Ivan_B

Hmm, if you did it the proper way, actually stitching new upholstery, etc., why didn't you cut the vinyl at the bottom to shape? ?

If you have a 3D printer, you should probably be familiar with all the applicable CAD modeling as well These knobs are available on e-bay, the molded plastic quality should be much better than your 3D prints.

Since you already have an "aftermarket" seat covers, you can probably just cover the entire interior with generic store fabric you like. $139 per yard? I paid that much for cloth for the entire car The easiest way to attach the cloth to the panel, I found, is with a light-duty crafts stapler. Just remember to cut the staples (because the shortest ones available are too long) so that they do not go through the panel.

Oh yes, I forgot all about the door-hinge-mounted ones. Saw those on old Fords, so it must be an accessory

Would it still rotate the correct direction, though? ?

I'd advise getting a clamp-on, and modifying it if necessary. Nothing is worse for your classic car than having holes where there aren't supposed to be any (well, almost) ?

Good job. You could've just used blind rivets for a more secure connection (if you did not want to mess around with the traditional solid ones). After all, the parking brake is also your emergency brake.

Well, the place where coolant could leak into the oil system is usually the head/block junction. So, you would likely at least have to remove the head for inspection, as already suggested. It is generally a bad idea to run a used "rebuilt" engine without complete inspection. Unless it was done by a reputable shop, with valid warranty, there could be literally anything inside. I've had a very bad experience with a motorcycle engine "rebuilder", once. The guy never finished the work so I took it to a different shop, which ended-up redoing everything because things inside were badly screwed-up. ?

I use a standard aftermarket 4' clamp-on, with a somewhat longer pole (there are different types available). In terms of visibility, if you are looking for a wide panoramic view and redundant coverage you find with modern cars/trucks, you'll never get it, unless you mount one of those truck mirrors ? A while back, many cars only had the left and center mirrors, and even more while back, only the center mirror was available. The way I see it, when the car is using small mirrors, the right one is mainly for the blind spot. You position it in the way allowing you to see the curb from the second-to-the-right lane. This way, you are mainly driving with the left and center mirrors, and only use the right one for a quick reference peek before turning your head while merging right. The right mirror will show if there is a car in your blind spot. It gets a little practice to get used to, but seems to work well. Also, it is generally useful to drive in the right lane so that you do not have to merge right too often. ?

Well, it appears that synthetic lubricants, in general, offer superior properties (protection) in comparison to the traditional mineral ones. So, unless the cost-benefit analysis dictates differently, for some reason, I tend to use everything synthetic when it comes to automotive fluids (and grease).

Slowly but steadily, I am making some progress. Old things: And new things: All the interior pieces, except the headliner, were removed and cleaned. I must've used some very mild detergent because virtually none of the stains, etc., came out. Anyway, the fabric was refreshed, so this is good. I just carefully dry-vacuumed the headliner and will leave it like that, for now. The floor, doors, trunk, and all other corrosion-prone places were oiled for protection from the inside. I am currently putting the new fabric in place, took me the whole day to do the rear seat and panels. This is a really quick DIY work, I am not even sewing anything thus far. Nevertheless, it looks alright and expected to work okay. The new fabric is not even close to stock, but I got it at a memorial day sale for around ~130 for the whole car ? Should work well for a temporary solution.

I am sorry, I did not mean to start another oil debate with my earlier reply ? You are perfectly fine with GL1 since, as it was correctly mentioned by others, this appears to be what is actually recommended by the factory. I just probably would not choose a lower grade oil on purpose, if a better quality oil is available, that's it. As it was also correctly pointed-out above, some higher grade oils might not work well with the brass synchros and other alloy components, since these are primarily designed for hypoid rear axle gears, etc. So, when choosing the correct gear oil, make sure that the jug says it is fully compatible with brass synchros! I've also heard good information about, and myself used RedLine and AMSOIL products before. These are expensive, though. Also used the 85-140 GL-5 from Walmart. Once the weather got cold, the car would stall as soon as I let go of the clutch in gear... Very thick stuff ?

Sounds like your transmission was in good condition. Last time I took out one of these, every single part (including the housing) except the 3rd gear turned out to be out of specs ?

I would also suspect that it should be okay, assuming you did not pack it full of assembly lube ? I disagree about the GL1, though. Sounds a bit like using beef tallow oil, for extra authenticity ?

Thank you all for the comments. vintage6t I've noticed that your lock mechanism and guide are not painted. Is this an indicator that the paint in my door jamb might not be original, or were some of them painted at the factory and some not? Question 4: was there a factory tool set included with these cars? My owner's manual does not have any information to this effect.

Thank you for the warning. I'll have to try to do it very carefully, somewhere at the back corner, to see whether or not it is doable. The original headliner looks very poor, has moth holes, and a huge oil stain right above the front seat, for some reason. It also seems to be the source of the old car smell, since the seats and other things do not seem to smell as strong as the headliner does.

