Mark Haymond

I had to come up with a new way to activate my horns after I converted to a rack and pinyon steering unit. Despite my efforts to keep this car build simple this little project got complicated on me. I feel it took far too much time but on the other hand it should give years of trouble free use. Now I just hope I do not discover an easy cheap way to do the same thing that would have saved me all my time and grief! Here is a link to a photo description of how I used parts of an electric drill to make the modification. http://markhaymond.smugmug.com/Cars/1950-Plymouth/Horn-Project/19754383_XVR2xJ#1551596103_jqpntbg

I think the dice are kind of adolescent, but my wife happily bought some for the 47 Plymouth. So they get to stay.

I had the radiator on my 50 Plymouth re cored ten years ago. With a good water distribution tube and the sludge cleaned out of the bottom of my engine's water jacket, the car has never overheated. And I live in a hot climate with 105 temps common in the afternoon, freeway driving and (gasp) the dreaded stop and go traffic that challenges all engines. I am running the stock four blade fan and a 50 50 mix of antifreeze and water. I think you are going to have the same reliability.

The road is near Fish Camp California, just off Highway 41, not far from the entrance to Yosemite National Park. Elevation is close to 5000 feet. It has one of those county road numbers assigned to it but I can't remember what it is.

OK, I'll post a Plymouth video. These were taken June 2011 the day before I was to take photos of trail runners on this stretch. The elevation is about 5000 feet so most of the trees are evergreens. Our cars had plenty of clearance to handle dirt roads similar to this. http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/19712454_rnWPhH#1547288512_sc2S5qk

I was in the USAF and they moved me five times in four years, part of that was overseas. So it is unlikely you will be able to take it with you everywhere. Keeping it in one piece would make it easier to store when you are away and keep your dream alive. I second the advice to not throw anything away, even if you are replacing a part or with a new one. Honor the old paint colors of the parts, resist any urge to chrome things that were never chromed. The more it feels like a 1940 car to you the more charm it will have. Take lots of digital pictures for reference months and years later. Start a notebook of how some of the parts look or are assembled. You can have a wonderful experience working on your way back machine. Have a good journey.

Thanks for the link, Tim. It was just in time for my project because I am getting ready to buy shocks.

I helped a friend with his 48 Plymouth with an stock engine that would start fine, run fine, but stall at a stop sign after a run up to 50 mph. We tried a different good distributor, coil, spark plug wires, and carb with no success. He called me a few days later and said he had a vacuum leak on the intake manifold and that a new gasket cured his problem. The heat from a run at 50 mph would change the temp and shape of the manifold such that he got a vacuum leak at a stop sign and his idle would die. Not the same as your losing a few cylinders but awfully close.

I just read you HAMB thread in one long sitting! It helps me understand I am not the only one with set backs and do-overs. But as you suggest, it is all worth it when the car is on the road again. Thanks for all the posting.

I am working on my 318 in a 47 Plymouth. I see you have a rear sump oil pan which requires a flexible dip stick. I can not for the life of me source or find a stick that will work. What are you using and where did you get it?

Well, I can say that the ford explorer tie rod ends have the right taper for my 47 plymouth.

Realgonekatt, I deleted my post about the Explorer tie rod ends because my information was incorrect. My car is using a Cavalier power steeriing unit and has SAE to Metric thread adapters on the outer ends of the tie rods, it is not a stock P-15 setup. Sorry about that. -Mark

