bob_amos

GT... you read the article in the last Golden State Region newsletter. If you want, I can e-mail you the file for reproduction in the tech section. Let me know if you want it.

Try this. It is the way we do it when a speader is not available. Place the spring end in a vice. Now get a load of nickles or thick washers. Insert a bar down the middle of the spring. Bend the spring so that one nickle or washer can be inserted between the coils of the spring. Now alternate from side to side working your way up the spring. Once you have them all in place just place the spring ends on their mount of the hinge. Place some rags under the spring and close the hood. The nickles or washers will fall onto the rags for retrieval. You'd be surprised how good this works.

Try J.C.Whitney. They have one that can be modified to fit and is reasonable at under $20. If you would like, send me your e-mail address and I will send you a copy of a recent article that I wrote showing how to do the modification.

What a shame. Hope the car is fine...Actually, brakes are so important and you'd be surprised how many people just refuse to part with the money to make them safe. I have actually had 2 customers in the shop tell me it was either fix the brakes or buy a tank of gas. Scares me knowing that there are all those people with bad brakes out there driving around me and my family. Guess each and every one of us has our priorities. (Misguided as they may be at times.)

Richard, While it is true that synthetic oil doesn't burn it still leaves the engine as a liquid so don't forget to check the level often.

We did a 53 Chrysler a few years ago with the electrically activated trans. We actually inserted a voltage drop in the system where the voltage was fed to the servo, switches and governor harness, as I recall. (If I had the wiring diagram in front of me I could suggest the point of insertion a bit better.) The 53 has been out for about 3 or 4 years and still works fine.

Have you determined if this is a random miss or isolated to a particular cylinder? This is important for the next step in your diagnosis. If you have not determined what type of miss you have, here is a little something that will help. Get a piece of vacuum hose that will fit into the top of the distributor cap. Cut 6 pieces about an inch long. Remive the wire from the cap one cylinder at a time. Insert a piece of hose between the removed wire and the cap where the wire was removed. Now, get a test light. A 12 volt one will work for this. Ground the test light and start the car. Idle the engine up to the point where the miss occures. Now, one cylinder at a time, touch the hose on the cap with the tip of the test light. If the miss gets worse that particular cylinder is not the one. Repeat this test on each cylinder untill you have the miss and it does not change when you touch that cylinders hose. That would be the location of the miss. Now, you have isolated part of the engine and cut your work by 5 cylinders. Do all the proper tests for a miss but concentrate on the one cylinder. If, however, the miss gets worse on each or more than one cylinder it is a random miss. Your work would also now be lessened as you now only need concentrate on what these cylinders have in common.

Gee, makes me wish I lived up your way. Sounds like a great trip. Have fun!!!

Norm, On your 53 removal of the bulb is not a big thing. If you can get the number off of it that might be of help to the guys here. Since yours is bright and hot overheating the area you may have the answer for the guys.

Good point. Parts will cost more in the future. I can say this about Hagerty, not sure about the other companies, Hagerty has allowed me to up the value from time to time with no increase in premiums. It's kind of an inflation fighter thing that costs me nothing. So, when they offer this I take advantage of it. Also, if I do increase the value due to adding and reworking something, I can adjust the agreed value and just pay the difference. Being as I am in the business of repairing and restoring vehicles I am fortunate to be able to track what my cars are worth. But then, I do drive them and really don't want a picture perfect vehicle for my use. I just did finish that 66 Mustang and she paid a bit over $18,000 for the work. Figuring that plus the base value of the car realitically doesn't put it in the sky high value arena. On the other hand, a 35 ford phaeton we are about to finish will be up in that neighborhood and he will have to pay that high price for coverage. So, while we work on our toys we will never be able to really recover the costs of our labour. Pricing our value and what we want to pay for insurance is a choice that only you the owner can make.

WOW! Had a look at the flier on this event. Love the neighborhood in the photo with the 3 trucks!! Do I ever recall when it was like the here in So. Cal. As Tod mentioned. The Inland Empire area (So. Cal.) Golden State Region has loads of events happening during the year. Why not have a look at the clubs web site and join us on one of the events? One does not have to be a member to enjoy the fun. Our events are always open to non members. It's the fun of sharing and enjoying our vehicles that is what we are about. We'd love having you there. Look in the events section. goldenstate.ply33.com (no "www")

On those connections. Before you just throw a part at the vehicle. Do it the proper way and do some diagnostic work.Try taking the power lead at the switch and connecting it to the dash lamp lead. Now, if the lamps are bright enough then the switch is the answer. But if there is no increase in illumination the switch is fine. Cleaning the contacts can never hurt but do beware not to wash out the contact lubricant. In my experience as a professional automotive electrical tach the bulbs are probably your problem. That has always been a problem well into the 60's. I just restored a 66 Mustang for a customer and installed all new wiring, switches and the original CP rated bulbs. Yup, the lamps are a little dim and this is on 12 volts. But they are as designed. My 63 Belair is the same. A bit dimmer than I'd like. Now my 67 Sunbeam and 56 Pontiac are as bright as bright can be. My 53 and 54 Plymouths? You guessed it, DIM!! On these I am going to install a higher rated CP bulb.

