Rosco

Hello everyone - hope everyone is doing well. Just looking forward to the spring when we can get back out there driving and I have a question - does anyone have any suggestions or helpful hints for re-starting my flathead six that will have been stored over the winter (about four months). In the past, I have disconnected the coil wire, turned it over til I get oil pressure, poured some gas down the carb and it started. I’m just wondering if I’m causing damage by doing this and should I be squirting some oil into the cylinders before turning it over. The engine has 43000 miles on it and is in good condition. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions - with these in mind I’ll definitely have my mechanic take a look at the brakes in the Spring when I bring the car out of storage. (When it comes to safety, I prefer to let the experts handle it and the mechanics at the shop I go to are very knowledgeable about these older cars).

I have a question about the brakes on my 1950 Plymouth - after the car has been sitting a few days I have to pump the brakes once or twice to bring the pedal pressure up. Is this normal? After I do that, they work fine while I’m driving - no fading, no loss of pedal pressure, no pulling right or left etc., even in a hard stop. The brake system was rebuilt about 5000 miles ago except the master cylinder and the car is mechanically checked every year and all fluids, including the brake fluid are always kept full. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the same thing that happened to me with my '50 Plymouth. Had my mechanic replace the condenser and points - problem solved. Also, as Doug and Deb suggested, check the wire to the points for a short circuit.

Every Spring I tell myself I'm going to drive my '50 Plymouth more and attend more cruises etc. I usually end up only putting around 500 - 700 miles on it until the snow flies each year. It's only got 43000 on it now so there's lots of miles left in the old girl. Maybe I'll go for a nice long drive tomorrow.

Thanks for the info, Sniper. Leave it to “Tech” to confirm the answer! ?. I like watching these old films - entertaining and informative too.

The original radio in my ‘50 Plymouth Deluxe stopped working a few weeks ago and I found the problem to be a blown fuse. The markings on the old fuse are hard to read but it looks like it says 9A. Couldn’t find any info in the tech manual. I found fuses that are 9A 32V - they work but does anyone know if these are OK to use? I really don’t want my radio overheating and causing a fire. As usual, thanks in advance for any input.

Keith, you just hit the nail on the head - when we’re driving our old cars, we are in our happy place, reminiscing about old happy memories and creating new ones as we drive our prides and joys. It’s a special experience, only those of us who own these cars can experience. Looking forward to getting “Winnie” out of storage very soon, as soon as they stop salting the roads!

Ha! Ha! Good comparison! Welcome to the forum and good luck on your project! Looks like it’s going to be a fun build.

Hey Keith - Nice car! Good suggestion to pump the brakes a couple of times to keep things moving the way they should. Changing the oil in the fall is just a habit I got into - it gets all the crud from driving it all summer out of the pan, rather than leaving it sitting in there all winter. I agree that a car that sits too long and isn’t driven can go bad over time. Thanks for the suggestions.

Hi Dave: Brrrrr! -50 is a little colder than it gets here in southern Ontario, especially this winter. We’ve been pretty lucky so far but winter’s not over yet! Good idea to take the battery inside when it’s that cold. Thanks for replying.

Thanks Marcel - my car is in a cold garage, but attached to the house. I disconnect my battery, but keep a trickle charger on it to keep it fully charged.

Here’s a question for those of us who live in colder climates and have to store our cars for several months over the winter. Is it better to just park the car and leave it (after properly winterizing it of course - oil change, top up the other levels, fill the gas tank, add Stabil, etc.), or is it better to start the car and bring it up to operating temperature every now and then? I myself have always just parked my ‘50 Plymouth in the garage, on a plastic sheet, covered it and left it til spring, but now I’m having second thoughts as to whether this is the best way to go. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

I love driving my '50 Plymouth, although I'm still a little hesitant to do any long trips. Don't want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere, I guess. I also enjoy working on the car when I can do the job, but I leave the more complicated and safety related jobs like brakes to my mechanic. There's nothing like driving an old car if you want to be able to feel the road - no power steering, no power brakes, shifting gears, manual turn signals, etc. Oh, and it also makes me feel young again, too!

Just wanted to thank everyone for your replies - you guys are a big help! -Ross