DonaldSmith

You forgot the windshield. (Years ago, I helped finish a bathroom in my daughter's house. My son-in-law and I plumbed in the tub and installed the toilet. My two-year-old granddaughter saw what we were doing, and stated: "You forgot the sink." Later, when I installed the vanity, she helped. She carried a drawer.) Great looking car. I know it'll get its windshield.

Fluid Drive coupling and 3-speed transmission (Dodge) - Clutch engaged, place the selector in 3rd, let off the clutch, and drive all day. Fluid Drive coupling and 4-speed semi-automatic transmission (DeSoto, Chrysler)- Clutch engaged, place the selector in "Drive" (where 3rd would be), let off the clutch, and the car starts off in 3rd, and automatically shifts into 4th. Slow down, and it downshifts into 3rd. Or tromp on the accelerator at speeds less than 45 mph, and it downshifts to 3rd. Forget 1st and 2nd, unless you are pulling stumps. If you are stopped for a long train, shift into neutral (using the clutch).

I resemble that remark!

Back in 21004, I did my window weather strips with stuff from Restorations Specialties. Call them up and ask them what to use. Glass run channels: U-shaped, with felt on the inner faces. Window channel clips at the top and sides hold them in place. Belt strips, outer and inner, at the slot in the door. I used reallly, really small screws to secure them.

Beg to differ, on the surface effect. That's for alternating current only. I googled this: (my underlines) Note that in a perfect conductor (zero resistance) nowhere can a static electric field be sustained. For real conductors, DC current flows evenly over the cross-section. But AC current flows mainly near the surface (the so-called skin effect). AC current can exist only on the surface of a perfect conductor.Aug 19, 2014

Re: 48 Dodge rat rod: Old saying, "In matters of taste, there is no dispute." Hmmm. I suppose that it is also true that in matters of dispute, there is no taste.

Congrats on a wiring triumph! Yes, ground the wire to the kickdown switch and the car won't upshift. I found with my car that if I misconnected the two wires to the carburetor, things wouldn't work right. Lots of fun.

The semi-automatic (Klunk-o-matic) transmissions call for 10 weight oil. Their internal mechanisms are similar to the overdrive mechanisms. My guess is 10 wt oil.

Niel Hoback is in the running for the Veritable Plethora Award, along with Jerry Roberts.

Response to The Dr's In: IT's been quite a while since I modified the air cleaner. It seemed a hassle to maintain it, and besides it was leaking oil, I clipped out all the metal mesh. I remember that. I couldn't find any photos. The bottom of the air cleaner element fits tightly to the shell, but the top didn't. Thus the inverted coffee can bottom, with the sides cut back. Kroger sells coffee in a metal can.

I'm guessing that the rods are shorter for increased stroke. The experts will chime in.

I added a 6-volt positive ground alternator to my 47 DeSoto, in place of the generator. Here's what I did: At the regulator, disconnected the Red "A" wire and the Black "B" wire from the regulator and connected the Red and Black wires together. Connected the other end of the Red wire to the alternator. Abandoned the regulator and the Green wire. (I actually removed them.) Disconnected the Brown wire from the "F" field terminal of the generator, and grounded the Green wire. It's been working fine for years.

The solenoid is grounded to the "F" field post of the generator. Ma Mopar did this so that, with the engine running, the field post no longer provided a ground, and Miss Daisy could not grind the starter. My '47 schematic shows a brown wire from the solenoid to a post of the regulator, where it connects to a green wire to the "F" terminal of the generator. Ma Mopar did this to save some wire and just confuse us. There are several cases where Ma Mopar saved wire by running things off common posts. So the little wire hanging out from the two that connect to the "A" armature post may be the wire that is supposed to go to the "F" post. (You could ground this wire and the starter solenoid would work. I grounded this wire when I installed an alternator, But I must be careful not to hit the starter button when the engine is running.)

As far as the end of the steering shaft, it's a hollow pipe. I found a source for a splined plug, which I had welded in place by an official welder. I had to drill out the inside of the pipe to fit the plug. The pipe was not totally true and concentric,so I had to exert a bit of english to the drill bit, to make the hole true to the center line of the pipe. l

I sent Junkers72 articles I wrote on the horn sleeve and bushing and the steering column bushing. It's not gospel, only how I did it. If I had to do it all over again, I would have located the sleeve and brush better, and probably would have devised a better bushing. But the thing works.

Regarding seat-up or seat-down, I credit my 50-plus years of contented marriage with my habit of raising the seat up when I need it so, and putting the seat down when I don't.

When I added U-joints to my steering column in the process of adding power steering, I had to cut the horn wire and figure another way to complete the circuit. I added a sleeve to the steering tube, wired to the horn ring, and a brush assembly on the column jacket, to make the contact with the sleeve. Old Jeeps had a similar system. Someone makes a sleeve and brush kit, but I cobbled my own. I also added a bottom bushing for the column, which is cut just below the shifting mechanism. I've posted stuff on this before, but if you want, send me a PM and I can send you articles on my steering column adaptations.

Adaptive reuse for air cleaner modification: Top of coffee can to seal the air cleaner element in my modified air cleaner. (Fram 6370 element. Other sizes could work.) (Yes, that bottle with the blue liquid is the coveted Jiffy-Jet windshield washer.)

There is something like a jack behind the rear tire of the car. Maybe they jacked up the car frame to level the trailer? ... but only if they are going to set up camp there. The way the car is cocked close to the trailer would be consistent with the trailer hitched to the car. I concur in guessing that the front of the trailer is by the car. The large windows would be at a living area, usually at the front, and the small windows would be at the sleeping area in the back,

I love it! People an interact with your car. No trailer queen here. Go ahead, touch me! Write all over me! Express yourselves! Now,do you have a a felt eraser, like for the old school blackboards? Or two erasers, so you can clap them together to get the chalk dust out?

6 volt wiring would be more than adequate for 12 volts, but for old and cracked insulation.

Ya, I was looking at Tanks 3 and 4, before I noticed that the connection from Tank 2 is blocked. So it's Tank no 2. Otherwise, tanks 3 and 4 might full together. One must pay attention to details.

I considered electric power steering before my adventure adding power steering to my DeSoto. The unit I looked at could not be located under the hood where it would be subject to heat and moisture. But there would be no room under the dash for the unit, without terminating the steering column at the face of the dashboard - no good. In addition, the gearshift shaft would have to be reworked. Now, maybe some of the electric units used in various cars may reside under the hood.

The photo of Jerry Roberts' tools would make great wall art Just feast your eyes at the veritable plethora of ratchets, extensions, and even a giant screwdriver socket. In a doctor's waiting room, such a photo would make the interminable waiting seem to fly by.

I presume that your 50 Suburban is the Plymouth wagon. That would have the 23-inch engine, so you'll have fun putting a 25-inch engine in it. It has been done. If you have a DeSoto Suburban, it has the 25-inch engine.