knuckleharley

NEXT project????

JT,I do understand the ugly reality of things,but since you have a convertible you do NOT want to lose the original matching number engine. I also understand wanting to be able to drive it NOW,not next year. Maybe you can do now what your budget will allow you to do now to start driving and enjoying the car,while keeping the original engine and checking around the auto mechanics and machine shop courses at local high schools, community colleges,and trade schools? Yeah,some instructors will be yuppie idiots that will look down at a flat engine and refuse to allow it,but others will see it as "machine work and engine assembly is machine work and engine assembly,and it's all good",and have students rebuilt your engine for you so they can get the class credits to graduate. There will no labor fees and no shortcuts allowed,and all it will cost you is more time waiting than you want,and what it cost you for parts. Then,later,if you want to,you can put the original engine back in the car as a brand new engine instead of a used engine? Or failing that,just keep it in your shop under cover somewhere,and when/if you ever decide to sell your convertible,you can get a lot more money out of it from a restorer if it has a matching numbers engine? I just like the idea of having options. Especially options that can help bring you extra money if you ever need it.

My advice,and worth every penny it cost you,is to rebuild the original engine and keep it a number correct car. Convertibles are already rare,and correct ones are going to be even rarer in the future. Since there is no power or mechanical refinement to be gained,why do it?

Have you tried to polarize the generator? This has to be done any time you take the generator or alternator off and put them back on. Can't remember which wire you strike against which right now because positive and negative ground systems are different,but this information will be in your service manual and in your Motors Auto Repair manual that covers the year your car was manufactured.

I don't know about the holder,but I did see a "Optima disguise" for sale that someone was making that the Optima fit into,and then fit into the battery box like the original battery and looked like the original battery You could probably find it by using "Optima Cover" as the key words.. I do remember it was a little pricey for my tastes,though.

Your NAPA store does. They sell farm tractor and appliance batteries.

Well,it IS spring,and everybody is working their farm equipment.

LOL!

Isn't that the purpose of ALL oil?

I am GUESSING the "AW" rating is for "all weather" use. Probably wrong,though. Then again,never heard of anybody changing their hydraulic oil when the seasons changed,either. That "AW" probably had a lot of meaning back in the 40's,though.

I buy my 6 volt batteries from whoever local has them on sale when I need a battery. Here is the invoice for the most recent one I bought. Advance Auto 16 Jan 2018 $76.99 6 volt commercial battery 1 year free replacement -23.00 discount (points) ______ $53.99 +6.47 tax ______ $59.46 The discount pops up on the Advance Auto web page when you visit it. Generally speaking,it is for any item you purchase online for either home delivery or store pickup. The discounts are always a percentage of the retail cost.

I've seen it within the last couple of months at a local NAPA store,and have seen in in the Tractor Supply stores when I go to them. If they don't happen to have it in stock when you go there,they can order it for you.

Yet the goobermint keeps pushing electric card down our throats.

They would be easily identified as the parts you don't have when you are in the middle of a job and need them.

I like it.

That one is going to cost you if she sees it.

Welcome,I don't think I have seen any other members from Scotland. Maybe you will start a trend?

Contact the Montana Dodge Boys. They post here and specialize in old Mopars. Looks like they have several big Dodge trucks in their junkyard. Even if they don't have it,they can definitely tell you what,if any,modern wheels will fit. If worse comes to worse they can make you a set of rims using original centers (if they have them) and more modern rims. They have a full machine shop,so something like this is no big deal for them. Did I mention they only build and repair old Mopars? BTW,I understand and applaud your reluctance to destroy the original wheels that came with the truck. https://www.moparmontana.com/

Ok,so try a 60's GM 6 lug truck wheel. If that doesn't work,buy junk yard rims that are the diameter and width you want,and then cut the centers out,and then cut the centers of your stock wheels out and weld them into the modern centers. If you can't do this for some reason,there are a lot of wheel shops that will do it for you. I used to do this to put split rims on trucks I ran on the beach so I could use wider tires.

I don't understand the problem. I was under the impression all 8 lug wheels had the same bolt pattern. I know I have taken split rims off of trucks in the past and replaced them with stock 8 lug rims from more modern trucks. Go to a junkyard and buy a used tire and rim from a 70's or newer 3/4 or 1 ton Dodge pu,and take it home and bolt it on. You can probably buy one with a tire still on it for 20 bucks because scrap yards are thrilled to sell them. If they don't,they have to pay someone to take the tire off the rim before they can scrap it.

I am half-way thinking the guy spotted the box unattended somewhere,and stole it. Yeah,people do dumb stuff everyday,but it's hard to picture someone who knows what that box and those tools in it cost trying to do something THAT stoopid.

YIKES! It looks like those itty-bitty bearings in the box wheels are getting a little hot. I'm guessing that trip didn't end well,AND it cost him a WHOLE lot more than it would have cost to have rented a truck for the day.

I can't remember now who is reproducing them,but I sometimes see them on ebay. IIRC,that's where I bought mine/

Thanks,I had no idea GM ever made them. Pretty nice-looking rig,too, Of course,being a GM within 50k miles the doors will be dropping 3 inches when you open them,the windows won't work,etc,etc,etc.

Cool! There ain't that many original 33's left around,and it's good to see one. IMNSHO,1933 was the best styling year ever for Mopar,and yours seems to be one of the finest examples of an original one I have ever seen.