Norm's Coupe

If you bought the lighter from a vendor, Greg is correct, it's worth what you paid for it. If you over paid for it, then it's worth less. If that's the case, I'd put it on the shelf and keep it as decoration until I got at least what I paid.

Pat........ I have a cordless drill, two cordless screwdrivers and I never lose the batteries or the drill. That's because, I rarely use them, if at all. Got them all as gifts for Christmas I believe. I know I've never bought one because I don't care for cordless tools, especially drills and screwdrivers. Even if the battery is up when you start, it looses power with each turn of the drill. I'd much rather use a corded drill for both screws and drilling. That way I always have full power. Plus the corded drill isn't as bulky because it doesn't have that battery hanging on the end of the handle. One of the cordless screwdrivers was just given to me about two years ago. I've never opened the case except to look at it.

Fred, I wouldn't worry about the rust on the muffler if it's only 3 years old. I've had my Smithy on my coupe since 1995. It's rusty around the seams and has other spots on it, but it's still good. I'd just leave it there unless you just want quieter muffler. What's the worse that will happen if one or more of those holes does blow all the way through. You'll just have a louder muffler then until you change it. Won't hurt anything.

Jon, Good idea. That's what we did with my father in laws 1917 Crow Elkhart back in 1989. Neither one of us had room to store it after my mother in law passed away. Did not want to sell the car, so it was put on loan to the Hartford, WI Auto Museum. Has been there ever since. Will stay there as long as one of us are alive. We may end up donating it all together when we pass along.

Joe, Don't know what would happen if you broke up with that girl. Never had that problem since I never painted a girls name on my car. But........lots of guys did. Guess they just painted over it with a spray bomb and put their new girl's name on it. Remember, these weren't show cars back then, they were just everyday clunkers that we paid 50 to $100 for to begin with.

Bob, guess that makes sense. Tim and the others should know by now that I do not do text language. So........they gotta spell it out for this old buzzard, because they are wasting time telling me something in text lingo. Guess old Tim is not quite old enough to remember when guys painted their girl's name on the corner of the trunk deck with pen striping. Had nothing to do with what went on in the car. Sort of like Don and a few others don't understand the custom of the Fuzzy Dice hanging on the mirror.

I was going to tell you about the guy on ebay, but..........you answered that question. Try a local upholstery shop. They should have the right kind of board and should be able to make you one, if you tell them how it's supposed to look.

Joe, that's because our minds are not in the same place as Tim's. Evidently Tim needs to get his mind set in a cleaner place. I still don't know what he's saying because I don't know what he means by TMI.

About a week ago I broke the connector off a ground plug adapter. Knowing I had another one in the shop, I went straight to that drawer. Well...........it was not there where it belonged. I think I must have spent an hour or more looking for that thing, but never found it. Finally got out the box of connectors and put a new connector on the adapter plug that I had broken the connector off of. Well..........guess what. Next day I was putting some stuff away that was laying around. Found the other adapter plug laying on top of the soldering iron case next to the roll of solder, right in plain sight. So.........as Don said, your wiper motor and Greg's light lens is right where you left it, in the place you haven't looked yet. But........when you do find it, it will be in the last place you looked, so go there first.

LuckyDevil makes a very good point. My son (42 years old) always works on his modern car, and his mother's (my ex wife) when needed. He's even offered to fix my van if needed, but I usually have it done. Really, a modern car is no different than an old car when it comes to the basic engine and mechanicals. It's just that with all the electronic stuff, it does give you more to look for, not to mentioned you have to remove half of what's under the hood to do any work. I could work on the modern cars too, I just don't do it because I don't want to. Plus, it's faster to just take it in and have it done. It all comes down to what he said in his post. We either don't want to learn about the extra garbage under the hood, or just don't want to take the time to do it when we get older.

I guess that would have to be my coupe. I've had it for about 14 1/2 years now (bought it June 95). The only other car that comes close is the 95 Lumina I just traded in. Had it for about 13 years.

Why not? That's my wife's name.

