Pete

Are cigarette lighters voltage sensitive? I want to use a 6V+ to 12V- converter so I can use the lighter socket to charge cell phones, etc. Can I keep the original lighter and socket? Pete

Get an ABC type extinguisher that is the dry type. If it gets below freezing where you are the liquid kind can freeze. I've been using oil bath air cleaners for years without any problems. Be sure to use 50 weight non-detergent oil. Some of the old timers were upset when the car companies changed from oil bath to paper elements - oil being cheaper than the paper elements, at least back then. Pete

A couple of years ago I looked up the various oil filter element part numbers for my 1939 Plymouth with the 201. Here is what I came up with: WIX 51080 NAPA FIL 1080 (made by Wix) FRAM C134PL AC PF316 Purolator L20700 -Pete

Hi Don, Assuming the engine cranks: The easiest way to test the coil secondary wiring is to use a timing light. Put the inductive pickup on the HT lead from the coil to the distributor. Crank the engine and look for STEADY light flashes. Pete

Hi all, Jay Fisher passed away a year or two ago. He was a founding member of the Plymouth Owners Club. I would love to have a pair of his hinge post mirrors. A friend of mine has them on his '36 Plymouth. They are gorgeous and are placed to work very well on both sides. I spoke to Jay's widow who said someone bought his business. If they are still making the mirrors I have yet to find them. Peter

I have Coker wide white wall radials on my 1939 Plymouth. I love them. With the pias ply the car would wander all over on bad roads. The car now drives much easier and safer. One tire developed a small bubble under the white wall. Coker replaced it for free and paid shipping both ways. Other than that I've had no issues. Pete

I've had good luck with peppermint oil for keeping mice away, and moth balls for keeping squirrels away. Pete

I've made that drive three times, once in my 1938 Dodge Brothers pickup when I moved from Minnesota to Vermont. It's a beautiful drive. Watch out for moose. Also army tanks - I was almost taken out by one flying across the road from the woods on one side to the other. It was a military reservation somewhere in Ontario. I did trips in June and September and the traffic volume wasn't bad. Lot's of great pull-offs and scenic views. If you drive down into Minnesota, don't miss Split Rock lighthouse. It's not too far South of the Canadian border. I also remember pulling off an overlook high above the North shore of Lake Superior - picture attached. There I met an old First Nations man who lived in the area his whole life and pointed out everything interesting in sight. Priceless. One other thing, if you are a US citizen contact your car insurance company and get a Canadian ID liability card. I recently got one through Hagerty. It was free and I had it within a few days. Pete

Hi Esteban. The engine serial number is stamped on a boss on the driver's side of the block just below the cylinder head. You may have to clean it and hit with a grease pencil or chauk to make the characters readable. Depending on the state where the truck was registered and insured the insurance docs may not include the engine serial number. These vehicles have a number of ID numbers: serial number on the door post, engine, chassis, body (on firewall). Different states used different numbers. My 1938 has the original factory installed engine according to the build sheet. The number starts with "T58." Here are a couple of sources on these engine numbers: http://www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/tengines.html http://www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/otherengines.php If yours is a half ton and the engine is original (or from another 1937 half ton) it should start with "T38." The links above have info on other models. Pete

Try a tankful of non-ethanol real gas and see if the problem gets better or goes away. It works for me. Peter

Hi, let me add to the compliments of the truck. You will have a lot of fun with it. I have a 1938 half ton Dodge Brothers (never just Dodge!) pickup. It's been in the family since the 1970s. Note that if you need to get engine parts, 1937 - 38 Dodge Brothers trucks from half to one-ton used the long block engine with a displacement of 218 ci. The serial number stamped on the engine will tell you if it's original to the truck. Pete

HI. I have a similar problem with my '39 Plymouth and my '38 Dodge pickup. Filling the gas tank with non-ethanol gas makes it go away. Apparently the higher volatility of the ethanol causes it to boil at a lower temp than pure gas. Not sure if you can get non-ethanol gas (or even gas with ethanol) where you are located, but it's worth a try if you can. Pete

