B-Watson

The 1941 Dodge had wheels, hubs and rims, done in Reconnaissance Red when the car was done in Pursuit Grey. The wheel's pin stripe was on the hub of the wheel, not the rim. The interior door handles are almost 180 degrees out. The taillamp bezels are done in body colour. They should be chrome. Dodge offered a tan late in the 1940 model year, but that colour far too light.

Other businesses Henry J. was involved in included shipbuilding during World War II which lead to Kaiser Steel. Kaiser closed down its steel plants in the late 1970's and Kaiser Steel became Kaiser Ventures, a firm that handles the plants and lands K.S. owned and used to operate. Kaiser Broadcasting existed in the late 1960's and in the 1970's as Henry J built UHF TV stations in larger urban areas. The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation was founded for charity purposes, but mainly in the health care area. And, finally, Kaiser Permanente, the outgrowth of Henry J.'s interest in health care for his employees in the 1940's at the various shipyards and steel mills he owned. K P was formed in 1946 with Henry J. at the helm. Kaiser Industries used to exist as a holding company for Kaiser's various interests, but the present Kaiser Industries in India is not connected to Henry J. Henry's grandson, Edgar F. Kaiser, Jr., was head of Kaiser Steel and owned the Denver Broncos. One other firm run by Edgar, Jr. was the Bank of British Columbia during the late 1970's and into the 1980's. It became part of the British Lloyd's Bank and then another British bank, HSBC, when Lloyd's insurance wing got into financial difficulties.

Kaiser was working on a V8 engine, but Henry J Kaiser and the boys decided to put their money into the compact 1951 Henry J - a little fastback 2-door sedan with Willys-built engines, no gloebox and no trunk lid. The latter two were added later in the year. 1951 sales were decent, but the model year was about 18 months long, and the thousand or so leftover 1951 models were reworked into the first series 1952 Henry J Vagabond. Henry J cars were assembled for the Japanese market in late 1951 by Mitsubishi. Although not many, I suspect. The convertibles were basically sedans minus the roof. The upper door frames were cut off and thinner, chromed, upper window frames were adopted. The space between the doors above the belt line was filled with a non-removable glass partition. Thus when you put the roof down, the upper door frames were still in place even when you rolled down the windows. The hardtop was the convertible with a permanent roof put back on! Kaiser's version was called the Virginian. The hardtop had a nylon-covered steel roof, larger rear window than the sedans as well as the doors and side windows of the convertible. Thus the "hardtop convertible sedan" moniker. Olds got a V8 in 1949 and Buick in 1953, but Kaiser did work on a V8 engine, and the engine did see production - at American Motors. The Kaiser engine was the basis for the AMC 250-cid V8 of 1956. The men in charge of the AMC V8 apparently came from Kaiser. Total Kaiser, Frazer and Henry J production from 1947 through to the end in 1955 was less than the number of cars Buick built for 1955 - 745,928 K-F cars total vs 762,576 1955 Buicks. Studebaker was the largest independent at the time and they built 1,688,224 cars during K-F's existence.

The Kaiser engine was a Continental unit, basically the same one Continental built for Graham-Paige before the war. (The "Frazer" in "Kaiser-Frazer" was Joseph Washington Frazer, head of G-P. The Kaiser and Frazer cars were based on a proposal by G-P for a new Frazer car, but did not have the money to build it. Frazer was the man that got Willys into Jeep and gave Plymouth its name.) K-F purchased one of Continental's plants in the late 1940's and began building their own engines, but still relied on Continental when sales were high. The supercharger was added in 1954 on the Manhatten series. The car Rodney shows is 1954 or 1955. Need to see the hood ornament to tell. The Hydramatic fire actually occurred at the right time, if that is possible, in August 1953. Production of 1953 models was coming to an end thus lower demand. GM was able to get productioni going again in a couple of months by leasing part of Kaiser's Willow Run plant. Kaiser shut down completely after a disastrous year before the fire, and set about planning to move production to the Willys plant in Toledo. Kaiser introduced their 1954 models with leftover 1953 Manhattens receiving new front end and taillights to become 1954 Special models. The 1954 Manhatten received all the new styling ideas. Willys and Kaiser saw car production plunge for 1954. The Willys received a facelift for 1955 but it was no use. Sales continued to fall. Kaiser signed agreements with Argentina to build cars there and ended Kaiser production in mid-1955 after a thousand or so Kaisers were built for export to Argentina. Kaiser tooling was then shipped to Argentina. The 1951-1955 Kaisers were great looking cars, but the group that Henry J. Kaiser had running the firm by then were not car people and the company went off track. While J.W.Frazer was there, things were running in the right direction with the men he brought from G-P. But after he stepped aside as president, everything was downhill. In 1947 G-P sold its interests in K-F to K-F and its plant on Warren Avenue to Chrysler. Kaiser's Willow Run plant was sold to GM in late 1954, and the portion not used for H-M production would be reworked for Corvair production.

