iowa51

X3 (or 4) on the newer Champion Plugs. After installing them in the rebuilt engine of my '51 I needed to remove them as there was a head gasket issue. Twist and pulled the new  spark plug wires ends to take them off the off the plugs and 3 of the 6 the porcelains twisted off leaving them attached to the spark plug wires. Installed Autolites and 86'd the Champions.

Might be a few miles out of your upper mileage range but Ron's Auto Salvage outside of Allison IA has quite of a selection of old cars and pickups from the 1940s-1980s. 

 24613 Butler Center Rd, Allison, IA 50602

(319) 267-2871

Has a Facebook page but the website listed is the wrong one. Call before you go as he is an older guy and semi-retired.

Thanks to the internet I can search multiple stores for cost and availability so it depends on that where I purchase. Advance Auto has a limited stock of items for older cars I get a 25% discount if I order online though a work benefit, but no ship to store. O’Reilly’s, better selection, ship to store, but counter people are dumb asses. Auto Zone is 30 miles away but at times they have the part I need. In no hurry? RockAuto surprisingly has a good selection, just make a list and order multiple items from the same warehouse to save on shipping. 
 

As far as discounts, the small chain auto parts store that I did most of my business because it was the closest pulled my discount when a new manager took over because I wasn’t a “legitimate” auto repair business. Jeeze, got 6 old cars plus my daily drivers, I think I did a fair amount of business with them. Not anymore, didn’t burn any bridges telling the manager what I thought but they are now at the bottom of my list.

I finally called them, yes they are still in business.

Why they offer contact options that apparently do not work, I do not know. 

Has anybody had any recent dealings with them?

Several days ago I did a part number search and according to that page the part (NOS) is available but then had me click to another page for price/shipping information and to fill out my email address. I think it even said something like "Request sent".  Haven't heard anything back. 

Time is somewhat of an essences as I am thinking of bidding on a used part and if I can get new/NOS for the same price or a little more I would prefer that.

3 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

to be fair I have little hope the temp gauge will still work when removed ..... 

For the $25 he is asking for the whole cluster I will take my chances. My current temperature gauge works, this is a spare to sit on a shelf.

If the engine still had the intake/exhaust manifold and a cheap price I would have seriously considered making a trip back here sooner rather than later, but it is already gone.

21 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

What I have on my gauge end side is a square nut & is 5/8" .... you wont get a flare wrench to fit a square nut.

The insert going into the head is brass ..... 3/4 is to small .... 7/8 is pretty loose. .... Old brass that is wore out? Maybe .... or they did have some strange sizes back then.

 

Thanks. 

21 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

Not sure why you want to remove it .... if you have a limited amount of tools available .... you may want to wait until you get it home where you have more tools to work on it?

 

Just not seeing why you would want to remove it when you are not prepared for it .... could turn into something bigger then planned on.

The car is in a salvage yard several hundred miles away from where I live as I am here visiting a relative and my tools are at home.  The car body is junk but the instrument cluster is in good shape so I would like to grab it before someone else does as it may be several years before I am back here again

35 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

 BE CAREFUL if you gaug is still a working unit as the bulb will rust fast to the base and often the result is the twist of the capillary tube to the point you will break the seal. 

Where I am staying at the guy has a limited tool chest. I plan on going to Menards, Harbor Freight... and try to find an correct sized flare nut wrench(s) that fits to help with removing it. I have a set at home so I don't want (or need) to buy a whole set.

Won't bore you with the details but anybody know the wrench sizes I need to remove the temperature sending unit from the block of a 218? If I remember correctly I think it is 2 nuts, one threaded into the other on my car anyways.  I would check my own car but at the moment I am several hundred miles away from it. 

13 minutes ago, desoto1939 said:

On the Lockheed brake system you will have a short and a long lining.

According to your information like I should have 4 "long" and 4 "short". The parts manual for my car says I need 6 "long" and 2 "short"

1951 Plymouth Cranbrook.

Brake wheel cylinder on right front side started leaking. Got new cylinders ordered and planned on ordering new shoes due to fluid contamination of the lining but according to my parts catalog each car has 6 "long" shoes (#1136 985) and 2 "short" shoes (#1136 986). So which axle has the "short" shoes?

After a close call I put a piece of painter's tape on one of the blades with the cars of mine with an unshrouded fan. 

2 Years ago my cousin's had a car trailer stolen from from their farm shop, surveillance video showed a white Ford pickup with no plates.  2 weeks later a friend of my son had theirs stolen from my shop where he had it parked, a few miles from my cousin's shop. Neighbor said it was a white Ford pickup, didn't think anything of it as various vehicles come and go from my shop. Sheriff said ours was the 4th trailer reported stolen in the last month, 3 were directly tied to a white Ford pickup, the other had no witnesses.

If boobytrapping was legal many of these thefts would not have happened.

This was posted on the other site. 

The building has been divided up into several business, maybe the whole building as a single business was 120 N. Delaware?

I also posted this on the local "Remember when" local historical page.

Pre 1957 as this was when the local phone numbers changed to 7 digits.

Building next to this address (124 N. Delaware) was a new car dealership and is still standing, though not as a car dealership. The person commenting said this was a Dodge dealership. Never notice this building as an old multiple story car dealership, but driving by I can now see the resemblance to other old downtown buildings that I know, at one time, were dealerships.

