Solly

They clamped the muffler but welded the the Two in to one Y pipe they had to fabricate to accommodate the non factory split manifold. from what I can tell from pictures of another 34 I found on the internet they moved the muffler further back than the original which was positioned between the widest opening of the X frame I however I like their positioning a little better as it is tucked up further to the body. I'm ok with this slight deviation from original since the originality was already breached with the split manifold.

I did not go with stainless, I'm in my 70's and here in AZ. with a garage kept car that will probably receive less than 500 miles a year I'm pretty sure this exhaust will out live me by quite a few years !! (LOL ) as far as proper joints the tech did invite me back when he was done to inspect and while I'm not a welding expert it all looked quite professional to me as far as placement of muffler etc... I again don't know if the placement is factory however its neatly tucked in ahead of the rear axel and not visible from the side or rear. all nicely done. I'm very happy I chose option # 2 ,the silly noises are gone . It was the right choice.

When I bought my 34 it was all stock EXCEPT the exhaust, the previous owner had found a Fenton split exhaust manifold and converted the otherwise stock vehicle to dual exhaust which would have been OK except the mufflers used were in my opinion obnoxious !! Now I could have lived with the duals I could not live with the exhaust note so I brought it to a custom exhaust shop and asked what can you do he said options were two new mufflers or convert back to a factory style single exhaust, we agreed that option #2 single exhaust was the best option and to work they went. they fabricated from scratch a two to one pipe to go from the split manifold to the stock size muffler which they neatly tucked up just ahead of the axel, now I don't know if that's the factory configuration but it sure worked out great and now the obnoxious sound is gone !! I'm a happy guy !! that old flat head just did not sound right with those pipes. Now it sounds like a 34 Plymouth should. So you know Arizona is not the exhaust capitol of the world due to our dry climate so this shop stays mostly busy with classic and custom exhaust, they didn't even bat a eye when I rolled up in the 34. it only took them about a hour nice to see true craftsmen at work real artist. The name of the place was Madd Hatter Exhaust they have been there over 25 years.

My neighborhood sounded like a war zone from about 7pm till 1 am, I swear there was some big time explosives going off !! rattled my windows !! While the wife and I enjoy new years we generally stay home (its safer) she makes some simple Hors d'oeuvres and we bring in the new year with a simple toast to each other and consider our selves fortunate enough to have made it another year simple as that. Everybody have a good new year !!

I may have posted this in wrong section, sorry if I did. Howdy, Today I was reacquainted with a old friend CARNAUBA WAX !! over the past few years I have fallen victim to the convenience of spray waxes and I admit the results have been good, their fast and easy and for what they are they are effective and I know that due to advances in technology and synthetics probably longer lasting when exposed to the elements , however that being said there is something to be said for good old fashioned carnauba wax !! I asked Santa for some carnauba wax for Christmas and the jolly old elf came through he did provide me with liquid wax as opposed to paste wax but that's ok he brought me Mothers Liquid Gold Brazilian Carnauba wax Today I got up (beautiful day in PHX) and gave the old girl a application, my oh my how satisfying kinda like going to the barber and getting a hot lather shave !! the memories flooded my brain of the countless vehicles I used to wax the old school way before the advent of quick waxes !! This is not a endorsement but the Mothers went on smoothly and came off just as well !! now the finish on the 34 is pretty damn good so the wax did not have to perform any miracles . the results were great and the smell of good old fashioned wax as opposed to the foo foo smell of the quick waxes was pleasing. So the carnauba my not be as long lasting as the new synthetics but were talking about a garage kept veh so I think I'm good for 6 months. It was a bit of a work out but I needed to get these old bones out of the Lazy Boy after holiday meals and Christmas cookies.

Merry Christmas from the newbie !! Here's hoping everyone has a safe and happy holiday !!!!!

