John Burke

hey guys...I am looking for a small 12 volt fan to mount on the dash of the 49 Dodge to help with the defrostng this winter. I picked one up at Car Quest that said it was only 6" in dia. but when I opened the package it looked like a turbo prop for a small airplane....anyone got a source for me? Thanxz, John

how about the music for it Don? I'd like to learn this one...John

I really hate to do it but I have to sell the bizzy coupe. You can read the entire write up in the cars for sale dept. Thanxz, John

I am sorry guy's that I did not get back on thisas I have been way to busy for an old man....anyway...here is how it turned out...Since I had a sbc in the dodge, space was at a premium. After several failed attempts at positioning the GM steering box I finaly got it mounted in nearly the same position the old one was in. Clearing the exhaust manifold required reworking the outlet by cutting it off and repositioning it and welding it back together.The steering column was cut off and connected to the steering box with a couple of weld on U-joints and some support bearings. I then reworked the pitman arm by cutting the end off the original and breeding it to a stock GM arm...You should be a good welder here or have somone who is good do it for you...I then fabricated a bracket to mount a GM power steering pump and pully. I had to have some new hoses fabricated to fit the installation. After a bit of frustration I finaly started up the car and tried it out.....It was heavan especially having radial tires on the car....I am sure that with a stock 6 cylinder engine one would have a much easier time of it because of all the extra room.....John

I was cruzzin in the 49er through the town of Beatrice NE. When I spotted this rare Power Wagon by the side of the road. Does anyone know what year it is? I thought maybe a wartime vehicle...(you know, a shortage of metal)...anyway, I thought it was neat and needed to share it with you guys.....John Burke:rolleyes:

Here is a recreation of our first meeting

I spoke with a guy in Wichita who has a nice straight 48 Desoto moredore. It needs restoring but looks to be a nice solid car...It's on Craigs list at $800 but I know he will take $500 for it...Wife says no unless I want to sleep with it instead of her. His number is 316-796-0075....John

For some reason or another the dodge deal fell through...John

What starters will fit a 48 Desoto? I have one or two from a 49 Dodge will it work? Thanxz for the help....John

Well....my experience was a bit different....the Doc fergot, or did'nt want to, to use any painkiller before the cuts...I'm not joking this time...he had two male nurses hold me down...unbelieveable pain...the worst part was when he was done on one side, I knew he had another side to do...I was to dumn to complain till afterwards when I asked him about it...his reply pee's me off to this day..."If we made this to easy, then everyone would want it done"....30 years later I can brag and laugh about it...somewhat....John Burke

I will be putting my 49 Bizzy coupe up for sale soon....very nice looking driver, low miles on a rebuilt motor, milled head, dual b&b's with an offey manifold, George Ashe built overdrive tranny with the long second gear...redone interior, not original, base coat, clear coat red metal flake paint with gold ghost flames...runs, drives and stop great

I called the gentleman who has the Dodge and it's a 1 owner car that runs really good with no rust through. All the chrome is there and it has some dents in the fenders..,..sooooo...I went ahead and bought it...It's at Ft. Scott KS. I'm going down Sat noonish to get it....thanxz for the heads up...John

Since being a member of this great forum,I have often been amused and sometimes curious of the names, masculine and feminine, that many of our members have bestowed upon thier cars....Are they products of our imaginations? Are they recolections of an old girl friend or a current wife?.....Perhaps they they embody some peculiar quirk or feature..I'd like to hear from some members where the names for thier cars came from. Actual or secret....I have it on good stead from a Penn. source that Don Coatny, after his lackluster showing in the great race, has secretely renamed his blue bomb "The Molassasmobile"...as for mine, after my recent paint job, I am naming it "Trots" because of the runs....hehe...just kidding but I would like to hear some of your stories.....John Burke

ha ha Greg....very funny...every other year when the boys plant corn I feel like I'm trapped in a forest...can't see past the first row...next year it will be soybeans...much better....Sunflowers? fergeddit...those are a Kansas thing and they can stay down there...hows that flooziebaker of yours doin'?...John

I finally got the rims cleaned up and paintedyesterday....today I put the hubcaps back on...all I really have left to do is let it cure for a week or so and buff it out a little...I am aiming for a paint job that looks about a year old rather than a super shinny one....I did it, I like it....nuthin' else matters...John Burke

