Dan Hiebert

I prefer the "form fitting" skirts, too. The ones that fit in the wheel opening, or at least match the opening like yours. I think they have a much cleaner look. To me, those skirts look like low slung cruiser. Without, it looks like low slung hot rod.

1959 Dodge 1/2 ton pick-up, the one with the quad headlights. Not necessarily the sweepside (sweptside?) version, but I wouldn't pass one of those up.

Yep, after I learned which bugs you could safely eat, I think I'd rather have eaten bugs than ham and lima beans. Thankfully, there was always that one GI that liked them, so whoever in the unit drew one, they could trade with him.

I had that for Thanksgiving in '83 on a small Caribbean island! I remember that it wasn't the worst C-Rat, which isn't saying much...

Apparently not a "pro", certainly not a chiseled Adonis of the "sport". Has to be a "hold my beer" dulled moment, I'd be writhing around and saying/yelling bad words much more vigorously if my knee had done that...

There could be a few issues, or a combination of some or all of them. Adjustment is not correct, mechanism is worn, or just really dirty. Start with adjustment per the handy-dandy manual, keep in mind that the adjustment is with the striker, not the door latch itself. If the latch isn't catching right in the striker when closed, it could lead to both symptoms you noted. Does the handle droop when the door is open? If not, it's striker adjustment or wear. If so, something in the latch is most likely at fault, wear, broken parts, or accumulated grease that has hardened.

When I rebuilt the gauge cluster on our D24 about 20 years ago, it no longer had those paper cups, they had turned into paper washers, so I didn't know that they were even there in the first place, and I finished it without them. The message being I've had no issues without them. I'd only be guessing at what the paper cups were intended for, but would be interested to know if someone figures it out. With that info, perhaps I'll be compelled to install replacements.

We had the fuel oil delivery truck get stuck on the side of our driveway ("dooryard" up here) a couple years ago, took two of those gigantic semi recovery wreckers to get it out. One to keep it from tumping over while the other pulled it out - with commensurate destruction of our yard. It was early winter, all the landscaping places had already converted to winter ops and couldn't fix it until spring. I had to repair the drive myself with my trusty shovel, rake, and wheelbarrow so we could use it. But, the company insisted on repairing the damage, and on compensating me for fixing my own driveway. It's an employee owned company. The only trucking companies up here that won't fix what they break, or even recognize that they break things, are the log haulers.

The car just this side of the 39 Plymouth is a 40 or 41 Hudson.

Every time I see your car I'm reminded of the "Happy Days" episode when Fonzie supes up Howard Cunningham's car for a race that Richie got into with some hoods. Howard's lament, "My Desoto!", when he sees his hot-rodded car always plays in my head. He had the 4dr sedan with the luggage rack on the roof, too.

Your wiper switch is in the wrong location, it's where the tube for the windshield washer should be. If there are two holes in the top center of the dash, the one closest to the windshield should be the washer tube, the other one is for the switch. As Frank notes, that tube goes to windshield division bar. I know someone on the Forum has a photo of the setup, I've seen it posted before. But, if nothing comes up today, I've a friend with a D24 parts car that has it. I'm going to his place tomorrow to help put a roof on his woodshed, I'll get a photo of it for you.

Thankfully, I don't have to battle any elements since I retired a couple years ago. When I was still working, I prided myself on getting to work each and every day, especially the ones when "locals" thought it was too bad out to leave the house. I was never reluctant to designate administrative days (excused absences due to weather that didn't count against employees' leave) when appropriate, or send employees home an hour or two early due to weather. But, that was only our support folks, the LEOs still had to work. In Buffalo, it was a tad humorous to me because I thought it was a matter of principle that bad winter weather couldn't impact work, after all, Buffalo had a reputation to uphold, but safety always won out. And I certainly don't brave any elements with the old cars, all my northern experience is in places that use really nasty stuff to keep ice off the roads even before the first snowflake falls. So, no photos of our D24 in the elements, but of my '01 Dodge. Photos are from the winter before I retired, in the parking lot halfway through a bad/good (depending on your point of view) snow day, then safely at the house after taking almost an hour to make what was usually a 15 minute commute. Snow was over the bumper most of the way, over the hood in a few places.

That shop needs a return visit. There is obviously something wrong with their installation of the new exhaust system. Something in the system is too restrictive, but that is still the shop's doing. While it would be nice to figure it out on your own so you can tell them what the deal is, the onus is still on the shop. Any reputable shop should have made sure what they fixed is indeed fixed, and better than when it went in. They should also be able to ascertain if they broke something else while in the process.

