RNR1957NYer

My Dad, a mechanical draftsman/designer by vocation, was a firm believer in the superiority of Chrysler Corp engineering. My first car ride home from the hospital was in Dad's two year old '52 Belvedere hardtop that he bought new - quite a snazzy car for the time. In '56 Dad traded the Plymouth in on a '54 Chrysler Windsor - years later when I asked him why he traded a Plymouth he bought new on a used Chrysler, Dad responded that owning a Chrysler was something he had long aspired too, and buying even a used one was to him a symbol he "made it". He admitted to being a little ticked off when a neighbor bought a used '55 New Yorker a short time later, feeling a bit of oneupmanship was afoot. Dad eventually traded the Windsor on a new '60 Valiant, being enamored by all the engineering "firsts"; I guess he wasn't much of a social climber after all! (our daughter now drives Dad's last car - a PT Cruiser). Chris R. - great find in the '48; I bet it will clean up surprisingly well. Keep us posted and welcome to the forum!

I replaced all the brake system parts on my P12 with stuff from Andy Bernbaum and recommend them without hesitancy.

Does that make it a “Fluid Drive”?

I did battle with those clips on my '41 Plymouth Special Deluxe last year. The same type of clips was used in two widths on the side of my car, and the thin Special Deluxe upper belt line trim looks the same as what's pictured by Frank and Chrysler1941, above. If any of the ears are broken off the original clip, it will not hold the trim tightly to the body. I was able to salvage some originals, found a few very pricey NOS clips on ebay, and made up the difference using 1/2" (narrowest I could find) push in nylon clips I also found on ebay. I found that the both the original and new steel clips shattered my new paint around the hole when I pressed them onto the body - gee, wonder if that's why there was a rust spot the size of a half dollar at each clip that I had to fix! Also, the trim would not stay snapped on to a couple of the new clips. Therefore, I decided to use only the nylon clips to attach the trim. Using the nylon clips meant changing the order of installation: instead of pressing the steel clips onto the body then snapping the trim over the clips, you first must insert the nylon clips into the trim, space the clips to carefully match the spacing of the holes (start with the end of the trim at a door opening ) then push the trim and clip into the holes. Do not count on being able to adjust the trim after it is snapped in place - line it up before you start pushing! In order to insert the clip I tool a Dremel tool with the cut off wheel and widened the opening on the back of the trim (pick a location at the middle of the trim that is not at a hole in the body!) so that I could insert the clips and slide them into position (see diagram). Only remove enough stainless steel to just fit the clip into the slot and it won't be seen after the trim is in place. The clip has a "tail" that acts as a spring to keep the clip tight in the channel of the trim. Some carving of the nylon with an X-acto might be needed in order for the male end of the clip to fit in the hole in the body. While admittedly not "original" the nylon push in clips are readily available, inexpensive, and do not chip the paint!

For what it’s worth, the steel spark plug tubes serve as the gaskets in my NYer’s 392.

Here's a postcard of the Massey plant in Batavia NY (on Harvester Avenue, no less!), where I grew up. To gain access to the US market, Canadian Massey Harris bought the John Harvester Company in Batavia in the late 1890's, and they shuttered this plant shortly after Massey Harris merged with England's Harry Ferguson Ltd in the mid '50's. After that, the site became the first ever "business incubator" and the company my dad worked for as a draftsman occupied the red brick building at the far right of the frame. A lot of flat head Chrysler motors were shipped in on those rail lines! BTW: a '69 Polara really floats over those RR grade crossings if going fast enough (don't ask how I know).

A guy in Buffalo has been advertising NOS plaid or striped vinyl bench seat covers in the WPC News forever (likely Hemmings, and others, too) and there he is in the Jan/Feb '21 issue: Ken Weinstein 716-689-6888 (nights) Kmw57@hotmail.com I've often thought of the set my Dad put on his '54 Windsor, and felt they would be cool today on the right car.

About 40 years ago I bought a small piece of hardware store sheet lead about 1/16 inch thick and every few years I cut a new washer using an X-acto when the old one has gotten too "smushed".

Nice work!

