hi_volt

If you look closely at the ends of the wire next to the lugs, you'll see that it was originally covered with cloth insulation that has since worn away, so it looks like it was intended to be insulated.

Wow! Definitely some serious eye candy. Well done!

A bit pricy, but solves the problem... 6 volt Optima Battery Cloaking Device looks like an original 6V PORSCHE 356 B T6 | eBay

Currently my ratio is 6:1. In order of increasing model year: 1947 Plymouth Business Coupe, 1958 BMW Isetta, 1961 VW Camper, 1971 VW Bus, 1976 VW Beetle, 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth. I'm a bit crazy.......

Looks pretty straight. Listed on Phoenix Craigslist. 1948 Dodge B1B for sale by owner - Mesa, AZ - craigslist

Very nice car. Welcome to the forums. Hard to believe your car was as dirty as you described based on your posted photos. Nice job cleaning it up. I'm into vintage electronics as well and was an electronic engineer before I retired last December. Your radio will likely need a re-cap and might also have some out of tolerance resistors. I'm sure you're familiar with the routine. I'm more familiar with the '46-'48 Plymouths than the later models. If your parking brake is the same as the ones for the P15 models, it clamps around the drive shaft just behind the transmission with shoes similar to your drum brakes. Another thing to note is that Mopar cars of the era, at least through 1948, used left hand threads on the passenger side wheel lugs. You'll need to check for your year to see if that's still the case. I would take a closer look at your carburetor and fix the weeping. Depending on where the weep is located, it might be due to a stuck float or bad gaskets, and if there's a vacuum leak it could cause the engine to run too lean. Keep us updated on your progress.

Pretty straight looking Chrysler sedan. Not sure why the seller has it listed as a Plymouth. Looks like it might have been used by the US Army at one time. Buried in the Phoenix CL "Auto Parts" section. 1947 Plymouth 4 door - auto parts - by owner - vehicle automotive sale - craigslist

+1 on the color. I really like the purple. A very nice example.

Very nice. We love pictures. Looks like your car has a backup light option. Keep us posted on your progress.

+1 on a possible coil issue. I've had that happen on a couple of my classic cars where the coil secondary opened up. A quick check of the resistance when hot wouldn't hurt.

I'm thinking about converting to vintage stock electric 2-speed wipers from a 46-48 Dodge in my 47 Plymouth. If I go that route, will there be enough clearance so that I can still use my stock radio, and is there enough clearance for the vent lever? Thanks.

I like that red fastback plymouth....second from the bottom on the right in the last picture.

Is it humming coming through the speakers or is it the hum of the mechanical vibrator inside the radio chassis? If it comes on immediately after you switch it on, it could be the vibrator you're hearing. The old car radios use a mechanical vibrator to convert the low voltage DC input to AC so that it can be stepped up and rectified to a couple of hundred volts to bias the plates of the tubes. The vibrator will start humming immediately when the radio is turned on and you'll be able to hear it coming from inside the radio itself. If the hum you're hearing is coming out of the speaker, it's likely the filter capacitors are bad (leaky) and will need to be replaced.

Yes, it's definitely a Volkswagen. It's one of the early prototypes that were road tested by Ferdinand Porsche.

Actually, this car was nicknamed "Kafer" since the early VW beetles were formally named KDF Wagen. KDF stands for kraft durch freude (strength through joy). Samba is the nickname for the 23 window deluxe microbus. There's a web site for us VW guys called The Samba.