wl4w0W4JB6cAMjg). Keith's videos are informative and entertaining. His most recent videos talks a lot of truth about why we all love these old mopars and this hobby. Check it out and subscribe. Dave

Yep... Keith you certainly are good at all your video's and posts...precise and clear information? Thanks for your efforts!

I guess I am lucky, my wife has a vinyl cutter for making t-shirts etc. and I have found the program and cutter makes perfect gaskets.... Sadly it all came to an end when she found out what I was doing. Here is an article I found that gave me the idea and gives the settings needed.

I'll be the Debbie Downer... I assume you have 12V system? If so, there aren't many DOT approved headlamps out there. I know it sounds like a small detail but it is a rather big deal, besides the "legality" of it, performance from a non-DOT approved lamp varies wildly. I sell all kinds of headlamps and have nothing to gain or lose by saying this, but I've had several customers buy "off-road only" LED headlights and complain about how bad they are. One customer in particular said he installed his and they "looked great in the garage but once I got on the highway, I had to have my highbeams on just to make it home". Caveat Emptor....buyer beware. Good luck!

On Rockauto there is a feature that lets you see alternate part numbers. These are usually numbers assigned to common items (like your bearing) by a manufacturer other than the bearing maker. Auto, truck, tractor machinery builders use these internally in there own systems. This is the list for your bearing: Alternate/OEM Part Number(s): 10A177, 171773, 18473, 18475, 200380, 2HA025, 301ST630, 312705, 3142064, 3846, 4073, 4085, 506225, 52799, 651442, 651443, 652555, 698400, 701138, 703139, 71595, 799153, 8134030, 941447, 9417446, 9417447, 9431691, 9431692, 9431699, 9431700, 9431708, 9N7065, 9N7066, B16174, C3TZ1201A, C3TZ1216B, E140GE9, E6HZ7K301B, E6HZ7K310B, J0052799, Y25877 Some of those I recognize as Ford number formats others look like GM and some Mopar. So, lots of possibilities for the original use. Doesn't matter, just match the numbers as you've done already. Edit: that first number above is a 56 Mopar number.

If you got the numbers off the bearing cone and cup, source new bearings according to those numbers. Don't rely on Amazon to tell you if they are correct for your axle. Their reference list probably doesn't go back that far. Take those Timkin numbers to your local Napa, or bearing house and get a new set.

I had a similar higher RPM issue after I changed out a set of points and didn't get the spring locked in place right. I discovered when it got over around 1500 RPM the engine would lose power. Upon further inspection I found that the ignition timing would get very erratic and retard greatly over that speed. A close review of my recent work discovered the miss-installed spring. Without the spring the points would float at higher speeds. Once that was corrected, and the dwell and timing reset, it ran like a top. Another possible cause would be fuel starvation due to clogged jets, or a fuel supply issue. But I would check the ignition first.

Keith's videos are a huge help! It helped me rebuild my '39 tranny!

Check the bolts that hold the top on the carburetor bowl. If they do not have lock washers, or the washers are flat, they will work loose. I check mine regularly. . When even slightly loose the engine will run but only that!

Thanks guys...You’re too kind. Ya’ll are very helpful to me too. I’m just having fun paying it forward to the next generation. Via You Tube.

You're not old, you are vintage...?

Always happy to read Keith's posts! And yes, he's very informative and helpful too. Thanks for being here man ?

I did the same. I believe they’re called Binding Post bolts, or screws. I got them at my local hardware store.

I would think they are the same, otherwise the builders layout http://dodgepilothouseclub.org/know/blueprints/index.htm would have the option

Hang tough man! I for one have missed watching the progress on your truck. Jeff

Would have been a lot easier if I had tubing. I made it from a piece of round stock I had laying around. Lots of chips! The clamp came from McMaster Carr.

That is exactly how I did mine. ?

I also enjoy Kieth's video's hope he keeps them up.

Here is the video of your car. I guess its got a 413 in it. Not my style though.

Great looking car! I saw one on a you tube video, that looks just like yours. I have a P15C, you can check out my profile albums if you plan to tare down the car and rebuild it.

I always thought of repair manuals as things like the old motors manuals. Ok for major stuff and regular maintenance over a wide span of years. The shop manuals brand and model specific for your year more detailed and specific to the job with later editions having tech tips and updates from field experience. The parts books are best for their exploded illustrations of assemblies illustrating how components relate to each other. I have the service manual for 46 to 50 Plymouth and they parts book. Both of which I frequently refer too even if I have done the job before.

I experienced a couple of weird symptoms recently in my ‘38 Plymouth. Twice I noticed the tail lights on, when the car parked and off. Hmm. I know this can be attributed to stuck-on brakes, but no that wasn’t it. Brakes were just overhauled. Then I noticed a dead battery after a few days parked. Hmm. I disconnected negative cable and charged it up. Next day reinstalled cable. Car started fine. Raining so no test drive. I left the battery on a .75 amp trickle charger over night. Left both battery cables installed. Next morning no go-juice. The battery measures at 2V. Hmm. Time to dig in with the multi-meter and see whats going on. I ground a lead to a spark plug metal nut at the base. (great solid ground by the way). I began poking around for continuity to ground. Right off the starter lug! Ground. What the heck? I get poking around under the dash and find grounded circuits for my fog lamps, brake lamps, running lamps. What the heck? I must be doing something wrong. I break things down in my head and remove any wires at the starter lug. Hmm. Ok just the one 6-or so gauge wire is grounding. It goes up into the dash. Right to the ammeter. The lug on the ammeter is grounding. Hmm. There are multiple wires pulled off that one ammeter lug. So each one of those circuits are now being grounded. I remove all connections at ammeter and start checking each one. Now I’m down to only 1 wire that is grounding. Hmm. Where does it go? I’m thinking about the brake lights coming on a few weeks ago. Likely to the brake lights I figure. Sure enough. Indeed it does go to the brake lights. I check continuity at the brake switch, affirmative. Remove wire after switch that goes to the brake lamps. Continuity test wire from ammeter to brake switch connection, all good. No grounding. Remove wire at brake switch that goes to brake lights. Bingo! Its grounding. This is fun. Making progress. Yet now its time to get under the car. Maybe even drop the fuel tank to see what I’ve done. I built the rear harness from scratch. I screwed something up. Time to don the coveralls and get under there. I’ll report back my findings. I think I'm getting close. I am grateful how simple these old cars are. I was amused and reminded how tricky electrons and wiring can be. 1 simple wire was pulling down everything else that it touched. Where it gathered at the shared lug on the rear of the ammeter. A few years ago I would have been on a wild goose chase after I found several different circuits grounding. Sometimes aging is not so bad. I've learned to slow down and think. Lol.

A bit more progress.

Sixty (60) years today.

I think the Le Femme are rare! I saw an episode of my classic car and there were 2 at 1 car show! I bet a 426 would catch spectators by surprise! I took her to her first cruise in since getting her all back together. Most everyone said something to the effect of "you don't see many of these around ". One guy that looked over the car returned in about an hour and said "I've looked at every car here now and this is my favorite " I've got the ac ordered, I'm trying to figure out how I want to build the fan shroud and still have it look period correct. Here's some pictures from the cruise in.

Painted the firewall, inter fenders and all the little bits and reinstalled the engine and transmission

The fender skirts would not fit with the width of the rear, a brake drum appeared to be warped andThe speedometer was off, I did the math and figured 3.07 gears would correct the speedometer. So I found a 8.8 with the right width and 3.08 gears. The paint on the wheels was flaking off so I painted them. Tried to see if the wife would go for the no hubcap look but she liked the hubcaps.