Floydflathead

Forgot, I have one more question regarding tihs. Is the serial number stamped anywhere else on the frame, for example, towards the rear? Thanks, Floyd

Trying to get the title for this 1/2, swb, low-side PU. Problem is, none of the numbers match. So here's what I've found, and I hope folks can chime in and let me know if they've seen this before. 1. Title VIN is: T33453635; that was clearly the engine number, which was a flathead 6. The engine was gone when I got the truck (had newer V8), so not good for title purposes anymore. This engineering code was for engines produced from 1954-1956 (T334). 2. Cowl tag states: Model C1-B6-108 (1954 1/2T, 6 cyl, 108" wb); VIN: 82370051 (this number is later in the series range; 82,338,001 to 82, 372,344) 3. Frame, front, drivers side VIN: 82,380,816 ("0" not stamped well and looks a little like a "C", first "8" double stamped). This number indicates a C3B, 1955 vehicle. The VIN range is 82,373,001 to 82,397,181. Number is about 1/3 through production range. Has anybody seen this where a "1954" cab is on a "1955" frame? I can see how it might happen given that the cab was pretty late 1954, and the frame is earlier 1955. Truck title states it is 1955, so makes sense that the later date was used. Were there any differences between late 1954 and early 1955 trucks? I think they are all the same in reality. Thanks, Floyd

Appreciate your coupes! Here's similar ones that I have that I'm working on.

You could even try calling a couple of reproduction parts suppliers because some of them sell used parts as well. For example, Andy Bernbaum or Roberts Mopar parts. Actually, these wheels are pretty common. I collect/restore Hudsons as well and I think they are the same wheels on the contemporary cars. Of course, the spare goes in the pocket behind the drivers seat in the 1940 busines coupe.

Look forward to seeing and hearing more about your car! Sounds and looks like it's pretty much ready to roll (except for the generator). I also have a 1940 Plymouth P9 coupe. It is not as pretty as yours but is the original paint and upholstery. Looks like someone went to put a radio in that car, and the dash seems to have been woodgrained a somewhat lighter color and possibly different pattern -- still your dash looks great! Other Mopars I have are 1960 Dodge Dart Seneca, 1946 Dodge 3W business coupe, and 1942 DeSoto Custom club coupe. Here's some pictures of those, though they aren't the best. The Dart was purchased new by my granddad and was his only new car. The other Dodge and the DeSoto aren't currently running. I'm working on the DeSoto actively to get it put back together.

BTW, wanted to let you know I was in Estonia about 2 years ago and really enjoyed visiting your country! Best of luck and please keep us updated on your progress/needs.

Your work is exceptional! Please keep the pictures coming! I have a 1940 Plymouth Business Coupe (P9). I will take pictures of the package tray from that, but they aren't exactly the same car as the postwar business coupes. Maybe it will help give you an idea how your car should go together. You are a true craftsman, and thanks for restoring this car back to its former glory. Most people here would end up just trying to fix it with galvanized sheet metal and newspapers -- like what you found!

I hope the experts can help me here. I have decoded the VIN tag on my C1-B6 1955 Dodge pickup, and the flathead 6 was replaced some time ago with a 1960 Mopar V8. The original engine number was T33453635. That is what is on my title and it's no longer a valid reference point. Did Dodge stamp the vehicle numbers on the frame and did this match the one on the cowl tag? Where are those numbers stamped on the frame? Appreciate the help!

I did have trouble with a few of the pressure sensor type brake light switches such as the master cylinder on my 1960 Dodge Dart. Sometimes, DOT 5 can cause those to fail, although I had the same one on there for 10 years now without failure. That is the only downside I've seen. It is a lot easier to replace one of those than cleaning up ruined linings, re-honing, etc. And dealing with teh Wagner Lockheed single piston cylinders on the front wheels are not something I want to have to deal with frequently! For mechanical brake swiches on the old cars, I really can't think of any advantage to using the DOT 3 anymore. I've heard many claims about the chemical makeup not workign correctly with the rubber cups on the wheel cylinders, but have never seen any of these problems in practice -- no leaks at all, yet a 1940 Plymouth coupe that I replaced all the wheel cylinders and master cylinder has lost brakes, because I used DOT 3 in that system when I restored it years ago. If you drive your car everyday, and live in a fairly dry climate, DOT 3 is probably fine, but any periods of inactivity will surely have the brake fluid gathering water/moisture with the resulting corrosion and leakage. Alcohol is hygroscopic (absorbs water). The other good news if you drip some DOT 5 fluid accidentally on your paint when you're filling (you almost never would have to do that compared to frequency with DOT 3), you won't ruin your paint. Anyway, that's my experience for what it's worth.

