knuckleharley

NOT a good plan. Anything other than a title with numbers that match those on the car that name it as a 1953 Plymouth means you will have spent all that time and money on a car you can't sell for anything but parts.

Clearly I was wrong about his canister filter. Thanks for for the correction,Rich.

Yes,that does happen,but mostly with cars that were driven in cities and never really warmed up enough to allow the sludge to liquefy enough to drain. Add to that infrequent oil changes,and it's a wonder any of them lasted. And of course,once they get really gummed up,it's not going to drain out no matter how long you run it at normal temps. That's what the quart of kerosene was for right before a oil change. Put the kerosene in a car with normal sludge and then start it up and run it up to normal operating temps before draining it,and the "normal" sludge in the bottom of the pan would drain out with the oil. Of course,the problem with this is when you buy a old car you have no way of knowing if it has ever been flushed or not,and can't really tell until you drop the oil pan and pull the valve covers. BTW,I knew a tightwad in the mid 70's that had a 68 Impala,and damned if he didn't use recycled oil in it,the cheapest he could get,and he would even pull off the screw-on filter,wash it out in a bucket of kerosene,and put it back on the car. He drove that car for at least 4 years that I know of,and never once bought a new oil filter.

That's a pretty rare old car that is IMHO well-worth fixing. I have no only seen worse,I own worse.

Pretty much any auto parts store in the country sells those filters,but since you are new to old cars,your best bet is to hit a NAPA store. The typical counter clerk at places like Advance Auto know less than you about old cars,whereas the guys at NAPA stores tend to have a lot more experience and knowledge. When you take the top off your "can" and pull the oil filter out,there should be a parts number stamped on it. Write down that number and the brand name and take it with you when you go shopping for a filter. If they don't have a listing for a 1939 Dodge,they will have a interchange manual that will tell them the parts numbers of filters from other manufacturers that will interchange. BTW,I don't think that is the original oil cannister on that engine. It looks a lot like a aftermarket filter people use when they convert these old cars to full-flow systems. BTW-2,that thing sure is clean and pretty under the hood! How about some photos of the car?

The good news is all that sludge is evidence the old non-detergent oil was doing what it was designed to do,take the trash out of suspension before it got a chance to circulate through the bearings. Modern detergent oils are designed to keep the trash in suspension so it is trapped by the oil filter. Modern cars have a different oil filtration system than the old cars,so if the filter in a new car gets clogged up,oil is allowed to bypass the oil filter in order to lube the bearings. Or at least that is the way it was explained to me. I am not an automotive engineer,and don't pretend to be one. The old non-bypass system worked just fine as long as you drained and replaced your oil and filter according to the recommendations in the owners manual. The problems didn't usually start happening until the 2nd or 3rd owner,who just owned a old car for cheap transportation and was reluctant to spend the money to keep it maintained. In other words,you can continue to run non-detergent oil in your old car with a rebuilt engine with no worries whatsoever as long as you change the oil and filter in accordance with the owner's manual recommendations. Personally,as I have said before,I MUCH prefer using modern 15w-40 diesel HD oil in engines I know to be clean inside. It's just a much better oil in all respects.

Even old and third-hand,these old cars were a pleasure to drive,but wait until you put it back together to drive with everything "as new or better". You are going to be pleasantly shocked.

I can't speak for Plymouthy Adams,but I have had the gas go dead sitting in a lawnmower for three months,to the point the 17 HP Briggs and Stratton engine wouldn't even hit,never mind start. I had to pour it out on the ground and refill the tank. Draining your lines and fuel pump is as easy as falling off a log. Just drain the tank,and then unscrew the fuel line going to your carb. Clamp a piece of rubber line to the carb gas line that is long enough to go to a bucket of some sort,and then spin the engine over with the starter. Have someone holding the fuel line to tell you when it quits pumping gas. If you want,you can then take the top off the carb to siphon any gas still in it out before reattaching the gas line,but if the car has been sitting several months it's probably dry anyhow. If it were me,I'd change any inline gas filters. If it didn't have one,I would put one the car between the gas tank and the fuel pump. Refill with fresh gas and you are done.

Thanks for the heads up. I hope I have now cleared up the confusing sentence.

