Dan Hiebert

I have a good old fashioned high-tech plastic milk crate in the trunk. In it is a basic tool kit in an old "tankers tool bag" ( 3/8 - 3/4 combination wrenches, spanner wrench, standard/needle nose/channel lock pliers, combination screwdriver), jumper cables, tire-plug kit, roll of electrical tape, tow strap, 4-way lug wrench, two chocks, a handful of nitrile work gloves, a can of WD40, a wad of those red shop rags, and an old bath towel. That way when I want to take the Terraplane out, I just transfer the milk crate. I keep a gallon jug of 50/50 anti-freeze in each one, too. The only spare parts I keep in any our old cars are the spare tires, and in the VW Beetle an extra generator belt. The Beetle has its own tool kit, (not the factory optional one, tho) since it's all metric. I haven't had to rescue myself (in the old cars, anyway) yet, but I have helped others at shows or along the road.

If you'uns' (?) cars don't have one already, it should be easy to retrofit. Our D24 has a factory warning light - the map light flashes when the parking brake is on, (ignition on). Simple pressure switch on the handle arm through a flasher to the map light. I'd have to check the wiring diagram for the particulars, but its obviously doable.

Welcome to the Forum, RC. I visit several old car forums and can say this one is one of the best. Lots of information and knowledgeable folks with an affinity for sharing what they know, often with good natured ribbing and "humor". Searches will be your friend, but I've also found that after failing to find something with a search, (the subtle nuances of just what to search for often elude me), just throw the question out. You'll either get pointed to a good thread or location on the site, or given an answer. I'll warn you that photos are quasi-mandatory, and can be quite helpful.

Ditto. We bought our D24 near El Paso, lived there for 5 years, then south east New Mexico for another 5 before moving north. Meaning we drove our D24 regularly in that southwest heat. I've always used plain old SAE 30, and had the exact same oil pressure readings as your truck does. This forum didn't exist back then, but lots of face-to-face research with old timey mechanics, who worked on these cars and trucks in the region when they were new satisfied me that what you describe is normal. The D24 still did that in MI, NY, and now up here in Maine...just takes it a little longer to warm up.

Welcome to an excellent Forum, and to the old car hobby. You'll get all the info you need here, and then some. The most valuable resource you need for working on these old cars is...patience. Everything else comes along as long as you have that. You've got good car to start with. I would echo previous responses about the wiring, if your car's wiring is universally bad, I think it would be more prudent to get an entire wiring harness, several companies make then. Check the resources section of this site. As long as you can follow directions and have no compunction against asking questions, it will not be that difficult. Personally, the added cost of a complete harness is worth it if you are completely rewiring the car.

Figures. I came across one of those in a junk yard in Oro Grande, NM many years ago. Thought about getting it for a conversation piece, but decided it was too ugly and passed it up. Yard has since been cleared out.

Good luck - always a challenge to hunt something higher than you on the food chain...

That switch/light operation is correct. "Parking" lights are on at first switch detent, that's front and rear. Headlights come on, parking lights go out (front only) with switch all the way out.

It's certainly a distinct contrast between here and the southwest. Aside from growing up in Texas, I worked in west Texas and New Mexico the first half of my career. Same basic job description, go knock around in the willy-wags most of the time. If you were at the station, you weren't working. I'd find things out in the desert a hundred years old that looked like they were dropped yesterday. Lots of abandoned cars, trucks, and equipment. Got the cowl trim for our D24 off of one that had been dumped in an arroyo for erosion control that had been there at least 40 years, got our Fulton outside sun visor off of a P15 that had been sitting in a ranch pasture for longer than anyone there could remember. They just had to be cleaned and polished/painted. If the cars they were on hadn't been so beat-up or miles from a road, they'd probably have wound up in my yard.

Yep, it's all there except for the rockers, quarters, and most of the floor. Maine used to be heavy on the road salt, then they added the stuff that really eats cars up (calcium chloride, I think), whatever it is, it's hard on vehicles. Most things you find in the woods here is well on its way to returning to nature. Kind of cool, in a sad sort of way.

Hi, Wally, Yep, I'm familiar with the Realty Road and Clayton Lake. My agency has a base at Daaquam that I've been to a few times. Otherwise, most of my trips to Maine's western border have been via helicopter, which is a great way to see things to go back and find later from the ground. Those locomotives are on my list for this summer. Their location used to be a settlement called "Tramway" for obvious reasons to those in the know. My agency has a bit of history there that I want to explore. Dan

Aha, here's the thread. I remembered Wallytoo's posts about stuff found in the woods that I had seen when we lived in western NY, but couldn't remember who posted them. We've since moved to northern Maine, and I'm finding all sorts of things in the woods. Thankfully, my job description would include that the whole state of Maine is my office, and I have to poke around the wilderness quite a bit. I've found stuff, especially derelict cars and trucks, in places you wouldn't think they'd be. Unfortunately, that job description also means I usually don't have the luxury of time to take photos, although I do try and revisit "sightings" in my off time when I can. Wallytoo can probably relate - finding this stuff in the forests of New England is more often than not a chance encounter. Fall is usually the best time, otherwise they're hidden by vegetation or snow and you usually have to bump into them to find them.

