knuckleharley

Frank,it is obviously not about the money,but preserving the cars,parts,and tools,so they don't get sold for scrap and disappear forever. After all,*I* am going to be dead,so what good is the money to me? BUT......,what money they do bring after expenses,half it is is going to St.Judes Childrens Hospital. I see this as a "two-fer".

Just curious about this. I sometimes have strangers in their 20's come to see me because someone has told them I have several old cars,and they are looking for "old car projects". They get here,look around at the 30's to 50's stuff,and tell me,"No,I meant old cars,like a 68 Camaro." It won't be long before "old cars" will be crap like 95 Mustangs and Camaros,and our stuff will seem to be like Model T's. What is to happen to our old stuff when we pass? Will it be sold by the pound for scrap,put into a museum,or are there people you know that are interested in it? I have it written into my will that all my old cars and parts are to be sold,and have two friends that don't really know each other more than casually named as the people who will handle the sales. Both are restorers and hot rodders,both are in their early 60's,and both grew up working in their fathers garages,so they know the stuff,and know what it is worth. They both even know people who would want to buy it. When it is sold,they will each get 10 percent of the sale price for their services,and the rest gets split between two named charities. There will be a lawyer overlooking the books. I figured that was the best way to keep the sales legit. Seen stuff just sit around forever and not get sold because family members got involved and nobody wanted anyone else to get anything because each one of them wanted it all. Neither one of these guys is related to me,or to each other. I have also seen stuff worth thousands sold for hundreds before any auction even begins,and somehow it ended up in the guys garage that was "helping the family get fair prices." Not trying to get morbid,but it is a good idea to have written and notarized plan in place regardless of your age. If nothing else,it might keep your relatives from fighting each other over the spoils once their spouses and children spot something they want. It's your stuff,and it is YOUR wishes that should dictate what happens to it all.

You can just splice new wires to the ones that were cut,and then wrap them tightly with electrical tape. I like to add a rubber outside "sleeve" of something like vacuum hose before I crimp the fittings that go to the sending unit. Especially in older cars with cloth insulation over the wires. Adds a little extra protection and costs virtually nothing.

Nothing wrong with the fluid drive as far as reliability or function. The big draw backs are it's heavy (so what?) and it's only a 2 speed. If all you are going to do is just drive and enjoy the car,there is nothing wrong with it. Keeping it could save you some serious bucks,too.

Nick,please allow me an observation. You are going to do well in this world. The attention to detail you have shown while working on this car,your obvious strong desire to "do it right or not do it",and most of all,your patience speak highly of both your upbringing,and your own character. You are NOT the typical teenager I see. BTW,make sure at one point soon you thank your parents for raising you right from the start. Most of the parents I see today are too busy focusing on themselves to be bothered with the needs and wants of their children. What and who you have became up to this point is due to their diligence. However,what you become will be up to you once you leave home. You are one of the fortunate few that had the luck to get a good start at home.

There is a parts supplier in Pa that specializes in the smaller parts like this that sells high quality replacement parts. Can't remember the biz name now or the city,but someone here will remember it.

I have never se en one without the flat space for the model number,but I am GUESSING it might be an industrial engine or an engine used in military contract trucks. Or a factory replacement engine sold/used for replacement under warranty so the dealership can stamp the correct serial number for the engine on this flat area. I sold an engine to a guy from Tx (I think he is a member here,but chemo has destroyed my memory) that was restoring a 35-36 flat bed farm truck that had no engine. He and I were both pleased when I pulled the engine and trans to crate up and send to him,and discovered this boss was blank. He would be able to stamp the engine number on his title on the engine,and have a matching numbers truck. Of course,it takes the "right" stamps to do this properly.

There is a lot of truth in what big brother told you. My 51 Victoria seems to be a good handling car until I forget what I am driving,and hit a curve in the road a little faster than I needed to be taking it. These old cars handled good by 1950 standards,but we are used to cars that handle so much better these days and our standards are higher.

Sounds like a plan to me. BTW,I am having my 37 Dodge 1 ton 4x4 put on a 79 Dodge 1/2 ton 4x4 chassis that was complete with a factory 318 crate engine. When we took it apart to redo,I discovered the 72 F-250 chassis it was on was too rusty to use again,so I figured this was the way to go. I am going to miss the big block,but I suspect having power steering and power brakes is going to make up for that. Going to have it painted it that bright lime green you see on new Jeeps. Sometimes (usually) is just makes sense to quit fighting gravity and go with what works the easiest and best.

A couple of photos and some details about the why and where of the purchase would be nice.

I may be wrong,but I THINK they did that on purpose to highlight the FACT that going fast is what is important in drag racing,and there was no need to avoid building a fast car just because you couldn't afford a mega-buck paint job and all the chrome. Back when they first built that car was when drag racing started getting "all Hollywood" from the mega-buck sponsors,tv,magazine articles,etc,etc,etc. Before that it was more of a "run what ya brung" thing that anybody could get involved with. Suddenly it was all about not only having a pit crew,but the pit crew had to have matching embroidered shirts,the tow truck had to be a mobile garage,etc,etc,etc.

