PatS....

Fred, it gets depressing when you put it in those terms. I recall more times than not being snowed on on the May 24th long weekend Like you, I've had about enough of this crap for this year. We are having a 50 degree weekend coming up, but a little more snow Monday:rolleyes:

My parts arrived today from Norm at Mid-Canada Suspension. Great service and a decent price. Ordered on Friday, here today (Wednesday) Thanks Norm!!! The upper control arm included a nice instruction sheet I wish I had before I took the thing apart. This sheet calls for some measurements to be taken prior to taking things apart, which of course I did not take. There should be some specs in the manual..I hope. These instructions also do not call for a special tool, which I like. So, for those who may be interested, I will post the sheet. I did scan it to PDF but it is too big to upload and I have no clue how to resize it. If you'd like a PDF emailed it is 2.50MB and there are 2 pages. Just ask and it's yours. Here is the sheet in JPG: Side Two: Yes it is white on black and I would like to reverse it, but I don't think I have the right program.

Just the front fender and wheel well opening makes me think it wasn't a Barris job. He didn't do ALL his cars in good taste, but they usually weren't that much out of proportion. The rear end is just too gaudy and busy. The story behind it would be interesting to know, though. That Chevy really looks embarrassed to be out in public like that

This is the inside of the industrial engine oil pan. It is front sump if it looks odd. Oh, and it's a big block, too. The front of the shelf type baffle is curved down about an inch and a half or so.

Norm, it is valid advice. There were several witnesses to the incident I was involved in and try as they may, and the cops really tried, there were no charges laid against me. I did it by the book. Always leave yourself an out and never hesitate to smash your way to safety. Of course not getting into it with these fools is the first line of defense, but sometimes, they want to fight. Stay in your vehicle...never get out...never.

Seems like if you are driving a large truck, you are automatically an a$$hole. I used to get cut off 20 30 times a day by fools who would then jam on the brakes to "teach me a lesson" not realizing that 80,000 lbs can't stop in the distance they leave to "teach the lesson". I'm sure there are several badly stained front seats from guys trying that and realizing that they would be the loser in such a confrontation. Do they think a fully loaded truck is going slower just to specifically pi$$ them off? How fast do they think 80,000 lbs takes to get moving? Or to stop? OOPPSS I typed "think". My bad.

There is a special tool shown in the manual for assembly of the upper control arm (Tool C-608) I'm wondering what the purpose of that tool is? Is it to keep the arms the proper distance apart? The manual isn't real clear to me as to it's function and I doubt the tool is available. Is there a general use tool that performs the same function? Do I even need it? Same question for the lower control arm tool C-594 Looking at the tool (C-736) for installing the dust seals on the upper control arm, I should be able to modify a putty knife to do the job there? Anyone have any hints as to re-assembling the front suspension? My parts are scheduled to be here Wednesday and I'd like to get Walter P back on his wheels ASAP

While I agree that the early '60's Plymouth's were Quite ugly, they quickly changed back and the '65 Plymouth was an exceptionally good looking car. I can't quite see how a couple of years of ugly could have led to Plymouth's demise decades later. This article made no mention of Barracuda, Road Runner or GTX etc. It mentioned some rebadged little cars, but at that time, big cars were still the industry bread and butter. Simple downsizing was all the rage and Plymouth was the one to go...like Oldsmobile, big corporations with no other solutions that to cut and burn.

Good advice, John. The key is that they must be mentally ill. In my case, the reason he wanted to fight in the first place was because I ignored him. In this case it was the being ignored which enraged him. Then, when he stopped, wanting me to get out and I didn't stop, of course it made it worse. In my younger days, I would have and did several times get out and oblige these guys in the request for a fight. I left them laying in the road playing their own game. I'm too old for that **** and these cowards carry guns. I also no longer drive for a living. It's just too dangerous out there. My advice for dealing with road rage is ALWAYS have a charged cell phone. Don't leave home without it.

Nothing there, David

A friend of mine has been rear ended twice. He now has a unique way of dealing with tailgaters. He has an old windshield washer reservoir/pump in the trunk with the nozzle in the end of the tailpipe. The reservoir is filled with used motor oil. He presses the button under the dash, the invisible fog gets on the windshield, they turn on the wipers and then they have to pull over to clean the windshield. Seems to work every time.

I'm not sure if my M6 had a gasket between it and the bellhousing. I know I have heard about problems when the gasket is missing but I can't see why it would be needed.

James I am glad to hear you and Sondra are OK. Road rage is a very real problem everywhere these days. I'm not sure what is going through these guys heads. Do they think they have exclusive rights to the roads? Similar thing happened to me, except, when he stopped his Cavalier in front of my International Eagle so he could fight me, I didn't stop. Drilled him through the intersection. He stopped again in front of me, and I drove him about a block the second time. I'm 50 at the time and he's 22 or so. I'm not stopping. WCB and the Police say don't stop and don't get out of your vehicle. He tried it a third time and I hit him a third time. He then followed me for some time, and when I got stuck behind a line of cars, he got out with a baseball bat and smashed my drivers window and ran like the cowardly pussy he was. I was injured but the cops caught the little criminal. Turns out he was a member of our Olympic Bobsleigh Team. This incident of road rage wasn't his first. Murder and attempted murder run in the family (google his brother Nathan LeBlanc). This got him the boot from the team, though. I'm not sure what the solution is. These guys obviously think they own the road and are willing to defend what they think are transgressions to their property. I think a license suspension of 3 years on a first conviction is about right along with a hefty fine in the $25,000 range. That old DeSoto wouldn't have been stopped by no Civic, and after my experience, I'll never stop again. I'll head directly to the nearest Police Station while calling 911, which is what the authorities advise.