I wish I could tell you for sure. Seems like they should. I'm interested to know how this works out because I have a 46 Dodge 3W coupe. I think my fenders are all straight, but never sure what the rust and mud situation is until you get under the paint.

I've used DOT 5 on all my old cars without any issue for 15 years. Of course rebuilt master/wheel cylinders and carefully cleaned out or replaced the brake lines. If you want to keep rebuilding them and replacing damaged components due to leakage, go ahead and keep using DOT 3. Tim

Eric, Thanks, you bet all these posts and pictures help out!

Scruffy, I have a 41 1/2T Hudson truck and obtained this 47 Big Boy. I"m going back to stock on these. So the hemi comes out of the Hudson. Here's a few pics of my 41 Hudsons. attached. The Stepdown is a 1950 that I finished a few years ago.

Ok, I will start a project blog. I'm already buried deep in other projects, but my approach work till I get to a stopping point, then work on something else, while thinking all the while how to resolve the various resto projects. Desoto is slowed a little, but I want to get right back on this. Really body work isn't bad and the engine/trans just take the tie it takes. Thanks for all the info on the serial numbers: Very helpful!

One of my other projects: 1950 Hudson Pacemaker Deluxe. Went through everything here.

Here are the numbers off the car: Desoto Motor Corp Body Number (Firewall): 101-2-2759 Briggs Mfg Co Number (Firewall): 432-4117 Engine Number: S10-19909 VIN (serial Number on Pass Door post): 5781785 Looks like the fluid drive housing has a number near where it bolts to the engine block: K11 and 868751-3

Ed, Thanks for responding so much and I will get some more pictures for you. Let me try and respond to a few items. 1. I already have all the literature you suggest. As a matter of fact the SIA article that I read 13 years ago made me keep my eyes open for one of these. I saw one other club coupe around Eugene, OR come up on Ebay about 5 years ago, and it was a no sale at $25K. 2. I've done other posts about the radio situation. I'm sure the car had this very radio in it originally. But it is a 41 style radio. Have looked it up elsewhere based on the serial numbers inside the radio. I just doesn't look quite right, but worked perfectly fine -- you could see some of the screws and paint in the dash face. The 1942 radio that would be correct for the car has the ivory buttons. Also, from what I found on the web, Chryslers and DeSotos only got the 8 tube radios in 42. Plymouth and Dodge got 6 or 8 tube radios depending on what the customer wanted to pay for. Many of those 42 radios ended up in furniture tables because production was ended and the radio manufacturers didn't want to get stuck with unsold stock. So they built the radios into and end table type radio/speaker piece of furniture. I have a 1941 dash that I purchased and I'm restoring, and eventually it will have all the right parts with it. Clock and Radio. It also has some woodgraining on it. 3. Yes, the Steering wheel is Ivory (needs repair) and the steering wheen and all the badging is a Custom. The dash had all the red lines on the chrome. One question for you is that my car did not have the clock, but I have obtained one that is appropriate. It is a 46-48 clock. The question is should the face of the clock be the burnished magenta color of the instrument panel/glovebox door? Also all the pull cables and electric switches on the unit under the dash were on a plain chrome horizontal box, but literature suggest that those has the patterned burnished magenta color panel as on the glovebox. Any clues there? 4. My car has the Lucite Lady. Good observation about limitations on chrome. I think my car must have been built in early December 1941. It had chrome bumpers and everything else. However, it had the Lucite Lady hood ornament which was, as I understood it, only available with the Fifth Avenue option. Bit of a mystery. If it can be built, it can be fixed. I don't know what shape the tranny is in, but will find out soon. I'm pretty hopeful that with some cleaning and maintenance, it will run properly again. I plan to make the original materials work for the car. Now some history on this car. It sat in a home garage in Kennewick, WA for about 40 years. The car was bought by the father of the woman I bought it from and he gave her the car in 1975. She had it over near Vancouver, WA at that time (remembers driving over Stevens Pass), but immediately after getting the car, she and her husband moved to Kennewick. That was 38 years ago and the car never moved from that garage until I got it. The car was owned by a school teacher from Cashmere, WA. That is near Wenatchee and Leavenworth, WA. Her husband passed away in 1964 after an roofing accidental fall; and her son passed away not that many years after that (I looked up their history). Their names were on some documents in the glovebox. The woman I bought the car from -- her father probably bought it from the school teacher in the early 70s after she quit driving all together. At any rate, pretty sure this car was always an eastern Washington car. The original owners manual was still in the glovebox as well as some "I like Ike" stickers. I will get the numbers off the firewall for you but you have to promise to help decode some of them for me! Also, can you post pictures of you car? That would be very helpful! Tim

