splat1955

I've used the Testors paint in both the small bottles and spray cans on many hubcaps, interior pieces....just about anything...many times. Hub caps with lettering or a design that have raised edges are really very simple. One trick I learned back in the '70's for painting small pieces or just about anything..is to put a thin coat of vaseline on any of the area that you don't want to paint. Then spray and/or brush the area to be painted. After the paint is dry....wipe the vaseline away. I still use this method and it's worked well for me.

I've used Rockauto a number of times......mostly when I was going through the '69 Jeepster Commando. Never had a problem with them, nice folks with good product lines. I recommend them.

Yeah Greg......the post is there......almost at the bottom of the first page.....I knew I'd seen it.

No Don....your not hallucinating.....cause I saw it yesterday too...or this morning. Either way it was here cause I went back to see if greg had said if it was the Nov or Dec. issue. I don't see it either...and I'm not having a flashback, of course, I wish I was......just to break up the day..

Hey Nate.....welcome to the forum. I'm fairly new here myself, but man, a great bunch of people. Hey, I see your in Sac.....I'm just east of you in Pollock Pines.....with a '48 Dodge "more"door custom sedan. Good to see somebody else in the neighborhood.

My Eyeeeeees!! Aaauuuuggghhhhh!

Hey Ken, Thanks......That's not the one I need......but there are a few other guys here looking for manuals as well.......and it very well could be the model for them. How would you feel about scanning it and sending it to me....Wouldn't have to be done all at once. I've got another guy scanning another model and sending it to me about 10 pages a day via my email addy. Seems to be working out pretty good. That way, I'd have a copy of your model in case anyone is looking for it. I think I'm going to collect as many manuals as I can for these Sears units....seems folks are always looking for them. Let me know what you think. And thanks. Brian

Man Shel, you got the eye! I would have never noticed that! That has got to be the biggest fluke......Honestly, I just removed the covers on the fronts tonight cause I didn't remember for sure if I'd tightened the lug nuts after putting the wheels back on yesterday. So this evening, I yanked the covers, tightened the lugs and that's it. I'll bet the other side isn't matched up like that. For sure they won't stay that way cause like yours, fronts and backs are different sizes...so, sooner or later......What a trip though....not only that they are almost in the same position, but that you noticed it and I took the pic and didn't even see it!

Hey Jim, Can you tell me which Craftsman Auto Analyzer you have? What model #? I am trying to find someone with the one I have....There's a recent post here on the model. Can you let me know what you have? Thanks. Sorry Shel, didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Hey JT.....sounds and looks like yours is the closest to mine and the exactly what Jersey is looking for, so if you send it to him, maybe he can make me a copy and I can get one from him...whaddya think Jersey? JT, I think your buddys is probably older than mine or yours.....Hey thanks JT....I appreciate it.

Here's a couple of better pics....more of a profile. Hey Norm, If I remember right, it was just shy of a coil to get the 3"....It was pretty close...I should have measured the part I cut to see how close....but I'd guess it was close to an inch short of a coil. With these new pics....what do you guys think....Its' fairly low in front, but some of that is cause of tires. But I think it's about right....you almost look at it and wonder if it's been lowered just a little or maybe not. The size tires have a lot to do with the way it looks as well. 205's in front, 235's in the rear. Got my front seat remounted today with the mounts I made. Allows the sit to sit 3" further back than the stock mounts allowed. Much more comfortable...and didn't really loose anything in the rear area cause these 4 doors are like a living room back there to begin with. Man, it's really coming along.

Right on Jim....feels good when you can nail a problem down, huh? After reading your posts about your problem, I think one of the next small projects might be to take a look at my pump. Seems that after a week or so, that my fuel takes a bit of time getting back up to the carb...making me think that the diaphram may be leaking...allowing everthing in the line to get back to the tank. Just not sure yet. But congrats!

