kbuhagiar

Thank you sir! You have mail.

Hello Folks, I need to remove the trunk lock cylinder on my 47 Ply for servicing. I couldn't find any information about this in my Plymouth Service Manual. On the underside of the trunk lid, there is a metal plate, held to the lid with four screws - does this have to be removed to get to the lock cylinder? I hope not, since two of the screws seem to be seized... Anyway, thanks in advance.

Good point. I think I'll find an empty parking lot tomorrow and do some testing.

Hello, folks, Hope all out there are doing well on this solemn day of remembrance. Our 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe 2-door coupe street rod is equipped with the front disk and rear drum brakes from a 1972 Nova. The MC is a Corvette-style model, with in-line residual valves (2lb front and 10lb rear), bolted to a 8" dual-diaphragm power booster, mounted under the floorboards. After we purchased the car I noticed some difficulty with the brakes. I found that the power booster was defective and replaced it. A substantial improvement in braking capability has been noted, enough so that my wife can now comfortably drive the car. However, I think the brakes can be better; I have noticed what I suspect to be a bit of brake fade when going down a long hill. To me, this would indicate that perhaps the rear brakes are doing more work than they should, and that the brake system is unbalanced. Three questions: 1) There is no combination or proportional valve installed on the brake system - could this be an issue, and should I install one? 2) Being as how the MC is the Corvette-style, with both front and rear reservoirs of equal dimensions, would it make a difference how the brake lines are plumbed into the MC (i.e. does it make a difference whether the front circuit is plumbed into the front or rear reservoir)? 3) I have had discussions with some other rodders who have questioned whether the 72 Nova discs are adequate for a car as heavy as the Plymouth (and my initial argument is that, by 1972, the Nova was up to around 3200lbs curb weight) - so, in your esteemed opinions, are the Nova brakes adequate, or should I consider upgrade options? As always, thank in advance for your assistance and support!

Thanks, Frank, I appreciate the information. I may consider the Dakota Digital instrumentation if they can offer me the 'graphic' type readouts, rather than just the plain digits.

Do you know if the graphic style display (like yours) would be available for the 47 dash? The plain digital numeric displays (as in the previous picture) are too...well, plain.

1987 Chevrolet 350 TPI engine Turbo 350 transmission 72 Nova front suspension 72 Nova 10-bolt 3:55 posi

I don't know...It would give me all of the instrumentation I'm looking for, but it just doesn't have the flair of the original instruments...maybe it looks better in person. Just seems out of place. Any other opinions on the Dakota Digital dash?

Ed, Very nice! Now, if only I could find a place for a tach...

Thanks, greg g, I saw that, but it still does not have a provision for a tach...

Hello folks, OK, here's the deal...I really like the factory instrument panel on our 47 Ply. Lots of character. But I would like to add some instrumentation, namely a tachometer and turn signal indicators. And I wouldn't mind replacing the ammeter with a voltmeter. Not sure if I can do that within the confines of the stock instrument cluster, and I wouldn't want to take a chance on ruining it. Does anyone make an aftermarket dash panel for a 47 Ply? Thanks in advance!

Hello folks, This afternoon I confirmed the problem - a defective power brake booster. The replacement part is on order from a local supplier, I expect it by tomorrow. It appears that the reason it failed may have something to do with the close proximity of the exhaust pipe, it was actually in contact with the booster. That is unacceptable, so I have removed the entire exhaust system and will have it redone by a local rod shop as soon as the new booster is installed and the brakes are fixed. Thanks to everyone who responded - I sincerely appreciate the assistance and support.

OK, folks, did some inspecting and testing: The booster doesn't seem to be holding any residual pressure. I performed a basic test (turn off engine, pump pedal to remove residual, re-start to see if the pedal drops). The pedal would not drop. Zero. I will start by replacing the check valve tomorrow. Looks like a standard item - hopefully. Regarding the rest of the setup, I climbed underneath and got some information. The MC is stamped "29969", and I know from past experience that is a late 60's - early 70's GM application. The power booster measures 8" in diameter, and is stamped ABS. I believe ABS is a manufacturer of power brake conversion kits. Not crazy at all about how close the exhaust pipe is to the power booster - the exhaust heat can't be any good for the booster. The vacuum feed splits off at the transmission to feed both the vacuum modulator on the Turbo 350 and the power brake booster - not sure if that's kosher? Thanks for everyone's advice up to this point. Appreciate any more comments and information.

Beautiful car! We just purchased a 1947 Plymouth street rod a couple of weeks ago; our first Mopar also. Love the fact that its not your typical Ford or Chevy!

Hello folks, Just purchased a 1947 Plymouth street rod, and I am in the process of assessing its needs. The car has a Nova front end with disk brakes, and a Nova rear with drums. Very clean installations, no hack jobs. The previous owner had an aftermarket power brake MC unit installed (under the floorboard in the factory location). I haven't had a chance to climb under the car to do an inspection, so I don't know the manufacturer or part number. I do know that an aftermarket mounting brace was added under the car, either to supplement the existing factory mounting or to create a new mounting location to facilitate the aftermarket power brake MC. The brakes seem to work well, but there appears to be no power assist whatsoever. The vacuum assist unit is definitely hooked into manifold vacuum, as you can feel and hear the engine react when you press the pedal. In fact, after a long brake application, the engine (1987 Corvette 350 TPI) stumbles significantly, as if sacrificing great gobs of vacuum. The engine idles fine otherwise, although I have yet to check it at idle with a vacuum gauge Any ideas as to what may be happening here? My first instinct is to suspect a problem with either the booster or the check valve. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and ideas.

The seats are out of a mid-90s Buick, either a Century Limited or a LeSabre Limited.

Thank goodness no...at least I don't think so. When I went to register it they didn't ask me about the engine, and I sure wasn't going to volunteer any information! I believe everything before 1975 is exempt from smog here in CA.

Thanks, George, wish we were in Modesto for the last couple of weeks, as it's been $#% freezing here in the Bay Area (even more so than usual). We sure could use some of that Modesto sunshine!

Definitely will be leaving it as a mild custom. I wouldn't change a thing about the exterior.

We do too. The body still retains those magnificent styling cues. And the stainless trim, and the bumpers, are in fantastic condition - another bonus.

Good eye, Marty. If I recall correctly, the fronts are 14 x 7, and the rears are 15 x 8.

One of the first things that attracted us to this car was the fact that, although there are some subtle custom changes to the exterior (hidden gas filler, louvers, side mirrors), it still retains the magnificence of its original style. Interior:

You never know - how would a 440 Magnum and a 727 fit in there?

Greetings from South San Francisco, CA! We just joined the P15-D24 forum a few days ago, right after the purchase of our 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe 2-Door Coupe. Hope everyone doesn't mind one that's not completely original! It features a 350 Corvette TPI engine, Turbo 350 transmission, Nova front end with power discs, 10-bolt rear with 3.55 Posi, killer paint job, custom interior, tilt wheel, louvered hood, custom gas filler, plus lots of other little goodies throughout. After many years and (too) many cars, this is our first Plymouth. Looking forward to lots of fun, driving and tinkering with our latest toy!