Norm's correct about the agreed value. If you have a vehicle that is worth big bucks then it'll cost you more to insure it or you will have to take the loss if you under insure. Me, well, to be truthful, there really isn't a 53 Cranbrook 4 door worth over the $5000 I chose as a value, and it probably really isn't worth that either. The 63 Belair isn't worth big bucks either so it's agreed value is somewhere in the $6500 range and the Sunbeam Alpine is insured for around $11,000. While it's a real beauty, I doubt it would be worth more. So, my choices of value were reasonable and real, kind of. As a result, my insurance costs are withing reason too. I'm not gullible enough to think any of my cars are worth the $20,000 plus range.

I use Hagerty and insure 3 cars. A1953 Plymouth, 1963 Belair and a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine. All for arounf $140 or so a year. Agreed value is realistic. Some times they price them high due to an inflated agreed value. But I am happy with them as I don't have any mileage restrictions.

Nice site. Web sites are not only for the present members but the future of our clubs. Even though the older members do not use it there are loads of potential members and there's always a need for new members. Ya might want to add some links to the other regions of the Plymouth Owners Club. Good luck.

Bill, Have a look in the for sale section here. There are links to a site with some photos. If you would like more phots just let me know what you wany to see. I can e-mail them to you. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Just call me at the number in the ad.

Tony, Is this a "Canned Ham" type of trailer? Sort of like a tear drop but smaller? I am thinking of buying one some day. Gotta sell the 54 Ply. wagon first but I might want to have alook at it. Margie says I have to get rid of something before any more are allowed to come into the collection.

Congrats... Gee, I remember doing warrantee work on those when they were new...

Lucas is located at : 302 North Sheridan Street Corona, CA 92880-2067.

In my shop we've used Lucas products. They are a local company for us being that we are in Riverside and Lucas is from Corona right next door. In the past we have had good service from the products they offer. But, as of late, we have been avoiding their additives. We have heard of 2 cases where the oil is turning to a jelly after adding Lucas Oil Stabelizer to the crankcase. One was a fellow Golden State Region member that I know well and he defenately knows his cars so it wasn't anything that he did wrong. I have not heard any explaination from Lucas, so, for the time being, I'd recommend avoiding it.

Tony, Stop by the shop. I have a book with dementions as well as candle power. You might find exactly what you need there.

Yup... While I've never done it I have heard of it. As to yhe 55 Chevrolet, I have heard that was something that was recommended to seat rings. Even remember an old guy telling me that he was a dealer mechanic back then and that he had done it as instructed. Guess I can see where it might work but doing things right up front sure sees to be a better way to me.

An alternator will give you a better charge rate at low and idle speeds. It recovers much quicker than a generator does. The down side to an alternator is that, while a generator can take a totally flat battery and charge it all day long , until it is fully charged, an alternator cannot do this. The rectifiers will overheat if it runs in a high output rate for a prolonged period of time. But all in all, an alternator is defenately the best way to go. That is, if originality is not your goal.

We have found that older cylinders do not have the same response as the new ones. Upon applying the brakes there may, and probably will, be a pull to one side. Ya see, new cylinders will respond and apply the shoes right away while there may be a slight, or even large, delay for the older units to apply the shoes. This would cause a dangerous pull. I've been an auto tech. for over 40n years and we ALWAYS do both sides. While I worked for Chrysler dealers Chrysler Corp. would buy replacement of both sides under warrantee. Even when only one side was having a proble. Be it leakage or binding or what ever. And when the manufacturer will buy them both under warrantee, you have to know there is a sound reason. Safety is always first in my mind...

Yes, NAPA can be tough to deal with. They actually still have the box full of old burned up parts sitting on the desk of the local rep. The original rep OK'd the work and assured me I would not be left out in the cold. Well, he was transfered to another store and the new guy walked in one day. My service adviser almost threw him out bodily. But the guy said he was here to handle the trouble. A $1300 trouble too.... Well he said there would be no problem getting it paid as all the shops in my center, an upscale center too, are boycotting them because we stick together here. They want our high dollar business. Anyway, he never returned. We actually call corperates offices to talk to the guy who would be in charge of it and he has dodged our calles and will not return them. So.... you can see how they tend to work. Say whatever it takes to get your business them screw you if it's gonna cost them. Well, $1300 later, and that does not include full labour prices, I am left holding the bag. I'll never let a NAPA employee in my shop again and my write knows he will be fired if he buy anything from them. But he agrees and is the one that wanted to throw the guy off the lot....