blueskies

Joe- Just read through this thread, sorry to hear you've got a bad noise... When I first heard mine, it was so faint that no-one else could hear it. I tend to be paranoid about noises, and listen constantly for noises that change over time. I could hear something I didn't like, but couldn't find it. I tried pulling plug wires, stethoscope, etc, to no avail. I just kept driving it and the noise kept getting more pronounced over time until I was finally able to hear it loud enough to figure out where it was. I finally found that it was in one cylinder by pulling plug wires and listening to the engine with the stethoscope. I pulled the pan and inspected the bearings and they were all good. Checked them with Plastiguage again and all good. Finally pulled the head and removed the piston from the cylinder in question, and found the wrist pin bushing cracked and spinning in the rod end. Apparently it was not a tight enough fit. If you look very carefully at the wrist pins when you pull your pan, you may be able to see signs of a problem. I didn't notice it before I pulled the piston, but there was a crack at the edge of the bushing that was visible before I removed the pin. I don't know if running too much advance with my HEI caused this, or if it was just a bad bushing fitment done by Vintage Power Wagons. I had the bushing replaced and it has been fine for thousands of miles since. Hope you find an easy fix... Pete

My boys and I are feeling the pits of our stomachs, sad that the Plymouth is going to a new home... We decided we needed something to tinker with to fill the void and I've wanted a Willys Wagon for years. I've been watching craig's-list and other classifieds for months, and finally found a wagon I liked for a price I could handle. I spend about a 1/3 of my Plymouth proceeds on this '60 Wagon, and it is being shipped any day now from Arkansas to Idaho. It has a "Super Hurricane" flathead six, so it will feel right at home in the garage. And it will still give my ARCH RACE RIVAL Don C a run for the money. That and I can drag his blue boat out of the ditch when he takes Deadman's curve a little too hot. The boys and I can't wait for it to get here, it will be great to have a fun rig that we can use year round in the mountains of Idaho. Now to make the old flatty kick-a$$... that made me grin ear to ear- It is going to be very hard to leave it alone for the time being...Here's a couple of shots of my wagon... The door art is just magnet signs. PTO winch, stock drivetrain. the '60 was a transition year, still has the split windows front and rear, but has the later model low profile roofline. First order of business, seatbelts and some interior detailing. Then lots of dirt roads and fishing rods. Cheers- Pete

Glad you met Bill, he's a great guy. He started www.oldplymouths.com about the time I bought my car. He drove about 4 hours out of his way to come visit and see my car at the time, as I was the closest guy on the net with an old Plymouth. I had planned to make the trip to Portland with him, but you know what they say about the best layed plans... Looking forward to your pics... Pete

Thanks for posting the update Todd... I was really hoping to make this trip in my '50 before I sold it. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Say Hello to Bill Ward for me, he's there in his "Boop's Coupe", a maroon '50 with a teardrop trailer in tow. Have a great trip, Pete

Looks awesome Lee, excellent job... Pete

Here's what I did... http://www.50plymouth.com/07-cha/cha.html Pete

Robin- I detailed how I did mine on my website under the Transmission section. check it out at www.50plymouth.com Pete

I'm in Mountain Home four days a week... but I think they sold the vert a few years ago. I had thoughts of buying it way back, and it was already gone. Still on their website though... Pete

I thought about doing this with my car. I planned to take an extra heater box and use it to extend the original box to accommodate AC coil in-line with the heater coil. I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work just fine. Pete

I plan to leave the website up for the time being. I'll probably do one last update, and leave it there for reference. I still get email two or three times a week from guys all over the planet with questions about the car... Pete

I'm not so sure there has ever been more BULL in one photo before... LOL The Tulsa trip was the culmination of nearly a decade of work on our Plymouth. I had heard about the event years before, and decided to make it a goal to drive the car across the country to attend. Turned out to be the greatest road trip ever, especially with my 9 (at the time) year old son along for the ride. Neither of us will ever forget it... Pete

