Gwellman

Where do you live in Germany? I lived in Muenster as a student in 1969. (die sprache ist vorbei gegangen) I also have a P-15 coupe, looks very much like yours. Next time you are in the USA, look for an overdrive transmission. There were made in 6 volts until 1955 and are a direct replacement for the transmission in your coupe. It will reduce rpm by 20% George in Michigan Gwellman@mac.com

The 251 engine series is a couple inches longer than the 218/230 engines. I am not aware that any parts are interchangeable. However, it is a common engine, used in cars and trucks for many years so it should not be difficult to find parts. The 251 engine series came in many different displacements, I think even a 218...but this is not the same as the short block 218.

Everytime I hear about a Corvair, I can't help but relive my teen years in Detroit. I had a very clapped-out 1950 Plymouth I drag raced at Detroit Dragway in the 60s. I raced in N stock, the lowest class, as did some Corvairs. I used to routinely beat them (Falcons too) which they must have hated...it always made my day!

A very good idea.

In the 60s, I bought ($35) a neighbor's 1950 Plymouth sedan in Detroit. It was a real rust bucket, holes in the floor etc. I liked drag racing and went to the local drag strips often, but only to watch. When I got the Plymouth, I rigged a way to disconnect the exhaust pipe, milled the 60 thou (Dad,a Chrysler engineer helped me) and I went racing. I was in N Stock, the lowest class at that time. I raced Corvairs, Falcons etc, and could beat them all. My nemesis was a guy in a 50 Plymouth business coupe who could always just nip me at the end. Nothing gave me greater pleasure than beating the Corvairs..."sports cars" losing to a junker...ha ha Anyway, as for times, I could get about 19.5-19.8 seconds at 67-70 mph. I got a good start by reving the engine popping the clutch, got a short burn out. I had a Sun 270 degree 0-5000 tach and I ran the engine up to 5000 before shifting which I did a full throttle. The car never broke...and I would have been really stuck if it did because I drove the car to the strip. And I still have the tach, now in a pristine 48 business coupe. Interestingly, I tried different size jets in the carb but never found much difference. I tried shifting at different rpm points also but found the 5000 rpm shift point the best. Now I am a retired scientist and I would have to tell you that the error in your method of measurement is probaby too large to make any meanful conclusions. The advantage of the drag strip was that the timing was very accurate, and even then there would be a few tenths of a second difference between runs.

I will try to avoid the gear ratio question, but offer some advice on correction your speedometer. If you use original differential with OD, no correction is needed. If you just change the read diff ratio, you may find it easier to just get a speedometer ratio adapter from a speedometer shop. There are also many places listed on-line. Basically, these mount on the transmissioin between the trans and the speedometer cable...usually this is pretty easy to do but check access first. Cost usually around $75.

I bought a 1950 Plymouth sedan from my neighbor when I was 16 years old. I milled the head 60 thou and put a cutout on it. Then I would drive to Detroit Dragway and race in Stock N class, the lowest class. I purchsed a Sun tach with a 6 volt post gnd sending unit. (I still have this, working perfectly on my P-15 Bus Coupe). I note this to let you know I had a quality instrument, and as a scientist, that matters to me. Anway, the rpm question. I ran this to 5000 rpm over and over...it never broke. I found I did get better times running up to 5000 than anything in the 4000 range. I used to beat the Corvairs in my class (sports cars huh?), falcons, jeeps etc. I usually lost to another 50 Ply Bus Coupe, his weighed a bit less. I could lay rubber off the line and pull ahead, he'd nip me at the end. Now days, with a car that cost more than my first ($35), I don't don't do this anymore. I would not even go over 3500-4000 now....and I wonder why you would wnat to unless you need to whup a Corvair.

