knuckleharley

Every word Keithb wrote may well be true........,BUT you MIGHT only need rings and bearings,new gasket kit,and the valves ground. It costs absolutely nothing to HOPE for the best,while being prepared to get hit with the max load. This also depends on the use you want out of your car. If all you plan is an occasional trip to a local "park and show",why would you care if your car burns a little oil or the oil pressure is a little low? Even if that is so,I would spring for a new oil pump,fuel pump,and water pump. Don't overlook the water pump because it is on the outside and seems so simple. Sometimes the bushing in it may be worn out,or close to worn out plus rusty,and after driving it with no problems for a few days,your water pump will suddenly take a dump,leaving you stranded and facing a rollback ride that will cost you more than a new water pump would have cost. On the other hand,if your goal is road trips,you had better get everthing done that needs to be done,plus carry small parts like a spare water pump and fuel pump in the trunk,just in case. Not to mention spare belts and hoses,plugs,points,and condensor. You never know how hard this stuff might be to get if you are away from home. Consider the expense as an insurance payment.

I LOVE that dashboard and the instrument clusters! The very first car I bought was a 1938 Chyrsler Royale 4dr sedan. I was 14,and paid 20 bucks for it from the nephew of the original owner. Once we got a couple of valves unstuck,it ran whisper quiet. I don't remember that dashboard,though. Being a one-owner car bought new by a woman,it seems unlikely it was painted over. Can anyone explain this?

Seems to me to be the sensible way to go,given your desires and goals. IMHO,you can never go wrong keeping it simple.

Thanks! I THINK I used to know that,but chemo brain had me thinking the biggest flat Mopar engine was a 265.

Picky,picky,picky!?

Thanks!

Ok,what are the same specs on a straight 8 flathead Mopar?

A Spitfire head will work on a 265? BTW,I was thinking all the 265's were straight 8's,not 6's. Shows how little I really know.

My apologies. You are correct,and I may have misled him.

Not the first clue. I am sure someone here knows,though.

Correct head or not,it's a 25 inch 251 engine.

Looks identical to the 251 cubic inch 1951 DeSoto engine I have sitting on the floor of my shop. I bought it to put in my 41 Dodge coupe.

There just ain't no beathing the old Mopar slant 6's. If there has EVER been a more reliable gasoline engine,I have never heard of it. I have always thought that if there had ever been a Mopar slant 6 diesel engine,it would have taken dynamite to kill it.

200 bucks for a rebuildable core sounds like a DEAL to me. It ain't like there are that many of them left floating around to buy anymore,thanks to zoning laws and crushing for cash.

If it were me,I might be wanting to have some words with whoever it was that rebuilt your carb. Sounds to me like there is a POSSIBILITY that whoever rebuild your carb didn't set the float level correctly,and this allowed the base to fill full of gas,possibly causing the explosion that vented your block.

I have read this whole thread,and am more confused now about this issue than I was before I started reading. Chemo brain,or are their other people just as confused? The one thing I DO understand is the simple principle beaten into my thick skull when I was a kid,namely "The KISS principle",which stands for "Keep It Simple,Stoopid". My suggestion,and worth every dollar it cost you,is to spend the damn money and buy a NOS or repo 6 volt sending unit. Preferably one NOT made in China if at all possible. You say they are expensive to buy and have shipped to you,but how much do you have in your car? How much will you love if it burns to the ground? Yeah,some of the electrical geniuses here know how to get around all this danger,but if you ain't one of them,why take the chance? BTW,still thinking that electrical systems are the work of the devil,I carry a fire extinguisher in my P-15 couple,and everything in it is 12 Volt. While driving home one day I turned a 90 degree corner,and the 4brl carb farted and caught fire. I still have a car thanks to that 10-15 dollar item.

Yes. Do it now and be done with it. You have the front clip off the car now,and it will NEVER be easier for you to clean,paint,and rebuilt everything. It really doesn't cost that much to do,and once you have done it,that is one more thing you can check off the list of things that you will need to do in your lifetime. If it were me,I would even either take the springs to a big truck repair shop to have them redone,or just buy new springs. New shocks,too. It is sooooo much easier to do this stuff with the car on the ground and nothing in the way. Pull the engine and trans while you are at it,and install new mounts. Nothing like having an old car that looks and rides like a new car,with no squeaks,rattles,or shakes.

I don't like being a butthole,but did you get that estimate in writing? If you did,you can take that asshat to small claims court and get most of that money back. Sounds like a "bait and switch" estimate,with the body shop owner hoping you couldn't or wouldn't come up with the money,and he would get the car for labor claims. One thing I AM certain of,and that is it was NOT an honest mistake. No pro would be THAT far off from the esitmate unless it was purposful. Take that SOB to court and get your money back. He was trying to scam you out of your car,and may have even jacked up the labor and materials to try to justify it. If you can PROVE that,you have him on fraud. I have seen this happen.

And a little heat from your torch to soften it up a bit.

Welcome to my world.

Unbelievable! You just KNOW the market for this has to be minischule,yet,THERE it is!

ACK! I just made a post about liquid tape! That's what I get for posting before reading the whole thread. Good stuff for temporary protection against shorts. Nothing wrong with the liquid tape itself,but it is no better than the surface you are coating with it.

I have been sick and/or injured the last several years,so I haven't been doing any work on anything,and completly forgot about liquid plastic,which has s brush in the can. Wipe down the old cloth insulation to clean it,clean the exposed wire,and coat both with the liquid insulation. No,it is NOT a good substitute for good wire,but what it is,is something that will protect your car from ground shorts until you can rewire it.

Thanks,I may try that if I ever need to splice modern wiring,but just am not wiling to risk it with old cloth wiring.

I did just that today. Needed a staple gun for a quick,but "gotta be done NOW!" job. I know I have one SOMEWHERE in my 3,000 sq ft metal workshop,but since it has been years since I last used it,the air temp was in the upper 90's and blasting away on that steel building,I just decided to buy a new one. $9.95 + $3.95 for staples,and in 10 minutes I am done with the job instead of laying somewhere in the shop floor with heatstroke.