With My Sincere Sympathy. May you find comfort in knowing that Nelson touched the lives of so many others and gave them the gift of many happy memories. His presence will be remembered and he will missed. Pat Satchwill Calgary Canada

I like!!!!!

My condolences to Nancy and family. A sad day for the forum as well. For those who wish to send a card: I have Nancy's address. PM me for it. I don't think I should post it for her safety.

The salamander heater sure makes it easy to spend a productive day in the garage working on Walter P. I wanted to get a coat of paint on all the parts that got sandblasted the other day. I didn't want the control arms to be black, but I didn't want them to look goofy either, so I went with silver/aluminum paint that I already had. Brushed on a couple of coats on the underside. I'll flip 'em over tomorrow and do the top. I think they will look OK. The frame and springs will be frame black. I gave the six blade fan, the front motor mount support, the coil bracket, the heat sheild and the valve covers a coat of blue to match the engine. I have 2 sets of valve covers so one set is blue and the other set is silver. These will also get flipped and the other side done tomorrow. Then, I spent a while with the side grinder on the exposed frame to clean it up as much as I can so I can paint it. I'll finish the driver side inner and do the underside tomorrow. Then wipe it all down to degrease it before paint. Very dusty work, had to use the old furnace fan I kept from the furnace I hauled out of the garage. Comes in handy for stuff like this. A mask is handy, too. All in all a productive day. I also got the spark plug threads chased, which was the last thing to do before installing the head. Hopefully I'll get to that Friday:) Pat

I just bought mine from Norm at Mid Canada Suspension in Winnipeg. midcansusp@shaw.ca (email) Great selection of steering and suspension parts. http://www.members.shaw.ca/midcansusp/index.htm (Website)

"You are a mild mannered assasination victim. You are Abe Lincoln. You have a peaceful nature and are good at mediating disputes with the exception of the occasional bloody civil war" That's what that pain is in my head It's a bullet!!!!

Well, if it was mine, here's how I would do it. I would list it as is for more than I expect to get. That's to guage interest. If I get some interest at the high price, but no sale, I would do the tank and fuel lines and relist at a slightly lower price. I would leave it advertised at that price for a while, maybe a month. Then I would not advertise at all for a month. Some people will watch for a while and then call after the ads run out hoping to get a better deal. Then, if all the preceding has failed, I would lower the price dramatically to where I won't go any lower. If it won't sell then, I guess I'd store it for a year and try the whole process over again. I always list a car very high at first to guage interest. Usually no response but I have sold high often enough that it is worth the try. They are only worth what people will pay for them at the time you are selling in the location you are selling from. My '49 Chrysler is a Club Coupe that sat for 35 years. It needed a complete rebuild but there is only minimal rust to deal with. It was 1500$Can. straight off the farm with all the hay and mouse droppings intact. I would think a 4 door in equal condition would be less. BUT, if I had to sell old Walter P. NOW, I would start it at $5500 as is. Who knows what would happen? (not selling, though)

John I'm real jealous!!! The 3 different scrap processors here in the city have chewed up anything older than 1980 for about 250 miles around. They used to prowl farmers yards and offer to take everything for free. It's all gone

I figured that the disc conversion is about the same price as rebuilding the originals. Then, I can go to the local Mom and Pop parts store to get any part I need off the shelf. I found with my first 49 Chrysler that the brakes were a constant never ending big pain in the butt. I'm hoping 4 wheel discs will be less maintenance and more reliable.

Frank, you should have called the dealer!!! Isn't it still under warranty?? (glad the old girl decided to co-operate and start)

Eric, No, I didnt protect the threads because I plan to chase them when I can find a chase or tap big enough. I did avoid the area as much as possible while still getting the A frames clean. They still look "wet" so I think I'm OK. This outfit (Consolidated Compressor) has 7 outdoor stations, 3 of which had a semi tanker being done, and me and my little half-ton with half a load. They also have 2 indoor glass bead cabinets for the dainty stuff. I know what you mean about the sand...it's in places I didn't know I had places!! And my neck is killing me from bending over to see out the helmet window. Still, it was fun to see 50 some years of rust and grime gone in sixty seconds...or so.

Spent an hour at the do-it-yourself sandblaster outfit today and got half a truckload of parts done. Just no better way to get them clean. Mosly cast and front end parts...small stuff, but I also did a couple of the inner fender peices and two from behind the grille. Stood back as far as I could, because I'm not sure if the sand will warp them. They are fairly small and it was only about 38f so I think I'm ok. I'll know tomorrow when I get this all back to the garage. No pics, didn't want to expose the camers to that place. That darn sand gets EVERYWHERE!!!!. I forgot to use the ear protectors they gave me OK now but I won't do that again! At $75 bucks an hour, they actually saved me alot of scrubbing and wire wheeling and scraping and it's a great base for primer and paint. However, they told me the price jumps to $95/hr in March. Got to gather up the rest of the parts and "gitter done".