B-Watson

Binder twine to catch the buyers' attention and the ship with Pilgrims and Indians to play on the buyers' patriotism. Not a bad marketing ploy. Willys's Whippet, by the way, was starting its downward plunge during Plymouth's first year. The car was popularly known as the car that stops at every pole (just like the dog it was named after). It was said you didn't need a speedometer - just take note of what shook loose and/or fell off. The engine supposedly shook itself to pieces. W-O sales went from over 200,000 in 1927 to less than 20,000 in 1932. The Whippet was renamed the Willys 4, but W-O did nothing about the engine. Thus Willys-Overland went bankrupt in 1932. WPC permitted his old boss John Willys to use Floating Power in the new 1933 Willys 77, but it was not until Joseph W Frazer ran W-O in the late 1930's that the engine problems were dealt with. The resulting tough, reliable engine would be used in the Jeep well into the 1960's. When Joseph Frazer was alive there were many interviews with him regarding his experience with Henry J. Kaiser and the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation. However, little has been written about his days at Willys-Overland, and none about his reasons for leaving Chrysler. Considering the job that Frazer did at W-O and K-F, I have oftened wondered what would have happened had Frazer succeeded WPC, and not Keller. Frazer had a great respect for engineering, his work on getting the Willys 4 engine reliable and keeping K-F vehicles with 1940's engineering (dumping FWD, for one) proved that. But he also had an eye for styling and had a finger on the pulse of what the public wanted, both due to his sales experience. Bill Toronto, ON

Fluid Drive, which was a fluid coupling between the engine and the clutch and not a transmission, was standard on all models as was a 3-speed manual tranmission. Gyromatic, Mopar's 4-speed semi-automatic transmission was optional on all models. In 1949-50 is was a $90 option and $103 in 1951-52. If you are every looking for information on Fluid Drive in either the parts book or service manual, you will find it under "Clutch". Bill Toronto, ON

1949 : D29 - Wayfarer D30 - Meadowbrook / Coronet / Custom (Canada) D31 - DeLuxe (Canada) * D32-1 - DeLuxe (Canada) ** D32-2 - Special DeLuxe (Canada) ** 1950 : D33 - Wayfarer D34 - Meadowbrook / Coronet / Custom (Canada) D35 - DeLuxe (Canada) * D36-1 - DeLuxe (Canada) ** D36-2 - Special DeLuxe (Canada) ** 1951-1952 : D39 - Kingsway (Canada) * D40-1 - Crusader (Canada) ** D40-2 - Regent (Canada) ** D41 - Wayfarer D42 - Meadowbrook / Coronet * - Dodge model based on 111" wheelbase Plymouth ** - Dodge model based on 118.5" wheelbase Plymouth The Wayfarer was built on the short 115" wheelbase and as business coupe, 2-door sedan and roadster (1949) / convertible coupe (1950-51). The Meadowbrook and Coronet models were built on a 123.5" wheelbase with the long wheelbase models on a 137.5" frame. The Coronet was marketed as Custom in Canada for 1949-50. Bill Toronto, ON

The first series 1949 model year began December 1, 1948, in the U.S. and continued until the end of production, which for Plymouth was the first week of February, 1949. The new 1949 models were not built along side the 1946-48 models, as commonly believed. Assembly plants were shut down for a couple of weeks in February for the change over, except Windsor which was shut down for January and February in 1949. That's how rapidly sales of the 1948 models dropped in Canada toward the end of the 1948 calendar year. Chrysler of Canada ended production around Christmas, 1948, and never marketed the P-15, et al as 1949 models. Part of the problem undoubtedly arises from SHIPMENT figures, ie., the number of cars shipped from the factory reported monthly. The 1st series models were slow sellers once the competition announced their new models and thus many of the last 1st series models produced were shipped in the same time period as the first 2nd series models. Production, shipments, sales and registrations - all mean different things and cannot be interchanged. Their figures never match for any specified time period. Buick faced the same problem with their 1949 40 Special models. The 1949 50 Super and 70 Roadmaster used new bodies shared with Cadillac and Olds 98 while the 40 Special used the 1946-48 body. Sales sank and production ended by January. Bill Toronto, ON

