Don Jordan

I know I'm a sissy and you hard core guys may not understand: but after spending hours sanding, steel wooling, buffing, breathing in all that junk and not getting the finish I wanted I took all my stuff (including the bumpers) and had them done by professionals. They are still wrapped up right now but I will send pictures later. They also took out the dings. I understand part of the joy of old cars is doing a lot of the work yourself but there comes a time when you have to cut your losses and admit to your limitation. You can polish till the cows come home but you sure can't beat the look of a re chromed bumper.

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents in - I'm looking for a working vacuum advance for a 47 P 15. I bought an entire distributor on e-bay for just the VA and the silly thing didn't work. Of course now I have an extra distributor.

How do you hear about these runs BEFORE they happen rather than after? Now that the weather is nice I'm looking for a ride do go on. I keep hearing about big shows in Reno, Temecula, and everywhere I'm not. just checking

Humphrey Bogart - The Big Sleep (1946) about 38 Plymouth 2 door coupe

I can't get my mirrors to adjust. There are 3 screws on the back of the mirror and every time I adjust them just right as soon as I close the door I'm looking at the street. I sure would like to find some that work. There is a pair on the bay. I saw The Big Sleep with H. Bogart (1946) - he drove a Biz Coupe I'm guessing some where from the late 30s. I found it interesting in all the close up shots of the car there were no side mirrors. Of course he did have a flip down tray for his 2 .38s -

Somewhere I found a place that sold wood grain kits. I've got the name somewhere in a safe place. I'm having my car painted now and I just wasn't up for the expense or grief so I'm having the dash painted the same color as the car. I've seen pictures and it doesn't look that bad. If I get gutsy I bought some garnish molding on the bay and I'm going to practice on little things first. I will keep looking for the place that sells the kits. In the meantime you could check out this site. woodgraining.com/main.html

One of the problems I have with the wider radials is that it cuts back on my turning radius. I didn't get that figured out until I got new tires. If I was making a sharp turn the tire rubbed and made a horrid noise. I looked at Coker but they want $170 for a stock tire.

I'm working right now with a schematic and have a stupid question. 47 P15 - Is the middle light on the trunk just a stop light? Are the lights on either fender just tail lights. I'm having trouble getting the lights on. I've run continuity and can trace wires from the brake switch (red & red and white) to the tail lights. I've rewired the front of the car but haven't done the back because I don't want to screw up the headliner so I'm going with the trash wiring that came with the car. help

Thank you for this information. Think what I'll do is take Norm's advice and go under the car and clean all the fittings. (I've got a chart some where - I got it off the bay for about a hundred bucks - I'm the last of the wheeler dealers) Once it's all clean then take it to the lube place and watch. It's not that I don't trust these kids but they are probably making $7.00 an hour - and sometimes they can be sloppy. Thanks again.

We have a place here called "Jiffy Lube" - I remember when I was a kid (well I almost remember) working in a gas station. I remember "oil change and lube job" so this is a long way around the question: has anyone ever taken a car in for a lube? I mean the kids that work there weren't even born when these cars were made. I'm not sure I really trust them. But I'm getting too old to crawl around with a hand held grease gun trying to remember all 500 fittings. I've had the car for a year (in the garage) and it had been sitting for at least 7 years before I got it. It's never been touched. Should I replace all the fittings? Is there some trick to cleaning out the the fittings? Any recommendations? thanks

I went to a junk yard (is that politically correct?) called Turner's. It's near Fresno, CA - phone # 559-237-0918 - call them and explain what you need. I do believe they ship. When I was there they had several MoPars with the splash shield. that's all I know. Good luck.

Where is Clements? And when is the BBQ? It might be fun to take the old bucket out. So far the furthest I've had it is about 85 miles from home. Always close enough I can tow it home if need been. I've got to tell you I've never been stranded yet.

I went to JC Taylor and got another high quote. After looking at it I think I may have found the problem. Right now my Plymouth is being restored. It's not a body off job but close to it. So I put the car's worth at $20,000. It's not like anyone would pay that but that's what I have in it. I don't know how this works. If I say it's worth $5000 and something happens does that mean it wouldn't be fixed? If someone backs into a fender how far would they go to fix it? Right now Hagerty and Taylor both are in the same $400 ball park. Now I am perplexed. I'd gladly pay the money if I knew it would be worth it. Of course just the concept of 'insurance' is they are betting nothing will happen.

I am always amazed by this group of grown men and how we can be so pleased by such little things. Here's a guy jubilant about a little needle moving. We put a man on the moon but I screamed louder when my wife pushed the brake and I finally had lights!!! I guess as we get older it takes less to make us happy.

Just checking to see what's out there. Any pros or cons. I just got a quote from Hagerty for 2 Plymouths - $403 - Does that sound about right? I had my Chevy insured (long ago) by J C Taylor - I don't have any bad memories. I know there are several different companies out there - just checking. thanks

I spent a lot of money at Steele Rubber and another place. Then I went to a glass shop locally to have a window cut and they said they could get it cheaper than what I paid. Of course that's the way I work - pay lots of money and then find it for less. Call a glass company out of the yellow pages. I usually ask for something first then spring 1947 on them. If you tell them '47 first their reflex action is "Oh we don't have that." It's like on e-bay some guy is selling a radiator cap for $20 when you can get them at an auto parts store for under $10. Silly.

