Which 6 volt battery do you have?

[Captain Neon]

Well, I'll jump in on this one. I grew up the same time you did, and the first bloody thing I did when I got my P15 was read the bloody service manual cover to cover twice. I was 14, and I had lots of big dreams. When I started paying my own bills, I realised there was a reason why most people did not have perfect old cars.

I am probably the least skilled person on this forum, and I rely upon the assistance of a mechanic at least once a year to fix something on my P15. I do know my own abilities, but I also know enough to get my sorry self home when something goes wrong and when perhaps it is best to leave the old girl home.

Maybe it's because I've had this car for over 20 years and I've read just about anything that I could get my hands on about the car when I was a teenager.

I've been in this hobby most of my life, but anyone willing to spend $35K for a '47 Plymouth coupe is a fool. Norm will sell you his for $20K and laugh all the way to the bancque. I don't care where you live or how much people pay for real estate or food. One can pick up primo P15s all over the US for less than $10K. I can ship a car a long ways for $25K. You direct me to the guys willing to spend $35K for a stock P15 coupe, and I will have one in his yard this spring just the way he wants it (new paint, rebuilt mechanicals, new upholstery, re-chromed bumpers, freshly rebuilt radio and wiper motor, new tires, and polished stainless), and I will pocket the cash even if I farm out all of the work. Anybody that lazy deserves to be took!

We love to help out fellow hobbyists that love their cars, but we are a hands-on bunch. I sympathise with not having a lot of time or skills to get things done w/ your car, but any one that knows less about auto mechanics than I do really has no business owning an old car.

As much as you would like to get on the road and driving, I think that you will be further along if you just put the old girl in whatever storage you have arranged for the winter. (You can't possibly be planning on driving an old Plymouth in the winter. I know how much salt they dump on the streets of majour northern metropolitan areas and what that does to cars.) Study about your car through the service manual, parts book, owner's manual, sales literature, etc.) Give it all a try this spring, and I think you will find the joy of ownership so much more rewarding if you at least do some of the work yourself, but moreso from the knowledge gained in the pursuit.

My P15 means more to me simply because of all that we have been through these past 20+ years, and how I've learned to appreciate the things that make her uniquely mine. I've been hoping for 20 years to redo the upholstery, but something else always gets in the way. Maybe this spring... I think I may actually like the old falling apart, fragile, stained fabric. I think I get more enjoyment deciding what I want for upholstery than I will once I actually finally have it in.

[michael.warshaw]

u never watch barret jackson do you, they sell 1981 smokey aand the bandit trans ams for 60k, a car that they made so many of in the 100,000'a, only 28 years ago, not even to mention the fact that every highschool friend of mine had that trans am, and it was a poorly built xar the seems didnt even match up on it.

here we have a car that is almost 65 years old, not to many floating around, they are worth more than you think. most of these cars are in the grave yard, rotting away far and few between are driving around. a perfect condition p15 coupe- not four door - in 1 scale mint condition will do 30 in a good economy, at the right auction.

PLAIN AND SIMPLE A DECENT PAINT JOB IS 10,OOO ALONE AND ALL THE REST OF THE CAR IS MONEY.

[Captain Neon]

I do watch Barrett-Jackson, and I know the market. If that is your source, you really need an eye-opener. If you think all that matters is how old the car is, you really ain't got a clue. You show me a guy that wants a stock P15 coupe (not a station wagon or convertible), not a Ford, Chevy, or truly rare car, and is willing to part with $35K for 6 months while I arrange the work with his money and he's got a deal. If all I need to do is paint, and tune-up the engine, then I'm really salivating at this deal. Shoot, I could just buy Norm's for $20K and we can both laugh all the way to the bancque.

I'll be in Milwaukee loading up Norm's coupe as soon as your checque clears. Norm, sounds like you don't have to worry about storing your coupe this winter. We've got an expert that can arrange your asking price tomorrow...