Joe, My driveway isn't flat, it has a hill in it. The guy from the gas company just left a few minutes ago. He was here to replace the gas meter. When all done he had to come in and relight the pilot lights on the hot water tank and furnace, plus get the air out of the lines going to the kitchen stove. As it turns out, this guy was a car guy too. Has a 67 Chevy Impala. Looked to be in his 40's. He also liked the coupe. Said his buddy has a 49 Mercury with the flathead eight. Said he drove it a couple of years ago when he was best man at his buddy's wedding. Guess his buddy has owned the Mercury for about 30 years. Merle, I did think about offering my coupe for a trade on the 67 El Camino for just a short time yesterday. But........the El Camino was not his, it was his father's. Then it was far from being a done truck. Not only was the paint stripped, the interior needed replacing and engine needed work. I don't want to get involved in another project, so I just let it slide by. Actually, I've decided to just hang onto the coupe. Gives me something to tinker with, when I feel like it. Brad, I have driven my coupe a lot further than Tim has driven his car. He's only driven about 61 miles (by his own admission) in 2 1/2 years, for an average of only 23.5 miles per year. In the 15 years I've owned my coupe I have driven it about 700 miles. That's an average of 46.7 miles per year. However, most of those miles were put on since about 2000, which would raise the average per year. So........I drive my coupe about twice as much as Tim drives his car. For me the coupe is not something I really want to drive all that much. It's a hobby more than anything else. I didn't buy it to clean out my bank account, or to depend on for a daily driver, nor to win trophy's. As such, it really doesn't matter how much I drive it. The fun is just tinkering with it and doing what I want to with it. If I feel like hopping in it for a cruise in, or to just take a spin, I do. Otherwise, when going somewhere, that's what the modern car is for. Any money spent to replace something or add something doesn't matter because it's just a hobby. I also do small woodworking projects. Usually don't need anything I might make, I just do it for the fun of it. If we can't use what I make, I give it away. Again, it's not about the cost of making it, it's about doing the hobby. Now, if I were to drive an old car somewhere, then get stuck because something went bad in it, or I was uncomfortable while driving it in hot weather. That's not fun and would ruin the fun part of the hobby. So........that's why you'll never see me taking trips in the coupe. At least that way if something goes wrong I can have it towed home for next to nothing so I can fix it at my own leisure (hobby time). It wouldn't need to be fixed today so I could get back home.

Do they even make snow tires now? I don't think I've seen those advertised since about the 70's, not long after they came out with the radials. Some even had steel studs in them. The studded snow tires were outlawed around here sometime in the 70's though. They tore up the roads too much. I stopped using snow tires in the early 60's.

We are always getting those offers to stay at some retreat too, that require you to listen to a sales pitch to buy a time share condo, etc. We always toss those, never have taken any of them up on their offers. I'd rather pay my own way than to sit someplace and listen to a sales pitch.

Don, If you recall, I've always said I only drive the Plymouth within a 50 mile radius of the house. Never said I drive it long distance, or ever would. I've always said, I don't enjoy driving the coupe all that much in the hot weather too. If I'm going to take a trip to Indianapolis, it will be in my modern car with power steering, cruise control and air conditioning. So.......there is no need for me to put up or shut up, since I've always stated this.

I'm neither for or against red wheels on old cars of the 50's and before. But........guys, ifin you are buildin a true retro rod, that was the color of choice for wheels back in the 50's. So.........that's why you see so many red wheels on old cars. I don't remember seeing any chrome wheels at all back then on rods of the era when growing up. They are more of a modern thing, which I'm also neither for or against. By the way. When you look at pictures of my car, my wheels are not red. They may look that way on your computer, but.........they are actually maroon.

I agree with what Joe said..........but the young guy this morning did know what he was talking about. Not only that. When they were finished I unlocked the car so he could get a good look inside. Then he got out looked around a little more. Then he did what only a real old car guy would do. Laid down on the ground to look at the suspension in the front. When he did that, he also noticed the front bumper was new and brought that up also.

Fred, If you go to my website, then click on interior restoration it will show the backer board, with the holes for the clips, etc. I used automotive backer board and it's a water resistant fiberboard (like original panels). I cut the panels and clip holes with a craftsman's knife. Used a hole saw for the round holes where the window cranks and door handle go through. If you use a hardboard material, use a saber saw to cut it and the clip holes out.

Tim, That is true, but I've had my long range spy glass out and I still did not see Columbus. You are much closer than I. Have you seen him?

Happy Thanksgiving to you guys up north. It's Columbus Day here today, but I have not seen Columbus yet?

Geez Tim, I can put more miles on than that in my driveway in 2 1/2 years.

Or.........if you can't find the numbers Bob mentioned, do what I do when I don't know a part number. I just take the old one off the car and into the store with me. Plop it on the counter and say, give me one of these (or how ever many needed). Hey, works for me. That way, if you or they don't know the part number, they can match it up with the right part by measuring and comparing the new with the old.

Bob, I called about 3 years or so ago to check on the price. About the time the plastic repops came out for $125. When I ask about the price it was $125. So........same price as the plastic insert.

I have often thought about putting "Mary Lou" on my coupe.