Yup , Its a process, my knobs are labeled with C and T on the 34 but still, ignition ( key ) on until I see the gauges jump , pull choke and throttle , trans to neutral depress clutch pedal , depress starter pedal. So far I’m lucky she pops right off takes a minute to smooth out after choke deactivated , then throttle lowered, then finally hand brake released and away we go !! When I took my daughter for a ride she quipped you need a check list like a pilot !! But I absolutely love the nostalgia of it all . Went for a night ride yesterday and remembered to turn off head lights but then remembered I left the instrument lights on ( separate toggle switch from headlamp switch ) avoided a dead battery in morning . All part of the package !! I got exactly what I’ve wanted for so long and loving it !! Not sure a thief would have the patience, these may not be the vehicles for people in a hurry. As far as the transmission you are correct good luck on that !! It was actually. My oldest sister that taught me manual on her 65 Mustang . The non synchro trans is a challange but after a few weeks of practice i finally have the hang of it . P/S everyone have a safe and happy holiday season!!

I guess it was not so silly a question after all !! Makes sense !! Thanks for the response gentleman !

Hello Again, Still getting myself familiar with the 34 PE and curiosity is getting the best of me !! is there a reason the ignition coil was recessed in to the firewall ? I have noticed this on several models I'm wondering if there was a engineering reason for this as opposed to a bracket ? may seem like a silly question but sometimes you just have to ask !! P/S no surprises on her so far solid as a rock . I'm getting better on my double clutching and shift points. Definitely finding out she prefers low RPM shifting and that seems ok as that little flathead seems to have more than enough torque she doesn't seem to lug even if I make a early shift to 3rd (impressive)

Thanks Tod, On your suggestion I checked The Desoto color charts for 1934, the Chrysler charts for 1934 and the Dodge color charts for 1934 The Carotee # 3 does show up on the Desoto chart this is supposedly the color they refer to when describing the burnt cars however it seems a little dark for what I have (check avatar photo) I know were talking 90 year old samples and charts so the possibility still exist , now to make it more interesting on the 1934 Chrysler chart there is a color called Sultana Sand No. 1 while a bit more yellow than mine its close., its as though Carotte and Sultana shared a bottle of vino spent the night together and came up with Fannie Mays color. I did register with the Plymouth Owners club as suggested but no response so far. Thanks for your help.

Hello again, While doing more research I came across a article on Allpar.com stating "An interesting model available to dealers at announcement time was the Flame Cars, so named because of their burnt orange color (the factory called it Carrotee No. 3). The cars were unique." Before Purchasing the Plymouth the owner put it up on the rack and showed me on the under body what appeared to be original color paint , it certainly appeared it could have been 90 years old. The main body color now is extremely close to the sample he showed me ( don't think he was aware of the flame car story) I think he was merely pointing out its original color . To the best of my Knowledge this Carotee # 3 does not show up on the Chrysler color chart so my question is is there any wat to determine if this is one of those so called unique flame/burnt cars ? I dont have a color chart showing Carotee #3

Thanks gentleman, After a adjustment and bleed on all four corners the brake pedal has improved. I'm not expecting modern era brakes I just thought I could improve on them a bit as well as making myself more familiar with my new car as well as its adjusting procedures I figured that the only way I could screw it up was to get them to tight and after 25 years as a ASE certified tech I knew that wasn't going to happen, however once again Pre- war cars are new to me so the learning goes on. As A side note I noticed the abundence of Zerk fittings a Zerk for everything !! I think the Zerks have Zerks !!! also noticed several places where things (bearings) can be oiled with a oiler !! I will start diving in to the newly delivered Master Maintenance manual for service intervals. Thanks for the suggestions and help, Im sure I will be leaning on you more. P/S I will tailor my driving habits to the car as suggested .I did it on my Olds I will do it for this car as well ( still working on the double clutching and allowing the gears to slow me down as opposed to engaging the clutch to early )

Here I am again ! Hope you don't tire of me. I thought there was room for improvement on Fanny Mays brakes, I did not pull the wheels or drums since the previous owner assured me the brake shoes were new on all 4 corners and he was truthful on everything he told me so far and it is obvious after visual inspection that all the wheel cyls and brake lines and master cyl have been replaced but that being said I thought the brake pedal was a little low so I did a 4 wheel brake adj I did not have the fancy tool so often recommended so I just went old school drag method I was again amazed at the simplicity !! cam and jam nut also amazed again that nothing was frozen, everything operated as designed. I simply adjusted the cam till the wheel dragged then backed it of a smidge till free all 8 shoes. This did improve the pedal but I still think there is room for improvement once I have a competent assistant im going to bleed them then if I'm still not satisfied I may try adjusting the rod between master and pedal (keeping in mind the pressure switch not be activated when pedal not depressed) Im not so naïve that I believe these 1934 brakes should operate as well as modern brakes but I think I can get them a little better. The brake rod is a last resort as that is a tight squeeze down there kind of congested with clutch pedal mechanism. Any pointers or tips from the knowledge base here will be appreciated. Thanks Solly