[Cpt.Fred]

michael:

all i can say is that i personally was born in 1981 in germany (so i don't remember the slightest thing about these cars and am, at least by age, a member of this "new generation").

i bought my 1940 P-10 deluxe two door sedan, first hand, completely original condition, no rust outs, running and everything a year ago for 7500 US dollars (and i think i could have had it cheaper but i didn't care because i wanted THIS CAR and not an object of financial speculation), spent about a hundred dollars on literature and joined this forum.

i asked a lot of stupid questions, i made lots of mistakes, right now i could blow the car up because the brakes won't do what i tell them to do, but i love this hobby and i also had a lot of laughs on this forum and hundreds of interesting threads that had nothing to do with my problems but were educating anyway!

get dirty under your car, waste time on the forum, waste money on spare parts, fight with your girl because you're always in the garage, and enjoy a cold beer after a day of fixing problems yourself!

or go get a honda like your mechanic wants you to.

[Don Coatney]

Pleain and simple, i bought this car to enjoy and get the old feeling, and have somewhat of a show car, and you guys should try to answer my questions,

Tell me again why we are supposed to answer your questions?

Is it so your mechanic can fix your car or so you can sell your car for 30K?

Why dont you simply buy a Barret car that is perfect and needs no repairs?

No matter what direction you go I wish you luck.

[Don Coatney]

Searching finds answers i agree but times cahnge when you read all the thngs the editor writes, which he wrote ten years ago some of that stuff doesnt make sense anymore. .

One more thing I am trying to understand. Information written 10 years ago about a 60 year old car is now outdated and dosent make sense anymore? What changed? Did the car transform into something else? Using this logic I guess the 60 year old service manual is of no use today as it was written 60 years ago. Where can I find a new service manual written recently that makes sense?

[Plymouthy Adams]

I really do not have a dog in this fight but I also hate to see any of our forum members pay for things they do not need or get charged for services not properly rendered...as for this generation electronics, it is built on the foundation this car's electrical system operates...it is pure analog unless you have an LED somewhere for display...all you have is a battery and motors..mabe a few coils in form of ignition step up or the coils inside the horn relay..my god this stuff is so simple it is beyond belief..however..unlike the plug and play and swap out generation this stuff is repairable..the steps and test to get it repaired are outlined in the book in step by step test and repair procedures...and no real special handtools are needed.

you should have learned a lesson by now that every mechanic does not necessary know what they are doing..further, shops DO the module/component replace as the industry will not warrant any mechanics attemp to repair a system thus they cannot afford this practice in returned problems, this practices is done and customer charged eegardless of whether it fixed the car or not, you are paying for their mistakes..the average person can screw something up a whole lot cheaper than paying someone else to screw it up...the shelling out of 250 for electrical where as he did absolutely nothing to help you and told you the BS about the shorted/melted system..my friend, wires has not changed form the 40/50's except in coatings..( lesser guage due to increased voltage) but a wire is a wire..the fuel guage..again, no trouble shooting was done..you had no clue as to if your guage was good, sender was good or interconnecting harness much less do ground test, this is why I asked the question up front point blank what tests were done to ensure you are replacing a know bad item...yes you now have a new non working fuel guage.. Unlike plug and play cars of today..mechanical bonds are necessary to get proper voltage etc..today's cars have a dedicated return line to an electronic controller..granted they terminate to a ground pooint, but this is usually a good known intrnal junction where soldered returns complete the circuit without voltage drop due to faulty body grounds. Even at that 90% of all electrical in the modern car is faulty connections usually at the disconnect plug.

you are going to have a ton of money in this car and hey, you are right, it is your money..maybe I am wrong here but this forum mainly revolves around do-it-yourself tip and tricks and overall troubleshooting in general from bumper to bumper. to prevent yourself being ripped off even if you have no desire to do the work, you at minimum should know how a system works. I cannot stress this enough, in order to make it work, you have to understand how it works. If you have not got your book and read it through and through, stop...get it, read it, understand it and be informed when you go to a mechanic...have the knowledge and know the lingo so he will get the idea you will know BS when you hear it.

no one here, no one that I know is going to critize you for trying, no one will turn a deaf ear to honest attempts to test and repair parts on your car..but no one wants to call out possibles without feedback , this is vitally important in getting down to what is wrong and will get you there in a manner so as not to spend a fortune on unnecessary items but without feedback it is all moot..maybe your mechanic ought to be on this forum..

