bamfordsgarage

They're all orphan brands.

Right on! I just love seeing old cars and trucks being used — for their original purposes — in everyday life.

Another alternative for poor insulation on old wires is heat-shrink tubing — 3/16" diameter on the 25' roll is relatively cheap, performs well, and the satin-black finished appearance does not look out of place. Of course, this requires the original terminals be removed first for the tubing to slip over the wire — a bit more work but a very satisfactory result.

Adam H P15 D30: Not friendly to not stock? Hardly... Read my few other posts, nowhere have I criticized any posters for their disc brakes, 12 volts, mag wheels, whatever. To each their own. But what does set me off is blanket proclamations of truth like "Generators SUCK!" Just because they don't work for one guy hardly any basis for telling others to get rid of theirs. And I'm certainly not all-stock-all-the-time — as a matter of fact my Dodge and other cars all have a number of upgrades — not modernizations — but upgrades as might have been done back in the day. That's the kind of car that suits me fine. Your mileage may vary.

And while you're at it, keep in mind... They don't use cloth-covered wire anymore — install plastic wire (cloth-covered wiring SUCKS!) They don't build cars with positive ground anymore — convert yours to negative (positive ground SUCKS!) They don't use drum brakes these days — convert to discs! (drum brakes SUCK!) They don't use single stage paint any more — repaint with base/clear! (single stage paint SUCKS!) They don't build flatheads anymore — convert to overhead valves! (flatheads SUCK!) They don't use carburetors anymore — install fuel injection! (carburetors SUCK!) They don't build cars w/o locking steering columns — put one in! (stealable cars SUCK!) They don't use sealed beams anymore — convert to halogen! (sealed beams SUCK!) They don't build cars without an ECU these days — you should have one! (non-computerized engines SUCK!) They don't build cars without energy-absorbing bumpers anymore — you should have them! (solid bumpers SUCK!) They don't build cars with vent windows anymore — take yours out! (vent windows SUCK!) They don't build cars without shoulder belts any more — put them in! (cars without belts SUCK!) They don't build cars without airbags anymore — you should have six! (cars without airbags SUCK!) They don't build cars without pollution controls anymore — put some on yours! (polluting cars SUCK!) They rarely build family cars with rear-wheel drive — convert yours to FWD! (RWD SUCKS!) They don't build cars with 3-on-the-tree anymore — put in a five-speed or an automatic! (3-on-the-tree SUCKS!) They don't make cars that look like old Plymouths anymore — make yours look like a Toyota! (old car styles SUCK!) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Seriously though, there's very little need to replace a properly-maintained six-volt system just because it's six volts! Personally, and this is only my narrow niche of the old-car hobby, six-volts is part of the charm of an old car, along with drum brakes, vacuum wipers, no-synchro-first-gears, AM radios, positive ground, rear-wheel drive, manual steering, no seat belts, bias tires, etc. etc. When I get a hankering for air-conditioning, power brakes/steering/windows/antenna, shoulder belts, or starts-even-at-35-below, I'll happily drive my Sable or my sweetie's PT Cruiser. Mind you, my regular driver is a Model T Ford, so when I get a hankering for something modern, the '47 Dodge will usually do nicely! As far as generators SUCKING!, in my experience the rebuilt stock generator on my Dodge shows a positive charge on the ammeter at 40 mph with the following switched on: High beams, radio, heater, fog light, panel lights, driving light, and backup light. Do you really need more output than that? It's worth reading the excellent link on the P15/D24 website about converting these cars to 12 volts and the many many things you would need to do for a successful conversion. To me, that amount of work and expense SUCKS! and I would just as soon keep the 6-volt system, get it working well and enjoy the car just like old K. T. intended. Only MHO and your mileage may vary.

I'm with Tim on this one... There is a world of difference between, on one hand, leaving damage/dings that occurred since the car was last painted — like Bob's door jimmy — and on the other hand, not fixing them before the next paint job. In the first instance, they are genuine patina, understandable, and lead nicely into your great story about #2 washtubs. But painting over the dents will only make you look cheap, lazy, uncaring and/or incompetent (and you're likely none of those things). Even if you don't care what anybody thinks of you, those freshly painted dents will bring down the appearance of your car big time — far more than you might expect. That would be an enormous shame after all the effort and expense to repaint and otherwise repair.

