Robin (UK)

The wheels are probably 1930s Plymouth or Dodge items. The windshield frame is definitely more like the steel-topped cars, not the shorter flat-topped version that is used for the the genuine P15 woodies and convertibles. The doors are not as wide as the factory woodie but do seem to be framed and constructed in wood, retaining the original steel door bottoms. I noticed that there are no front quarter windows. The rear bumper is the standard part. Not the woodie rear bumper. I have no idea what the rear lights are from - but the original trunk light is there. mounted low. I found the pictures in an auction listing from many years ago. Looks like the car sold for Aus$50k. I'd love to know more about it.

I found these pictures of a woodie in Australia. The workmanship looks good but it's clearly not a factory wagon. I wonder if it was built 'back in the day'? Do any of our Aussie friends know anything about this car?

A quick Google revealed that 'C' stamps allowed the purchase of unlimited gas, so my guess is that it was put there in case of emergency - hidden away from anyone who might want to make use of it 'without authorisation'. http://cartype.com/pages/3635/gas_ration_stickers

Hey John, Glad to see you made it onto the Forum. Welcome. You'll love it here. Robin.

More info... Another web search reveals that the car was converted by Western Flyer Coach and delivered to Banff. It's described on this list as an auto conversion with transparent roof... http://www.angelfire.com/ca/TORONTO/builders/wfclist.html

Fantastic. I love this Forum! And Bob, you were right... it is a D25.

Clutch adjustment? It could be that the clutch is not disengaging fully. If there's any grinding noise or difficulty as you shift into first, this will point to the same problem. How's my cyber diagnosis?

The plate is L470,

I found this picture of a plastic-topped Plymouth in Canada, 1946. Would love to know more about this one.

Just the 'optimum' amount, Don!

This is the sticker, on my Quail disguise case (housing an Optima battery).

A re-worked Sun tach is cool too.

Simon, If you can afford it, an Optima battery is the way to go. It doesn't look great but, if that bothers you, you can buy a 'disguise case' to make it look like an old lead acid battery. For headers... I have original Fentons on my car. Dean has the repro Langdons on his. They are very similar. Several people on here also offer split manifolds, re-worked from the originals. Email me if you want more info on any of the above.

Wow. That's a real stunner. Congratulations.

Hi Bob, The short answer is four. The long answer is... I imported my red convertible in 2004. At the time it was believed to be the only one on the road in the UK. Since then, I found out about a gray convertible undergoing restoration and, a few years ago, Dean heard a rumour, via a family friend, of a blue RHD convertible - and managed to get a copy of an old photo. Whilst researching those cars, Chris imported his ivory convertible and I heard yet another rumour of a car in poor condition undergoing restoration. Pictures below show my red car, Chris' ivory car, the gray RHD convertible which was sold at auction at the end of last year (for approx £33,000/$50,000), the blue car that Dean is still chasing, and the rumoured 5th car which I have just found (it turned out to be a '49 model). I've recently made contact with the new owner of the gray car. He lives reasonably close to me and Chris so we're hoping to bring the three convertibles together, soon. Dean is still chasing the blue car which is registered as 'off the road'... so it's out there somewhere! Of course, there could me more. We are advertising our P-15 Picnic fairly widely so, if there are more, we hope to bring them into our UK fold.

Welcome, Simon. I'll look out for news. And look forward to seeing your new Dodge.

I wondered who'd be the first to spot that, Bob. You win... Well done! I added the red detail last Summer.

Wow. That unit in your Dodge is HUGE! If I put something that big in front of the screen in my convertible I'd hardly be able to see out! Love the white wheel in your Plymouth. That's so stylish. I'm tempted.

Yes, it's 6V +ve ground. I ordered it from Westach.

I'm really pleased with how this turned out. The tach has a 2" diameter face with a 'bullet' mounting pod which I painted brown, to match the column. The style of the numbers is very close to those on the speedo, so the end result almost looks like original equipment.

Hi Andy, I'm not suggesting that we should expect there to be 11,000 cars out there. I'm just pointing out that 1% would give that figure - which has to be the upper end of the estimate for the likely total of survivors, even if you include unrestored cars, parts cars, street rods, customs, etc. It would be great to know, but it's largely down to guesswork.

When I got my convertible, about 10 years ago, I contacted Jim Benjaminson about his list of survivors. His estimate was that up to 200 P15 convertibles survive, worldwide. That would be about 1.33% - and I imagine he's fairly close with that figure. I just did a google search and found this interesting information on an AACA Forum thread. 1% of total P15 production would mean that there are about 11,000 cars out there. FROM AACA FORUM For several years, I have been collecting all kinds of data about Buicks in relation to their frame and engine numbers for the years from 1904 thru 1958. It now is complete and covers about 9.6 million Buicks. Much of the data was compiled and checked using survivor cars, since if my ideas about how Buick did things was correct, the survivors must fit the patterns of numbers that research finds. The compiled data is the "theory", the cars themselves are the "facts". Based on this, it appears that the survival rate runs around 1% of the cars built. Some years (1939's as an example were notorious for overheating) are lower. Survival rates of convertibles and convertible sedans run higher. One thing seems to be true of all survivors. That is the fact that when the car was from 12 to 25 years old, it was owned by someone who "loved" it and took care of it. That gets it thru the period when it's only an "old car", and it becomes a "survivor" I would like to hear others in the hobby comment on this subject.

Potato sacks can be used to store a variety of goods...

The center bumper guard was a factory option for cars supplied in States that didn't require a front plate. Factory promo picture attached, and a few other old photos I found on the web...

I found this on the web. It's hard to read, but I think it says: THE SPECIAL DELUXE FOUR-DOOR SEDAN... the fine appointment, the care given to pleasing details, and extra roominess are qualities you'd expect only in a much higher priced car. The luxurious upholstery (your choice of Broadcloth or Pile Fabric) is enriched by beautifully grained garnish mouldings and dash. Lustrous leather scuff guards protect the leather at vital points. Windows go up and down in less than two turns of the crank. An easy-to-reach lever permits adjustment of the front seat to the most comfortable position. And under all this - as in every Plymouth - is the matchless engineered comfort of Plymouth's famous Air Pillow Ride.