I see your dilema as a new owner and who can you trust to know what to do and do it right...it is a costly adventure you embark upon when farming out everything that needs be done to these old cars..but as a kid if you were able to keep a bike or skateboard on the road, the same basic tools and armed with the shop manual you can do it here on this car..now I am not sugesting that you take your engine or tranny apart but general things like trouble shooting, good bonds, simple tune up etc etc..

as for the comment on Barrett Jackson..anyone that gets their eyes glazed over with that TV porn...well, hopefully they will walk into a wall and wake up...

[Joe Flanagan]

This whole thing reminds me of the Karl Childers saga. Anyone remember him? I think the problem, as one poster said, is the way Michael asks his questions. Every internet forum is a culture. Here, we're pretty collegial and generally come off like a bunch of old farts, even though there are some young guys among us. When someone starts putting up multiple posts saying, "I want this" and "I need that," and "gimme this information," and does not participate in the culture, it puts people off. Reminds me of how we got the name "Ugly American" overseas.

There's no rule saying you have to socialize here, but the decent thing to do is be gracious about asking for help. Personally, I agree with Tim when he says it's like being used. Then, when you start talking about living in New York and how much everything costs and defining everything in terms of money, forget it. Rightly or wrongly, I get the impression the poster is in one hell of a hurry and doesn't want to get his hands dirty and could very well be just trying to flip this thing for 30K and if you are of no use to him, then you are just in his way. I can't imagine anything that would frost a bunch of old car guys more than that.

BUT: Michael has a beautiful old car that's in great condition--in fact I wish I had it instead of the hulking four dour monster sitting in my garage right now. He's obviously trying to get it functioning and even seems to be attentive to keeping it somewhat original. Therefore, we should help him. He also makes a very good point: We seem to have plenty of time to chase off-topic subjects all over the board but when it comes to answering a basic car question, we get offended because a new person is wasting our time.

That said, Michael, you should use the search function. You should do a little work yourself. Your willingness to get involved with this is an indication of whether you really love these cars or this is just your latest expensive toy that might turn a profit in the future. There's a technical tips section and a vendors list, which the administrator created so we don't have to keep reinventing the wheel. Don't be like the guy who cuts in at the front of a long line.

These cars are actually very basic. You're much more likely to screw up a new car if you go messing around with it. Modern vehicles are rocket science. These cars are more horse and buggy. I maintain that technology has shortened attention spans and has produced a generation that wants everything right now, if not sooner. That's why I think this hobby is great for younger people. It takes you back to a time when things weren't like that and teaches you patience, thoroughness, and perserverance. I'm impressed by guys like Capt. Fred, Young Ed, and others who are dedicated to these old cars. Speaking strictly for myself, if I couldn't work on my own car and always had to write a check for someone else to do it for me, I wouldn't be in the hobby at all. I grew up messing around with cars, as did many other guys on the forum. Many guys did not. If they have to hire a mechanic to bring an old car back, so what? Would you rather see it go to the crusher?

I would rather not see us become the POC. Let's all be civil. Michael, same goes for you.

[Young Ed]

Here's another option. Join a club like the plymouth owners club WPC club etc. Meet up with the local guys. I'd bet you'll be able to find either a great reccomendation to get someone to work on it or maybe even some of the local guys will work on it for you. Some of the older guys might work on old cars on the side.

As far as most of us being older I think you'd be surprised. I've had a 46 dodge pickup since my 21 bday. I just turned 30. I found this forum when I just had the pickup and fell in love with the look of a p15 club coupe. I eventually bought one of those too. Now I do have my Dad who knows these cars well and guides me along with large projects. However my truck was a stripped down cab and frame that I had to completely rebuild. I don't think anyone faults you for not wanting to do your own work. Heck many days I wish I could afford to take my plymouth to a paint shop and just pick it up all shiney and nice. I can't so it stays as it is. But you gotta learn a little so you know when the shop guys are spouting BS. Like the fuel gauge being bad is very rare. The only gauge that got bad in my car was the amp gauge and I did that to myself.