All Dodge Brothers 1/2, 3/4, and 1-ton trucks in 1937-38 came with 25" blocks. After 1938 they switched to 23" blocks. If it's a sedan delivery it would have the 23". My 1938 1/2 ton pickup has the original engine according to the build card. It's 25". Pete

I got one from this guy on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/dashmanshotrodandspeedparts/ He labels it "2 Bolt Phenolic Riser Carter Holley Autolite Carburetor Intake Manifold Spacer" but he assured me that it fits the BB and it does. He has them in various thicknesses. Send him an email. Pete

Hi Greg, I've been thru Vermont's procedure a number of times. They don't even issue titles for vehicles older than a certain year, just registrations. The reason I went thru the NC DMV process was not only because I really wanted that car. I bought it through a consignment shop and the party and history on the other side was a big black hole. There was enough that seemed a bit out of the ordinary that I wanted that NC title in case someone came back at me later and claimed it was their car. The process was long and painful but it covered my butt.

I bought a 1939 Plymouth in NC a couple of years back. It was restored and had an eBay replacement VIN tag on the door post. The number was correct but looked wrong. I guess somebody thought the original tag didn't look good enough. Raised a red flag in everyone's eyes except perhaps the seller. It took 8 months for the NC DMV to issue a new "serial number" and title. Love the car. Hated the process. Pete

Two of my favorite unique traffic solutions. The first is just south of Saratoga Springs, NY. Five rotaries in a row. The second is the Magic Roundabout in Swindon in the UK. One big rotary surrounded by five smaller rotaries you use to enter/exit the big one. Imagine driving that on the left side of the road! Pete

If you lived in Vermont, you could score a nice Thanksgiving turkey from your living room window. They had almost vanished but were reintroduced 20 - 30 years ago. It's been a big success.

Try cleaning your browser's cache.

Hi Gnomeworks, Welcome to the forum and the hobby. Below is from a document on wire and fuse sizes I used to rewire my '38 truck. Hopefully it copied and pasted okay. Pete Guide to Wire and Fuses Wire Size vs. Amperage Applications of Wire Plug-in Fuses Fuse Listing Guide Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Wire Size vs. Amperage Wire Size: 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Amperage: 35 25 20 15 7 5 3 Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Applications of Wire Wire Size 6-Volt Wire Size 12-Volt Item 8 10 Amp meter gauge 8 10 Alternator or generator and regulator large terminals 12 14 Electric fuel pump 12 14 Alternator or generator and regulator small terminals 14 16 Gauges, fuel, oil, temperature 14 16 Ignition, distributor, coil 14 16 Directional signals, parking and tail lights, and radio 12 14 Headlights Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Plug-in Fuses (Type ATO) Amperage: 3 5 7-12 10 15 20 25 30 Color: Violet Tan Brown Red Lt. Blue Yellow Natural Lt. Green Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Ford flathead hotrod street rod hot rod chrome restore car classic vintage antique Fuse Listing Guide Use: Radio Lighter Stop Lights Gauges Overdrive Heater Tail/Parking Interior Lighting Wipers Accessory Amperage: 5 20 20 5 30 20 20 20 20 20

They never cashed my check either. It's been many months...

Dodgefan, If the engine number on the block starts with "T58-" it's an original 1938 engine. That's what my '38 engine number starts with. According to the build card I got from Chrysler Historical back in the day, it is the original engine installed at the factory on October 5, 1937. It's a long block 25" engine originally 218 cubic inches. When I rebuilt mine I went .030 over. As I said in my earlier post, only the '37 and '38 half- to one-tons used the long block. Before and after that they used the short block.

Modern oil filters on a bypass filter system may not be the best choice. The original filter spec called for trapping particles 3 times smaller that today's full flow filters. The cited reason being that modern systems plumb the oil right on the bearings and any blockage could cause failure.

I used to go to this salvage yard in New London, MN when I lived there about 20 years ago. It was a great place for finding parts at that time. They let you roam and pick parts back then, Don't know if they still do: http://www.windyhillautoparts.com/

1938 is an RC. MC I believe is a '37. Virtually the same except for some trim pieces. "C" designates the half-ton chassis.Only the '37 and '38 half- to one-tons used the long block. The original engine fitted to these was the 218 ci long block.