splat1955

Man....I'm feeling like I got burned at Napa after what you guys got batteries for. I bought one about 3 weeks ago tomorrow, right after my Dodge arrived....I think its a 620 CCA...Napa sales guy told me it was the " commercial " series battery....I don't know how that rates, but I think when I walked out and having traded in my old 6V...I think I was down about $80! I hope that things lasts for a while.

Hey Marty.... I'd like to hear your mileage as well......are you estimating the HP with all the new gear. Also, can you suggest a manufacturer for headers...I've got a 230 in my 48 Dodge 4 dr....would like to possibly bump it up just a little without having to re-cam right now. Anyway, any manufacters and dealers of parts for this engine would be greatly appreciated. I'd also like to see a pic of the engine when you get time. Thanks. Brian

Your wife sounds Exactly like mine Norm.....3 months previous to buying the Dodge, I'd just sold the '69 Jeepster Commando that my 11 year old daughter and I'd restored the last 4 years.......Anyway....Unfortuneately, when we bought this house....and it didn't have a shop, just a 2 car garage...the deal was that she got to park in the garage....Cause my tools and tool boxes take up the room that would normally be for a second car. So, when I bought the Dodge in Reno....right there in front of God and everyone she says....You know, just cause your getting a new project and it's much nicer than the Jeepster(she hated the jeepster).....It's still going outside...not in the garage. I got lucky, the Dodge had a car cover in the trunk. Well, for 2 weeks it stayed outside....then, one day when she was at work about a week and a half ago, I called her and told her it was going to have to come in for a couple days and her car was out for a couple days...reason being, I had to drain lube, change oil, but also told her I was going to pull the wheels and take them in for new tires. Anyway, long story short( if that's possible with me), I've pretty much worn out my welcome....this weekend will be the second weekend her cars been out...all week too...and I've gotta have everything done by Sunday night. (actually, everything is pretty much done...I just go out to the garage right before she gets home, jack it up high enough to get a wheel off the gound and a jack stand under it, open a door and throw a couple tools on the ground...and I'm good to go for a few more days....But, it's out after this weekend...game over.......Anyway Norm, sounds like your wife and mine were cut from the same cloth!

Hey Bob, man, that's a nice project. I don't know if you got it home yet, but unless you know someone that will do it for cheap like suggested above with a dolly & pickup truck....join AAA. We've been with them for years....and only had the basic membership...costs about $80 bucks a year....but they will tow your car if it breaks and as long as you have your AAA card, you can pretty much have anything or anybodys vehicle towed and no extra charge for the wife on the plan either. They are only supposed to either tow it 5 miles or to the nearest repair station....but most outfits here that contract for AAA will take it farther than 5 miles......I had a tow rig take my car 25 miles once. You just have to have the right drive. I almost bought a 40 chevy about 2 months ago in Sacramento....about 45-50 miles from me. My AAA membership was due...so this time, over the phone, I just up my membership to the " plus " membership. It cost about $25 more, but, with the plus membership they will tow your car 100 miles....on top of that, if you run out of gas they will bring you 3 gallons....at no charge, not even for the fuel. On the basic plan they bring you the fuel for free but you pay for the fuel. There are other benefits too, discounts at different hotels anywhere(wife and I use those only as often as we can get away), free maps, and you can even register your car in the AAA office and avoid the department of motor vehicles(that's what they call it here) altogether...the plan covers you if you lock yourself out of your car too. Anyway, I didn't buy the 40 Chev....but found my Dodge in Reno....130 miles from home....found a guy on Craigs List who lived in Reno and said he would move projects to anywhere for $1 a loaded mile....as long as it was between Friday & Sunday. I called the guy while I was in Reno, met up with him at the sellers home..made the arrangements and the car was sitting at my house the day after I got home...worked out great. Anyway, check out AAA in your area. I've still got 100 miles of free towing if I can find another project....and I think I may have!

YIKES!!

Our Prayers will be with you Bob, from our home to yours. Brian

Excellent Norm............Going to go do a search right now...unless anyone knows of a specific dealer online that stocks that mirror....sounds like the ticket! Thanks Norm.

Exhaust leak???? Surely these fine automobiles can't develope an exhaust leak......Say it ain't so!! Actually, I just want to find something that doesn't look so obscure...like I say, it almost looks like what you see when looking out the passenger side mirror in a new car.....one of the " objects may be closer......etc. I hope like heck " objects may be closer " in my mirror....otherwise the back half of my car is about a block away!

Hey Norm, I like that one too.....is it a direct replacement for ours? Got anything laying around that will work? I'd just like to be able to attach to our stock mounts.

Hey Norm........I like that one.......Is that one for real? Wonder if it could be adapted to our stock mounts!

