mattimuss

I have spent a few days roaming around the new layout and have to give it two thumbs up! While it will take some time to find things, learn new terminology and navigation, I think it's an improvement. Thanks for all that you do to support our hobby...or as my wife calls it, my addiction! I have to say that the blue background is easier on my eyes

Hey now, watch those "Red Necker" labels! Some of us actually know how to properly use tools!

Body/interior wise, pretty much. All I have done to the body was clay the paint/chrome. I've done a lot of mechanical work to get her safe and road worthy. Gub said she drives great, just like he remembers. Gub and I drove well over 100 miles over the weekend. We just drove around, him driving and telling stories about the car and family, me listening and learning more about both.

It was one of those very special times when stories are shared and memories are made...my uncle Gub and his family paid us a visit. Gub spent a lot of time driving the Ol' Grey Lady during his youth. While Gramps owned many cars, the '41 always held a special place in both Gub and Gramps hearts, so it was awesome spending time riding around with him while he reminisced. I learned a lot about both the car and Gub. As Gub said, "We're both old, worn out and a little tired." I think they are both classics! We took lots of pictures and videos that Gub is going to share with Gramps when he returns. He is sure it will make him smile knowing the ol' girl is running again and still part of the family. Like I said, some great times!

You got 74% (31 right out of 42). The average score is 44%. Thanks for playing! Oh well...

It is alive...alive I tell you! It lives! Ha, ha, hahahahaha [My best Dr. Frankenstein] I just love it when a plan comes together! OK, enough movie quotes... I put the rebuilt ignition assembly back in Tuesday night, still no spark. It was late so I wrapped things up. Went back at it this evening. I had painted the cup at the end of the assembly that attaches to the coil after cleaning it up. I went back tonight and cleaned some additional paint off, then cleaned the end of the coil where the cup attaches. She has spark again! So a funny story for y'all. All you "veteran" members will appreciate this. I learned something new today. I had an epiphany last night while I was going over stuff in my head. I realized that I could crank the engine, by myself, from within the engine compartment by simply pressing the arm that engages the starter. I know, everyone knows this and I'm behind the power curve. But, in my novice mind, this is huge! Now I don't have to wait for someone to come over and help me crank the engine! Now the funny part. I had just finished putting everything back together and was testing voltage and continuity on all the wires when I remembered what I discovered last night. So with a big smile on my mug I reached down pressed the starter arm not even thinking that I was still holding on to the high tension wire from the coil...and that folks is when I realized that she had spark again. I'm going to go see if my testicles are still glowing...

And the electrical woes continue... I thought that replacing the coil was indeed the fix. The car started and drove around just fine. Last Wednesday Bill and I jumped in and headed for the local car show, followed by our club's monthly get together. She drove just fine to the car show. After walking around drooling over some really nice classics we headed for the car...no joy, she wouldn't start, no spark. I got inducted into the "Ride of Shame Club" that night as the AAA driver decided the shortest route to my home was was back through the show. Started chasing wires Thursday night and found that the the 6V hot lead from the ignition switch to the back side of the coil was grounding in the metal ignition switch cable assembly [see pic]. This could explain a lot as I was moving the wire and assembly a lot during the coil change. I may have twisted it just right to were it wasn't grounding any more. Then, as we drove to the show, the wire may have move and grounded again. Thoughts? We completely disassembled the cable assembly and found that the wire was burned black, and the insulation was flaking off, almost half way up to the switch. I have sandblasted and painted the cable assembly. The inside of the cup that attached to the coil was rusty, so that may have also been causing a grounding problem. I am going to splice in a new wire, and heat shrink the entire length for added protection. Hopefully this is the cause of the no start/spark issue. I have decided to rewire the car. My plan is to do it this coming "winter" when there are no club events. Hopefully she will run until then...

Hey All, thanks for the help! I went out this evening and tried to start her again, no joy. So I went digging through the box of spare parts my uncle gave me and found an old, used coil. I didn't have anything to lose so I swapped the coils out...she fired right up. Guess that answers that question. Is there anyway to field test a coil when it is out of the car? Where is the best place to buy a replacement coil? And Eneto, I think you may be on to something!

