whats your top speed in a 46, 47, 48 plymouth with a flat head

[1949P17BC]

71 in the quarter mile

[Don Coatney]

well mine gets to about 45-48 and when i push on the gas from their she has nothing and the motor just starts to shake is this normall or does something need to be adjusted? at this speed its hard to take the parkway?

Ask your mechanic.

Somethings wrong. I cruise at speeds between 50 and 60 in my 190 cu.in. 1933 with its 4.375:1 rear end. With your larger engine with higher compression ratio and taller rear end your car should be faster than mine.

Tod;

Wanna race? I clocked close to 100 by my GPS in my last race:D

[Don Coatney]

71 in the quarter mile

Was your car on the trailer again. Last time I spotted you on the freeway I passed your trailered car at about 80 MPH and you had a problem keeping up with me.

[1949P17BC]

No it wasn't on the trailer!!! But if it was it would have gone even faster

[RobertKB]

michael.warshaw......you ask a lot of questions and that is great. People on this forum love to answer questions. Sometimes they want more information from you so they have a better idea of what your problem is and what could be causing it.That was one of the responses on this thread. It would be nice to get a reply from you to a lot of these threads as people have given you their time and advice. Let us know how things are going or if the advice given was helpful. The forum is a two way street.

[michael.warshaw]

well im still at 50 if i change anything i will let you know.

[John Mulders]

love to see what the 'top' speed would be but the local driving conditions (potholes all over the place and very poor drivers) combined with no seat belts or other safety meassures have prevented me from trying !

And of course I don't want to push the engine to the limit anyway

John

[TodFitch]

Tod;

Wanna race? I clocked close to 100 by my GPS in my last race:D

I can do 100 in my 1933. 100 KPH that is.

The speedometer in the Pugeot diesel with 6 speed manual transmission that I rented in the UK last week went up to 150 MPH. I wonder if it would really do it. It was smooth up to 70 MPH and really did not like being in 6th gear below 60 MPH...

[hkestes41]

I never had any vibration when it was installed in my car but it sat from June 2007 until you picked it up. How bad a vibration is it? Will you try to re-orientate the U joints to the rear end? I can not think of anything else that would cause the vibration.

James

It is not real bad but is obviously there. I went out this evening and did exactly what you suggested. A couple of the bolts were not completely tight, don't know if I did not get them tight to begin with or if the vibration caused it. My guess is that I did not get them tight. Now they are all tight and and the U Joints lubed, will see how it goes tomorrow.

Thanks again for the rear.

Kirk

[james curl]

You are welcome, I was glad to get it out of the back yard, I just can't stand to throw good parts that someone can use away. If that one doesn't work out I have a 37 Dodge and a 51 Dodge rear end under two chassi out in the country.

[JIPJOBXX]

I have an old article that states the average road speed for 1942 was 45 MPH and in California it was 50. So as you can see our old cars were just made to cruse at about 50 or so.

[billwillard]

Back in 1953 when I first started driving I had a 40 DeSoto and thought nothing of driving 80 and 90. Different world back then.

[pflaming]

My first car was a '50 Ply. My brother and I drove it to California and back from Western Nebraska. Seems we drove between 60 / 65 for that trip. In Nevada/Las Vegas when the temp was 105 we drove by the thermometer. We were farm kids, dad taught us to be aware of the guages. His rule: If the guage is dirty you need to clean it and look at it. It was a good rule.

[47heaven]

With the 230cid '49 Dodge flathead, '55 Ply crank and head and R-10 overdrive, I have gotten it up to 85 mph, but just once. I don't do that anymore because I'm not sure if the engine was designed to go that fast or not, and besides I'm not a lead foot daddy-o either.

[Plymouthy Adams]

With the 230cid '49 Dodge flathead, '55 Ply crank and head and R-10 overdrive, I have gotten it up to 85 mph, but just once. I don't do that anymore because I'm not sure if the engine was designed to go that fast or not, and besides I'm not a lead foot daddy-o either.

you have just qualiied for the two outside lanes of I-75 during rush hour in Atlanta..

[47heaven]

you have just qualiied for the two outside lanes of I-75 during rush hour in Atlanta..

Well, I don't know Atlanta's traffic, but out here that's pretty slow. The car can probably go faster, but don't want to push it.

[T120]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billwillard

Back in 1953 when I first started driving I had a 40 DeSoto and thought nothing of driving 80 and 90. Different world back then.

...The cars we enjoy were plentiful,relatively inexpensive - and of course some of us were at an age when we were bullet proof

Edited August 18, 2009 by Ralph D25cpe

[Plymouthy Adams]

Well, I don't know Atlanta's traffic, but out here that's pretty slow. The car can probably go faster, but don't want to push it.

I know that Darin and I don't blame you for pushing and I tell ya..sometimes Atlanta traffic is a bit fast and heavy..I really only get nervous in two situations..first when I have about 5000 lbs behind me..the second is if it is a raining and I am on the motorcycle..sometimes a situation cannot be avoided..agian..thatm be the slow lanes...last time I was in the rain on the bike, doing about 80..these two Porsches came around me like I was parked..

[hkestes41]

you have just qualiied for the two outside lanes of I-75 during rush hour in Atlanta..

Two outside lanes? That is more like the turn lane in Atlanta.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Two outside lanes? That is more like the turn lane in Atlanta.

now you get my drift...

[michael.warshaw]

i had installed new points condensor, cap and rotor now nomore hesitation. and i can get her up too about 71 miles an hour top end does that sound right.

cruising at 55- 60

[55 Fargo]

i had installed new points condensor, cap and rotor now nomore hesitation. and i can get her up too about 71 miles an hour top end does that sound right.

cruising at 55- 60

Thats more like it, see you didn't have enough spark for a good fire......PS I would refrain from flat out to the floor driving of your engine, 55 to 60 mph should be fine....

[Don Coatney]

i had installed new points condensor, cap and rotor now nomore hesitation. and i can get her up too about 71 miles an hour top end does that sound right.

cruising at 55- 60

What did you set the point gap to? Did you also check the dwell with a meter? If so what was the dwell?

Do you know your rear tire diameter? And your differential gearing? Have you calculated your engine RPM's using the above information? What is the "red line" on RPM's for your engine? Have you looked this up yet?

[55 Fargo]

What did you set the point gap to? Did you also check the dwell with a meter? If so what was the dwell?

Do you know your rear tire diameter? And your differential gearing? Have you calculated your engine RPM's using the above information? What is the "red line" on RPM's for your engine? Have you looked this up yet?

All important points Don.

Michael let us know the diff ratio, if you don't know what it is, check on the top of the differential hoghead it will be stamped there, get this and your rear tire size and we will give you a calculation for speeds/rpm, and what may be your red line.

I am betting you have either a 3.90 or 4.10 rear end, if it is a stock original......Fred

[Plymouthy Adams]

the engine now pulling the car to 71 MPH and getting there smoothly puts him in the ballpark and has proven to him that the state of tune on these old cars is vital for performance. Checking the actual gap and dwell, he may not know as it could very well have been farmed out, having the tools and test equipment to keep these babies running is a neccissity as is having the book to reference. I will say I am happy to see him replying with changes/work done per the advice given and how it may or may not have improved his vehicle. As a note, this car is new to you..getting to know it and it percularities will take a bit of time..this cannot all be absorbed overnight..