I remember my dad borrowing a set of those wooden roof racks a couple times - I've thought it would be cool to find a set for my P12 and strap a long board to them for shows. That would look even cooler on your Suburban. I wouldn't worry about the rain gutters not holding unless you know you have roof rust issues. My dad moved on from the racks to a Sears fiberglass roof carrier that attached the same way - he used it on our '69 Polara to move me into school and I still have it. Only stopped using it when we no longer had a daily driver with gutters.

First rate job from building to lift!! But a close up of a gargoyle, please! Are they all facing the same direction, or are they adjustable?

Me too, my tastes are rooted in Jazz, but my most played Pandora stations range from: Bebop (have that on right now), Oliver Nelson, Buddy Rich Big Band, Blues, Booker T and the MG's, Summer Oldies, Rockabilly and Surf Rock (the last two get a lot of garage play time).

My first ride home from the hospital was in Mom and Dad's '52 Belvedere. Dad was a "Chrysler" man, I've been MoPar or No Car ever since (even during the dark period when Dad had a Grenada and a couple Gutless Supreme's). I was saddened when it looked like Chrysler would go under in the '70's, wondering just what the heck I would buy when I could afford a new car. I checked the news daily to see if the Three Headed Dog (Ceberus) kept them afloat long enough to ship the '09 Challenger R/T I ordered (still drive it daily). I figure Walter P. and the Dodge Brothers are on their way out, but now I'm of the age that I no longer worry about there being enough MoPars to buy.

Once Del Shannon's "Runaway" came on during my first top-down drive of the season in my '57 New Yorker convert. It was when "Crime Story" was on TV and Dennis Farina drove a 300 C drop top and "Runaway" was the show's theme song. Felt like the planets were in alignment...

I too wish to extend my thoughts and prayers who have lost loved ones, or their livelihood, to COVID. My family has been very blessed - nobody has contracted it, and my office has been able to keep everyone safely employed even during the quarantine periods. Losing out on old car activities (save for solo wrenching out in the garage), and losing even the little things like meeting up with the "Old Car Guys" once a month for breakfast is a drag, but my cohort is in that demographic that can be gobsmacked by this virus. If we all are careful, hopefully we'll get much of the social interaction we have been missing back this summer - there are parts to be trolling for at flea markets! On the plus side, it knocked 45 minutes off my commute into Boston...

Your fab work is very impressive!

I just happened to take an on-line continuing education course for my architectural license renewal during that dog of a Super Bowl and the subject was industrial painting of aluminum coil and extrusions. Since I got a perfect scored on the quiz, I thought I'd share a couple nuggets of my new found expertise?: - Powder coating is attractive to manufacturers because it is zero voc, (and meeting air quality regulations is expensive) and the unused powder can be swept up and reapplied. - Powder coating and "liquid" coating can actually be the same type of chemical composition (say "Kynar" to use a familiar trade name) and have similar properties, the difference being that heating the powder triggers the chemical reaction that sets the coating, and the evaporation of solvents causes the chemical reaction that "dries" liquid paint. - Surface prep for aluminum is trickier than for steel; as noted by the JD example above, the stuff just wants to oxidize if it sets too long.

Welcome! The more the merrier! (or is it "misery loves company"?)

Nice find! Post some pics once you get it home and cleaned up - really doesn't look too bad under the grime

I would recommend going with a lift. I believe you would pay a contractor more to excavate, form and pour what amounts to a long, narrow basement than the cost of a good lift. I think you have better access to anything under the vehicle you want to reach with a lift than reaching over a pit wall. A pit is a hole in the floor which is always there - makes the floor area less flexible in use than would be a lift that's more or less out of the way when not in use. Finally, safety is a real concern, both for the potential fall hazard and collection of explosive fumes. I built my three bay garage with a full attic - if I had it to do over again I'd build the attic floor with a hole in it so that a car on a lift would be at the attic floor level.

Until I opened the post I thought this was still about ggdad's pic..... Is there room in the corner for me?

You both have every right to be very proud - congratulations!

How many outfits for the model?

Wow, wonder what reaction I'd have gotten if I said I thought skirts looked particularly good on a flat black car with red wheels.....?

Sounds like advise from an unmarried man.....