Oldguy48

I became a Crosley fan many years ago. A neighbor, who was a wizard with a torch and a welder, built a miniature America LaFrance firetruck based on a Crosley chassis. And I rode along on its maiden voyage. I was probably about 12 years old at the time. Last I heard, the truck was purchased by an amusement park in California. He would take it to local carnivals and sell rides from the "Never Make It Fire Company". I have a photo of it that was published in Popular Mechanics magazine, but cannot figure out how to add it to this post. I attribute this neighbor for sparking my interest in metalworking/fabrication. I will forever be grateful to him! Wayne

Those trucks might be ugly, and far from stylish, but I'd welcome one in my garage. Unusual to say the least, but I kinda like the ugly ducklings. I also like Crosleys and early Studebaker trucks.!!!

"Simple Green" cleanser seems to work well on my Diamondbacks whitewalls.

I had a leaf added to the rear springs to get that stance, and the tires are 215/75R15 on stock rims. Tubeless tires/no tubes installed.

Suggest you take a look at the Diamondback Tires website. I bought tires from them for my P15. You can specify the whitewall width you want, since they attach the whitewall to the tires. I don't recall what the price was, except that they were cheaper than Coker. I've been very happy with mine, and they've been on the car for about 6 years now. (Mine are 3" wide)

Well, if you're ever in the Bloomsburg, PA area, stop in and say Hi. I'll be glad to show you the old gal. Wayne

Yes....the panel on the driver's side has a Ford style solenoid that is activated when the starter button is pushed. And the solenoid that's mounted on the starter is wired to the main starter terminal. That way, the heavy gauge wire from the trunk to the starter is only live when starting the engine. Wayne

Make certain you slip the fitting on the line BEFORE you make the flare !! And I mention that simply because I made a few flares before realizing I DIDN'T slip the fitting on, and had to start over!! I guess I needed the extra practice ! Wayne

M first car was a P15 that was originally purchased new by my grandfather. Sadly, that car is gone (I tried to find it, to no avail), but I found a sister to it back in 2006. After approximately 4 1/2 years, it was roadworthy. Yes, it has been modified quite a bit, but at first glance, it looks stock. Upgrades include a 350 Chevy engine, TH350 transmission, power rack & pinion steering, air conditioning, Road Runner rear end, new interior, and custom rewiring. It's fun to drive, dependable, and still brings back a lot of memories of that first P15. Oh...and I'm 68 years old.

My grandfather had a D24, and the one thing I remember most about it was how beautiful the dashboard was. I was probably about 10 years old at the time.

My P15

You've got a pretty good assortment there, but I would add some electrical items. Like a small roll of primary wire (#14 AWG), some fuses, either a test light, or a small volt/ohmmeter, roll of electrical tape, a spare bulb or two. And out of curiosity, how many times did you actually have to fix something along the road, with your spare items in the trunk? Wayne

Never seen one of those before, but it looks like it could be a vacuum operated control valve for the heater hose....maybe.

I would take a close look at the points, and make certain the contacts are clean, and properly gapped. If the points don't "make & break" as the distributor cam turns, there won't be any spark from the coil. Make sure the wire in the distributor that connects to the points isn't touching ground inside the distributor housing. If the coil is indeed defective, I'm guessing your local NAPA store should be able to help you. And if you have a "Tractor Supply" store in your area, they also should carry 6V ignition coils. Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress. Wayne

I would take a close look at the points, and make certain the contacts are clean, and properly gapped. If the points don't "make & break" as the distributor cam turns, there won't be any spark from the coil. Make sure the wire in the distributor that connects to the points isn't touching ground inside the distributor housing. If the coil is indeed defective, I'm guessing your local NAPA store should be able to help you. And if you have a "Tractor Supply" store in your area, they also should carry 6V ignition coils. Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress. Wayne

You could cut out a cardboard pattern for each sill. and have a local sheet metal shop cut the sill plates for you. Drilling and tapping the holes is fairly easy, but if you're not familiar with the process, read up on it, and practice on a piece of scrap before you tackle your car. (small taps can break easily if you force them, and can be difficult to remove), and be sure to use a threading lubricant. You can definitely do this youself...I KNOW you can do it !! Please post pictures when you're finished. Wayne

I had the same problem. I didn't want to spend a pile of money, so I fabricated my own. 14 gage steel cut to size, and rubber material I purchased at Lowe's. Glued the rubber to the steel, drilled and tapped for 8-32 stainless FH screws & finishing washers. I think they look good, and the cost was minimal. I attempted to provide pictures, but I guess the pics were too large . I'll try again later if you'd like to see them. Finally added a pic. Wayne

I had the same problem. I didn't want to spend a pile of money, so I fabricated my own. 14 gage steel cut to size, and rubber material I purchased at Lowe's. Glued the rubber to the steel, drilled and tapped for 8-32 stainless FH screws & finishing washers. I think they look good, and the cost was minimal. I attempted to provide pictures, but I guess the pics were too large . I'll try again later if you'd like to see them. Wayne

I purchased headliner bow grommets for my P15 from McMaster-Carr. Can't recall the stock number, but they were a very close match to the originals, and worked well

They look very much like 1948 Studebaker lights

I hope someone can rescue that Dodge. Crushing that car would be a sin.

Nice !!

Great pictures Rich.....Of your wife, you, and the car. Nice. Wayne

I cannot answer your question about modifying the steering ams, but..I installed a Cavalier rack in my P15. It's true that the turning radius has increased somewhat. But the increase is not dramatic, and I feel no need to make any modifications to improve it. I have not taken any measurements to accurately note the difference, but I'm satisfied with the performance of the steering. Just my opinion on my steering performance. Others may disagree, but I'm OK with what I've got. A marked improvement over the original design.

I agree with Plymouthy. I installed a Hurricane 1000 (Old Air Products) in my P15, and it works great. And the evaporator unit in the passenger compartment took up about the same space as the original heater. Wayne