Yeah, I do know of those pump......I have a lube pump that I can use, also a drill driven pump......but hey, what fun is that when my wife just bought a brand new turkey baster, which means her old one is up for grabs! Plus, if I don't contaminate it soon, it's only going to be one of a thousand other kitchen tools that no longer gets used that I have to dig though in the drawer just to find my BBQ brush.....so actually, using her baster serves 2 purposes....removes the lube from my diff and removes another useless kitchen tool. And besides, I'm betting she'll never notice it missing.

Hey guys........is it me or is it my mirror. I'm just not really getting used to looking into the rear view. Was this like the first attempt at " objects may appear closer..etc" mirror? Man, each time I look out the rear windshield using the rear view I feel like I'm having a bad acid flashback......And believe me, there are good ones too! Yeah, man, everythings pretty normal, driving along.....until I look into the mirror and then it's like whoaaaaa.....tripping. But instead of things " appearing closer".....it's like the time tunnel! My back window looks like it's a 20 feet back....about the size one of those half lens reading glasses! Now, unless I got unlucky and am the only one here with a mirror like that, then somebody else has had to address this issue. It's kind of a bummer getting a headache just from looking out the rear view for too long. I end up using my side mirror more than the rear view....which isn't bad, except I've got to constantly put my arm out there and readjust it up since I don't really need to see the road surface and be able to count the broken yellow lines. So, have any of you tried another mirror, maybe from a different year. I don't really want to go with some aftermarket clip on thing, unless of course that's the only way I can go. Input?

Man, I was hopin' nobody would catch me on the turkey baster thing.....cause I had planned on running some oil through it after I used it for sucking the old lube out of the diff.......but I was just going to use some old 30W that came out of the pan.....and slide it back in the drawer when she wasn't around:eek: Nowthe proverbial cats out of the bag!

Hmmmm.....good point Shel....while I'm under the car tomorrow greasing everything else, I'm going to have to take a look to see if I have studs & nuts or bolts....if studs and nuts, then I think I'm going to confiscate me wife's turkey baster to get the lube out.........

Hey thanks Lou....maybe I will take one out...and if it goes through I'll take out the second.....Will let ya know how it works for me. I'm just a little skeptical about messing with that allen bolt....ya know?

Hey Norm, If you happen across him again, pick me up a box if they are still around $10 and I'll send ya the $$.....I ordered 6 but wish I'd ordered a few more now. Anyway, snatch 'em up if you seem 'em and let me know.

I've been looking at my diff, seen pics in the manual and elsewhere of where the drain plug is supposed to be...but I don't seem to have one. Even the pic in the manual shows the fill hole in the rear of the diff and mine is in the front. I've checked for the drain plug really well, my diff really isn't dirty but poked around with a nail just to make sure that crud hadn't filled the hole...but can't find it. But, on the rear of the diff, at the very bottom where the back plate is welded on.....there is what looks to be an allen head screw....pretty good size, not as big as I would expect the plug to be. I've attached a pic. My question....is this something that shouldn't be messed with..maybe some kind of set screw or something....or has anyone else run across this setup or is this been added on as a drain. Any info is appreciated...

Hey guys, Wasn't sure if this was the right area to be posting this, but I know some of you are looking for bulbs occassionally. And some of you guys might already know of this site. I needed an 1158....actually a few. Did a google search and found replacementlightbulbs.com Called them up, seemed like really nice folks...explained more about an 1158 and the meaning of it's different numbers 21-3C.P. BA15d S-8 TS1158....way more than I needed to know. I just new that I got darkness on a corner of my car when the sun goes down. Anyway, they don't have a minimum. Buy as many or as few as needed. Of the 1158, they had like 157 in stock......151 when I was done ordering. They were only $1 each...of course there was shipping. Their cheapest shipping rate is Postal Priority, ....they charge $5.95...I thought that was fair....making each bulb just under $2 and you get 'em in just a few days. And they have a ton of different bulbs in stock. Find the inventory page and it tells you if the bulb you want is in stock, how many and how much $. It was just that easy! Anyway, thought I would share that site with those of you not already aware of it.

Okay Normspeed, Sounds like it's unanimous.........and I'm ready to do the spring thing.....How do ya feel about writing up a " how to " tech tip. I'd like to know all the little secrets you guys learned when R & R'ing the springs. No pressure here either but sure would like to have all your tips before I get started. Thanks. Brian

Okay........well, that explains it then. Thanks Shel.

