busycoupe

Last year I was having to prime the carb after the car sat for a week or more. I had a new battery, so the motor cranked strongly, it just wouldn't prime the carb on its own. If I started it every four or five days it was not a problem, only longer periods of sitting caused it to need prime. Finally, I noticed a small drip of gas coming from the fuel line near the rear wheel after returning from a ride. I replaced the entire line and found another spot that weeped where the line was attached to the frame where it crosses under the front engine pulleys. Neither of these leaks were enough to drip on the garage floor. After replacing the line I have had no trouble starting the engine. If the car has sat for 2 or 3 weeks I use Don's method to prime the carb, Otherwise it starts easily. ... Check your fuel line. Dave

This question has come up several (many?) times in the past. A search for fuel pump should turn up lots of solutions. One place that I and many others have used is "Then and Now Automotive" in Weymouth, Ma. They will rebuild your pump using modern ethanol resistant parts. Or for about half the price, sell you a rebuild kit for the pump. Dave

This is an interesting list, however, another way to see where everyone is is the members map linked at the members pull down menu at the top of the page. I like the quick graphic view of where people are. Unfortunately only a fraction of the members on this list have added themselves to the map. If you are afraid of locating yourselves too specifically you could use a generic location like a city center. .. Show us where you are! Dave

My copy of Classic Car arrived yesterday and I was pleased to discover that they included a drive report for a '48 D24 Town Sedan in a series of articles on "unrestored originals." It is a nice piece about a very clean car. The author was apparently not well versed on all aspects of old Mopars, but still it is a very nice article with lots of pictures. The cars owner is listed as Paul Ward from Arizona. Is he a forum member? I thought that some of you might like to watch for the article. Dave

I know I posted my location several years ago, however I moved from MA to NC two years ago. I am now in eastern North Carolina on the western edge of Pamlico Sound. Dave

My first car was a 1960 Hillman Husky, my second was a 1965 Sunbeam (Hillman) Minx. They were from the British Rootes Group, which was owned by Chrysler at the time. Do they count? A couple of years later I bought a 1966 Dodge Dart 2 door. It had a 273 with 3 speeds on the column. It was pretty quick for the time, kind of a "sleeper". Dave

Back in the mid '70s my wife had a '66 Plymouth Valiant. I'm pretty sure that it did not have 4 way flashers. Dave

Good to hear from you Bob! I echo your thoughts,, Thank you GTK! Dave

The center part is probably the small piece that the hood ornament and chrome/cloisonn'e emblem is fastened to. It would be different because of the different mounting holes. Dave

I again emphasize the safety concern. Most of us grew up in the days before air bags, collapsable steering columns, crush zones, etc, and lived to tell about it. But if you give a young man a car it is difficult to limit where or how he drives, and yes he will probably make mistakes. When my son was 21 he was riding with a friend on Storrow Drive in Boston in the friends then new Dodge neon. They crashed it on one of the exit ramps near Kenmore square. Totalled the car, but because it had air bags they both walked away. With good late model cars available for the same money as a driveable classic I would opt to give my son a modern car with modern safety features. Dave

I have an inverter similar to the one in the picture posted by Bob T. It changes 6V+ ground to 12V- ground and uses a common ground. The common ground puzzled me and I contacted the seller about this when I bought the inverter. He explained that the unit actually steps the 6V up to a negative 18V. The negative 18V has a potential of negative 12V from the cars 6V+ ground. The unit you showed from ebay makes no mention of reversing the polarity. It may only change 6V-ground to 12V-ground which will not do what you need. Dave

In March I visited a local antique store that had a replica of an old country store. The first 2 pics are from March.. In July a "gustnado" passed through the area and when I went back in Nov. for some fall shots I was surprised at how it had changed. In the last picture you can see that the porch roof and several signs are missing, as well as a large tree behind the building. Dave

When I had a garage built in 2004 I lucked out on letting the floor "cure". The contractor put in the foundation and floor in the fall, then waited until spring to build the garage. By the time I painted the floor with epoxy paint the concrete had been setting for 6 months. I etched the floor with muriatic acid then painted it with 2 part epoxy. ( I think it was made by California paints ) The paint held up great, it did not lift or scratch for the six years I owned the garage. The only thing that I wish I had done was that I should have used some anti-skid chips in the finish. The gloss epoxy paint would get treacherously slippery when it was wet. Good luck with your garage floor. Dave

I've had a 6V Delran Battery tender for 3 or 4 years. It works great. Dave

I don't know about getting up the oil already dripped, but since your garage is new you may want to paint the floor with epoxy paint. I did my new garage floor in 2004 and it still looked great when I sold the house and garage in 2010. Spills simply wipe up. It keeps the dust down also. Dave

Great news! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Dave

It was 41 this morning. That is unseasonably cool by about 10 degrees, but it seems worse because it was 75 degrees on Mon. afternoon. Dave - in eastern NC

The first picture of the Dodge shows some kind of chrome trim on top of the fenders. I have never seen that before. Was that some kind of factory trim option at the time, or just some hood ornaments someone bolted on? Dave

Last year I moved from Mass. to NC in March. I decided to hire a mover with an enclosed van. I called several of the bigger named shippers. They all quoted about the same price, about $900 to go from MA to NC. At the time I had some specific scheduling needs. The only company that could accommodate my schedule was Thomas Sunday, out of PA. Their service was excellent! I recommend them highly. Dave

I'm on the west end of Pamlico Sound in NC. The storm has been skirting the coast for 2 days. We have had rain and 20-30 mph winds. Nothing severe: car, home, boat and family are all secure. Best wishes to all in the NJ, NY and NE areas. Dave

Bob, Its great that you are home and up and about. Yesterday at our morning coffee clatch one of the fellows asked about my mug with the picture of my coupe on it and I told him how my friend in the Catskills sent it to me. It is great to hear from you. Take care, Dave

I copied Don and grounded my engine with a braided strap. I tried several auto parts stores and a generator rebuild company trying to find a strap. They either had no clue as to what it was I wanted, or else knew about braided straps but hadn't seen one for years. Finally, I found one on a website that specializes in parts for old VWs. Old air cooled VWs used braided straps to ground their engines. The strap works well. Dave

First car was a 1960 Hillman Husky purchased for $65. It had a damaged flywheel ring gear, so the starter did not work. However, it came with a crank. I drove it to school for 6 months and hand cranked it every day. Dave

Does your car have an interior light switch on the headlight switch? My 48 does not, but I do not know about the 50. Also, it is possible that someone wired in a later headlight switch that has this feature. Dave