Richard Coney

Quite correct. Sorry if I implied I would only change the fronts. I would only fit a set of four. I also hope to change from the 1" whitewalls to a full whitewall, which is more in keeping with my car. I have a silly question. Are what I referred to as 'crossply' tyres the same as the 'bias-ply tryes you mentioned?

I have radial tyres on my D25 coupe, Generals on the front and BF Goodrich on the rear, P225/75R15 at each end. There's plenty of wear left on them. The steering, especially at low speed is very heavy. I've been told that fitting crossplys, as were originally supplied, would improve matters considerably and outweigh any "wandering" tendencies the car might develop as a result. I've been offered some Coker whitewalls from a rolling chassis someone is parting out, which I hope will be much cheaper than buying new. If they are offered to me in due course what size should I be looking for ideally? Should this "lighten" the steering?

Thank you. I guess the one in my car failed and was replaced at some point with the non-hydraulic lever arm switch.

Is the switch an in-line pressure switch and therefore part of the hydrulic system, or an external, lever-operated switch that pivots when you press the brake pedal? I have the latter on my Canadian D25C coupe, but the bracketry seems decidely home-made (Dexion shelving angle iron!). When I first bought the car the stop lights did not illuminate, as the lever arm had moved on the brackets slightly and was no longer making contact with the bottom of the pedal. The guy I bought the car from says that there is a new in-line pressure switch in the spares he provided, but he did not know whether this was an original fit or just a better arrangement. I'm planning to open the hydraulic lines in due course and substitute the hydraulic switch, for a more reliable operation. Richard, London, UK

Thanks. Much appreciated. Richard

Robert, I was skipping through older Threads and came across this one. I'll certainly need a set of rocker trim clips for my D25C in due course. Well done for making the necessary enquiries. I'd appreciate an update when they are available. Richard in sunny London

Nice looking cars Robin. I'll drop you an e-mail to arrange a meeting at the Ace Cafe in due course. I've already been asked by friends to provide my D25C coupe for a wedding next year, but being a two door getting in the back is going to be too ungainly for the blushing bride. Do you only use the convert for friends or could I pass them your details? Regards, Richard

Me again! Sorry for the ignorance, but what is the front shock relocation kit I've seen mentioned on the parts list and elsewhere on the Forum? Richard

Hi, Like Robert K-B, I have a Canadian Dodge SP Coupe, with a mish-mash of Dodge and Plymouth trim. However, I understand that much of it is common to the P15. Are the rear lights still available and if so, are they better than mine, as pictured? They are getting pretty tired, as is most all of the chrome. I've actually been considering buying the 12v LED stainless ones and shelving the ellectronics, but I'd prefer good originals. As you can see, the light switch knob has also seen better days. Can you ship to the UK? Thanks to Robert's assistance I now have a PayPal facility up and running. Richard in sunny London

Tim, generally we in the UK have two official number plate sizes, the one you have on your Tiger and the other much squarer, with the number on two lines. You can see them both on my Dodge. However, us American car fans often have custom stamped plates made up (for show use only of course...yeah, right!) which mimic your Stateside tags. They generally describe the car, the year of manufacture and the State favoured by the owner. You can, of course, order what you like. If the licence number (which should stay with the car for its whole life unless swapped for a vanity plate at some point), is too long, there isn't enough room, but many old American cars over here have just three letters and three numbers with, perhaps a letter denoting the year of manufacture, so it's not generally a problem. The plates are not legal, though if your car is not later than about 1963 and you choose a black background with white letters, you can generally get away with it. I had a set made up for my '66 Mustang, which was made in California, so I reflected that on the plate. The attached picture is not good, but should give you the idea. I'm contempating doing it on the Dodge, with '19 Ontario 48' on the top line and 'Dodge' under the licence number.