I forgot to mention...after the ordeal with Napa that I outlined above, I went back to a store I'd gone to a few times before....also here in " Small Town, USA".....they have been around for many years....they are small and actually have 2 stores in town under different names. Anyway, I bet that the 2 stores alone have over 50% of the commercial business in town. Anyway, after pricing my front bearings, races & seals at Napa using my AAA membership, the " little guy " stores were still about 20% cheaper than Napa. And the 2guys at the " little guy " are real knowledgeable! One guys about my age, 52, and the other guy is probably 65. Anyway, when I told the older guy what bearings I needed, he reached for his book, but it didn't go to '48....but he rattled off the part #'s for the bearings and races from memory....went back, got them and they are in! Let's here it for the " little guy " stores that are still hangin' tough even with the Kragens, autozones and Napa stores trying to get all the business.

Yeah Norm, I'd like to hear anything that could make it easier when I get ready to swap springs which I hope will be soon. I had the passenger side up on stands today....R & R'ing the wheel bearings, races & seal....and I messed with the spring a little...just to see if there had been any tension lost by having the front suspension hanging...but it still seemed tight....but then I remembered you said something about dropping the mounts to the sway bar(or what ever it's called) to get a little slop in the springs....Am I right about that?

Once again Shel, you were right.....Seems that the actuator in the front passenger side jamb does activate the map/panel light. Since my kick panels were off of the car when I got it, I was able to jiggle the wires on the actuator in the passenger jamb.....and it came on. Felt a little loose in there so it looks as though I've found something else to attend to. Also there are 2 wires going to that actuator.....Just wondering, is that door also supposed to activate the rear reading light as well....cause it doesn't come on when the door is opened and just wondering if it is supposed to....it didn't come on like the map light when I wiggled the wires. So far, it's only the passenger side rear door that has turned on the light in the rear...besides the hand switch on the drivers side door pillar.

Excellent Suggestion Norm...." Sneakin' up on it " I like that idea. I haven't pulled them out yet so I don't know the procedure or the length of time it takes to R & R the springs, but the last thing I want to do is cut..and find out that I've taken too much off and sitting lower than I wanted. Even not knowing how long it will take to R & R the springs, I'd rather have to do it a few times than 1 time badly. Thanks

Okay.........guess I can share a story or two from just the last couple weeks. A week and a half ago I went into Napa...it's a new store, only about a year old. There used to be an old napa on the old side of town....great folks, new thier stuff. Well, they closed down...don't know why, and the new napa opened. I've been in there 3 times since they opened and a problem every time. This last time, the 4th time I've been in the store is the very last time I will go there. The first time I went into the store...I bought something, can't remember, but for about $9.95. Got home, and happened to go online and check my bank transactions for that day....and they'd charged me $9.95...and also $99.50. I was livid! This last time, I went in for 2 types of 6 Volt bulbs and some naval jelly. They only had one of the types of bulbs I needed so I bought those. The other type and the naval jelly they were out of. They put in a PO for them and I paid for them. Said they would be in by 1 PM that same day. Didn't get back until the next day in the afternoon. The bulbs were there..not the naval jelly. So, they marked the bulbs off of my reciept and thier receipt. So, that left only the naval jelly. The next day my wife was going to town...asked her to stop by and pick up the naval jelly. That's all I told her....naval jelly. She gets home and you guys probably all know those little red boxes that you can buy in the " Help " section....you can get anything in those boxes...except naval jelly. Well, she hands me a little red " help " box with those cheap plastic plug wire looms in it...and taped to the box is the copy of the receipt that naturally says " naval jelly". I figure typical napa. I go in the next day to return them..and I get the same guy that helped my wife. He trys to tell me that she came in and told him that I was there to pick up a little box of parts...I told her nothing of the sort...and told him the same thing. The guy was straighy lying. Plus, I pointed it out on the reciept that was stuck to the box...it didn't say anything about wire looms...it said NAVAL JELLY. That told me 2 things...they guy that helped my wife didn't have the common sense to read the receipt before giving the parts to my wife and also that whoever stuck that PO receipt to the parts wasn't any brighter. My relationship with that Napa store is over. Oh, one more story..the same day my wife was in town, I asked her to stop by Sears and get me a 1 1/8 Socket for the drain plug on my Dodge. How tough can that be. Our sears store is about the size of a good sized closet...and the one guy I deal with there on a regular basis knows his stuff...unfortunately, he wasn't working this day. My wife calls me at home, and the guy is telling her that he is out of that socket...but has a 5 pc set for $30.....like I need every other size in the set! I tell my wife to put him on the phone. I say, what? you don't have the socket I need, but you do have a 5 pc set. He tells me yeah.....but he does have a 1 1/16.....then he proceeds to tell me that he has a metric size real close to the size I need. I told him....if I need a 1 1/8...why the heck would I buy a 1 1/16? And what the heck is he even talkin' about metric for??? ( I'm sure I wasn't that nice when I spoke to him)...anyway, I couldn't talk to him anymore...but I can't wait to get back into sears and see the fool they hired and talk to him face to face. Okay, I'm though venting for now.