The driver side door on my P-15 always had to be jiggled and lifted slightly to get it open. So I found a latch on E-bay and ordered it. I removed the inner door panel, removed the window, and the old door lock mechanism. But I had trouble routing the new handle arm through its hole in the door. Got it in with a little bit of force, installed the screws in latch mechanism which fit perfectly, and only then noticed the door handle arm was six inches too short. Must be for a rear door. OK, no problem, I will take the latch back out and use the arm from the old unit. It is riveted to the latch and I had to drill out the rivet. By great fortune I have some old rivets of about the right size. I don't have to stop and go to the hardware store, I can do this in one easy morning. I cut one to the right length and pound that puppy onto the working latch. When I try to push it through the hole in the door I still have trouble. (Whaaat?) It is because I put the correct arm on, but upside down. I didn't like the looseness of the rivet anyway so this time I use a slightly larger and stronger one. Oops the larger head wants to interfere with the locking mechanism. OK, no problem, I file the head of the rivet down a bit. But the diameter of the larger, better head still limits full travel. OK, no problem, I use a Dremel tool to cut a small sheet metal tab off the latch and allow full travel. The larger rivet is stronger but is harder to mushroom correctly. I end up with a stronger but ugly rivet connection. The latch goes back into the door. It works. I start installing the window which goes well except for attaching one of the wire clips on the back of the window regulator/lift arms that is hidden from sight and has to be done by feel. It takes a long time and I drop parts often and have to start over each time. When I put the inner door panel back on one of the pins to hold on the door handle suddenly does not fit anymore and I have to drill out some small burrs in the hole. That is why I named the thread "All day, all door." Frustrating times like this bond my soul to this old car. "No sir, it is not for sale, I have too much invested in her."

I am using a set of wheel skates on my concrete garage floor and they work great. I paid a little extra for ones that had ball bearings in the axles and with rubber or plastic wheels. Once I get the car moving I can pull it with one hand. I tried common furniture dollies before and the rolling friction was so high it was frustratingly difficult to move the car.

Welcome to the forum. It looks like you have a car in nice condition. If you keep it close to stock you can enjoy driving the old car hearing its sixty year old engine, and that is pretty cool.

What you saw on the ammeter sounds normal for an old Plymouth with a working but slightly weak generator. At idle, the headlights may cause a discharge until you start driving, then it should return to zero or indicate a slight charge with the higher generator speed. When you heard the engine sound you checked your gauges and noticed the discharge for the first time. The oil pressure gauge will go real low during idle too, then get up to about 40 at driving speed. That is pretty normal and is not cause for alarm.

On a 1950, disconnect the gas pedal linkage first. You will have to remove two bolts on a linkage bell crank on the firewall part of the car. It is just under the steering column. Inside the car, undo the nuts behind the brake and clutch pedals and remove the pedals. There is no need to take off the gas pedal because it come out with the floor pan. Lift the floor mats and remove about 15 screws or bolts from around the driver side floor pan. Lift the pan and slide it off the brake and clutch pedal arms.

Rodney, I have seen lots of v8 hot rods running with electric only fans. My 99 Corvette has a stock ONE ROW aluminum radiator! The replacement aluminum radiator I just got for my 47 Plymouth with the Dodge 318 came with THREE ROWS of fins, so I figure that and my pusher electric fan will keep everything cool.

The field wires are insulated from each other with lacquer so don't use lacquer thinner as a parts cleaner.

I am annoyed when the first thing out of their mouth is "How much is it worth?" I get the feeling they have been watching too many Barrett Jackson episodes on TV. Sometimes I'll say it's not a Ford or Chevy, it's a Plymouth and they were never popular. I'll say three or four thousand and I think it pops their fantasy bubble. It shut them up. I like talking to the ones who say they learned to drive in one, or their father had one, you can see their eyes going back in wistfully in time.

You said it was a bit snug when you put it in. I broke a new passenger side windshield glass trying to install it. I discovered the glass shop simply traced around my old glass as a pattern, and my new glass was a bit too big all the way around. Disgusted, I went to another glass shop and had more glass cut. These went in easily. No cracks developed. I also got my rubber from Steel.

Wow, it has the original trunk mat, passenger compartment rubber mat, and cardboard foot well covers. The steering wheel looks good and the wood grain finish on the metal dash is unusually well preserved. He got a good example of a 50 Plymouth.

I have a Dodge 318 in my 47 Plymouth project car with a rear sump. I can't locate a flexible dip stick anywhere. Where did you get one?

Yes, Don, that is indeed my frame. I can see the sharp imprint of where the rectangular plate used to be. Now I know that it is a spacer, not a nutplate. Thanks.

I got some three inch blocks at a truck supply store. I can not remember the price, but it was not painful.