Found this in a box of stuff. Approximately 3" X 5 1/2".

I grew up/live in Mason City but have never heard of Hart Motors, with the 3 digit phone number way before my time. The address is now a parking lot. 

2 of the muffler/exhaust systems I have for my old cars ('51 Plymouth and '59 Chevy) came from my local Midas. Just asked for a stock/original style system. No problem with exhaust noise on either car and both can barely be heard when idling.

Something else to consider is the noise coming from another source besides the muffler? My dad had a 1969 Buick Wildcat convertible and, despite having a new top, at 40-50mph there would be an unbearable "howling" noise inside the car. Never did find the cause. Could your problem be wind noise and not muffler noise?

An interesting side note about the muffler I got at Midas for the '59. The store manager was getting ready to order the new muffler when one of the long time employees came up to the desk. He said "we got one of them in stock". The manager said "nothing showed up on the computer". The employee said that it is the "old, old stock" and went to get it. He came back with a very dusty box and pulled out a new muffler. The label said "Full size Chevrolet 1959-72". After the installation the store manager gave me the warranty card which was the old style punch card. He said despite how old the muffler was it still had the lifetime warranty on it.

Having a coworker who got severely burned due to a workplace prank. Another who's fingers got smashed. Loosing new employees who quit due to bullying with "initiation" pranks. Guy with 25 years in loosing his job instantly by thinking it was "funny" to give a female employee a dildo when she asked for a 6" standard calibration rod. And I ending up in the emergency room when they thought it was "funny" to grease my safety glasses. 

I have ZERO tolerance or time for workplace pranks, horseplay, or initiation bulling. When you people who are doing this get severely injured, a coworker gets severely injured,  or you get fired for your pranks, maybe you won't think it is so "funny" after all.

Did a quick search, looks to be useful in the future with my K-Cars.

I may be mistaken as it was many years ago. 

My dad bought a 1951 Plymouth 2 door sedan (a Cambridge?) as a rust free parts car for the fenders for my '51 Plymouth. Found out that the 2 door sedan rear fenders were different than the other Plymouth cars of that year. 

Maybe a Hollinger's (sp?) interchange manual of that era may be of help.

6 minutes ago, greg g said:

Check the ground for the repeater, doesn't take much to corrupt the ground.  Will the light illuminate with a jumper wire to power?

The flasher snaps into the holder so I would think it has a good ground. As said before it worked then didn't work with no changes until I stated trying to fix it.

Thanks for the suggestion of a jumper. I will try that that to make sure the wire from the flasher to the bulb is okay, but I still don't have power to the "P" terminal on the flasher that goes to the light.

A while back my turn signal indicator in the gauge cluster on my '51 Plymouth quit flashing. Turn signals on the outside of the car still worked so no concern at the time. 

Now trying to get the indicator light working again. 1st and most obvious was to replace the bulb. Bulb I took out looked good but replaced it anyways. Still doesn't work. 

Took my test light and tried each terminal on the flasher (6V HD) labeled X, L, and P which according to my wiring diagram goes to the instrument panel light.

Key on and turn signal off X lights up somewhat dim, L lights up, and P has no light.

Tested with key on, turn signal on. Outside lights flash. X flashes, L stays lit although slightly flashes, and P has no light. I can hear the flasher clicking.

Took a NIB flasher (NAPA brand) from my spare parts in the trunk and replaced flasher, same results. 

Even switched the X and L around and made no difference.

Other than than chance of having 2 bad flashers what else could be wrong? 

1951 Cranbrook 218cid

Been noticing a coolant smell on startup, especially after sitting for awhile,  along with my radiator not staying full (below the core instead of just above) and temp running a little hotter than I would like.

Plan on taking the head off this winter and see what I find. Noticed 2 types of gaskets are available - Fel-Pro "copper faced" and Mahle "composite". Any preferences on which one to get?

When the engine was rebuilt it was a Fel-Pro gasket set so I guessing a "copper" one was put in then.

Growing up my dad frequented the local "Bumper to Bumper" parts store. Narrow storefront in the middle of the block but had an upstairs and a basement. Display area in the front of the store was about the size of a single stall garage.  But they had the parts in back and very rarely did you need to special order something.  My dad, and I after I turned 16 and had to buy parts for my own vehicle, got to know the manager quite well.

Then they switched the name to "CarQuest". Then they moved to a more modern (former restaurant) free standing store. Huge display area but limited rack space for storage. This location under CarQuest lasted maybe 3 more years. Seen the manager a few years later working at another parts store and asked what happened. He said 90% of his business was commercial accounts with deliveries and 10% walk-in sales before the move. Corporate felt that they needed more display space and an easier building to access for the DYI group. Couldn't keep enough parts stocked for the commercial accounts who needed the part right now and didn't want to wait for it to be shipped from a warehouse so they lost them to the competitors. Not enough walk-in sales to keep the store open and I think they blamed the manager even though it was no fault of his own and had a very profitable store before they moved. I miss that old store and not needing to walk up and down the aisles try to find the part you need.

I have a pair of Iowa YOM plates for every one of my old cars. Plus pairs for most years from the late 50s to the mid 80s as I never know what I might acquire next. However, the newer old cars have the same 3 letters/3 numbers combination as the current state of Iowa plates so I cannot use them on those cars