The 265 engine first appeared in 1952 and was used in Chryslers from 1952 to 1954. Canadian-built DeSotos also used the 265 from 1952 through 1954. The American-built DeSoto used the 251 from 1951 through 1954. All American-built export Plymouths, Dodges and Plymouth-based Dodges and DeSotos used the 23" block while the Canadian-built versions used the 25" block from 1938 through 1959. By the way, the 1957 and 1958 DeSoto Firesweep 6 Taxi used the 230-cid engine. No idea how many were built in 1958, but 1957 production totalled 139.

The Duryea brothers built their first car in 1893 and Henry Ford built his first in 1896.

The Canadian-built 1940 Dodge D14 (Custom) looked just like the US Dodge which actually used the Plymouth body in 1940. The Canadian Dodge coupe in the photo is a D16 (DeLuxe) model which was a Plymouth DeLuxe with Dodge grille and nameplates. Notice the taillights are the same as the Plymouth. Chrysler of Canada also offered a lower priced Plymouth-based Dodge, the D15 Kingsway - same as the Plymouth Roadking. The D15 was also built in Detroit for export markets although the American export D15 offered all Plymouth body styles in the one series. D15 chassis were also shipped to countries such as Australia.

The serial number on the top right corner of the "money order" appears to have three digits removed - the space before the 9-440. Also the 0 just before the space appears to have been shaved when the three digits were removed. As well the numbers on the bottom of the form appear to have been altered. The "44906920" in the bottom left corner. The second "9" is a little higher than the other numbers in the sequence. Compare it with the first "9". Not surprised the person at RBC was not in a bother with the situation. The bank is not out any money and it is not the result of anything they did. Now, if the bank had honoured a financial instrument and they lost money, you can bet your next pay cheque the RCMP would be on site in minutes!

Chrysler of Canada marketed Fiats in 1959-61 as well as Simca (who started in the auto business in 1935 building Fiats under license for the French market). Simca acquired Ford's French subsidiary in 1955 and continued to build the Vedette, with its 2.2-litre flathead Ford V8, into the early 1960's. It was sold in North America with the Beaulieu sedan having rear fins and taillights very much like the 1956 Dodge Custom Royal.

Actually, Tin Lizzie was another name given to the Model T. And "fliver" was also a name attached to the Model T. They were extremely tough cars and lasted for years. They could be repaired by anyone who liked tinkering with mechanical things. And there were thousands of jokes about them, too. Such as the one where an old man wanted to be buried with his Tin Lizzie as he had not come across a hole that his Lizzie couldn't get him out of. From WW I through to the mid-1920's the Model T took 50% of the passenger car market in North America. Thus the nick names given to the Ford Model T, the car Henry Ford said you could get in any colour as long as it was black. And that was true from mid-1910's through to 1925. If you want to do some reading on the Model T you will have to go back to the 1960's and earlier to read books and articles on what the Model T was and the influence it had on society around the globe. Cannot think of anything written in the past decade or two that really tells the story of the Model T. Actually, an awful lot of stuff being written about pre-1960 cars, especially on the internet, is overloaded with stories of things that never happened. Sort of like the National Inquirer - lots of excitement and scandal, but little reality. .

1941 or 1942 Pontiac. The 1946-48 Pontiac used the same style of speedometer but the gauges were round. 1940 also used the same basic layout but the speedometer was different. That speedo with the numerals in separate ring around the edge is the tip off to the make.

P - 1960 Model Year 6 - 6-cylinder D1 - Dodge/Fargo Truck D100 21777 - 20,777th engine built C - Canada Dodge and Fargo Trucks still used the flathead six in 1960. The slant six did not appear in a half ton truck until the 1961 models. It is a 250.6-cid engine.

Big thing to remember about brake fluid is that it is a close relative to gas line antifreeze. And just like gas line antifireeze, brake fluid will absorb moisture. Which is why brake lines rust. If the fluid has been in the car for a few years you might be wise to flush out the old fluid with new. Basically bleed the system until new fluid comes through. Brake fluid is also a great paint remover.

Plymouth adopted the 230-cid engine when Powerflte became an option - late February, 1954. The first 230 engine had engine number P25-243001. Bill Toronto, ON

There is no lock up of any sort on Fluid Drive. It is a simple fluid coupling, one side throws fluid at the other which makes it turn. And thus it never disengages as there is nothing to disengage. The faster the engine turns, the faster the fluid coupling turns. It never gets to a 1:1 state and the two vanes are never locked to act as a solid conection between the engine and transmission. There is a possibility it has the wrong fluid. No harm in changing it.