Ya know Norm, You said it wasn't uncommon to run without them, heard the same thing from suspension shop....so, unless I end up with some bad noise from the springs contact with the lower control arm, I'm not even going to sweat it. Besides, with your help, I now know that if I want to put them in, it's really only going to be a little over an hour...maybe less to slide in some isolators. Oh, and it turns out that the bumper mount I got with my front bumper last week....was the wrong mount....They guy had both a Plymouth and a Dodge mount laying side by side. Guess which one he sent? So, no bumper braket till late next week or the week after.

Hey Ed, Yeah, today I will get some better pics. I'd have gotten some yesterday, but the wife's car was blocking the front of the car, it was getting late in the day and I had my grinding table set up in front of the car too....But better pics will be today. Yeah, when I spoke with Greg at NOSMopar, I had asked him to look them up cause there were 2 part #'s for my car, same price, but didn't know which one to order...He looked it up and took the order. I asked him how long till I would have them. He said 7 to 10 days.... I always take that to mean " business days"...no problem. But, I even asked him if I could get them any sooner, and he told me that " he'd pass that info down the line and maybe they could get them out the next day". I figured, he looked them up, told me when they should arrived and even promised to see if he could quicken the process a little, then for sure he must have them in stock. But he didn't...not when I ordered them, and still didn't have them almost 3 weeks later when I cancelled the order. Oh well, I gotta let that go. Anyway, will post some pics later.

Hey Jim, Yeah, I think she was pretty right on. One thing she mentioned and I forgot to mention here was that on a spring with more miles on it...the drop after the cut could be a little more than what is figured. In other words, had the spring been brand new and cut using that formula, it's much more accurate, cause the spring still has more oomph. An older spring may drop a little more. If I take everything into consideration, not using the spring isolator and the spring not being new, I'd say she was write on. I can't find that paper I'd written my initial measurements of the height of the car...But, I expected to drop 3 inches but I got closer to 3 1/2 inch drop. Some of that due to the isolators not being used on the bottom of the spring when I reassembled, and they were, at a minimum, 1/4"...and actually closer to 1/2" ....So, I think Lori and her way of measuring and cutting is a pretty accurate way to go. Brian

Well Norm, if my wife and I were sitting and chatting....and I brought up the subject of maybe getting something else, car, boat, whatever....and she said.." I think you should do it"....Man, there'd be a dusty mushroom cloud in the chair were my butt was just sitting...cause I'd be gone....Of course, it would be after I gave her a kiss on the cheek. But I, personally, would be gone!! I'd be on the internet, then to the nearest market for all the car ads, then again online....Only cause I know my wife...and if I started looking and decided to look through the winter, and maybe buy something come spring, she say something like...."well, maybe we should wait...we really need a new bed, maybe some living room furniture"....etc. I know, cause it's happened to me with her. And remember Norm, even if you get something already finished, even a near " show " quality ride, it's probably going to need as much " tinkering" as the coupe.....maybe more. I'll bet you could really do the coupe up nice with that money! Spend it, enjoy!

I'm the same way Greg.....I don't like to see sparks, but giving a little attitude I think can help any vehicle, but again and like Pat said, it's gotta make me smile. And just having gotten the springs out smoothly following Normspeeds procedure, then getting them back in, by myself....without even a torn knuckle, well, that is half of the enjoyment...but ya should have seen me finishing up, getting the wheels back on...I couldn't get to my floor jack fast enough to get her to the ground...Yeah, I love it! And, ya know, I was planning on having a bumper on it today as well....first thing I started on this morning.....Long story, but I'm pissed about the bumper I recently got. I won't get into it cause I just get hot thinkin about it...don't need that twice in one day. Eeeassy, stress level down.

I agree with you 100% Pat.....You gotta be the one that likes what you do to your ride. I'm liking this car more everyday. And to me, stance is like #1 in the top 5 things that impress me when I see a car....and I just had to do a little adjustment to make me feel better about the way the car sits...and approaches. And about the suppliers, I won't go on and on, but ya know, they didn't call me and it was nearly 3 weeks by the time I called them to find out they didn't have 'em. I feel the same way, just be straight with me when I'm ordering....I can work around them not having them in stock, but I can't work around what I don't know and they won't tell me. Anyway, thanks Pat....I'm glad someone here likes it. Hey, even my wife liked it! That's a plus in my book!