Still learning, still researching . When I was looking at my 34 I came across another 34 PE 4 door sedan in the PHX area a very nice restoration in black with the mohair interior however I noticed it was carpeted. My question ,would this vehicle have had some type of carpeting in 1934 ? my gut tells me no it would have been some type of rubber flooring ,my 34's restorer chose a rubber style mat (full) which I am thankful for very easy to clean/brush out, had I gone the street rod rod route I may have appreciated the carpeting but for my application I prefer the rubber believing it to be original style. What would it have been in 1934 ?

Hello, When I say dating Fannie May ( my 1934 Plymouth with the colors of a giant box of Fanny May chocolates) I don't mean dating as in the year, I mean dating as in a date with a woman !! I say this because just like a date I am learning her likes , her dislikes, her temperament , her sweet spots what makes her tick !! I have had her home now for about 3 weeks and its a learning curve, as I previously mentioned I have 1 almost complete restoration under my belt ( a 64 BelAir ) and i was fortunate it had really good bones to start . Partial resto on a 56 Olds super 88 and a 57 Chevy sedan delivery that was a street/ strip machine but I have never owned pre-war vehicle. Here is what I'm learning on my dates. 1. I need practice on my double clutching for a non synchro trans but I'm getting there, I'm learning the shift points SHE likes as opposed to the shift points I'm used to . 2. I'm learning the starting procedure SHE likes cold start / warm start vs what I'm used to (although she pops right off) 3. Brushing up on my hand signals (she has no turn signals) although that could be a waste of time because I don't think anybody knows what the hell they are any more!! 3. allowing the gears to slow me down when approaching stops instead of depressing her clutch early. 4. just getting better acquainted with her I know from the previous owner that her restoration was not a professional restoration from a pro. shop and that the bulk of her resto was from her previous 2 owners this however does not mean it was not done properly I can tell it was done with great pride and attention to detail and patience. I'm going to attempt a brake adjustment this week-end because I think the pedal is a little to low and does pump up. After that Ill be more comfortable on the streets. I have puttered around putting a few Solly touches on her but nothing major, However change is coming , while she is 98% stock she has a Fenton Split exhaust manifold with dual exhaust the mufflers are way to loud for this veh. I'm going to retain the split manifold but probably do a 2 in to 1 set up with single tail pipe or at minimum keep the duals but replace with much quieter mufflers ! Dating Fannie has been a blast so far and I'm pretty sure its going to be a permanent relationship !!

Happy Thanksgiving from Solly ( new member , Fannie May's owner )

I call the 34 Plymouth Coupe Fannie May because the color combo reminds me of a big box of Fannie May assorted chocolates, I considered Reese's also for the color but some one told me once cars should be named after females (maybe because of their temperament ? I don't know ) As far as the better half here's the story, for almost 45 years she's been ZEEK. I love to tease her, my dad named his cars and he had a work beater 1953 Dodge faded blue with a huge trunk. one day when my then girlfriend now wife was walkin in front of me I called hey Zeek !! she turned around and questioned why I was calling her Zeek I told her that when she was walking away her rear end reminded me of the back end of that 53 Dodge HUGE !!! of course nothing could be farther from the truth she's 5'2 and maybe 105 soaking wet with shoes on !! but it raised her dander and knowing that it stuck !! I rarely call her by her first name Marybeth ( too long too many syllables ) Birthday cards, anniversary cards etc... are always addressed ZEEK it stuck she's used to it . My 56 Olds never got named just referred to as the Olds .