Canada went metric in 1978. The change was approved in 1976, giving everyone time to change. Car manufacturers, except Chrysler, made the change with the 1978 model year. Chrysler did the change for the 1977 model year. Bill Toronto, ON

That was used on Mopar's big steel wagons - Dodge Sierra, DeSoto Estate Wagon and Chrysler Town & Country. The car has a Chrysler instrument panel but the front clip is from a 1st series 1952 DeSoto - Hernando hood ornament, no hood scoop, narrow hood emblem and block letters for the name. Bill Toronto, ON

Chrysler had the two door sedan before the war, same with the Town Sedan (4 window sedan with non-suicide rear doors), a model only Dodge built after the war. Bill Toronto, ON

Go for 1948. That is what the Engineering Dept. called it. Both the American and Canadian editions of "The Serial Number Guide" do not show 1949 model year P15, D24, etc. The 1949 model year for P15, D24, etc. was the invention of the U.S. marketing people as they were in production when the rest of the industry was building 1949 models and Chrysler's true 1949 models were months from production. Bill Toronto, ON

Quite simple. Outside of the U.S.A., the rest of the world has gone metric. Many American companies manufacture goods with parts in metric sizes. Bill Toronto. ON

Having lived most of my life on the Canadian prairies with -40 winters, I can attest to the effectiveness of the simple block heater. An inline engine can use one but V6 and V8 engines could use one of each side of the engine. When I lived in Edmonton I had a 1984 Renault Fuego with an oil pan heater. The car had, from the factory, element wires crossing the bottom of the oil pan. Worked great. Even in -40 weather the heater would be blowing warm air in less than 10 minutes. And the car started easier as well with the warm oil being pumped to all parts of the engine. As a kid when the family went out for the evening in winter Dad would bring along a blanket. When we arrived at our destination, he would open the hood and place the blanket over the engine. It helped retain heat. Two or three hours later when we were ready to head home, the car started with no problems. Bill Toronto, ON

Chrysler Australia used the 1953 body through 1956. They sold them as Plymouth, Dodge Kingsway and DeSoto Diplomat. Chassis were imported from Detroit and Windsor, but the bodies were built in Australia. In 1957 they came out with the Chrysler Royal - the 1953 body with a 1955-56 Plymouth front clip, 1956 Plymouth rear quarter panels and a wraparound rear window. The second series added the Plainsman wagon and Wayfarer ute. The third series had an instrument panel with styling taken from the 1960 Plymouth. The last one was built in early 1963. Bill Toronto, ON

Bit more Pontiac information - Model number (2 is for Pontiac) : 25 - A-body Six 26 - B-body Six 27 - A-body Eight 28 - B-body Eight Body Style - A-body : 27B - Business Coupe, 3p 07 - Sedan Coupe, 6p 27 - Sport Coupe, 6p (fastback) 11 - 2-dr Sedan, 6p 19 - 4-dr Sedan, 6w, 6p 67 - 2-dr Convertible, 6p 16 - Chassis "D" added - DeLuxe interior Body Style - B-body : 07 - 2-dr Sedan (coupe), 6p (fastback) 09 - 4-dr Sedan (6-w), 6p (fastback) 99 - 4-dr Station wagon "D" added - DeLuxe interior Serial Number (US models) : PEYB : P - Assembly Plant : P - Pontiac, MI C - Southgate, CA L - Linden, NJ K - Kanas City, KS W - Wilmington, DE (1947-48) A - Atlanta, GA (1948) F - Framingham, MA (1948) E - Engine : 6 - 6-cylinder 8 - 8-cylinder Y - Model Year : J - 1941 K - 1942 L - 1946 M - 1947 P - 1948 B - Body : A - A-body B - B-body Sequential production number started at 1001. Canadian serial numbers were 10 digits 1 - Model year (1,2,6,7,8) 2-3 - Model Number 4-5 - Body Style 6-10 - Sequential production starting at - Oshawa - 00001 Regina - 80001 (1941) Canadian model based on Chevrolet model numbers - 22 - Fleetleader 20 - Fleetleader Special Canadian-built US models - 25 - DeLuxe 6 (1941-42); Torpedo 6 (1946-48) 27 - Torpedo 8 (1947-48) Streamliner models not built in Canada Canadian plant built only coupes and sedans. All convertibles were imported, as well as DeLuxe/Torpedo and Streamliner models not built in Canada. Bill Toronto, ON