If you want to incorporate the tach in the dash, I don't have a good recommendation. You might check with Westach (see their website). They have small tachs, about 3 inches in diameter. While they do not list a 6 volt postive ground, they will make one for you on request. And in some cases, the 12 v tachs will also work making allowances for the wiring hookups. However, I have Sun Super Tach, 0-5000 rpm with 6 volt positve ground sending unit. I bought this new, about 40 years ago, when I used to drag race a stock 1950 Plymouth. It is now mounted on my low milage 48 business couple and still works well. The sending units originally had a mercury battery which is no longer available, but a standard AA 1.5 volt works fine. This is really a beautiful instrument, but it is mounted on the steering wheel column which may not be what you are looking for. These come up every now and then on ebay and sell at reasonable prices. George

Try Vintage Power Wagons or one of the many military parts suppliers. Post your request at DodgePowerWagon.com, someone will surely know where to get what you need. I think you should go with the 4 speed. The granny low is nice in certain condidtions and the value of the vehicle will be better with the original style transmission.

I have a very original 48 business coupe with 25K miles and overdrive. It has always run very well until just recently. It is fitted with a Sun tachometer (6V positive ground from my days of drag racing a 50 Plymouth in the 60s) so I can follow the engine speed exactly. Accelerating through the gears running the engine speed up to about 2000 rpm is fine. When it gets to high gear, it stumbles between about 1200 and 1800 rpm. It is not an all out miss, just does not run right and then suddenly runs strong after passing 1800 or so. This is not noticable in 1st or 2nd, only high gear. I tried cleaning the points but without affect. I suspect an electrical problem but don't understand why accelerating in the lower gears (even very slowly or running at a constant rpm) is ok but high gear is not. Any suggestions? George in N. Michigan

thanks, I do appreciate this. George

I am trying to find the web address for a photograher I think is named Robert, in California. He took pictures of some 46-48 Plymouths. The people were dressed in 40-50 clothes, looked like gangsters or detectives. I have had no luck with Google. Please post your website or email me at GWellman@mac.com Many thanks, those were really cool photos.

Thanks, this is an interesting way to make new pictures look old. But what I am looking for is the place where there are recently taken pictures of guys in and around P-15s. They are sharp photos, available for sale I think, shot in B/W. They are sort of a modern artistic take on pictures that might have been shot in the 50s.

Some while back, there was a post of a picture(s) of a guy with a P-15. These were recent pictures by a photographer who wanted the pictures to look vintage with a gangster, or shady cop, B/W etc. They were really wonderful creative pictures but I have misplaced the website address. Anyone have it?

I had a 5X8 inch first aid box in my Dodge Power Wagon. The decal was in poor shape so I fixed it up in Photoshop and had a few made up. The look great now, says Detroit First Aid Co. and a separate First Aid decal. You can see them at GeorgeWellman.com I will send you a set for $5 pp, see GeorgeWellman.com for mailing address, picture of the decals etc. I will try and attach a picture here, if it does not work, check the website above.

My 48 coupe with OD has a slight stumble around 1300-1700 rpm (it has a tach). This is felt in high gear but not really noticed in first or second, maybe because you run through this range faster. But I have tried doing it more slowly and still don't see the problem It is not a flat out miss, but just stumbles until it hits 1700-1800 where it runs perfect. Opening the throttle more makes is worse, then it might actually miss. The idle is ok, runs smoothly at 500 rpm. I wondered if idle mixture might be adjusted to cover this low speed problem, but neither making it richer nor leaner made any difference. So now I am thinking I better check the points. Any other ideas?

This car probaby has the long block six, which in itself is not rare. But the radiator, motor mounts etc, all those little pieces which would make it easy to put a big six into an American car could be really useful to someone looking to do this.

