Dan Hiebert

That is cool! When we were living in Port Huron, MI, we had an older couple come by the house one day while I happened to be washing the D24 in the driveway. They had lived in the house next door. Lincoln Elementary School was across the street, its a city park now (Lincoln Park, south side of Port Huron, those attending the POC event and going to the Wills-St. Claire Museum will pass through it on the way if they go via M25 / Electric Ave). They had an album of photos, most of classes from the school, that showed an empty lot where our house was, then some construction, and finally the finished product. (It was interesting that they didn't use the school as a backdrop.) They were checking out the "old neighborhood", saw the D24 in the driveway and figured we liked old stuff (duh) and would be interested in their photos. Spent the afternoon talking about the old neighborhood and invited them to dinner. Even had some neighbors come over to chat. That was an awesome day, I can imagine how you'uns felt. Thanks for sharing! (No clue about the other car, tho)

Ummm, "unique"?

I used a urethane primer when I painted my daughter's Falcon. Easy to work with, compatible with all types of color paints, and doesn't require the sealer. I rather enjoyed using it (nothing to do with the fumes, either).

Now that is bordering on genius. I've used that Krylon fusion paint on various things - it seems to stick to anything and everything and doesn't take a whole day to cure. I'd be interested in how it holds up.

Not quite. The interior is the same pattern as original, but in burgundy. The seats are corduroy. Quite nice, but starting to show its age (I just realized I don't have any photos of the interior, either ). Neglected to mention, that location in Marysville is spitting distance from the Wills-St. Claire Museum that's part of the POC event. Lived in the area for five years and ran past it almost every weekend, but never figured out just what it's purpose is, its an old-fashioned glass dome. Very photogenic.

Not that it matters, as you're doing a thorough job, but I'll wager those are factory inspection marks, mine still has some faint traces, too.

Stock rims (Rustoleum "Radiant Red"), hubcaps, and trim rings with B.F. Goodrich Silvertown 6.70 x 15 bias plies. (I like the "pie crust" description earlier in the thread ) I know that isn't correct, '48s came with the 7.00s, but I didn't know that when we bought them waaaay back when, and if I remember correctly - guessed at the tire size. Got them from Discount Tire in El Paso, TX. Who I believe ordered them from Coker. (This was before the age of the internet.) (Above is at Marysville, MI, near where the POC show is this weekend)

Yes, I used single stage. Single is significantly less expensive and I'm not painting show cars, so it suits my purposes. That formula I mentioned works for how much it would take to apply one coat. Just multiply the result by however many coats of whatever you want to apply - but I couldn't find my old auto painting manual last night. It was just an old HP book that I got from an old-time auto painter. It was so "usefully basic" that it may still be in print. I'll keep looking, now it bugs me that I can't find it.....

It took one gallon to put two coats on my D24 4-dr sedan. (Acrylic enamel) It was barely enough, and is starting to wear through after 22 years. (But that may have more to do with my, at the time, first time painting skills.) I haven't done less than three coats since, the last being my daughter's 2dr Falcon that used a little less than 1 gallon. There is a formula for the "area" of the car, length, width, height at hood/trunk/roof + number of coats + reduction ratio. It generally works out to a bit more than needed, but that can be used for door jambs and such. It may be available on-line somewhere, but I got it from an old automotive painting manual, and have only painted a car every 5 years or so (meaning I don't remember it off-hand). I'll look it up when I get home this evening.

I had bought a few things over the years from Mitchell. I dealt with Frank himself on the last go round when he had at the time what appeared to be the only sector shaft available in the country, and a steering shaft with worm gear that hadn't been "identified" yet - but he knew just what it was and let me buy it without the new guys putting it in inventory (I believe he had just sold his company, but was hanging around to either pass the time or ensure it did well - or both). That compared to a few other "parts houses" that said they had what I needed, but then couldn't deliver but insisted I continue to deal with them. Items I bought were NOS, some with some surface rust, but in pretty amazing shape for 60 year old parts that been in Georgia for a while. Never had a problem with him, his kind are dwindling.

Wow, what amazing progress. I remember when you first posted photos and how far gone your car appeared to be, then visiting and seeing the progress you'd made last year, and now your driving around the block! I can imagine how thrilled you are, it's exhilarating to bring any old car back from the brink. I'm excited for you.