The Pontiac people were not confused, just people who do not have all the facts straight. In that last site the writer is using drawings rather than photos, something that should never be done in comparison. Also, the writer does not appear to know that the two models used completely different bodies. The car starting all this discussion is an A-body Pontiac, which was a DeLuxe in 1941-42 and Torpedo in 1946-48. The A-body was used by Chevrolet, Oldsmobile 60 and 1941-42 Buick Special 40-A. The Pontiac and Oldsmobile versions were on a 119" wheelbase, Chevrolet and Canadian Pontiac Fleetleader, 116", and Buick 40-A, 118". Next one was the Streamliner, based on the B-body, a 3" longer body available only as a fastback sedan and coupe. The B-body coupe had a more sloped rear section while the A-body coupe's tail has a steeper slope. The B-body was used by Oldsmobile 70, Buick Special 40 (Special 40-B in 1941-42), Buick Century 60 and Cadillac 61. The third body was the C-body, which was used by Oldsmobile 98, Buick Super 50, Buick Roadmaster 70 and Cadillac 62. It was also used in 1940-41 by Pontiac. The 1942-48 C-body also had a fastback coupe while the sedan was of the 4-window design, a style also used on the A-body. The B-body sedan was a 6-window sedan which was the popular sedan on the A-body. "SilverStreak" was a reference to the chrome ribs on the hood and trunk, a Pontiac trademark from 1935 through to 1956. They appeared on all models, regardless of body, body style, series or year. When the 1941 Pontiacs were introduced ALL were called "Torpedo", whether DeLuxe (A-body), Streamliner (B-body) or Custom (C-body). The blue 1948 coupe is an A-body. Pontiacs used Hotchkiss drive, which used the rear springs and chassis frame to return the torque placed onto the rear wheels back to the engine. Chevrolet, Buick, Nash, Canadian Chevrolet-based Pontiacs and pre-1949 Ford products used torque-tube drive which used a tube covering the driveshaft to return the torque power to the engine. The 1934-37 Chevrolets and Pontiacs used Dubonnet front suspension, a system of two small coil springs in a fluid-filled tube - "Knee Action". That system was troublesome as owners were not willing to give the system the maintenance it needed to survive. Confusion arises as GM later used the term "Knee Action" for the SLA coil spring system that became the industry norm. Dubonnet was a French engineer who built cars as well, and whose family is rather better known for a liqueur of that name. Bill Toronto, ON

The rear door lock knobs were used through 1956 and replaced for 1957 by a lever on the door panel. The knobs returned on the B body 1962 Plymouth, Dart and Polara 500, for rear and, for the first time, front doors. Chrysler, Dodge 880, Valiant, and Dart (A body) adopted front and rear buttons for 1963. Starting in 1941 the front doors were locked from the inside by pushing the handle forward. Which is why 1941 to 1956 front door handles (except 1955-56 Imperials) were mounted pointing straight down. I have seen many 1941-56 Plymouths, Dodges, DeSotos and Chryslers with the front door handles mounted sideways, like they were some kind of Ford product. 1957 and up front door handles were mounted with the base at the bottom and the handle angled to 2 o'clock on the driver's door and 10 o'clock on the passenger's door. The neatest thing about Mopar front door locks was the fact you could not lock the front doors when they were open and then close the door. The front doors would automatically unlock thus preventing you from locking your keys in the car. Not sure when Chrysler adopted that feature, but 1970 was the last year it was offered. Bill Toronto, ON

Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler will interchange glass, but not Plymouth. The new body introduced for 1941 Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler models was 3 inches longer and wider than the Plymouth. The 1941 Plymouth continued with the 1940 body. Bill Toronto, ON

The story would be better if had a pre-war date. In 1946 HF II was in charge as his grandfather was too old. His mind wandered and had little interest in the company he founded. Just as an aside, the three manufacturers that had A/C before the war were Packard, Cadillac and Chrysler. After the war Packard, GM and Chrysler were the first to bring back A/C. Ford was the last of the Big Three to off A/C. Bill Toronto, ON

The 1936 body was used only in 1936. It was based on the 1935 body but had a different windshield and everything from the B pillar back. Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler were based on the Plymouth. but had different rear doors and rear quarter panels. Plus the DeSoto Custom and Chrysler used a 2-piece windshield. The 1937 was a new body with nothing interchanging with the 1936 models.