Your manual says to use 30 weight or 40 weight non-detergent oil,and you can buy it at any auto parts store in the nation. I buy it by the case from amazon because it's cheaper and more convenient. Tractor dealers stock it,too. If you live in an area that is hot in the summer and cold in the winter,you use the 40 wt in the summer and the 30 wt in the winter. IF your engine has NOT been rebuilt or ran using high-detergent oil by the previous owner,it is not a good idea to just switch to 30 wt HD oil because there will be a ton of accumulated sludge in your engine,and if you break it all free all at once you had better be prepared too change the oil and filter multiple times before you drive it. Start it up and sit in the drivers seat and keep an eye on your oil pressure gauge. Once it gets to normal temps the oil pressure will stabalize. Watch the guage,and when it drops down to 20 lbs (a number I pulled out of thin air), turn the engine off immediately,and change the oil and filter again. Repeat until the oil pressure stops dropping. There was no such thing as detergent oil when your car was new. The non-detergent oil allows any trash in the oil to drop down to the base,where it is supposed to drain away when you drain the oil for a oil change. The filter is supposed to catch any too light too drop to the bottom of the oil pan. This is what and why they were talking about adding a quart of kerosene to the oil before changing it. The kerosene would wash away and sludge stuck to the block and allow it to drain away. Works fine,but the key is to watch the oil pressure gauge while you are running the engine with the kerosene in it. Modern detergent oils loosen the sludge,just like kerosene. This system worked good as long as you kept changing the oil and filter at recommended intervals,but the cars get old and start to burn a little oil,and the 3rd or 4th owner isn't as likely to keep up with the maintenance. There are going to be people that will tell you I am full of crap,and they switched over to modern 10w-30 or whatever detergent oil without doing any of that stuff,and things went perfectly. Believe whoever you want to believe. As for me,I run 30 and 40 weight non-detergent in my old flathead engines until and unless they are rebuilt of have at least had the oil pans pulled,the oil pumps rebuilt,and everything cleaned while it was apart. One they are clean,I run 15w-40 Mobile Delvac high detergent oil in mine. I use it because because I have had excellent service with it in my diesel engines in my trucks and tractors,and I have faith in it. I use the Moble 1 Turbo Diesel oil in my two diesel pu's,and am convinced it is the finest oil on the market. I will use it in any old engines I rebuild or clean out in the future. Had a few cases of Delvac sitting on the shelf that I wasn't using in my trucks,so I used it in my non-rebuilt engines. Listen to what the other people tell after reading this ,and do whatever makes the most sense to you. Once again,the key is keeping an eye on your oil pressure gauge.

ALWAYS a good idea when shipping a car. When the guy delivered the 58 Rambler stationwagon to me that was shipped from NY the hubcaps were all missing from it,and he tried to claim there were no hubcaps on it when he picked it up. When I showed him photos of the car being loaded on his carrier he went and pulled them out of the cab off his truck and gave them to me. When my 50 Lincoln was delivered,the hubcaps,carbuerator,generator,and several other items were missing. Worse of all,the windshield was broken out from the hood not being latched after removing the parts under the hood and not latching it. The hood was also bent,but repairable. When I tried to file a insurance claim against the driver,the insurance company told me the policy had been cancelled for non-payment months before. I haven't bought a car and had it delivered since those two happened in a row. I either go get it myself,the seller delivers it to me and gets paid on delivery,or I don't buy it unless I personally know the seller. Ever tried to find and buy a NOS windshield for a 50-51 Lincoln?

I wish you had taken the hubcaps off and hidden them under the rear seat. They are just too pretty to survive passing through that many hands before reaching the new owners without getting "lost".

No,but that doesn't mean someone didn't put a 4cyl in it. I have a cousin that put a 4cyl diesel in a 51 Plymouth once. He had the Plymouth and he had the diesel,so he put them together and went riding. Call or email the seller and ask him.

What everyone else has said,and once you get it to where it will start and idle easily,the best way to get rid of the carbon is to let the engine warm up to normal operating temperature,then manually control the throttle while slowly DRIBBLING (NOT "pouring") a little bit of water down the carb throat a little bit at a time. Be prepared for loud,rude noises,as well as clouds of noxious black smoke as the carbon is blown out of the engine,the exhaust manifold,and even the muffler and tailpipe. Once the clouds of smoke stop,stop dribbling the water, It is a REALLY good idea to do this outside,not in your garage. Keep in mind that if your muffler is very old and thin from rust,you might have to end up buying a new muffler,but you were going to have to do that soon anyway,so no big loss. Also,pull your plugs and check the electrodes when done. This can be hard on electrodes.