[rlovette]

On buying a battery--NAPA has a 6-volt for about $75--bought one in late July. I'm also fairly young (almost 38)--and will be the first to admit that my learning curve is pretty steep on a lot of things. There is a local car club in my town (they have a cruise-in every Saturday evening downtown--April through October)--and while there are a lot of street rods and custom vehicles, there are some others that have been restored. Good advice on getting to know some of the folks in the clubs. Forums like this one are a great resource!! I've asked several questions, and while my car still isn't running, I'm learning some valuable troubleshooting tips.

[Troganin]

I'm a bit offended that you think young people just have no idea. I got my car when I was 17 and have been working and learning ever sence. My parents had not even been a twinkle in my granfather's eye. Working on the car has actualy improved my knowlage of newer cars and how they work. Seeing as knowing where you come from and all that. It saddens me that you have gotten everyone here yelling back and forth. I hope that we dont loose a good member because of what you have incited. Please go back to writing one line wants and needs. It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

[michael.warshaw]

enough with the non sense lets get back to talking about cars! im goingto search the forum to look for answers.

[oldmopar]

Pleain and simple, i bought this car to enjoy and get the old feeling, and have somewhat of a show car, and you guys should try to answer my questions, instead you say use the search button. Searching finds answers i agree but times cahnge when you read all the thngs the editor writes, which he wrote ten years ago some of that stuff doesnt make sense anymore. The classic car scene is on fire and these cars in 100 percent shape are worth 25 to 30 k all day long. Not 10k like said. But that is here nor there. I have seen pefect cars like a p15 sell for 33k, here in ny, becuase in ny the average salary is higher nad people spend like water here. The cost of living in ny is ridiculous. To go to a baseball game for 2 poeple will easily cost you 200, for a met or yankee game. If you are a single person and you live in ny long island or manhattan you need to make about 75k to just get by.

I do not want to get into this pissing contest but I grew up raised a family in NYC. I presently live in NJ and am well aware of the cost of life in the big ciy.

I have bought and sold a # of mopars and the sad fact of life is no one is going to pay 33k for a p15 at least not a stock one. Now you take the same car and put ford or chevy on it and the price goes up .

The point is if you sink a pile of cash in and think you are going to even break even forget it, So yes fix the car make it look good and enjoy it but forget about getting rich. Attached is a link to my cars past and present and if you add them all up they might add up to 33k.

http://www.oldmopar.com/cars.html

[HalfdollarMayflower]

The other day I was sitting in the garage oogling my new-old flathead when I heard a familiar song on the radio...before long I was tapping my toe and singing along. Then I realized...this is Alan Jackson...I listened to this song in high school...this is an 'oldies' radio station. Wow...I'm officially old.

Now this...who'd-a-thunk at the ripe old age of 32 I'd be an official member of the "grumpy old farts" club? Gentlemen, I'm honored.

"Grumpy" Gary in Texas

[Plymouthy Adams]

its an honor to have you aboard...32 is not old..though your mindset places you amoung this group..at 38 I dated my last teenager..that is when you resign yourself to have grown up a tad...actually it was that awful music...yuk!!!!

[Young Ed]

I had a similar experience while watching a movie with Carmons 19-20ish cousins. A Red hot chili peppers song came on and I made a comment about it and they had no clue about the song. Dang I felt old!

[Reg Evans]

enough with the non sense lets get back to talking about cars! im goingto search the forum to look for answers.

Atta Boy Mike ! Welcome aboard.

[bobostski]

Back to the Battery, I was buying batterys at Auto Zone and they didn't seem to last very long. I asked the guy how many 6 volts they sell a year and he said maybe 1 or 2. I come to find out that the battery sits on the shelf for years be for they sell it so you get a 2-3 year old battery to start with. I've since went to a battery store, payed a bit more, got a fresh one and have had no problems.

I know I won't get rich on my 48 Ply but its always the only one at the car shows.