It was known as a NHRA record holder at times. IIRC,it was a drag car put together on the cheap by a bunch of guys in a Mopar Club,using stuff they pretty much had on hand.

That is a major bummer. He contributed a hell of a lot that was positive to this forum. Probably everywhere else he went too,both on like and in real life. Thanks for reminding me about the full message box. The new software here is throwing me off a little,but I finally found the message box and deleted a bunch of old messages. What really sucked was I remembered them better than what happened last week.

I kinda like the "spirit" it exemplifies. I REALLY like the visualization of all the Trans Am owners heads exploding as they see it going down the road. YEE,HAH!

Good idea! Thanks for the tip!

Smart move. Never stop. My comment was related to some of the manuals seem to TRY to make otherwise simple repairs so complex that home mechanics will just throw their arms in the air in frustration,and take it to a dealership.

Does your old one work? If it does,check with whoever you buy the new tank from to verify your original sending unit will work with it. If it won't,check the price of the sending unit from whoever you buy the tank from with sending units from other sources. If the money figure is fairly close,I would tend to buy the new sending unit from the same people I buy the tank from. You know it will fit the tank that way.

They sure do seem to make it a whole lot more complicated than it needs to be,don't they?

I have also seen a few that had "covers" welded to the hood that looked like they grew there. They were all "pointy",with the point towards the front,and wider as they got to the rear. IIRC,this started on the Bonneville cars to make reduce wind resistance,but they sure did look good.

I agree. The 331 would be cool if you were building a fenderless 50-60's style hot rod,but a ton of "blah" as well as a ton of work in a 40's car with fenders. If you absolutely MUST have a hemi,go for a modern 5.7 and be done with it. Makes more than twice the power,parts are cheaper and easier to find,and it even gets decent gas mileage. In the spirit of full-disclosure, I am going to put a 330 DeSoto hemi in a 33 Plymouth coupe,but I am building a "period car". I am recreating what I would have liked to have been afford to build in the 60's. The most modern part in the car will be the 61-62 push-button 727. I am even going to run "big and little" whitewalls and "Full Moon" disc hubcaps on it. I will definitely run it with a hood top,and maybe with the hood sides. The hood sides may seem contrary to what I wrote above,but not in a 33 painted flat-black with Moon disc hubcaps. I am building a PERIOD car,not a "hemi car".

Don't even waste your time trying to drain or clean it if it is already leaking. Just throw it away and buy a new one. Do NOT throw away the sending unit,though.

I don't know how much the guy owed you,but SCORE!!!!!! That freaking thing is beautiful! Ok,first of all,do NOT try to start it from the gas tank. Take the gas tank out of the car,drain it,flush it,and let it drip dry propped us so all the moisture runs out. Remove the sending unit,and use a dentists mirror and light,or anything else you can use,to inspect the gas tank for rust inside. Especially the top. If it has rust inside,toss it in the scrap pile and spend a couple of hundred bucks for new one. Plastic,if you can find one,galvanized steel if you can't. Meanwhile,now that the tank is out,you can try to start it with a hose running from the fuel pump to the portable tank you are using. You are doing this to avoid sucking rust into your fuel pump and carb. Once you get the engine running take careful note of how is sounds,if it smokes,and how much oil pressure it holds. You need to know this in order to know if you should spend the bucks on stuff like a carb kit and a new fuel pump. And you will. Just because neither is leaking today,doesn't mean they won't be leaking next week. If everything seem fine,go ahead and change the oil,tune it,and start driving it after installing the new gas line and hoses,and rebuilding the carb and replacing the fuel pump. Go ahead and start looking around for a new water pump,because you will probably be needing one after driving it for a week or so. The next move I would make would be putting a "Wanted to buy" add all over the known universe for a straight 8 Chrysler flathead to replace the 230 Dodge engine. There is a world of difference between having that car with a 230 Dodge,or a straight 8 Chysler. Seriously.

1: When you rebuild the brakes,make sure you use the new nickel-copper brake lines. You can bend them with your hands without kinking them,and they will never rust,inside or out. 2a: Make sure you also buy new brake hoses and clips 2b: Make sure you also replace the hose from the gas tank to the filler tube,and make sure you tighten the clamps well. If not,you are likely to lose gas mileage and start to smell gas. 3: Try to look for a polyurethane (plastic) gas tank. They never rust. 4: Use the correct size copper-nickel brake lines to plumb the gas tank to the fuel pump. 5a: If you plan on leaving it 6 volt,but a 6 volt electric fuel pump to put near the gas tank,and put a toggle switch on or under your dash to turn it on or off at will. This way you are trying to start it with a full float bowl. Turn the switch off as soon as it starts and let the engine run using the fuel pump. This will save a lot of money in the long run. Look up the price of a rebuilt starter and see what I mean. 5b: These old 6 volt cars crank very slowly,and the carbs tend to drain down if you don't start them every couple of days. The slow cranking and the dry carb put a lot of strain on your electrics.

Barn finds like this car are why I keep getting into financial trouble. I am scared to let them slip away in case they go to the crusher,and I have neither the time or the money fix them to the point I can sell them.