JerseyHarold

Didn't know those are the current regulations in New York. They're a lot more realistic than New Jersey. The only good thing here is that you can go through a state-run inspection station (with different stations for different components....like a car wash without water) for free. You also have the option of going to a private repair garage for your inspection. They charge a lot and are nit-picky so they can get you for repairs. The surprising thing I heard recently is that NYS titles (for 1973 and up) are now a whopping $50. each.

I think the inspection on Long Island includes emissions and is a lot more expensive than $10. Might be different for historical registrations. You might want to check out www.nysdmv.com for more details. Harold

If your car has a Mass Air Flow sensor take it apart and (carefully) clean the sensing wire. Dirty sensors have been known to wreak all sorts of havoc. Also do a web search for Subaru clubs and check out their forums. I've solved lots of my daily-driver problems doing that. Harold

Isn't .080" oversize kind of pushing it for these engines? Also, if you have a lighted flexible borescope you could look into the cylinders and check for crosshatching on the cylinder walls. FWIW, there has been a rebuilt 230 listed on the local Craigslist for $1850. for months with no takers.

I've done some pretty poor exhaust repairs over the years, but those guys make my work look top-notch. THEY should have paid YOU for this job!

Ebay and their shenanagins are getting old fast. Instead of all the ratings and other nonsense, why not do like Sam's Club and Costco and have a 'business' account and a 'personal' account? Different rate structure for the big boys and casual sellers. Keep it simple and maybe they'll regain their audience. Just my .02...... Harold

That's good news. Best of luck. Harold

According to my son, there is a free photoshop clone free and legal on almost every operating system. It's called The GIMP. Google it for more info.

Bob, I sold a '52 Cranbrook 19 years ago that got sold last week on eBay. The seller was the same guy I sold it to....he had it all these years. You can never tell when one of your old cars will pop up and say 'howdy'!

How about Lido Green Poly (an original '52 color)? Or if you want to go into the blue family, try Belmont Blue, another original color for the 1952 Plymouth. I had two Belmont Blue Cranbrooks and still regret not buying a beautiful Lido Green one years ago. There are color chips for all makes/models posted at: www.autocolorlibrary.com UPDATE: I just went to the link above and the color resolution on the '52 Plymouth colors isn't all that good. Here's a link to an eBay auction for a Cranbrook that's 'almost' Belmont Blue. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1952-Plymouth-Cranbrook-Blue_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ39Q3a1Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a13Q7c240Q3a1318QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem260272698001QQitemZ260272698001 This car was originally Belmont Blue and was repainted by Maaco to the closest color they had at the time (mid-1980's). I know that because it used to be my car, and I sold it nearly 20 years ago!

Stoner's Invisible Glass with a lint free towel works for me..

Helicoil?

I've got some rocker and fender trim that would be fixable and usable except that a prior owner drilled holes into them to hold them on the car when the trim clips failed. Is there a way to fill the holes with stainless steel (welding rod of some kind), then grind and buff? Not looking for perfection, just 'decent'. Any ideas welcome. Harold

Collapsible stering columns became mandatory in 1967, and steering column locks appeared in 1970 on Mopars and Fords; 1969 on GM. Vans and pickups got steering column locks in the early seventies. That gives a basic time window to match up a column without having the lock cylinder housing on it. I'd look for a late-sixties B- or C- body floor shift column and box assembly(length measurement being the key dimension), then find a way to mount it to your chassis and mate it to your steering linkage. A lot of engineering went into making collapsible columns work, and I don't think it's wise to 'reinvent the wheel' from both a safety and liability perspective. Just my .02..... Harold

The only glitch comes when you want to reinstall the lock cylinders. The factory recommends you poke a long needle through the door panel and rest it in the depression at the end of the lock cylinder shaft to guide it back in.

What about a tow bar? You could have towing tabs fabricated to fit the Plymouth and the bar would be very easy to store.

Howard, I give you lots of credit for determination. Most folks would have bailed out of the project a long time ago. Maybe you should post a list of vendors for us to avoid.....sort of a Mobil Travel Guide for Plymouth restorers. Harold

'66 Coronet 440. The '440' was the series designation, not the engine size.

Both my cars (Cambridge and Concord) are painted black from the factory, so they have black divider bars. Looks like they match the body color if other than black. I never paid much attention, and most of the cars I've seen lately are either Cranbrooks (chrome bar) or repainted.

Skrambler, Can your friend ask the eBay seller if he knows the whereabouts of the drivetrain? If he got a title with the car, there must be a name on it he can contact. Harold

While on the topic of windshield dividers..... Did non-Cranbrook 1951-52 Plymouths (in other words, the models without stainless trim around the windshield) have divider bars painted to match the body color, or were they black to blend into the rubber?

FWIW, if you have enough people willing to sign a deposition that they believe the truck is in a particular warehouse, that should be enough for a judge to issue a search warrant to find out for sure. I recall that a number of years ago a suitcase containing a huge amount of cash (the proceeds of a large, well-known collector car auction....might have been a Kruse sale) 'vanished' from the waiting room of an airport. Sure does put a blemish on the integrity of high-profile auctioneers.....

Wish my cars looked half that nice....

You might want to contact the manufacturer to make them aware of this issue. There may be some kind of replacement program in place if they have seen a number of failures. My cousin had something similar happen at her house. Her Malibu Lighting outdoor transformer caught fire and did considerable damage to the front of her home. The insurance adjuster consfiscated the transformer for testing and possible action against the manufacturer.

The car looks great inside and out. Quite a turnaround from what you started with.