The 1948 Dodge business coupe shared its frame with the other 119.5`wheelbase models - sedans and coupes. Convertible models used a different chassis frame. Your Dodge frame will not interchange with DeSoto or Chrysler as their 6-cylinder models were on a 121.5 wheelbase. The extra 2 inches was due to the longer engine they used. I believe frames going back to 1941 would work as the bodies were all basically the same. Your body will fit on the DeSoto-Chrysler frame, by the way, but your front clip will be two inches too short. The 8-cylinder Chryslers used a frame with a 127.5 wheelbase - again the extra inches in the front end for the longer engine. Bill Toronto, ON

It`s actually a 1951 DeSoto 8-passenger sedan. The teeth give it away as a DeSoto and the lack of a partition behind the driver`s seat and no roll down window show it is not a limousine but an 8-passenger sedan. Bill Toronto, ON

What's the serial number? It should be stamped on a plate attached to the passenger front door hinge pillar. The "73864S" looks like a body number. Is there something on the plate before those digits? Bill Vancouver, BC

1,136 of them were built. Retail price, FOB Detroit, was $1,142, plus federal taxes. Shipping weight was 3,371. The Special DeLuxe sedan, for comparison, was $935 and weighed 3,036 lbs. Bill Vancouver, BC

That one has been around awhile. They talk about their "63-year old" 1940 Dodge which means the article was written in 2003. Wonder what it looks like now, at 70? Bill Vancouver, BC

You won't find a broadcast sheet on a 1949 Dodge - they were built before computers were used by manufacturers. I believe 1957 was the first of the broadcast sheets as we know them. Chrysler Historical should have the build record on your car, which will be interesting to see as it won't be an IBM punch card. The BR will have the car's serial number, engine number, colour, interior trim, any options, when it was built and shipped, and may have the region and dealer who ordered it. Someone else has given the info on how to get it. Bill Vancouver, BC

Before Winnipeg built the aquaduct from Shoal Lake on the Ontario border after WWI they had artesian wells but the water was very hard. Constant problems across the city with pipes getting clogged with scaling. Back in the 1970's there was an artesian well at the north end of Day Street in Transcona. One of the last from the beginning of the 20th century. There was also an artesian well on Garven Road east of Birds Hill one of the breweries claimed they used for their beer. Had a big sign bragging about the quality of the clean, clear, soft water. And, of course, the superb taste and quality of their beer. Now, go west of Winnipeg from the perimeter highway across White Horse Plains to west of the Assiniboine River - all salt water. Apparently there is an underground salt water lake under the plains. My grandfather on my mother's side lived at Headingley and he had to have his water trucked in from the GWWD filling depot beside the Chapel Lawn cemetery. Bill Vancouver, BC

The brake light switch is a pressure switch that plugs into the master cylinder. There are two wires on it, one heads for the power source while the other goes to the brake light. Note that the 1941-48 Chrysler products has but one brake light - the one in the centre of the trunk lid. On the older wiring diagrams the brake light was referred to as a "signal light". The power was taken from the headlamp switch, usually a red wire, to the signal switch on the master cylinder. The other wire, also red, ran back to the trunk. The wire ran to the signal (brake) light which in turn was grounded to the trunk lid. Applying the brakes put pressure onto the switch which connected the power to the two wires inside the switch. The wire to the license plate light was black, as were the wires to each taillamp. The three were on the same circuit which ran from the headlamp switch. Turn signals and reverse lights were optional and were usually dealer installed, although auto supply stores as Canadian Tire also sold and installed kits. The taillamps were wired for turn signals, usually, or a separate light installed for each side. Thus the turn signal and brake light circuits were separate in those days. If the car did have reverse lights installed, it (usually only one) was a round stand alone light that mounted on the rear of the car on the driver's side. Back in those days virtually everything was optional, turn signals, radio, reverse lamp, heater, outside mirrors. On the cheaper series even glove box lock, passenger side sun visor, arm rests, and cigar lighter were all optional. Bill Vancouver, BC