Went to the 175th Erie County Fair last night (billed as the largest fair in the U.S.). Therein were deep-fried Oreos with Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and Caramel topping. Prepared so the "stuff" is melted. Mmmm. Horribly decadent and utterly delicious, but still burping it up......

Some of you probably know of this site already, www.shorpy.com. I vaguely recall it being mentioned before and I recognize some of the photos on the site that folks have shown on the forum. Anyhoo - today the first photo up on the home page is of a picnic in Austin in 1952 - "prominently" in the near background is a D24 2dr sedan, a little worse for wear, but there it is. The network I'm on right now won't allow me to get the photo to post here - but the site is worth a visit for fans of vintage photos and history.

I'm told bears are becoming a nuisance in PA. I know they are in the Poconos, we have a couple of friends there that complain about them all the time. I almost hit one in NJ last week, too. There are a lot of turkey around here, but they're not a PIA yet. Deer are a problem, way over populated. They mowed down our garden again this year and have killed several maple trees I had planted.

...I coulda used a couple of those "special fasteners" back before I knew what I was doing

Ewww!

That happened to one of the front brakes on my car several years ago. Turned out to be that one of the return springs had broken.

Personally, I think along the lines that the "64 1/2" Mustang thing is the enthusiasts imparting a sense of rarity on the first Mustangs, and I'm sure they existed, but weren't "1964 1/2 Mustangs", they were 1965 Mustangs built in 1964 - to make my point - we bought our 2001 Dodge Ram truck in August 2000, but it's not a "2000 1/2 Dodge Ram", I'll also point out that for as long as I've been buying new cars (not all that long actually), you could/can buy next year's model starting midway through the prior year. (Although I've noticed that is not as prevalent as it used to be.) I wish I could remember why I started monkeying around with old cars and trucks - if I could, someone may be able to find the cure. I've been fascinated by old machinery (especially cars and trucks) as long as I can remember. Cars, trucks, trains, tractors, farm and industrial machinery, you name it. We'll stop at an antique tractor show just as quick as a car show. There's just something about the sights, sounds, and smells of old transportation that gives me that warm-fuzzy feeling.

I see "answered" already. But - when considering intake and exhaust, remember than an engine is basically just an air pump. The more efficiently the air enters, and exhaust exits, the better the engine will run. Its the tweaking on either end (and some in the middle) that makes the power and/or efficiency, such as more fuel to the air, or more air coming in, increasing compression, more free flowing exhaust, etc. Better exhaust = better sound, and so on. Its that tweaking and getting the right combinations for the results we want that makes this hobby interesting and fun.

My "daily driver" is provided by Uncle Sam (thanks for paying your taxes ), but I still have to get to work to use it. I haven't had a real "beater" in quite a while, but I've had two "favorite" parts chaser/grocery getter/lumber hauler/stump puller/parade float puller/kid hauling/wife-refused-to-be-seen-in-it/commuters. One was a '52 Ford F3 that you couldn't be in hurry with (someone waved far more money in my face than it was worth), and a '60 Ford F100 that won a couple "ugly truck" contests (had to sell it when we moved from NM to MI). Wish I still had them both.....or at least something the wife refuses to be seen in.

My truck has this problem, too. Only around the fuel door.

Definitely drain the old gas, it'll only muck-up your engine. I'm curious what turns it green, but am skeptical that it's mold, kind of harsh conditions for even that stuff to grow I'd think. I had old gas in the Terraplane, but the only place it was green was the carb and the fuel filter bowl on the fuel pump. The gas in the tank reeked, but it wasn't green, it turned brown. Still works good for cleaning parts, but not much else.

Nothing definite yet, too far out in my line of work. Pretty sure I wouldn't be able to leave Thursday, tho. At best I could leave Friday AM, at worst, Friday PM.

I lived in Port Huron for 5 yrs (that's were my avatar picture was taken). All of the hotels in Port Huron are relatively close to the venues. Marysville, too. After that, everything is about 30 miles out. I'll be staying at my son's place in Ft. Gratiot.

I had a '52 Ford F-3 for a long time that was converted to 12v. Didn't do anything for the horns, and they had no problem working. As Phil notes, they were significantly louder on 12v. A wire shorted once and they blew for at least a minute before I could get outside and unhook them - no problems afterwards.