P25 2 20796C - P25 - 1954 Plymouth 2 - Savoy / Belvedere (Plaza engines had "1") 20796 - 19,796 P25-2 engine built C - made in Canada 6 volt or 12 volt makes no difference when troubleshooting problems. Whether alternator or generator, mechanical voltage regulator or electronic, the basic principles are the same. Just make sure the person who works on the car understands points and condensors. The one difference between a 6 volt car and a 12 volt is the fact the 12 volt has a ballast resistor in the ignition system and the 6 volt does not. The BR reduces the voltage to protect the points. 12 volts will burn them out fast. By the way, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac and Imperial switched to 12 volt in 1953, although Imperial was still positive ground. Chevrolet and Pontiac switched for 1955, and the rest of the American auto industry followed in 1956. Any makes that had 6-volt positive ground systems adopted negative ground along with 12 volts. Chryco drum brakes were the best on the market back then. They used Lockheed brakes that are a little difficult to set up when installing new brake shoes, but they are easy to adjust after that. They are not self-adjusting so you will need to adjust them every 20,000 miles or so. Which also coincides with the manufacturer's oil change and lubrication times. The parking brake is a drum mounted at the rear of the transmission - referred to as a "tractor brake" by some back then. The upholstery looks great, by the way. Gives the interior a classy look which is perfect for a Belvedere, the fanciest Plymouth. Bill Toronto, ON

I suspect your 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook is Canadian, so you do have a 218-cid flathead six, 25" block, and not the 23" 230-cid everyone is talking about. If you want to switch to another engine, you should have no problems. A V8 engine is shorter than the Chryco flathead six, as would any V6 engine. Chrysler did stuff a V8 into that short front clip for 1953-54 Dodge Coronet/Royal hardtops, convertibles, and wagons which were on the same 114" wheelbase as your Cranbrook. If your car was built after March, 1953, you should have a 228-cid six. Cranbrook models switched to the 228 engine at engine number P24-2-8322-C. The engine number is stamped into the block, left side, up front, just below the head. No need to worry about power. You won't burn rubber but you will be able to cruise at the 90 or 100 Km/hr limits in BC.

The "new" 1949 Lincoln flathead V8 was based on a Ford truck engine. The old flathead engines were long stroke engines which produced good low end torque. They are not high rpm due to the long stroke which produces more heat. In Europe the small bore, long stroke engines survived due to the low highway speeds. They were popular there due to the engine taxes which were based on bore size and number of cylinders. In the late 1920's Essex came out with a long stoke four for export sales. Worked fine in Europe but in North America the higher rpms resulted in engines that self destructed after a couple of hours on the highway. Studebaker's first Erskine had the same problem while Willys's Whippet gave the driver warning that it was self destructing as various bits and pieces shook loose and/or fell off. The higher speeds possible on the new highways built after WW II demanded more power and engines that could survive. After the war there were two schools of thought regarding more power. One was cubic inches, while the other was higher octane gasoline which could permit up to 13:1 compression ratios. Given that higher octanes resulted in fewer gallons of gasoline per barrel of crude, that was not the way the gas companies decided to go. Oldsmobile (1949), Studebaker (1951) and Mopar (1951-53) all went the high octane route. Studebaker and Mopar hit the size max in less than ten years. Compression ratios got up to 9:1 one base engines (regular gasoline) and 11:1 on high output engines (premium gas). Engines for racing went higher. One advantage of ohv engines was the fact the combustion chamber was located over the pistons. Better combustion and fuel/exhaust flow compared to the flathead with the valves being beside the cylinders. Which also restricted the size of the valves in a flathead as they had to fit in the space between the cylinders and the outside wall of the block as well as the cylinders next to it. Siamesed cylinders were also common in flatheads which also restricted valve space. Bigger valves meant a wider and longer block. Which was the big advantage of a "V" block. A big bore V8 could use a shorter block than an inline six More so with an inline eight.

Serial number 70095093 is for a Detroit-built 1951 Chrysler Windsor (C51-1), 251-cid six. In that era, American serial numbers started with "1" for Detroit-built Plymouths. "2" for the other Plymouth plants, "3" for Detroit-built Dodges, "4" for California-built Dodges, "5" for Detroit-built DeSotos, "6" for LA DeSotos and Chryslers, "7" for Detroit-built Chryslers and "8" for Dodge, DeSoto and Fargo trucks. All Canadian-built Chryco cars and trucks started with a "9". Although not too obvious in the photo, the rear window is a wraparound rear window, only used on Chryslers. Dodge and DeSoto models used a one-piece unit slightly larger than used in 1950.