Well old "asleep at the wheel John" thought this auction was next week instead of last Saturday.. A nice 47 2-door Studie that you could drive home brought $1900.00, a 39 chevy coupe, roller, but nice, brought $1750.00 and a 40 plymouth pickup body, complete, brought $650.00....Oh well...John

I removed a few things but masked off the stuff that was easy to do...John

Well today we moved on off the brakes and shot the paint on the 49'er...Spent a couple of days in prepping...Used Centari Acrilic Enamel....simply called "marron Color"...I had them add extra mettalic which lightened it up a bit so I added Black to darken it back up...It took one gallon of paint some reducer and hardner I saved a little bit for the wheels and touch up....it's definatly not factory but we sure like it...John Burke

Well we installed the new shoes and cylinders on the passenger front then bled the brakes...got some good pedal....added a return spring on the brake pedal arm and took it for a test...It needs adjustment as it pulled to the left but it also pulsated heavily on the brake pedal when I was stopping..warped drum of course....it goes to be turned tomorrow then Fri morning to the brake shop for a full adjustment....maybe this time....tomorrow we paint....John Burke

OK....one pair of shoes for the front cost me $21.30....The new wheel cylinders were $37.12 each...not sure what you want in the way of hardware....They do sell a spring and clip set for it but I did'nt need it....hope this answeres some of yur questions.....John

Today, in an effort to finds a cure for my brake problems on the 49er, I spoke with a couple of hot lines..(Speedway Motors and a brake specialty shop)...several suggertions were proffered including the addition of a return spring on the swing pedal arm....also a proportioning valve to equilize the pressure on the rear brakes...not really necessary but is supposted to help. installed the new lines and reworked the rear brakes etc. and went to bleed them. We could not get any pressure on the pedal when i noticed fluid steaming out of the passenger front drum.....We opened the thing up and everything fell out in a pile....the front shoes had become unbonded and were lying there in about 6- pieces....also the rubbber brake line was melted off where the fitting goes into the wheel cylinder...Sweet Jesus...what the heck else can go wrong...this is turning into a nightmare.....Luckily my brake part supplier in Lincoln had everything I needed to rebuild that assembly....new shoes, cylinders and a speial made hose....off the shelf...I guess I am lucky in that respect...let's see what tomorrow brings....John Burkd

Well after the trouble with the brakes locking up, on the rod run last nite, I go out this morning and find NO brakes...Tomorrow I am replacing everything from the master cylinder to the back brake shoes...That should solve my mystery. I have decided the trouble was caused by paint.......the wrong color of it so right after the brakes get done I am repainting the lower half Maroon with gold metallics in it...I'l leave the roof the silver grey metallic. nothing like new siding to make a temperamental old gal happy...Here is what it is now.....john

Well I spoke to soon....I started out on a run tonite and was forced to turn around and go back... My expensive "Vintage Air" conditioning unit quit cooling also...Temp read 100* on the Wahoo bank...needless to say i was not in good humor. I'll check the lines tomorrow and if I don't find anything wrong I'll try a new master cylinder....jb

Marty....it appears you had the answere...I shortened the master cylinder pushrod about 2 turns and got more freeplay on the pedal. A 30 mile test run last nite showed no problems so we may be good to go....I'll give it a few more runs today increasing the distance before I take a long trip....btw the power steering is working like a champ.....thanks for the tip Marty.....John

The brakes on the 49 Dodge have started acting up. To explain my set up...I have a "Cuda" rear end of about mid 60's vintage and a firewall mounted, dual chamber master cylinder with a swing pedal. The pressure in the rear brakes gradually builds up, 20-30 miles of driving, till the pedal is hard and the rear brakes are not releasing. When I stop, the brake light stays on and after an hour or so the pressure gradually releases and the light goes out. The next morning the brakes act fine at first but the problem reapppears when driving it. Most of the locking up seems to occur in the passenger rear wheel so I tore it down and replaced a leaky wheel cylinder, and a worn axle bearing and seal....This did not solve the problem. It's going to my mechanic next week but he will be digging in the dark also. Any suggestions would be helpful...btw the power steering from a 70's GM I added works great. Speedway now has a nice, all electric, unit that would probably be easier to install but they start at a grand.....jb