Check out the thread in the OT forum asking whose a vet and what you did. I go visit that thread every couple of months, good stories, good service. Add yourselves if you haven't already. Just needs to be brought to the top every once in a while.

Whew! Greg mentioned "old Testors hobby paints" and I thought two things, one - I'm old, two - there goes a good brand. But, they're still around. Their 1/4 oz. bottles are perfect for little jobs like painting script and detailing. The paint is enamel, and flows really well. The small brushes that are also perfect for this are usually right there with the paints. I have a bottle of the plain old red that I used to paint the "Fluid Drive" script on our D24, good contrast with the light grey the car is painted. But, it's 20 years old now, probably dried up. Testors makes an enamel paint marker now, too. Haven't tried it, but sounds like a viable option.

So how was my weekend? That almost sounds like a challenge that I'm happy to cede defeat to in this case. Hope you heal up quick. Most of my significant scarring is automotive related, now that I think of it... Spring has finally sprung here in northern Maine. Hit 50*, felt like 70* yesterday. Today it's really up to 70, but there's snow in the forecast for the middle of the week (we'll have flurries through May), and I've still got a foot of snow in the yard (lots of shade), but it's receding fast. Spring means "mud season", so the ol D24 is still in the garage, tinkering with it to get back on the road first chance. No driveway/pavement/gravel between the shop and our regular drive. The ground has a peculiar consistency until it's thoroughly thawed. Kinda like Jello.

I bought mine at O'Reilly Auto Parts over the counter, but they had to order one in. The Optima 6v battery is not the same size. (It is smaller, 3 cells vs. 6 cells for their 12v.) We had to "reverse engineer" ordering it, because we got the same response if the car info was input first. So the clerk input the battery info first and back-filled the car info. That's just tricking an ordering/inventory system intended to make finding parts easier for the clerk and customer. If you are concerned with original appearance, there are companies that make covers for the Optima that look like original 6v batteries.

Heeey, this may be another way to do the Easter egg thing in northern Maine. Folks around here hide stuff for the kids indoors, still lots of snow come Easter (or April, for that matter).

I would suggest using material for its intended purpose. Dynamat, or equivalent, is engineered and intended for use in vehicles, not houses. Granted, like the $500 toilet seat on AWACS planes, specific engineering hikes prices up. In my book, Dynamat is merely an updated version of the jute, paper, felt, etc. padding/sound deadening/insulating materials of old. No downside to using it if you choose. I used it on the firewall of our Terraplane - the original insulation was so deteriorated I couldn't tell what it was made of, but the cover is still good, so I reinstalled it. No one but me (and now you'uns) is the wiser, and it is much quieter in the interior. Definitely easier to work with when warm, and once it's pressed on and molded into all the grooves and such - it wants to stay. So if you forgot to leave a ground clear, it's a bear to get the stuff off.

...and 9 out of 10 enthusiasts, even, can't tell just by looking. Not without leaning over the fender to look at the engine number or to nit-pick.

You have to adjust the clutch pedal for free-play, not to be even with the brake pedal. Due to wear and tear on the linkage parts it may not sit even once free-play is set. If there is slop in the pedal due to wear, you adjust from where it normally sits. If I remember correctly, there should be 3/4 (preferably) to no more than 1" free-play, which is the distance from the pedal's normal position to where you first feel resistance. That resistance is the clutch starting to disengage/engage (depending on your point of view). If the free-play is off, you either will not be able to change gears (because the clutch won't disengage) or you'll grind 'em all the time, or the clutch will slip under load. You can monkey with the linkages and free-play to get the pedals even, but that can be time consuming and frustrating, especially if there is a lot of wear.

The answer to your question is, yes, that slot and the shift rod are supposed to be square for a nice, snug fit. Once you get those squared up, without the movement the bolt will probably stay tight. I put a lock washer over a flat washer on mine to keep them snug.

...sort of. Flight home got cancelled when I was in D.C. last week so I had a day to kill. Visited the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. In the transportation section, way at the back is a display depicting a post-war new car dealership, wherein is displayed a nice Buick, and on the wall behind it...

Ditto. I got the ones (front & rear) for our 48 D24 from the Plymouth Doctor, too. Don't remember the cost, that was 10 years ago. Quite happy with the fit and appearance, but the attachment leaves a bit to be desired. But as much as we use the car I haven't actually "attached" them, because they fit well enough that I don't find the need to quite yet.

Trying to keep our D24 close to original, but not being too anal about it. So, when I paint something on it, I try to get close, but also try to use a readily available color, for small stuff I've been using rattle can paint. Attention to detail and patience yields good results. Some parts have been painted thusly for over 20 years but look amazingly fresh. Down side is that even those folks change their colors every so often. To shorten this story, I've been using Krylon's "Khaki" for those tan parts on the D24. It's a shade or two lighter than the original, but I like the result.

We went to the 1985 New York Auto Show. It was and "event" for sure, but I was so underwhelmed by the cars that we didn't even think of going to another until the 2004 Detroit Auto Show, and that was only because we had moved to Michigan and it was real close. (But just think, all those cars at the '85 show qualify as "antique" in most states now...) That was worth going to as they also had classics and hot-rods on display. Haven't been to any since, but I've noticed that many of them include some "historical perspective" now.