The first Ford six was the 1907 Ford Model K. It was not successful and Henry vowed to never build a six again. Thus the jump from a 4 in the Model A and B to the V8 for 1932. Ford introduced a smaller V8 for 1937, 2.2-litre, that was popular in Europe but a bit of a dud in North America. Thus the flathead six of 1941 (not available in Canada) which turned out to be more powerful than the V8 used in the Ford. Which is why Ford adopted the Mercury 239 V8 in 1947. An ohv Ford six replaced the flathead for 1952, and though smaller than its predecessor, was just as powerful. (And not available in Canada, this time until mid-1956). A new ohv Ford V8 appeared for 1954 (1955 in Canada). The babbit bearing Chevrolet six was used through to 1953 and was mated only to a 3-speed manual transmission. It also had a dipper lubrication system and cast iron pistons. The 235 of 1950 introduced for the Powerglide models caught up to Mopar's 1930's engineered flathead six - aluminum pistons, pressure lubrication and insert bearings. Small block Mopar flathead 6 engines appeared for 1933 and the large block for 1934. Both received full length cylinder cooling for 1935. And that was about it through to the end in 1972. Changes over the years were increasing compression ratios, sizes and minor improvements. They all had exhaust valve seat inserts. As for power, the Mopar sixes were no slouches against their respective opponents. From the factory none of them were balls of fire.

The first Chevrolet V8 was built in 1917-18. Back then Chevrolets were not the low-priced cars they became in the 1920's. The early 1920's Chevrolet that was recalled was the Copper-Cooled model. It was a 4-cylinder, cast iron block, ohv six with copped fins brazed to the block. The idea was that the copper fins would pull the heat from the block and dissipate to the atmosphere. Neat idea in theory, but a disaster in reality. It was put into production long before the bugs were worked out, although all work on it ceased when production was cancelled. Apparently it sounded like a metal drum filled with nuts and bolts being shaken when it was running. All but one was destroyed, and that one is in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. As for Mopar's flathead sixes, they were tough. Yes, compared to today's engines they needed overhauling more often, but compared to their opposition they were very indestructable. Oils, greases, metals, etc. have all improved over the years. Mopar flathead sixes' oiling system, aluminum pistons, and replaceable bearings were decades ahead of Chevrolet and others while Ford's cooling system was primitive compared to the Mopar flathead six. Ford would not get the V8 to run cool until 1949 and it was not until the 235 came out in 1950 that Chevrolet caught up to Mopar's 1930's engineering, although the 215 continued on for three more years. The Chevrolet engines were called "Cast Iron Wonders" due to the cast iron blocks, cast iron heads and cast iron pistons. In the early 1950's Plymouth Concord coupes and fastback sedans were used for racing - distance racing, not quarter mile and the like. And not due to top speed, but longevity. The Plymouths would win due to the fact they could be driven for 500 miles with no problems while the V8 models, driven at higher speeds, would blow up. Real life tortoise vs the hare. So those simple, humble Mopar flathead sixes, while not engineering marvels, gave the owner of a Mopar product an extremely reliable, tough, easy to repair, and economical to run engine.

The D25 was based on the Plymouth. As the Plymouth did not offer Fluid Drive, neither did the D25. The D24, however, did offer Fluid Drive, whether is was built in Detroit, San Leandro or Windsor. Must also remember the P15/D25 wheelbase was 117" while the D24 was 119.5". The difference is from the engine to rear axle. So something is that space is longer.

The parking brake has a drum with the band around it. When the brake is released, the band pulls away from the drum. Thus there should not any noise from the parking brake. If there were problems, you would hear it all the time as the clutch has no effect on the parking brake. If you do have noises only when the clutch is released, it is the clutch. Going downhill you are picking speed, unlike coasting on flat ground or going uphill, which probably adds to the problem.

Your Dodge D15 chassis unit was built at the Plymouth Lynch Road plant in Detroit. All Canadian-built cars from the end of the FEDCO era in 1931 through to and including 1957 had serial numbers starting with "9". Thus your 3937637 was an American-built D15, serial number sequence starting at 3937901 and ending at 3939123. Canadian numbers were 9669926 through to 9673662. The engine in your car should have engine number starting with either P9 or P10 with no "C". Canadian D15 engines had prefix D15 and suffix C. Also, the engine in your D15 is a Plymouth 23" block, 3.215" bore and 201.3-cid. The Canadian D15 used the 25" block, 3.375" bore and 218.1-cid. Ther serial number should be stamped on the frame, right side of the car, around the front axle. Cars of that era had the number stamped on the frame as many body-less chassis were shipped to foreign countries and the frame had to have an identification number to clear customs.