This particular one — our $200 parts car — was ruined before we started. We harvested the doors, front springs, dash, a few miscellaneous bits and the complete power train. We also took the roof to gain a better understanding of the edge structure re attaching our roof rack. The rebuild tag is stamped Dec/53 and the car was last plated in 1957 so we are hopeful the block will be a good spare.

Chopped and channeled can look particularly cool...

Several cases of moonshine would certainly help. 480 lbs of guys on the back bumper bring the tail down about 1-1/4". The coil overs are not adjustable. In hindsight, an air bag adjustable shock might have been a better choice given our variable loads.

And not a moment too soon! We got a used front spring from our parts car and had two new rear springs built a little heavier than original. A bit of Rustoleum textured paint helps the new parts blend in with the old. The new rear springs and load adjusting shocks have altered the stance considerably. Here's hoping a loaded trunk and some gear on the roof rack will bring the tail down a bit.

Dkopesky, the body-to-engine-or-frame ground strap that Greg G suggests is always good practice and might solve your lighting issues. However, I think you may have been asking specifically about the continuity of ground from the taillight sockets to the body... If your car is like my '47 D25, the socket is integral with the socket holder, the socket holder "legs" are squeezed together slightly to insert into the rear sheetmetal, and the springback of the legs holds everything in place. Good grounding depends on continuity through the legs to the body and can be lost through corrosion and/or lack of springiness. The best way to assure this ground stays good is to add a wire between the socket holder and the body. Use a 6-8" of #14 or even #16 wire with ring connectors on each end and secure to the socket holder and trunk floor (out of sight under the socket holder) with sheet metal screws. Also, have you checked the alignment of the bulb contacts with those in the socket?

BobT-47P15 makes a very good point... I installed modern two-contact innards in my '47 D25 taillights last week and these modern innards, as installed, were offset 90 degrees from where they had to be for the contacts in the socket and the new bulb to be in proper alignment. It was necessary to remove the alignment lug on the modern innard and fashion a new one 90 degrees offset. Also necessary, of course, is a bit of work on the old socket with a Dremel tool or similar to accommodate the offset pins on the two-filiment bulbs. A picture would be worth a thousand words here, but we are travelling this week and the old Dodge is far, far away from my camera. All this aside, be sure to check your lights for good grounds. Poor grounding can do the weirdest things...

In my experience, seemingly-illogical electrical behaviours (ie headlights affecting turn signals) are usually caused by poor/intermittent grounds. Suggest you check not only the power feeds to your brake and taillights, but also that every bulb is well-grounded.

My beloved and I will be visiting some of her clan in Nova Scotia from Saturday through Wednesday, and I'm hoping to also connect with some flathead folks in the area for a visit and tire-kicking. Any suggestions?

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That's a nice looking coupe. The colour really suits it. The car looks high miles, but is under 80K in 63 years and I think the engine has never been apart. I never drove far for the first 15 years. The engine burns a bit of oil, but the oil pressure is decent and runs quiet. I'm in no hurry to open it up. I'm on the waiting list for an O/D transmission from George Asche, which will go in before the next big trip. Right now, the engine is comfortable cruising 50-55 mph and we'd like 65 or 70. Too chicken to drive 450 miles? Relax! Think of all the fun you could have on a road trip and if worst comes to worst the Auto Club hauls you home at a reduced rate. We run the car like a 5 or 10 year old used car... regular maintenance, monthly baths and no particular babying. Nobody's going to get bent out of shape over a few scratches or some rust out on a 10 year old Dodge. This approach doesn't work for everybody but it sure suits me fine. Here's a few more pics from our '08 road trip: 1. On the original route along a now-closed portion of the Lincoln Highway running beside the UP mainline in Wyoming; 2. On a brief detour to the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover UT; 3. Following the original 1908 route as close as possible through the Utah Desert north of the Great Salt Lake; 4. Along the Oregon coast in flood country (check the high-water mark on the sign.)