Hey All, Had a weird incident with the '41 today. I had just got her all back together after replacing a broken speedo cable. She started and idled just fine. I drove her up the block to pick up Bill, my gearhead buddy, to go for a test drive/milkshake. When I got to his house I shut her off while I went to get him. She was shut off less than five minutes. When we came back out she started right up and idled just fine. I put her in gear and moved forward about ten feet and she died. Not like a sputtering shut down, more like a switch was turned off and everything just plain stopped. We did some quick testing and found that she wasn't getting any spark. We pushed her back down to my house [thank God he lives uphill from me!] and started looking deeper into the problem. We took the high tension coil wire off of the distributor and placed it close to the head, no spark. After reconnecting the high tension wire, we ran a jumper from the battery to the low tension wire on the coil, she started and ran for a few minutes. So...we think it's a bad coil. Have we missed anything? Any other thoughts, or tests that we should run? Where is the best place to get a new coil [and a spare]?

Seen driving around at the recent Ontario, CA car show...

I was going to offer mine, but you have offers from members a lot closer than me. Good luck!

Man, that is one nice wagon!

Very nice, keep posting pictures...

Please continue to keep us up-to-date on this project...and post lots of pictures!

I too would like to add my wishes for a solid recovery. I agree with 'suntennis', the number of replies indicates just how well you are appreciated here. I remember that you were one of the first to welcome me to this forum and the P.O.C. forum. You took the time to patiently answer my novice [sometimes dumb] questions. I appreciate all the help you have given me with my Gramp's ol' '41. I know it is running due to your assistance. I hope that you will remain an active member/participant on this forum whether you own an old Plymouth or not!

Hey PF, Please email me: mattimuss65@gmail.com Thanks!

Thanks for the help! I didn't see the I before the G on the tag and the S looked like an 8 to me. I was referring to the number on the bottom of the distributor.

Thanks PA! If I am reading that correctly it looks like IGS111-411. The last digit is difficult to decipher.

Hey All, I have been thinking [yeah, I know, not a good thing to do!] a lot about the engine in my '41. I know the one currently in the car is not the original [i have that on a stand behind the garage] and am wondering a few things. I cleaned and shot a picture of the current engine's serial number [see picture]. 1. Is this a 201cid engine? Is there a place to decipher engine serial numbers? 2. If I were to "upgrade" the engine to a bigger one, which engines would fit with minimal upgrades and how much h.p. increase would I get? I would prefer to keep the engine a straight, flat-head six with a little more "get-up-and-go". 3. Is there a certain engine to avoid? 4. Which engines are easiest to get parts for? Thanks in advance for any/all help.

Hey All, When I pulled/cleaned/tuned the ditributor I discovered two sets of numbers, one set on the attached plate and the other set stamped into the bottom [see pictures] Which set of numbers do I use to identify the distributor when purchasing parts?

I had the same problem. I adjusted the shift rods at the transmission and can now get all gears again. Good luck!

I have to send another huge thank you out to this group. I have successfully disassembled, cleaned, reassembled and tuned my first points based distributor for the '41. I was able to do this task based on posts and pictures saved within this forum. Now, I can hear a lot of you 'veterans' chuckling, and I'm sure you feel that this is an easy maintenance procedure that everyone should know how to do. But you have to remember that a lot of us grew up with solid state ignition systems and the internal workings of a points based distributor resembled 'black magic' with all those moving parts. I put everything back together, timed the ol girl and took her for a test drive yesterday evening...I can not believe the increase in power this procedure has produced! It's almost as if new life was breathed back into her! So thanks again for all the knowledge, pictures, and patients the members of this forum contribute. Every post you guys add helps keep these old girls, and the hobby, alive.

WOW! You did one heck of a job on that project! My Grandad, who I inherited my '41 from, is a WWII Army Air Corp veteran. I have toyed with the idea of doing a USAAC staff car with his unit designations. Very nice job!

Thanks Don!