Don Jordan

The first time it happened I was driving down the street and just like that it ran out of gas. I changed the fuel pump - put on an electric one. Blew air through the gas line. Got it all back together - drove it up and down the street and it purred - a thing of beauty. Got on the freeway, cruising at 60. Out of gas. I called my wife she pushed me off the freeway. Going down the off ramp I hit the button and it fired right up and drove home without a sputter. I just took the gas tank off - I figure it could be something in the tank. It looked pretty clean. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Also when I looked in the tank there was some sort of plate in side with a tube leading to the back. What could that be?

two things: I find it interesting the book calls it a "hand brake" and is there a gap? How do you adjust it. My brake lining seems thick but I can't seem to get the brake to hold the car. And I can't find my service manual. I know the only way I'm going to find it is to buy another one.

That is interesting because when I had my generator rebuilt the guy painted the case black. I don't recall seeing them any other color.

How funny you should mention this... I just drained my tank today. My tank has a drain plug on the lower right/rear of the tank. I have it up on stands and just put a 5 gal gas can under it. I'm taking my tank out to have it boiled out and coated. I was driving down the freeway and it just stopped. Ran out of gas. (with a full tank) I put in a new fuel pump earlier so it can't be that. The car has been sitting for over a year and I figure it's an old tank - could be crud inside. If that doesn't work... well it's gotta work.

I'll keep you posted.

I was cleaning the rear bumper and noticed a little piece of chrome was chipped away. I just (months ago) had the bumper re chromed. Is this a usual occurrence? What a drag if I have to take it back. I wonder how anxious this guy is going to be to re chrome it. It's just a little piece but I have no idea how long it would take to just peel off.

This is the silliest thing I've heard. My wife got a ticket because she didn't have her 2010 tag on her license plate. Some one had stolen it. You could see some of the tag still on the car. If the sheriff ran the plates he would have known they were current. She got a ticket which I figured was a fix it ticket. We went to AAA and got a new tag. $15. She went to the sheriff's office to have the ticket signed off. Nope! It's not a fix it ticket. It's going to cost her $65. Some moron steals the tag and we have to pay. The sheriff said California is in the hole and needs money. Some how this doesn't seem fair. She could go to court and fight it but that would cost a day off work plus time. What a scam.

Given any opportunity to post a picture of the princess. The only way I can tell the difference between my 47 and 48 is by looking at the registration. This one is a 47.

I bought an Optima and have never had any problems. It seems to crank longer and harder but they are a little more expensive. I just ordered another one (pick it up Saturday) I think it was $150. I also have a battery tender - I haven't really hooked it up yet because the weather is good and I try to go for a ride at least once a week. We'll see how it does this winter.

While other people's raccoons may be cute I have no use for them. I have a pond and one day I went out and found $150 worth of Koi missing their bodies. Nothing but heads floating around. Didn't even have the courtesy to clean up. I bought a live trap and caught 2 of the neighbor's cats - haven't seen the coon since.

I know this thread is about played out but I just wanted to drop my 2 cents. My father worked for James F. Waters in San Francisco - it was billed as the largest DeSoto Plymouth distributer in the world - I never did fact check that. My father was the service manager and we got a new Plymouth every year. I have pictures of my father's new 46 Plymouth DeLuxe. Ever since I was a kid I wanted one. Of course through high school I was a Chevy fan. I've had an old car since I came home from Viet Nam ('36 Chevy pick up - daily driver). Now that I'm older and all the kids are gone and I don't have a boat I throw all my money into a 47 P15 2 door sedan and a 48 P 15 4 door. Which is all pretty silly because I always dreamed of a 46... ot: I went to the Pomona, CA swap meet - it's a biggie. Saw a guy selling license plate frames. He actually had one from James F. Waters - I couldn't believe it. sorry - didn't mean to go on and on.

I have taken the Plymouth engine apart, out of the car, put it back together and put it in the car. 56 Chevy took it apart put it back together - how hard can it be. My daughter has a 99 Chevy Blazer V6. She blew a head gasket. The oil looks like a chocolate milk shake. The hero I am I said no problem I'll do the head gaskets. WOW!!! It took me about 4 hours to get one valve cover off. Of the 6 plugs I was only able to get one out. I wasn't able to do a compression test. There is so much electrical stuff that goes to things I've never seen. I bought the book (no help). In order to get the head off you have to remove everything. Take off the intake manifold, exhaust manifold. You have to have hands the size of Tinkerbell's and tools used by gnomes. I couldn't do it. Maybe if I had more time and patience I could figure it out. I called around and it's going to cost $2500 - I can see why. I'm going to stick to the old reliable Plymouth. This whole thing is very demoralizing.

Boy do I feel silly - I've never heard of it - where do you get it? I was just going to put a glob of grease on it. I looked for the double spline but couldn't find it. Does this mean if I don't get it aligned just right it would be like cross threaded?