Love the colour. In my humble opinion you got the shade just right. I agree with the comments that the trim will break up the expanse of paint. Pinstriping will really add to the originality of the car. I watched a guy at one of the shows I attended in the UK this summer and they are really talented. By the way, I love Falcons. The guy I bought my '48 coupe from had just bought a '65 two door with a 302 V8 fitted. If he hadn't, he'd have held onto the Dodge and that would have been my loss. Richard, in cloudy London

Thanks everybody. That's very helpful. With regards to postage etc. having recently opened a PayPal account to send some money to another Forum Member (Hi, Robert) I would definitely pay by that medium if the vendor was able to accept it. I found the process very easy and painless. I would ask for shipment via US Postal Service. Not the fastest by any means, but generally reliable. Some years back I was regularly importing model car kits and modelling magazines from the US to the UK and they always came by Surface Mail, USPS. I don't believe I ever lost a shipment, but there again, I don't recall any package ever "missing" the UK Customs. On top of the Duty payable, we also have to pay VAT (sales tax) on the price of the items sent and the postage costs, and the Duty paid, so you are paying tax on the tax. Furthermore the Royal Mail charges a "Clearance Fee" before they will collect the Customs fee and deliver the package. The Clearance Fee used to be about £8.00 per package (about $12.00US), regardless of size or weight, so for small items I was often paying more for Duty, postage and admin fees than the cost of the item itself. For those of you interested in Canadian Coupes (You know it's weird that I've owned as many "American" cars of Canadian origin than US origin), I've attached a couple of pictures.

Further to my last post, I've checked out the links. Thanks guys. It looks like I should be able to obtain the steering column floor gasket as well from REM Automotive, if they cover MOPAR. I still like the idea of a diy template. Any more thoughts on that?

Thanks for the kind words Fred and for the link. I'll check it out, though it would appear from other postings that having a do-it-yourself template might benefit several members, especially as the the glovebox liner appears to be common to many Plymouths and Dodges from '46-48, and perhaps earlier. Even a scruffy one could be used, suitably flattened, to make a pattern. Daisy is a little worn around the edges, but she's clearly been loved by a succession of custodians over the last 61 years (the first 34 years in Brazil apparently) or else she would have been long gone. Hopefully I can improve some of the areas that are beginning to require attention. I have a pair of (inreasingly rare?) stainless rocker trims which the last owner had just bought the day I first saw her. They are a little battered and there are no fixing clips, but I gather that they should be obtainable form one of the fixings specialists. Unfortunately, no indication of where the mounting holes are remains, which leads me to think that the rockers are full of filler. I doubt whether I will be drilling exploratory holes until I've cleaned up the trims to an acceptable standard and am preparing to repaint the whole car. On something of this age I reckon the old adage "If it aint bust, don't fix it" applies. I'm quite happy if they are not fitted. Two less rain traps. Richard in cloudy but dry London

Further to my recent Thread about glove boxes, can anyone recommend a supplier of rubber parts who might (amongst other things) have the large floor gaiter that mounts at the bottom of the steering column of a P15/D25C and who would be prepared to ship to the UK? The engine heat that comes into the passenger compartment through the remains of my gaiter is awesome! I've been reading Threads where members have been critical of the quality of some rubber parts and the difficulty in dealing with some suppliers. Being so far away, I want to get it right first time if I can. Alternatively, has any Forum member got one of these gaiters spare who would be willing to sell it to me and ship to the UK? Thanks guys (and girls) Richard

Having bought my Dodge 25C Special Deluxe Coupe a couple of weeks back, I'm starting to go through the bits and bobs the car needs. One thing it does not have is the interior of the glove box: the card box itelf. The metal lid, catches etc are all intact. I've seen repro ones on eBay, but they seem expensive to import to the UK for what appears to be a stiffened cardboard box. Has anyone ever posted a plan of the glovebox flattened out that could be printed out and used as a template to make one locally? Thanks. I've enclosed a shot of the car. Richard

Nice looking car which looks solid. The advice you have been given so far is sound. Much will depend upon how much you paid for the car, how much the guy is offering to take it off your hands, how much you estimate it will cost to restore it to a condition that will satisfy you, whether you are under any outside pressure to sell it, whether or not you have the long term storage facilities to keep it, whether it is deteriorating whilst you get around to working on her. Etc, etc. I'm no Cadillac expert, but she looks a very desirable model to me, in good sound condition, notwithstanding the rust you described. Personally, from the perspective of someone on the other side of the Atlantic, where such beasts are incredibly rare, if I had a space to keep it out of the elements and reckoned the funding to restore it would ultimately be available, I would keep it. Even if you can't drive it at the moment you can still bounce around on the seats every once in a while and imagine that you are!