Thank you! Now that you've said it, I can also see Whering and Groton too. Well, Mrs Thomas' hometown seems, indeed, to be York PA, so I think it is safe to assume that the car was first licensed in PA. The reason I ask is because I am thinking of getting a vanity plate. It will make sense to get an actual 1940 PA plate, then. I am not going to register it, but will simply use it for decorative purposes.

Thank you for the clarification. According to Desoto dealer registry, there used to be Wolf Motors in York, PA. But you are right, the tag clearly says "Wh..." I've looked at the tag under a different angle, as well, but still cannot read it.

Hello Everyone! Just got my new 1940 P10 home, this weekend. I have plenty of small questions, while I am getting to know the car and trying to get it ready for safe operation. Most of these I am figuring out with the good old Google search, but for some, I'd really appreciate a little assistance from the fellow enthusiasts. I'll post these in the same topic, so that I don't flood the entire forum with my curiosity ? About the car: got it in GA (I am in FL), the car appears to be mostly original, except an older re-paint. Engine number matches the chassis ? I am (supposedly) the 4th owner. The previous owner mostly had it sitting in the garage for the last ~15 years. The owner before him (supposedly) had it for a number of years and acquired it from the original owner. The car looks very good, and is running and driving (although, it obviously needs the regular maintenance performed and some minor repairs, due to age and lack of use). Question 1: I believe I found the original radio tag: Does this mean that "Mis Thomas" must be the original owner, from June 18/40? Does it say "PA" for the state? I can also see "Orang", "Pine" and some unclear cursive. Any idea what city\dealer that might've been? It's funny how the tag itself says fill in ink, and they still did not do it. Question 2: Were the doors and door locks originally mounted to the car with cross-slot screws? I was under impression that manufacturers only used regular slot screws at that time. Question 3: Does this look like original paint under the hood? The same exact color appears on the wheels, and under the dash. What frustrates me, is that there appears to be bare metal under it. Was Plymouth not using any primer back in the day? There also appears to be some over-spray of this supposedly original paint on the decorative "wood" window frames. Were they also painting the doors assembled? ?

Thank you for all the replies. The sites I browsed seem to be way off with the fabric types they have available, and I could not find anything pre-made. I've heard about the heavy-duty industrial sewing machines, etc., but I am really not looking forward to re-upholstering the interior since I have some understanding about how involving that is ? Taking the car to an upholstery shop also does not seem like a very good idea since I prefer to keep things as much original as possible. Thus far, I am thinking to do the following: 1) dry clean everything (I have a washing vacuum) 2) patch poles, etc. 3) buy some cheap fabric (and carpet) and just do simple pull-on and tie-down covers for individual pieces, including the door panels, to cover the original fabric and slow down its further destruction. This should enable me to comfortably use the car, while I am thinking about what to do with it next. I am just hoping that I'll be able to carefully dry clean the old materials. Thus far, the headliner looks the worst and appears to be fragile at places. I'll need to be really careful not to suck the whole thing into the vacuum ? Maybe I'll post some pictures after I am done, if it looks presentable.

Thanks for posting. Those 1940s uniform breeches with knee-high pull-on boots look great! Too bad these went out of style.

Are you referring to braking so hard that the wheels stop rotating and skid, or rather the condition where the brakes get stuck and would not release the wheel? Both can happen with drums, no problem ?

Thank you for the clarification. For some reason, the white walls on the pictures appeared to have uneven edges, so I thought these could've been self-made ? What kind of enamel did you use? It appears that the regular ones outlasts the spray cans. The trick is to apply several thin coats with a brush, and then sand down the streaks to make it flat. I've never used this technique on rims before, but it worked well on a motorcycle gas tank, for example. This is considerably more labor intensive but the coat is way more durable. Unless, of course, you have a paint gun and can do the job properly to begin with ?

Are these DIY white walls? ? I was under impression that the tires should be removed completely, rims sandblasted, and then re-coated with the applicable enamel, etc. How long ago have you had a chance to inspect the inside of the rims? Most of the older ones I've seen, had lots of rust underneath the rubber. Especially the ones where the center piece is attached with rivets instead of welding.

Hello everyone! Just got a 1940 Plymouth P10. The car is in very good condition; appears to be mostly original, except an older re-paint and some accessories. The interior looks OEM, and is in rather bad shape. I was planning to do some careful dry cleaning and cover it up, but the fabric appears to be old and fragile, so I might have to renew it after al Is there a source for pre-manufactured upholstery items (seat covers, door panels, headliner, carpet) for these cars? Or is this a project for an upholstery shop or a DIY? How about an OEM-like fabric, is it available anywhere? And here is a picture. Will have more once I pick-up the car over the weekend ?