Hey Guys, Put my coils back in the day before yesterday. It took a little longer than taking them out cause I had to do it by myself...actually, I didn't have to, but my daughter was in school (my helper), and just didn't want to wait until today to do it. Anyway, a couple of pics. I didn't wait for the coil spring isolators...as a matter of fact, I called NOSMopar on Thursday and they hadn't even gotten them yet. Had told me it would be 7 to 10 days...I ordered them on the 17th of last month! They didn't tell me when I ordered that they didn't have 'em and that they were waiting for a shipment. Pissed me off. I'm a little less than impressed with them on this being my first order from them. Anyway, haven't really driven the car with the new spring setup yet cause the seats out and I'm modifying it's mounting location a little. A couple other small projects going on with it. Should have the seats remounted tomorrow and then be able to check out the ride. Oh, without the coil isolators, I think I ended up with nearly a 3 1/2 drop. Anyway, what are your opinions of the stance. If you don't like it, don't be shy, but tell me why. If you do like it or think it should be lower in front, lower in back, etc. Let me know that too cause I'm not sure I wouldn't like another 1/2 inch drop in the front and an 1 1/2" drop out back.

Yeah Norm, All the plugs are different. When I purchased mine, all the correct cables came with it, and am hoping that this weekend might produce a manual from some of the guys on other forums I've had contact with.

Hey Guys, I'd forgotten to update you guys who are looking for the manual like I am. I belong to a jeepster forum and a Colorado/Canyon forum...posted pics on those forums with out needs, 3 or 4 guys from those forums say they have the analyzer like mine, or very close. One guy says he has that one for sure. Anyway, 1 guy is supposed to be scanning a copy of the manual for part # 161.2104250....which is pretty close to our models. He's supposed to scan it this Sunday and get it sent Sunday or Monday. Another guy that I've done business with on the Jeepster site says he's got that model and will pull the manual and send a copy. Waiting to hear back from the 1 or 2 other guys. Anyway, we might have something soon.

Hey Shel...and the rest of you that chimed in....Thanks for the info....Now I just have to find the bolts....going to the hardware store tomorrow to get carriage bolts.....then later bumper bolts...when I get the chroming dones.

Thats another good idea....but at this point, I haven't found a chrome shop anywhere near me....We are up in the Sierra Nevada....But if all else fails, I could always get the carraige bolts of correct size, then down the road when I do find a chromer and send off the bumpers, have the bolts done at the same time. Still looking for length, bolt diameter and head diameter though. Anyone?

Bob, I think your right about the rounds being originals....every pic I've got seems to have the round head bumper bolts....and some of the pics I have are of some pretty old junk with the original bumpers I'm sure. That being the case, looks as though all I need now are the 2 different lengths, the correct diameter and I may be good to start looking for bolts. Oh, I just read somewhere that there are also different head diameters for the round heads. So if anyone can tell me the diameter of the bumper bolt head on a 46 to 48 bumper bolt, that will help me out as well. Thanks.

Hey Bob.........Thanks. Yeah, I saw that orange Dodge on the bay....good idea though on checking pics on the bay to get an idea of what might have been original...kind of like that pic I found that had the original style interior to see where that trim piece went on the Panel. You may be right about the Dodges having the round bolts and Plymouth the ovals. Theres a guy on the bay right now with a set of ovals, and he is only advertising them for the '46 through '49 Plymouth....I figure if they were correct for the Dodge also, he would have advertised them as such. I think I will take a look at some other pics I've saved and look closely at the bumper bolts, cause the round ones seem a lot more available. Anybody else want to chime in on what kind of bolts they have on a 46 - 48 Dodge?