Happy 46R

Hello OUTFXD, I have a 46 Dodge Special Deluxe but a Canadian Model. I just went out and got a picture in hopes it helps. I am not sure your release set up would be the same as mine but it is all I can offer. I can only think of two options as accessing the catch from below appears impossible. The photo orientation is the square hole is to the front of the grille. On the right side of the photo is the connection of the cable to the mechanism. If you have a small gap between the hood and the grille you may be able to insert a thin piece of steel, (Metal Ruler) and push the knob back towards the firewall at the appropriate angle. You would have to be right of the secondary latch and angled slightly from left to right to get the proper directional push. The connection between the catch and the wire is slightly recessed with a raised lip around it so you may have to bend the front edge of the flat bar down a bit. This idea only works if there is a bit of room between hood and grille. The second option would be to create an L shaped piece of perhaps 1/4 or 3/8" round stock or ready rod with enough length to reach through the grille and up the hole of the mechanism from below. I am not sure you could get enough purchase on the round stock to push that mechanism back but you never know. Both of these require steady hands and patience, neither of which I have. Best I can come up with and good luck. Dave

Last year the weather cooperated and I was able to take a ride on Christmas Eve with no snow and mild temperatures. (-3 Celcius) This year I am not so sure as we have already had a skiff of snow that has thankfully gone and some colder temperatures. I try to run the car right up to snow so will have to keep a close eye on the weather. Today was around 6 degrees with only a light breeze so I headed out to inspect some of the SPOOKTACULAR creations around town. Caught this one as it was being set up so hopefully the halloween weather on Thursday does not include the rain scheduled for 4:30 local time. Happy Halloween everyone.

Not sure it will help your situation but there are a couple of videos that may help. One is for old dodge trucks the other for a 41 rebuild. May not have all the answers but might have some. Try https://www.google.com/search?q=1941+dodge+door+window+replacement+p15-D24 for the 41 restoration.

On sealing the hood I used the dum dum putty and applied it extra thick where the penetrations are for the tabs on the chrome. I was really careful to put even pressure on the whole length of the chrome so it didn't kink and when you take the chrome off the tabs have a tendancy to slide inside the chrome track so if you can mark where they go, marker dot or something simple, so when you put it back on you know where the holes are. You also need to unbolt the hood ornament to get clearance for the chrome strip to lift up so I used the dum dum putty under it and making a circle of it around those mounting holes so I didn't get the putty on the bolt threads. About a 20 minute project. Have fun with it. Dave

No expert on this but could the problem be related to the drive shaft? I recall a thread I was reading some time ago about how important it is to mark the drive shaft's orientation to the transmission and differential so it remains true when removing and reinstalling. Given the new torque converter and transmission rebuild could they magnify the vibration from an out of balanced or twisted drive shaft? Just an idea. Dave

I was at an area body shop on Tuesday and they were kind enough to give me a package of the dum-dum putty in strips. Each strip was about 12" long and a 1/4 of an inch wide. Chrome strip was easily removed by straightening the tabs on the bottom side after unbolting the hood ornament to give the front end of the strip clearance. I used the putty to seal the entire seam back to front and then created a second layer of protection by encircling the tabs on the center chrome piece with the putty. Long story short the strip is sealed and there is no water on the engine after a wash. Thank you Plymouthy Adams for your insight.

Thanks Frank, My worry is the water getting in as I have a good set of wires and caps and don't experience any hesitation or missfires. It certainly doesn't help the appearance of the car with all the calcification building up in the spark plug wells and it makes cleaning it off tricky when I want to remove spark plugs. Do you have a suggestion for the seam sealer as I don't want to use something that destroys the paint or discolors the stainless. Dave

When I wash my cluib coupe I get water sitting in the spark plug wells on the head. The reason is the center crease in the hood, which is covered by the stainless, leaks. Is there a tried and tested means of sealing that off to prevent the water leak. I have checked the shop manual and the parts manual that I have and neither shows any type of seal between the two hood panels. I have searched the forum and although there are many entries about hoods there doesn't appear to be anything about this issue. My two hood panels appear to be spot welded together along a central seam. The chrome strip has 4 tabs that slip between the two pieces and are then bent over to hold the strip in place. The spark plugs are directly under the seam and fill with water. Other than removing the strip and siliconing the seam I am at a loss as to how to solve the problem. My car is not a show car but I don't want to do something that will damage the car or make future restoration more difficult. Hope someone has an answer. Dave

First off thank you for this thread. It got me thinking about my lighting and what I wanted to do for upgrades. I have a 6V Positive Ground system in my car that I have owned for about 5 years now. I regularly check my lights and although I have turn signals it always seemed to me that the flasher was going really fast but the lamps all worked so I didn't question it further. I have rarely driven the car at night so headlights never were a consideration other than to turn them on and off to test them. Today as I was thinking about LED and Halogen replacements I actually physically checked my lighting. The rear tail lights have been converted to a tail, turn and brake light by installing the two filament bulbs and sockets and splicing off the single brake light wire for the trunk light. Not a lot of craftsmanship, (Marettes & Black Tape) involved but obviously enough to make things work? The single trunk light is a two filament brake and tail light combo. So if I am following the information correctly on this thread I will need to purchase Three (3) of the 1158 LED bulbs for the two side lights and the one trunk light as well as the 84787 flasher. I have already ordered the H606C1 Halogen headlamps from the local parts store. @Sam Buchanan I will messaage you seperately to talk about this as my electrical skills are minimal but I am determined to learn. My next problem will be that while I was researching the LED bulb issue I learned that there is definately a problem with the wiring that exists as the single trunk tail light became almost non visible and the turn signals stopped working when I turned the headlamps on. So once the lights arrive changing them out will include a bunch of wiring changes as obviously there is a problem Houston! Thank again everyone who contributed to the thread as it was really informative and saved me a future problem. Dave