Weight limits on equipment like an engine stand are nominal. They will hold more weight, but are engineered to safely support a specified weight. I had a Northern Tool engine stand similar to yours that I hung a Ford 300 I6 on, then a Ford 350M. I could tell they were taxing the engine stand's performance, wouldn't roll well, engines wouldn't spin well, but what concerned me was that the whole shebang was "bouncy", as in the stand was flexing under the weight. Good steel is designed to flex some, but cheap steel will fatigue. Unknown where the HF stand is made, but Chinese steel is often of poor quality. If your stand flexes with an engine on it, I'd beef it up. And yeah, better casters if you'll be moving it around much.

Original or new? Most tire/wheel shops that sell new original style wheels should have them if you're looking for new. Coker Tire dose, but unknown if in the size you're looking for.

Coming along nicely. Is that the part number for the cross-bar clips in that photo? Something else I need to find for our D24.

Already 0800 where the sun first shines on the US of A and no Veterans' Day messages yet? OK, I'll get it started - here's hoping all my brother and sister Veterans on the Forum (and all others for that matter) have a great day. Some Vets get annoyed from getting thanked for something they willingly did, and would do again, to that I say "too bad", it's admiration earned from service above self. What are you doing this Veterans' Day? I imagine most of the parades and usual recognitions are cancelled due to COVID this year, they are here, anyway. Here in lil' ol' Houlton Maine, we're down to just the Elks Lodge putting on a drive-thru Veterans' dinner, it's usually a dine-in event. ("As long as there are Elks, Veterans will never be forgotten.") So I'm off to the Lodge in a little while to help with the cooking, preparation...and serving later this afternoon. Ought to be fun!

I think the caster and camber angles of the front suspension have more to do with a car's return to center than the steering mechanism. Our D24's steering wheel has some play when it's pegged out either left or right, too, but I've never worried about it to measure it because the other two checks are where they're supposed to be. I don't know if it's so much free play, or just so easy to move that it seems like free play. The "end play" checks for both D24s and P15s are with everything on the car and the steering between center and lock, where there should be "none". Meaning there's probably an engineering reason for the play at the extremes, but that's above my pay grade. As you note, its a function of the design. I'll shorten the story and offer an answer to your question - nothing to be concerned about, I don't think there is anything amiss with your "new" steering box.

...as long as that doesn't include digging up those final resting places, too. That's be a bit creepy. Just sayin'.

Extreme left to right with the steering box on the bench will be different than on the car with everything attached. On the bench, the roller tooth gear can be rotated past where it is intended to stop on the worm gear, creating that free play you mention. There is no free play measurement at the extremes, either on the car or off. The only free play measurement is as you noted, with the steering wheel centered, but that is with the box on the car, and that is in-out free play of the steering wheel shaft. Supposed to be "0", but no more than 1/32nd of an inch. The bench test only specifies the effort needed to turn the wheel, no more than 3/4 pound without the roller tooth shaft installed, no more than 2 1/4 lbs. with it installed. I was wondering where' you'd been, I really enjoyed your adventures with "the Heap" and hadn't seen a post for quite some time.

Nice. New England gets raves for fall foliage, but I think it's quite pretty up here all four seasons - even after the leaves have fallen and into the dead of winter. Dirty snow is a bit ugly, but that gets recovered up here regularly...

The "last third" or so is right for these cars. As long as your free play is adjusted to specifications you'll be OK. And that's a regular check to ensure things are copacetic as the clutch wears, not a once and done thing. The clutch will start slipping and/or chattering when it's too worn to do its job. There are other considerations, but it sounds like you're just concerned about where it engages, which seems a bit sloppy compared to modern cars, but is good for our era.

Coker Classic wide whitewall radials. P215/75R 15s on the original rims.

Yep, '57 Ford Custom 2dr sedan. In "ok" condition but has been subject to many Mickey Mouse repairs and upgrades since the late '80s. BIL knows nothing about cars, doesn't even know how to drive it, doesn't even know enough about it to know who to have work on it...other than me. Couldn't even tell you why he bought it, but I felt sorry for it and volunteered to tidy it up this winter. I'll have to learn a couple new things working on it, and it came with a credit card, so all I have to lose is some shop space this winter.

Last drive of the season up here was "car Tetris". Took the ol' D24 out for a spin after adding fuel stabilizer to get it throughout the system, then eased it into its winter spot. A little tighter than usual this winter because I have my brother in law's car, there's usually two across the back, but I wanted the Ford where I could work on it over the winter and get it out of here in the spring. Good thing one of them is the Bug, but I think I could have gotten another full size car in that spot.