Thank you gentleman for the response and the links !! I believe the information provided will be invaluable !! I now have them book marked to my home page. I do have another question (then Ill try to give you a rest) in a attempt to do this correctly I know I should purchase the parts manual and the service manual however in my research I have found several options 1. Plymouth maintenance manual and 2. Plymouth Master maintenance manual which one should I purchase ? also some appear to be year specific while others cover multiple years ? also I found 1 publication that appears to be a actual Chrysler publication that is 650 pages and may be a combined parts and maintenance manual ( orange cover on E-Bay ) from your experience which do you recommend ?

Thank you all for the kind words. I will do my best to be a good participant on this sight . It would be helpful to me if some of you could list your favorite parts sources. I'm still learning to navigate this sight, its a little different than the Oldsmobile sight I was on for 5 years.

it is a 201

Well Keith, You will have to excuse my ignorance on this "Free Wheeling" subject as I am still learning but from what the previous owner told me it was equipped with it (this PE was optioned with everything available on the business coupe ) there is a cable that runs from the dash to the trans I believe , there is also a unit or mechanism between the starter and the gen that had something to do with auto clutch ? per the previous owner they have been rendered in op. some of my research suggest they were problematic and in some cases dangerous ?

Thanks Gents !! I wish I could take credit for its restoration but I cant. I am the benefactor of somebody else's hard work. All I can do is claim to be the caretaker for the next generation. I do have one complete restoration under my belt (1964 BelAir ) and partial on a 56 Olds but my increasing age and health necessitated purchase of a 98% completed veh. Ill find enough maint. to keep me busy.

It took awhile 50 years to be exact but my dream has finally been realized , fat fenders and running boards !! All went well, sales transaction, (private party) title transfer and registration with the 1934 vintage stamped from copper license plate, any way I am very impressed with a few things 1. how quickly and easily it fires up , I was a bit skeptical of the 6 volt system 2. how well it rides and steers even with the bias ply tires. 3. how smoothly and quietly that flat head runs, it actually rides better and quieter than my 56 Olds. I named her Fannie Mae . If your from the Midwest and love chocolate you may recognize Fannie Mae as the big chocolate company from Chicago. she reminds me of a big box of assorted chocolates and caramels , this color combo may not be everybody's cup of tea but it works for me and turns a few heads. I've heard some people say it doesn't show up on Plymouth color charts some say it is a factory color carrotine # 4 I think also referred to as the burnt cars ? I'm sure you here would know better than me I'm a pre-war Plym newbie !! I'm learning more daily and as I dive in hope to learn more, I'm not sure what's 100% original to the car and what's not (I'm not a stickler for that) I hope to lean on you guys as I try to learn. here's a few pic's of Fannie.

Hello Gentleman, (and ladies) Update to my purchase of 1934 Plymouth PE. essentially I have purchased the car but believe it or not I have found a conscientious seller who noticed a (very small) trans leak after we returned from our test drive, he told me he could not in good conscious sell the vehicle that way, he also said he thought the battery had seen better days and wanted to replace the battery. both the repairs are being made with no adjustment to the negotiated price !! every now and then you get lucky and get your faith restored in man !! He is currently waiting on the required trans gasket/ seal and we will complete our transaction once parts are installed. he also removed the vehicle from the classified adds he had running . In my previous post reply's some had requested photos, well I only have one for now but will post more when I get her home.

Hello, This may be pre-mature and I hope I came to the right place. I am very close to purchasing a 1934 Plymouth Model PE. 2 door coupe, While I do have 2 restorations under my belt ( both GM 1956 and 1964) this is my first experience with a pre war Chrysler product and a 6 volt positive ground system. I have to admit since I have reached the age of 70 I have became lazier and this vehicle is about 95% or better restored . I sought this vehicle because I am no longer able to do what I used to do, However I am not so Naïve to believe that a a 90 year old vehicle will not require something. That being said here are some questions for you vintage Mopar owners . Do you use lead additives in your fuel ? what oil do you use ? I live in central AZ. so viscosity will come in to play, it was suggested by the current owner to use petroleum based racing oil or similar due to its high zinc content. I also know that 6 volt systems rely heavily on good clean grounds. What do you guys do in the event that your 6 volt needs a jump and you are away from home ? I hope I came to the right place for help and answers ! I look forward to being a active member. For 50 years I have dreamed of owning a vehicle with fat fenders and running boards and it looks like I'm one step away !! Thanks any help, tips, suggestions or comments are welcome.