RobertKB

How old are you? ? I’m 72 and still have a decent memory but don’t remember those….but maybe I am actually forgetting. ? What I do remember were those wonderful air pumps/gauges like the ones pictured below. I think the last time I used one at a SERVICE station was probably about 30 years ago. They were accurate, quick, and FREE. Sometimes progress is not always for the best. Good ones sure go for big money nowadays at swap meets. I even like the old bricks in the second picture.

Paul, sorry to hear of your health deterioration. Hopefully, you can show some improvement in the future. Sure wish I was closer as I would love the coupe!

You’re a braver man than I am! Also, I have never seen that option before……..on any car. I see from the packaging that it is a genuine Mopar product. Very interesting and thanks for posting.

A tape measure will get that for you.

I have a Canadian ‘53 Plymouth which is a P24. If your car is a P25, it is a 1954 Plymouth which basically is the same as a ‘53 except for mainly different trim. A picture of your car would help. My car has its original engine which is a 228 CID. My car is a Belvedere but I think the lower trim cars had 218 CID or a 228 was available as well. If your engine is a 251, it is not original to the car. Engine serial number will tell whether the engine is original or not. Serial number should start with P24 for 1953 or P25 if a 1954. According to my factory parts book, your D23 is from a 1942 Dodge. If it was from a light truck, it would have been a replacement. Truck engine serial numbers start with a T. It was very common back when these cars were just old used cars to throw in a different engine or a rebuilt one. All Canadian engines from 1938 on have the 25” head. Picture shows my car which is definitely a 1953. Engine is original P24. Car is original including paint.

I believe Robert’s carried them or did. I got mine from Rovon Auto Parts here in Canada. I can supply a phone number if you PM me.

I currently have two old Mopars that originally had those rubber boots and I sold another one. I have had varying degrees of success with replacement boots. I’ve had some fail and I ended up replacing them with leather boots. I found it impossible to change the rubber boots without disassembling the joints. This is not required with the leather boots. I highly recommend them for not only the cars that came with them but also for the later cars. My ‘53 Plymouth currently has one rubber and one leather boot. I just don’t think the new replacement rubber boots are very good quality.

No welding needed to remove the pulley but the radiator does need to come out. If your mechanic is half decent he can remove the pulley and replace in no time. There’s just enough room designed there to do the job. As mentioned, always clean up the parts and areas you are working on. Another thing to check now as it’s easy to replace with the radiator out is the rubber on the front engine mount, if needed. A lot of these jobs are pretty straight-forward and worth learning to do. I knew nothing when I started on old cars but learned a lot from asking questions and reading lots.

I would still make sure and try to eliminate the clutch disc being installed backwards. Been there, done that, as mentioned in a previous post. Engaging the clutch should not be a noisy process. SOMETHING is wrong and if is unlikely to fix itself and go away. Great looking project by the way!

I’ve done both. Many years ago I traded a bottle of whisky for a a 251 CID that my wife’s cousin had to put in my ‘48 Dodge D25 club coupe. It came out of a three ton grain truck and was pulled because it had a miss and he wanted more power. It had a burnt intake valve in number 6 which I replaced with a used valve and lapped it and all the others. 40+ years later it is still in the car and running well without any other major work. I am sure good engines are still out there. They may be a rebuilt that a hot-rodder ? pulled and is now available to you. ? With my ‘51 Dodge D39 business coupe, it had the original motor. I wanted to keep it so had a total rebuild about six years ago done by an old time machinist who had rebuilt many Mopar flatheads. He replaced nearly everything.Total cost with all new parts and the necessary machining was around CDN$4500.00, about US$3600.00. He liked working on the old stuff and probably gave me a deal. You need to find someone you can trust. In your case, it sounds like you need to search for a good usable engine. Maybe down the road, if needed later, you could do a rebuild. It may take a while but they are out there. These are my thoughts for what they’re worth.

I’m pretty sure your car will end up very nice. I’ve had 40+ more years to work on mine. The engine in the pictures was replaced shortly after as it had zero oil pressure. Now running with a 251 CID I paid a bottle of whisky for. It was a good deal as I still have the motor in the car and the bottle of whisky was probably gone in a week. The car has also had two paint jobs. One I did with a friend just to get it on the road and it was pretty crappy. About 10 years ago I finally had it repainted professionally. They are always projects but repay you with days like you had today. ?

This brings back a lot of memories. I found a couple of pictures taken in 1978/79 when my 1948 Dodge D25 club coupe was going through the same process. I was much younger then and this was my first project. I lived on the edge of a small town at the time and I would fire the old girl up and drive across the highway to the local cemetery and go cruising………usually at night and with a flashlight for vision. Sat on an old milk crate. Crazy but fun!! I don’t think the local residents minded. ? Battery strapped to upper control arm. Gas tank 40+ years later.

Those first drives are classic! They’re almost more fun that the first legal drive on the road.

The original poster lives in Florida according to his profile so his car being a Dodge built in the US, I assume it will have the 23” engine. The Spitfire engine is the 25” engine. I don’t believe anyone has pointed out it’s not a straight forward bolt-in but will require some modification such as moving the radiator forward as well as the front engine mount.

Original post was in 2012. Doubt they’ll still be for sale. That was nine years ago.

There are reproduction new gas tank sending units out there for the 6V Mopars including your car. NOS gas gauges appear all the time for our cars on eBay. I would look for one of those and a new sending unit. Don’t mix 6V and 12V if you don’t have to.

Not on the car LOL. Had the ‘48 Dodge D25 club coupe out today and when parked realized the crops are no longer green and are maturing fast. First picture I believe shows barley, second shows canola, and the last winter wheat in the distance. We are in the middle of a very hot and dry summer but in the area where I live there is a lot of irrigation so these crops look better than those on dry land farms. A thunderstorm threatened but if it rained it wasn’t where I was. Now nice and sunny.

In my experience, cowl vents are real b*****s! Reinstalling can be a pain in the butt. The biggest problem is that I have never found a seal that is an exact fit and usually need modification. Use a good weather-strip adhesive to put it in place and tape the seal down until the adhesive has set. I usually leave mine for 24 hours. It is easy to use too much adhesive and this can lead to making a real mess. Don't ask how I know. Also, be careful when reinstalling the vent. Your new vent seal is probably a different thickness than the old one and will probably need some adjustment to seal well. Be careful with the edges toward the back as it is easy to mark the paint on the cowl itself. I have done a minimum of four cowl seals and have never done one without getting somewhat frustrated. Good luck with the project and take your time.

Could be a two door sedan as PA mentions and not a club coupe. There was a discussion on ‘53 Plymouth two doors and their differences a little while ago. I tried search but couldn’t find it.

I believe that is a club coupe as it has a back seat and rear quarter windows. Business coupe has neither. Cool car whatever it is. I’m partial to 53’s as I own one.

Carpe Diem. Live each day like it’s your last. One day it will be true. We’re all going to die one day.

As the OP is dealing with parts inside the doors, my guess is they are the rubber stops that prevent the window going down too far. The rubber stops it hitting the metal piece the rubber fits in. Best place to find these are in a parts car or someone who owns one.

I recommend putting a wanted ad under classifieds on this forum. I’m guessing there are members who have what you’re looking for.

I’m guessing mine runs around there or just a bit cooler. Recored radiator as well. My ‘48 and ‘53 both with original, or at least not recored, radiators tend to run a bit cooler. Both engines have a lot of miles but run great. I get the impression rebuilds tend to run a bit hotter until well broken in. Just my impression.

160. I’ve always had good luck with all my old Mopars running 160.