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=824377&highlight=1942+dodge link to the 42 dodge

Eric, Do you mean the Dodge lettering on the front fender side? I'm not sure, but I think it looked correct. The Dodge letter on the front hood is held on with 3 screwws and appears damaged. I'm largely a Hudson guy, but have several Mopars. And I'm trying to finish complete resto on a 1967 Olds Toronado -- a fantastic car. 1960 Dodge Dart Seneca 4dr (Grandfather's only new car, and essentially untouched from new). 1946 Dodge 3W Business Coupe 1942 Desoto Custom Club Coupe 1940 Plymouth P9 Roadking Business Coupe This Dodge pickup came to me in another deal where I acquired 2 Hudsons. The Hudson pickup had a 54 Chrysler Hemi in it, and I want to put that in the Dodge. Tim

There's a 42 Dodge business coupe listed in the HAMB that was for sale a few weeks back. Grey, located in Texas.

My car is the later Simplimatic version. Had the second iteration of carburetor also -- there was an early and late version from what I understand. I believe this car was produced right around the actual Pearl Harbor attack week. The original color is Regal Maroon.

Here's another Mopar project I have. Don't see many of these anymore. Wow! It even has the tow package! (not after I'm done with it!)

One of several projects I have going. This was a car a never thought I would find in my backyard, but here it is. It is originally from just north of my area, and spent about 40 years on jackstands in a local home garage. The owner starter to repaint the car, took off the front fenders, and clearly didn't know what he was doing. Unfortunately for him, he developed Alzheimers, and his wife finally sold the car to me. We had to look around this filled to the gills garage for parts. He had put some items up in the garage rafters. Much of the stainless headlights, and parking lights were thrown into a little junky trailer outside and sat there for 20-30 years. It is amazing I found as much as I did. I have found most items for this car, but are missing a few, and have started my inventory. Any details that folks can provide me will be appreciated. My car has the following options: Simplimatic Drive Sportsman Package with leather Bolsters on the seats. This is supposedly quite rare. An August 2000 issue of SIA has a restoration article on this exact car and the owner stated it was the only known one then with the Sportsman package. Missing items: rear ashtray door covers that go below quarter windows, buttons for the 42 radio that I purchased for the car (it came originally I'm sure with a 41 radio -- the dealer out here in eastern WA at the time probably only had that radio is my explanation) Horn ring. the original was broken off on the top half maybe it was due to an emergency honk! those are pot metal, so don't think I can replace it, New speedometer dial face. The original is so yellowed you can't read the odomter. I may have some new ones made if there is interest by others in these. Can't find that anybody sells them. My car has the Lucite Lady hood ornament; don't know if that was an option only (chrome standard). Some of the stainless trim is not great on the front fenders. Bent up fairly well. I think 42 is a one off year for that. I've got the dash torn down, have the carb mostly rebuilt (special car for 42 and has kickdown switch on it), I have a new wiring harness for the Simplimatic drive. I need a new water distribution tube for the engine, and have to finish tearing it down and rebuilding it. Not sure what I'll have to do to the transmission. The fluid drive needs to be flushed. Most people say not to try to take these apart for service. Just flush with fresh oil or add fresh oil. Otherwise, no serious rust issues with this car. And thankfully it's pretty straight. The previous owner started putting some light blue mud on the rear fender. Gone that will soon be!

Yes, I'm here in the Tri-Cities near Richland. Truck has been here many years, perhaps all its years. Any help I can get with info about this specific truck is appreciated. Is the box from an earlier year or would it be something that they used also in 55. I think this truck is perhaps a late 54 early 55 based on serial number. How rare are these things really? I see lots of Chevys and Fords from this era, but not many Dodges.

55 Fargo, I notice that your box is the tall one. Compare the two and you'll see.