Good for you! Now,don't forget to tell locals you meet that have old cars about Steve''s Auto Repair,and the excellent work he did for you. Too many people keep too quiet about "their" mechanics like it is a secret that needs to be guarded. The opposite is true. These people are like any other businessmen. To stay in business they need customers. To keep the old car hobby going with new generations off old car buffs that have no experience or knowledge of old car mechanicals,we need people like Steve. Win/win for everyone. It won't hurt your future dealings with Steve if you tell them to make sure they tell him that "Bubba/whatever from Clarksville sent me here.",either.

Yes. You can trust the factory shop manual and Motors Automobile Repair Manuals. If they tell you something is that simple,it is that simple. My only additional suggestions would be to tape a piece of cardboard cut to the size of the radiator core to the radiator to keep from accidentally damaging any fins accidentally, as well as to save the skin on your hands. Old radiator cores are nasty things,and they create nasty,infected cuts that make your hands sore. The next thing to do is remove the fan before you loosen the fan belt or do anything else. Putting the fan back on should be the next to last thing you do,and removing the cardboard should be the last thing you do. Don't ask me how I know this.

The uber rich,like Buffett and Gates aren't really affected by taxes because they have most of their money in tax shelters. Warren Bubbette has even whined about how his personal secretary pays more taxes than he does as a way to promote leftist "equality",yet it never seems to have occurred to him to pay her more money and to enroll her in one of his tax dodges. It's ALWAYS the middle classes that pay the majority of the taxes because the rich have tax shelters like trust funds,and the poor don't make enough money to pay taxes. They also don't have enough money to move to better themselves.

And standard 6 volt coil,condenser,and point sets will work just fine as long as none of it was made in China. You can usually buy this stuff in any auto parts store,but any but NAPA are likely to have to order it after you convince there there is such a thing as 6 volt coils. Tractor dealers are also a source for 6 volt coils,condensers, and batteries,and MIGHT even have the points

"You guys are scaring me. I put a Pertronix system in my 47 DeSoto; so far, so good. But any moment, when we're far from home... When I installed the Pertronix system, I added a junction block to the inside fender, near the distributor, and I drew diagrams of how to connect the points-type ignition vs. the Pertronix system. Fine, but I dread having to redo the everything along the side of the road, including setting the timing. Maybe I'll just buy an extra Pertronix Ignitor." The ugly reality of owning and driving a old car is that when it breaks down,and ALL cars will eventually break down,you can't just trot over to any auto parts store and buy the parts you need to get it running again. The same is true with a old car modified with modern after-market mechanical and electrical parts. That's why you keep some spare parts in your trunk. Even if for some reason you can replace the faulty stuff yourself where you break down,if you are away from home it's a lot cheaper to pay someone to fix it for you than it is to hire a rollback to haul it home. You have to have the parts before you can hire someone to install them,though. Most people keep the old parts they take off when updating something,and re-installing them is simple. Since you already own them,they are pretty cheap,too. I'm one of those people who carries a new fuel pump in my trunk,still in the box the manufacturer shipped it in. I also carry a new fuel filter,distributor cap,points,condenser,rotor,and a couple of spare plug wires. You can't carry everything,but if you can replace the fuel delivery system and the ignition,that covers most of what goes wrong on the road. In your case,carry a spare ignitor,but check for shorts that may have burnt out the old one before you install the new one.

You could use a mid-60's non-booster dual master cylinder. I had a 68 Fairlane with one,and have seen GM's of that era with dual reservoir master cylinder made for disc brakes up front. Or even one made for drums up front if you are just looking for the safety of a dual reservoir system and want to keep your front drums.

With just one lever,wouldn't it be more of a transfer case than an actual transmission? Maybe something made for 1 ton and larger trucks?

If the whitewall width is a major concern for you,look for a set of 4 "Porta Walls". They fit between the rim and the time,and look like whitewall tires. I am fairly certain you can find them in a 4 inch width,but will probably have to do a little searching.

Of course. It was made to work with that engine,wasn't it? I am pretty sure you will have to use the original coil and ballast resistor with the distributor,though. Or direct replacements.

What's wrong with a sheet metal screw backed by a big washer,and mounting it on the firewall? Small hole easy to fill and paint over later on,or just an existing hole with a threaded bolt and washers.

Yes,unless there was something wrong with his old distributor or coil.