Arthur, what I nice job you have done. Those pictures will be extremely useful to any of us who are contemplating similar work, with no prior experience. I found the pictures of the front suspension especially interesting. I hope you get what you want for the old girl. Thanks for sharing. Richard

For what it's worth from another Brit, the word "Trimmer" in the context used does refer to auto uphostery and automotive carpet. Compared to the proliferation of custom uphostery shops in the States, often referred to in the street rod press when describing someone's amazing new cutom interior, they seem to be somewhat scarce over here, limited to bespoke, upmarket, repairs and improvements to high value cars. Fitting leather interiors and Wilton carpet, for example, to Rolls, Bentleys, Aston Martin etc.. Richard (Middlesex, NW of London)

Frankie, Thanks for the advice. Will do. Richard

Robert, Thank you. If I've mastered the software I've hopefully e-mailed you a reply. Please let me know if you don't get it sometime today. Regards, Richard

Bill, Thank you. Very interesting. I'll cut 'n paste your comprehensive reply into my new "Dodge" (Plodge?) folder for future reference. Richard

Hi Guys! I went to see the D25C Coupe today and was most impressed. It's what might be described as an older restoration, or "well used, but not abused". It drives great, though obviously going from a 2008 Mazda 6 auto to a 1948 Dodge manual, one has to make allowances. There again I'm not a newby when it comes to old American cars, having owned several in the last 30 years from the Fifties to the Eighties. It just comes down to adjusting the driving style, especially the use of the brakes, and being able to make decisions that much earlier compared to driving a modern vehicle. To cut a long story short, I have agreed to buy the car for the asking price, which given the overall condition and the car's rarity in the UK, I reckon is very reasonable. Possibly the only D25C Special Deluxe Coupe in the UK? Most importantly, it was just within my budget. It's not concours by any means and has the odd bubble in the paint and ripple in the bodywork. There again, the old girl is over 60 years old and will be, in any case, garaged when not in use, so there should be little or no further deterioration. The current owner is a very genuine guy, and an occasional visitor to this very forum. Being a gentlemen and an accomplished fabricator he has generously agreed to fit the passenger side bear claw latch before I pick up the car and get it MOTed for 12 months. Our MOT (Ministry of Transport as was?) test is mandatory and all cars on the road have to have a current one. As the Dodge's ticket was due to expire in January he agreed to get a new one before I pick up the car. Much better than dragging her out mid-winter. Very kind! I'll collect the car in 3-4 weeks, if he gets time to finish the work. I'm in no hurry. With regards to the demisters/defroster vent slots on the screen surround, on closer inspection they are fitted and opened up, so thanks for all of you who sent reassurances. I must be going blind in my old age! Apparently a BMC Mini heater had been fitted by a previous owner since arrival in the UK, but as it was somewhat ungainly, the current owner removed it. I'll have to source a neater one in due course. Young Ed, the ducts underneath that would lead from the heater appear to be missing as far as I could tell from my quick grope under the dashboard, so your offer would be gratefully received if we could perhaps discuss it later? Unless, of course, one of the UK owners has something similar spare that they would consider letting me have, for appropriate renumeration? As it would appear from posts received since I last logged on that Frankie's kind offer of the horn ring won't fit, I would also be interested in your spare P/15 one, if you can spare it and the price is right. Thank you. Mine's definitely broken. Perhaps you could send me a private message and we could discuss off forum? Frankie. Thanks again for your offer, which until I picked up the Thread I was going to take you up on. You never know, perhaps you have something else I might need in due course. Robin, thanks for the message. I admired your car at RoG 2009. What a beauty! I will e-mail you direct duing the week for a chat. Thanks for the offer. Am I right in thinking you have outfitted the engine with some vintage hop-up equipment? Someone mentioned Fenton parts. An idea: Unless there is already one, in which case I would like details, perhaps there might be enough fat fendered Plymouths and Dodges in the UK to get a club together? Food for thought? Finally, before I go tonight, I discovered that my (nearly) Dodge has its Plymouth style speedometer in kilometers, not miles per hour. Does anyone have a spare speedo face in mph that I could substitute for the km one fitted? I believe that unless the dial comes with both measurements, strictly speaking in the UK I am required to have an mph one. Perhaps the MOT testers have never looked before. I'd rather fit a mph one than risk it. Thanks again for all your support.