Here's a couple shots of my '53. Still wearing the paint that was applied by the previous owner 40 years ago... (or what is left of it...) Bought it with lawn-mower money when I was 14. I drove it stock for about 10 years, then did a 350/th350 in '91, MII front end in '94, and haven't touched it since other than using it for a driver on a regular basis. It is in need of a total make-over, but probably not until my oldest son get's his driver's license in 4 more years. I'll pass the torch to him if he wants it. Pete

Maybe when my boys get a little older, we'll build another one. A '50 Vert would fit the bill... Pete

I still have my '53 chebby pickemup, can't part with it. Would be like cutting off my arm, I've had the truck for nearly 30 years. If I can swing it, I plan to spend a few bucks from the Plymouth proceeds on a Willys Wagon to run around in the hills with year round. The rest will pay the mortgage... Pete

The fellow that bought the car was one of the first guys interested in the car when I first put it up for sale a couple of years ago. For whatever reason, he couldn't put it together then. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and he saw the ebay auction and decided to make it happen. Pete

Yup, the car is going to a new home in Arlington, Tx. The wire transfer happened a couple of hours ago... and it's officially sold. I've been trying to sell the car off and on for two years, so I'm not sure if I'm ready to laugh, or cry. Maybe a little of both. I'm sure when the new owner flys out and drives off into the sunset, we will shed a few tears. The car has been a terrific ten year endeavor, lots of incredible memories for my boys, countless online friends, and even more busted knuckles. I couldn't have asked for anything more out of the homely little Plymouth I drug home so many years ago. I'm sure I'll be checking in to the forum now and again, I've been here daily for so long I'm not sure what else to do with a computer. On to the next chapter, whatever it may be... Pete

That's awsome Lou... very cool! Pete

No sweat with the OD. My '50 will run 70 mph at 2500 rpms all day long. On my Tulsa trip a few years ago, I did ten hour days at 70-75 on the freeway. http://www.youtube.com/user/idahoblueskies#p/u/12/PwexHHm5O2U Pete

Flywheel to crank. I think there are a hundred different variations on these parts, so whatever works should get you down the road. Maybe Michael should just weld the flywheel to the crank and be done with it . My 230 flywheel has a recess on the clutch side, that the "d" bolt heads sit into, so that they cannot turn when the nuts are installed on the engine/crank side. I don't have any pictures of this stuff in my library, unfortunately... Pete

Had a ball driving route 66 with my son in our '50. It would be great to do it when the fun run is in full swing... Pete

Jim- I'm talking about the 230 setup, the bolts go in from the clutch side, and the bolt heads fit into a machined recess in the face of the flywheel... Has nothing to do with the crank. Pete

This is how I usually put stuff together... Third time has been the charm... Pete

I whole heartedly agree with this statement... in the process of building my car, I have done just about everything twice, if not three times. I don't think there is a "perfect assembly" of an old car, because there were so many variants of the parts, lots of shade tree owners have likely already had a hand in "upkeep", etc. The only way to do it in my judgment, is to get the whole mess of parts collected, and then start trying to put it together yourself. When something doesn't fit, take a bunch of photos and post them here for the resident experts to comment. Repeat. Eventually you wind up with something to be proud of, and you become the expert. I had never seen the guts of a flathead six engine and transmission before I bought my car. It's been about 8 years since I put it back on the road, but I remember it like it all happened last week. Maybe it was the repetition... Pete

Regular bolts won't work on the 230 flywheel face, as there is a ridge machined into the flywheel that the "D" shaped bolt heads sit against. A regular bolt head will not seat flat against the face of the flywheel. I tried to install mine with the bolts in from the engine side (like the 218 setup) and put washers under the nuts hoping it would be ok. When I tightened the bolts, they started to bend because the edge of the washer was sitting on the step in the face of the flywheel. In order to get the bolts out, I had to pull my oil pan and rear main bearing cap because the bolts won't go in or out from the engine side otherwise. A total PIA... Bought new bolts and put them in from the clutch side and everything fit like a glove. I suppose you could use a standard bolt if you ground the edge of the bolt head off, to mimic the factory "D" shaped bolt heads. Pete

My experience with VPW is that they have seen every combination and variation on these engines, and if you simply let them know that you want a 230 flywheel for a car application, they will set you up. But you have to communicate your project or you might wind up with something for a 2 ton powerwagon. Pete