I rescued a distributor from a salvage yard last year that was firmly encrusted in the well and would not come out. As mentioned the use of lubricant in significant quantities is mandatory and if you are able let it soak in overnight to help the cause that is even better. The final answer in my situation was a 15" long piece of 1" X 1" spruce and repeated light tapping of the wood from under the car pushing the distributor up. I emphasize light tapping as I used the base of the hold down clips to secure the wood from sliding out of place and by tapping one side then the other after about 5 minutes it popped right out. I like the idea of coming from the bottom if you have your oil pump out as that has much of the same effect. Good luck. Dave

Hi Ivan, Thanks for inquiry. The one below is actually off the internet but it is what I recall the piece to look like. The original car was last driven in 1972 when yes I did total it. Pickup truck with camper winch and bumper at an intersection. Not much left. Dave

Thanks Bingster, I was able to find two shapes in the photos on the gallery. One is the singular U shaped and the other is the U shape with a cross piece. Don't think they would provide a lot of protection but you never know. Thank you for replying. Dave

No mistake is an understatement. What a great addition to your collection. Enjoy every mile and smile.

Hi, my current 46 Dodge Coupe is a twin to the car I had when I was 17 but I am searching for some parts that will make it closer to an identical twin. My original car had a curved bar that sat in front of the grille and if memory serves was bolted on the inside of the bumper using the bolts that hold the bumperettes in place. I don't think it was structurally resilient but definately decorative. My original had the top curved piece and a central cross piece with the fog lamps set outside the width of the bumperettes. I went through all the pictures in the Plymouth and Dodge gallery and noticed very few of the double bar units and a few more of the single bar units but nothing that appears consistent. They seem to be more prevelant on the Plymouths but I didn't do an actual count. Was there a special car these were put on or were they dealer options like the oil filters? Once I have a part number or even a proper name, bush bar doesn't do it on google, I would like to get one for my current car. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Hello, here is an out of the box thought. Could you provide rough or at least scaled measurements to the tech department at your local high school or someone who is equiped with a 3D printer? They could make the base which you could then upholster? I hear they are making 3D models in carbon and other materials now not just plastic. The nice thing with this is you could scale it accordingly or try various sizes for very little investment or cost. Just an idea. Dave

I have access to a parts car but it is a 47 or 48 2 door coupe. Not sure if the parts interchange or if the arm rests are still attached. Hoping to get out to the salvage yard this weekend or very early next week and will check. I will photo and advise once I know for sure. Dave

Just as a followup I just tried the method from Sniper and the first try gave me the exact article I have been searching for the last week. Thank you everyone for the help. Dave

Thank you everyone. I just found it frustrating and was hoping someone had the answer. Lots of good help in the forum for sure, and not just with our cars. Dave

Is there a secret way of searching topics? I have tried a couple of different times to find something I have read recently and can't seem to find what I want. My last try was engine flushing as I know in the last couple of months there have been at least two or three remarks about this and some had very good links to even older comments. Are the words separated by commas or something? Sorry I am not that great on the computer but only slightly better with the wrenches! Dave

Great trip Chris. You always have such great adventures with your trusty steed. Anyone who has dipped the tires of that sedan in all four oceans is certainly a great adventurer! See you at the next car club meeting. Dave

Hi Ivan, I have never seen a thermostat configuration like yours however I would think that as long as the copper coils were in the block and not the radiator housing the thermostat would work the same as mine does. It would seem logical that as the engine block heats the coils they reach a set temperature and pull the stopper down to allow for water flow. I could be out to left field but that would be my assumption on how it should work. I did however find this in a google search and although it relates to industrial engines it seems to show the style of thermostat you have. Hope this helps sorry I wasn't more authoritative. Dave

Good job Tom! Knowing the bad back situation myself there is an increased satisfaction with getting that type of project done and dusted. Well done. Dave

And it looks really good. Great to see the different options and questions this forum presents. I will not be headed down this road for some time but your posts are really thought provoking. Cheers Dave

Congratulations it is not very often that those of us in the northern part of the continent get to showcase our cars on New Years Day. Your Business Coupe has great lines and looks completely at home in the "snow" scene. Enjoy while you can as there will be days that are not as good. Dave

Update: Christmas Eve turned out to be just under the freezing mark, -2C with no wind, no rain, no snow and a great opportunity to spread some Christmas cheer. My wife, Daughter, Sister in law, son in law and myself drove every street in town and spent an hour and half waving, smiling and enjoying the evening. Even smiles and waves from the retirement center and local hospital. Merry Christmas!