Frankie, What can I say? Thank you very much for your kind offer. If I get the car I will most certainly contact you to make arrangements. One thing less to worry about. Robert. Marvellous! Those contacts will be most useful. I'll get back to you all when I've seen the car tomorrow. It's 10:50pm on Saturday night here in London. Another hot and muggy day awaits us in what is normally a wet and windy August.

Hey Guys! Thanks again. What can I say. Most impressive. Bob, the chrome lengths are the missing under-sill (rocker?) trims, which the owner had bought that day, at the show. They will have to be refixed at some point. I'll ask him whether he could do it before I collect the car. He's far more capable than I am and has been a professional car restorer in the past. As I said before, he seems a really nice guy. He's visited the forum in the past. Perhaps he's reading this. I hope so. I thought that the little chrome bit was for the high beam. If the red lens is missing, a good source of transparent plastic is an old toothbrush handle, which can be carved or machined to shape. The upholstery is good, with the exception of the rear side piece behind the driver, where the rear window crank has snagged and torn the vinyl. I'll keep a watch on e-Bay to see how much horn rings go for. I presume that I'll be seeking a D24C Dodge one, rather than a P15 Plymouth? If only the latter fits I presume that I would have to swap the centre badge. I'll also look into the wiper switch. Robert, thanks for the helpful pictures. Your car looks great! I see the differences in the grille now. Easy when you know! I see you have the radio fitted. Are they easy to find? If they come up, do they ever work? I presume that they are valve radios. I presume they were a standard P15 fit? With regard to the engine, the owner reckons that at some point the car was fitted with a standard D24 engine. I'll have to check myself in due course. He's done quite a bit of mechanical work on the car and reckons that parts were pretty easy to find, though obviously most stuff has to be imported from the States. Do you have any alternative contacts for service parts in Canada? regarding the replacement glovebox I've seen repros for sale at about $70US. Is that about right? Greg, wow, the coupe looks fantastic in black! Yes, it is welting sticking out between the wings (fenders) and the cowl. It looked odd to my eyes and it does stick out with no obvious way to contain the "tail" of the vinyl strip. I'll investigate the correct ant-squeak rubber in due course. It might have to await a respray before I strip it down and remove it. If it aint bust, don't fix it! Life's too short and there are too many other jobs to do. I think the lights are ok, though the chrome is worn. She is, after all, an old lady. I've uploaded some more pictures to show. Andy. Gidday! Yes, perhaps better not to mention the cricket! I'm not a fan, but my partner and her brother are. They are very disappointed! Love your cars, especially the '41 coupe. I'm also a model car fan and I've written the model car review column for the British Classic American Magazine for the last 20 years or so. The old AMT '41 coupe was one of my favourites and I must see about getting another to build some time. We get so few plastic car kits these days. All the old model shops have gone. It's all diecast stuff now and that's slowly disappearing too. I'm actually a modeller rather than a collector, so it's most frustrating. Don, thanks for your imput too. Tomorrow's decision time. Wish me luck. I'll tell you how I got on.