Norm, I've belonged to the Vintage Chevrolet Club (going on 30 years) and can't seem to cancel my subscription. I will look through the last few months of their magazine and see what is being offered. Now that times are hard cars are getting cheeper. It seems like a barometer of the economy. In good times the car prices go up. My wife will tell you that I've mastered the old money axiom: Buy high, sell low. Of course that's why I don't ever sell.

My first Plymouth I bought in the desert near Bishop (CA). The guy had no pink slip but it had CA license plates. I went to DMV (the car was still on the trailer) they have to see the car and check the vin #. With a CA car they accepted a handwritten bill of sale and I was done. Second Plymouth I bought in AZ and it sat in my garage for over a year. During that time I lost (as only I can do) the pink slip. CA DMV would not touch the car. AZ would not do anything. I finally got hold of the guy I bought the car from which in itself was lucky and he went to AZ DMV and got a duplicate pink. What a sweet heart to go through that. Once I had registration I went to AAA and they checked the vin number and it was done,. A lot of times it all depends on who you get that day and what kind of mood they're in. You can go to DMV 3 times with the same problem and see 3 different people and get 3 solutions to your problems. Sometimes the law of averages work. little OT - I was able to register my 4 door with 1948 California plates with the little metal 48 tag. Plates are getting ridiculous. $350 and don't buy them till you're sure they clear. (the term is YOM - Year of manufacture) - of course I'm preaching to the choir.

This is really silly but some of the things I like about the old cars is the sound the brake peddle makes when you take your foot off it. A sort of thunk. I also like the smell. Old cars just seem to have a smell all their own. I don't know if it's exhaust or just old upholstery but it's unique and keeps me coming back.

I just took all my stainless in, bumpers and bumper guards. The quote I got was $1600 to polish all the stainless, take all the dings out, straighten the bumpers and rechrome. I called around the So Ca area and it was like they all agreed $300 to rechrome or $300 to buy one and leave one. I figure it would be silly to put a great paint job on the car and then put beat up chrome. I took the stuff to a guy in North Hollywood - got quotes from Van Nuys, Palmdale. Just felt more comfortable with the NH guy.

When I was a kid in high school we would go skiing up by Lake Tahoe. I was always amazed at how friendly the people on the slope were. Tough hood bikers, Demo, Republicans, Catholic, Jews, didn't matter because at that moment, at that time, at that place we all had something in common - skiing. These were the same people that if you saw on the street you wouldn't give them the time of day. It drives my wife crazy when I see an old car in a driveway I'll go knock on the door to talk to the guy. Many times who ever (that should be whom) answers the door is gruff and surly "What do you want?" "I just wanted to compliment you on your car." The guy puts his arm around my shoulder like we've been pals for years and ushers me to the garage. That's what this forum is like to me. Probably on the whole a lot of us don't share much in common. The common threat is most of you guys are nuts. Throwing money into a car that is almost as old as me. That's silly. But, by God, we all do it and can appreciate each other's pain - cause we've either been there or will be there. Kudos to GTK for managing to herd cats down the straight and narrow.

Sometime I think I'm logged on and I write volumes only to find out I've been disconnected. Then writing all the information out the second time is not quite as spontaneous. But because this might have some benefit to someone I'll try again. Here we go: There is an old adage, might be from the bible: You always find something else when you're looking for something else. I was looking for something in the garage (my home away from home) and I found some service manuals. My father was a mechanic back in the days when you could put it together with baling wire. On my Chevy you could set the gap with a match book cover. But I digress. These books are National service manuals from 1938. I remember some of these cars: AUBURN BANTAM CONTINENTAL CORD CUNNINGHAM DE SOTO DUESENBERG ESSEX ESSEX TERRA FRANKLIN GRAHAM HUDSON HUPMOBILE LAYAYETTE LA SALLE LINCOLN ZEPHYR MARMON NASH OAKLAND OLDSMOBILE PACKARD PIERCE ARROW PLYMOUTH PA, PB FOUR REO ROCKNE STUDEBAKER STUTZ TERRAPLANE WILLYS WILLYS KNIGHT now doesn't that take you down memory lane. One chapter "Mechanical Equipment Section" covers: Misc. Equip. - gauges - chains -valve lifters - superchargers Brakes & power units Clutches & controls independent suspension rear axles shocks steering gear transmissions & controls It goes on and on. It's late and past my bed time I will try to get some clear pictures if anyone wants. It's got schematics and other neat stuff. If this might interest someone let me know. Right now i just don't have a car old enough. I was thinking I might give it to a car museum. would love to hear from somebody. d-

Now wait just a minute. Are you guys suggesting that people actually sell their cars and make money? Boy have I got this concept all wrong. I just keep throwing money at the car and it just sits there smiling at me. I just plunked down $1600 to have the bumpers re chromed and the stainless polished. And I'm sure it's not going to make the car go any faster, get better mileage. Even if I was going to sell it who's going to pay for such sentimentality? I just put $12,000 in a 69 Triumph - I'll be lucky if I get $10,000 and I'm selling it to put the money into the Plymouth. (getting too old to ride) Of course my buggy whip stock has also dipped a bit so you can tell I'm not so good with money.

great site - now I've got even more to do to waste my time... I'm sure it will keep me busy. Thanks - perhaps I'll see you at one of the events.

I know there are those that meet at Bob's in Burbank - it's on a Friday - but I'm not sure which one. I just want to go out driving so I can see people give my car the looks I always gave other people's car. You know - envy. :)