As a kid (45 years ago), I bought a 50 Plymouth from the guy across the street. I wanted to drag race it. My dad, an engineer at Chrysler had some useful advice. I used to disconnect the exhaust pipe at the manifold, milled the head 60 thou (worth about half a second by itself). I also had a supply of different size carb jets, but I never could detect any real difference in the performance. Best run was 19.3 and nearly 70mph..usually more like 19.7 at 68. I used to win consistently only losing to a guy with a 50 Ply business coupe. I got him off the line but he'd creep up over the quarter mile and just beat me. I paid for that car with my winnings! (sounds impressive except the car only cost $35 and I only won $50 total) I had a Sun 6 volt 6 cylinder tach and would run the engine to 5000 and shift full throttle. It never broke. Good thing because I had to drive it home after each session. I finally took to college where I eventually junked it. I still have the tach and it is now on my very low milage 48 business coupe with overdrive.

It partly depends on which engine you have. The 218s have a shorter stroke than the 230s. And the long blocks with reasonable strokes (237, maybe even 251 but not 265s) are probably a bit safer than the short block engines. I drove Power Wagon with a 251 about 1000 miles at 3000 rpm with no failures. With a 218 or 237/251, I think you could drive it at 3000 rpm. But I would probably opt for 2800 to stay a bit safer. I did have a 218 in a 1950 Plymouth that I drag raced as a kid. I ran this to 5000 rpm and shifted full throttle. It never broke. I used to drive it to and from the dragstrip. I was probably living on borrowed time.

A few posts back, I gave my website about my 251 factory dual carb dual exhaust manifold/engine setup. I did not make it clear that it is for sale....it is and I am asking $2500. The website gives more info and lots of pictures so I won't waste space here repeating it all. Thanks for looking http://web.mac.com/gwellman/iWeb/Site%203/Library%204.html

Please check this site http://web.mac.com/gwellman/iWeb/Site%203/Library%204.html It is self-explanatory

I have heard that Westach will supply them, maybe a sort of special order. But I know they have done it in the past. Check their website, these won't be listed, but I think you can contact them. Also check ebay, Sun made them (I have two that I bought new, still working fine). You need the model that uses and sending unit. They made a 6 volt pos ground 6 cyl sending unit, they come occasionally on ebay.

Not sure about the hookup on the tachs, but I am interested also. I have seen these before at Hershey. I would guess it is a 12 volt however because of the pentastar. As for the rpm range, I don't recall ever seen a marine engine that was designed to run over 5000 rpm continuously.

I bought a 1950 Plymouth 4 dr sedan from the guy across the street from our house in Detroit. Cost me $35...this was in the early 60s. My dad was an engineer at Chrysler and liked antique cars. He made me install a floor before I coud drive it. He then taught me how to take the cylinder head off so I could get it milled 60 thou. I had taken it to the strip before the head was milled, and with an open exhaust, could run just over 20 seconds in the quarter. After getting it milled, my best time was about 19.3. I was in N stock...the lowest class running against Jeeps, Falcons Corvairs and other old cars. I really enjoyed beating those Corvairs...their owners were insufferable thinking they were driving their 4 speed sports cars. Imagine how they felt getting beat by a clapped out 1950 Plymouth! The only car that consistently beat me was another 1950 Plymouth...but that one was a business couple and weighed less than mine. Well maybe not, much of my car had rusted away. I had a good clutch and could burn rubber off the line, but he'd always start gaining and just nip me at the end. After a day of racing, I'd button up the exhaust and drive it 40 miles home. I think it was a much fun to race the clunker as it would have been to race a newer car. By the way, the car paid for itself in cash winnings, (not saying a lot considering what I paid).

I also wanted an Optima battery but did not know how to make it look acceptable in my car. I found this place called Quail Services that makes a box especially designed to hold Optima batteries. I have bought two of these and while they are not cheap, they work well and look very good. They make a couple different types, one of them looks like an old-style tar top battery. Note that there are two sizes of 6 volt red top Optimas, the people at Quail can fill you in on this and give you the right box. The height of the batteries is slightly different...I guess the new ones are all the same but I had an old one also. I have also had very good luck with Optima batteries, one I have had for 10 years and it still cranks like crazy. http://quailservices.com/