That's my chore for Friday - then I guess I'll send a picture. The guy did an outstanding job and it's a good number for the car files. thanks for the hints.

I just had my steering wheel restored. I was going to send a picture but it just looks like a steering wheel (a magnificent steering wheel). Problem I'm not sure how to get it on. My normal instincts would be just whack it with an 8 lb hammer - but that may not be the way to go. any hints? Once I get it started I'm guessing the nut will push it the rest of the way. thanks guys...

Thank you for the schematic - I've been pulling hair out. I think something may have been crossed when they took the gauges out to paint the dash. Saturday I'm going to take the gauge out and put it back just to see if that does something. I mean it worked when I took it in - famous last words. I don't know why but I think it's a ground problem. I bought a Rhode Island wiring kit so I feel confident that everything is wired right. This is just so frustrating.

I hope people are still following this thread. I looked at the fuel gauge in my coupe it has a blue wire on the left - black and yellow on the right and one wire from the bottom to the ignition switch. The sedan has the same blue and black and yellow but it has two wires from the gauge to the ignition. I know the ground at the sending unit is okay. I ran a line from the battery to the back and the test light worked on the ground. Here's 2 bits of information that might be helpful (not to me though). When I had the dash painted they took out all the gauges. I sort of forgot about that. When I put a test light to the gauge (hot) to ground, turn on the key test light comes on. When I put the test light on the left side of the gauge turn on the key there is light but it's not very bright. I am so frustrated... also I was trying to find my repair manual with the schematic in it - I found that I had 2 parts manuals. The universe is messing with my head. I will begin again tomorrow after work. I need some help.

Cool - I thought I was the only one that did that sort of stuff. I guess we are all human. I'm going out now to give the grounding a chance. It's almost 10 and it's 88 out side. In my next life I think I'm going to take up stamp collecting.

Thank you - first thing in the morning. (before it gets to 100) fact is the tank was coated inside and painted outside. I had the car painted and they painted/coated the entire trunk area. I will wire brush around the sending unit. Is there a check for proper grounding? I did learn a valuable lesson (why me) on my sedan. I had the gauge wired backwards and was amazed that the further I drove the more gas I had. Now I just want to gauge to work. I will check the grounding tomorrow.

I hope I'm not wearing my welcome out here but I am having problems that I'm sure you guys can solve with the snap of a finger. I traced the wires from the fuel gauge to the sending unit - continuity. I used an ohm meter and got 6 volts with the ignition on. Is there a way to check the gauge? It worked before I replaced the tank. I spent all day with 2 friends in 100 degree temp. None of us could figure it out. Where do I begin? I ran a wire to ground and hooked it to the sending unit. Nothing. I mean how hard can it be? There are only 2 wires. Later after all the futzing around I lost the juice at the sending unit. I don't want to swap out the gauge until I can figure out the wiring. Everything is hooked up right - what one little silly thing am I missing? Thanks for the help. a brother in need.

Because I bought a part here and a part there for when I might need them now that I do need them I'm missing parts. Trunk handle... it fits through the part on the trunk lid but it's sloppy and I don't know what holds it on. Looking in the parts book it seems I need a "deck and luggage compartment lid handle SLEEVE" Where in the world would I get one of those? Once I get one what holds the handle on/in? And finally I was trying to put the latch on and it seems it uses some sort of bastard thread. 10-32 Now I'm going to have a lot of little questions. I wish we all could meet for pizza and beer.

My wife and I went on vacation. Great time. Back in the old days when you had film each picture was a treasure because you didn't want to waste any. Boy, those days are gone. Now with digital my wife just shot up the works. I think she took over 500 pictures. Don't like it - delete it. Anyway these shots are from Bodie, CA. It's a real ghost town. Saw this car and can't name it. It's not a Chevy because the louvers on the side of the hood are wrong. Any guesses? Also the blue truck is a 1927 Dodge Graham and the motor is any body's guess - like I said my wife went crazy.

Every time my wife updates her phone I get the old one. I leave it in the kitchen. I drive to work through the Angeles Forest... it doesn't matter what the emergency is there is no reception. Last week we went to Yosemite - no reception. I will admit that once when I hooked up my fuel gauge backwards and wasn't paying attention that the tank was getting fuller - I was able to call for assistance. Ain't science grand?

I never quite appreciated the talent and skill required to paint until I tried to do it myself. I have never sanded and painted and sanded and painted so much in my life. It never looked right - I just didn't have the patience, skill, or environment to do it right. Finally I gave up and gave it to the pros. Great decision. Your job came out very good - you must be proud.

This is a good question - where exactly do you draw the line? What year is an antique? or a classic? I joined the Vintage Chevrolet Club when the years for the cars were (I don't remember exactly) I think from about 28 - 48. I joined in 69. Now a car just has to be 20 years old to get in. I've got underwear 20 years old... I always felt that right after the war was a good cut off date but then a 55 or 56 anything was too cool. I'm not sure I buy into a car from the 80s being "classic". just my 2 cents.