Thanks for the invite, that would be fun. However we plan to cross the border at Rockglen, SK south of Moose Jaw and continue south to Mt Rushmore before turning east. We are taking a different route back. The plan is to visit Washington after Hershey and find a friendly winter parking spot for the Dodge. We would return in March to carry on to Chicasha, OK for their great pre-war swap meet.

Thanks all for your replies... RobertKB: You're right, of course, my car is a D25. Sometimes I make the silliest misstaeakes. Yours is a fine looking car indeed. desoto39: that is an intriguing idea... I have riveted older-style woven linings for Model T bands and similar. Perhaps you could post contact info and a photo of the tool? Rockwood: I bought the car in Edmonton in 1992 (private deal following an unsuccessful auction) from the second owner, the son of the Ford dealer in Rockglen, SK who took the Dodge on trade in 1975 from the couple in the photos. Apparently the dealer allowed $1,000 trade-in on a new Ford pickup, painted the Dodge and gave it to his son. I haven't got the names of the original owners handy but they were farmers in southern Saskatchewan. It is interesting to see how the man of the house changed little over 18 years... same hat style, trousers, posture etc. We were in Nevada in 2008 whilst traveling from Wyoming to San Francisco with a group of vintage cars re-tracing the US portion of the 1908 New York to Paris race. We found out too late to get to NY for the start, but connected with them in Cheyenne and finished the tour in SF 10 days later. Click on www.longestautoracecent.com for more info, the look-at-photos button is almost unnoticeable at the lower left. We covered 5,500 miles that trip at an average of 19.8 mpg (Canadian gallon). The only problems were one flat tire, one discombobulated generator, and a squeaky throwout bearing. This year we plan to drive the old gal to Hershey.

I am ordering parts this week for the complete brake overhaul on my 1947 Canadian D24. Seven cylinders, hoses, shocks, rear seals, shoes. Have looked locally, eBay and online. RockAuto in WI seems to have the best selection and lowest overall cost even factoring in freight to Canada, and I was impressed by their website and e-catalog. Our local NAPA was way high on several items, like their $382.49 master cylinder! Can anyone suggest another parts supplier to compare with RockAuto? Also, have not found a source for re-lined shoes (which can also be done locally) — any suggestions for these? Thanks. The photos are my car in 1953 and 1971 with the original owners, and again in 2008 in the Nevada desert.

Thank you Blueskies and Rockwood. My car does have the long block. Is there a list of the various brands/years Chrysler offered an R10 that would be a drop in for my D25? Many thanks

Some time ago someone was kind enough to post a link to information re adding a later overdrive unit to my Canadian 1947 D25 sedan... what models and years fit, required components, etc. I cannot find that link now, can anyone please help?

Do you absolutely need to remove the lock? You may be able to avoid this task. I was missing the door key for my D25 and the locksmith chose to make a key with the cylinder in place. He used a key blank, ran it in the lock, jiggled it a bit, examined the key to see where it had been rubbing the pins, filed a bit off, tried it again, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, examined, filed, tried, and after about an hour I had my key. I've recently purchased a cylinder for the other door, and this one will be keyed before installation!

Brendan, that's an excellent idea. Thanks -- I've been contemplating the install of a back-up light, and the spot is perfect for the switch.

I don't use Photobucket, so it will have to be thumbnails. Here are three photos, taken in 1953, 1971, and last month. The car was purchased new in Vancouver in 1947 by a couple who later retired to southern Saskatchewan. They drove it until 1975 when they traded it in on a new Ford pickup. The dealer allowed them $1,000 allowance for the old Dodge, repainted it the same colour, then gave the car to his son, from whom I purchased it in 1991 with about 54,000 miles showing. I drove it about 15,000 miles during my 17 years ownership, never more than 100 miles from home. Then last month my buddy and I went on a wonderful 5,400 mile road trip through the western US. The 2008 picture was taken in the Utah desert, on an early trail around the top of the Great Salt Lake.

Old Mopar and BobT, thanks for your replies. Mystery solved! I have the temperature/water valve on the right-rear corner of the head, but no apparent means of connecting to an inside control. Robert, nice pic, nice car. I will post some photos of mine, but first, how do you get the large format photo embedded in your post, instead of just a thumbnail?