What now

[Rodney Bullock]

Ok I went down to play with our favorite brand, the Plymouth. I did not have any starting fluid or extra gas. I did not clean the coil wire or anything. I did not get the coupe started. It has rained here alot and I have had this problem before, I took Tim's advice and installed some tarp under the car and it was dry. I am going down today and ttry again. This time I will have some starter fluid and some electric wire dry. I hope it starts I will drive it all day. I have alot of things to do down there today. I have been playing with that street rod to much, this is what happens when there is no parental supervision. I have ben going to this cruz spot about 24 miles from the house. It is in a place called Rockville. Taking a car up there really heats it up. they have some old mopars up there. I say a 1938 Dodge up there sunday.http://www.cruisein.us/id22.htm it's real cool. I am going to WOW them with the plymouth if I can get it started:cool:

[Don Coatney]

Clean or replace your spark plugs. Then follow the advice below.

I had been dealing with the hard to start flatties for many many years. Up until a few months ago I always had a couple of mustard squirt bottles around the garage filled with gas to prime my carbs with. What a pain in the butt. If I didn't prime the carb I would drain the battery before enough gas was pumped back into the carb to start the engine. Then one day Don Coatney described how he started his car after it sat for a while. He never has to prime the carb. All he does is give it a few cranks....then waits for maybe 5 seconds and gives it another couple of turns with the starter....then waits again for a few seconds and hits the starter again for a few revs. After a few of these cycles the car miraculously fires up.

I have to admit I though....Yeah...right, but I went out in the garage and tried this method on my 35 Dodge that had been sitting idle for a couple of weeks. BY GOD !!!! it started right up. Then I went over and tried this method on my 52 Dodge and it started right up too !!!! Then I tried it on my 38 and 42 coupes and they started up too.

Try it...... and report back.

My mustard gas containers have been retired now for months. THANKS again Don ! I'm not sure why it works but it sure does.

[Reg Evans]

Sometimes the points will get a little corroded too when parked for a couple of months. Open the points and insert a little piece of fine sandpaper to clean them up.

[Plymouthy Adams]

the old gals are just like any other..ignore them for a bit..you pay dearly...

[moparjack44]

http://www.cruisein.us/id22.htm l:

That black Lincoln really caught my eye

[aero3113]

Was it the Lincoln or Megan:cool:?

[Norm's Coupe]

Pick up a bottle of HEET and dump it in the tank too. That should take care of any moisture you may have gotten in the tank. Even if that's not your problem starting, it won't hurt anything to have it in the gas. So........it's worth a shot.

I've had those problems myself with moisture. And, if you recall, about a year or so ago Greg G said he found a lot of water in his tank that gave him problems. This reformulated gas is real junk.

[moparjack44]

Was it the Lincoln or Megan:cool:?

OK, you got me, it wasn't the Lincoln .

[Oldguy48]

Clean or replace your spark plugs. Then follow the advice below.

I think the advice offered here has been excellent, but I'd like to add something based on my experience with the Mopar flatheads from many years ago. This includes a P15 that had in addition to the original engine, a donor engine from a 1949 Plymouth, and later, a 1953 Plymouth. And a 1957 Dodge pick-up truck. Every one of these engines could be cantankerous to start, especially if the weather was cold. Yet, if I attempted to start them by getting the vehicle rolling, and letting out the clutch while the transmission was in 2nd gear, they would nearly always start right up. I believe the weak link was the ignition system, and I believe that an updated ignition system (HEI, or other modern electronic system) would make a tremendous improvement over the original system. I'm basing this strictly on my personal experience with these engines. Maybe there were other factors involved, but even with starting spray, dipstick heaters, even an additional battery in the truck, sometimes getting them started in colder weather required the planets to be in perfect alignment, a lucky rabbit's foot, and a prayer before they would roar to life.

[Rodney Bullock]

Hey everybody, I just got back from playing with the coupe(Plymouth) I went down this morning and took my point file rubbed it twice and got some " dry wire" I know you guy's remember that stuff, I sprayed it on the inside of the cap and on the coill wire ends. I got some starter fluid from the Advance auto that was special in that it was "50 percent eyther" I shot the carb a couple of times and rummm rumm she started right up.

The thing that is worrying me about my little coupe is when I remove the cap I find that there is a slight green residu on the points. I know the garage that I keep the antiqies in has some moisture however I took Tim's advic and put tarp on the whole floor. I will have to drive the thing or start it every once and a while. I had a great time though. Once it's running it's so much fun to drive:D this is why I am just getting back, I did a little visiting.

[greg g]

Hey Rodney (or should I say Pokey?) if your storage facility has electricity, you might want to give some thought to runing a dehumidifier on a timer. Most are fitted with a drain to which you can attach a length of garden hose. You can put it on a bench or shelf and run the hose out a open window or a hole in the wall to take moisture out of the air and drain it outside the structure. You may also want to look into placing some containers of calcium chloride around the garage. CaCL is available at home improvement places and is used to absorb moisture from damp basements and crawl spaces. Typically it comes in plastic container and you set a few of them around the area. It is also sold in larger bags like rock salt. If you get it that way you will need to put it in suitable containers. Plastic buckets will work. It will also pull moisture out of the air. But you have ot check on them and throw them out when the containers get funky.

[blueskies]

...I believe that an updated ignition system (HEI, or other modern electronic system) would make a tremendous improvement over the original system....

I'll second that... I have a mini GM HEI on my flatty, and it fires up before I can let go of the key.

Pete

[TodFitch]

I'll second that... I have a mini GM HEI on my flatty, and it fires up before I can let go of the key.

Pete

Hey Pete,

Where you've been? Haven't seen posts from you recently. Sounds like you still have the 50... Hope your business is picking up...

[blueskies]

Hey Pete,

Where you've been? Haven't seen posts from you recently. Sounds like you still have the 50... Hope your business is picking up...

Tod-

Not to threadjack, but to answer your question... I've spent a tremendous amount of time putting this together- http://www.oldwillysforum.com

An unfortunately, business is non-existant. Beating the bushes for whatever I can turn up at this point. Still trying to peddle my car to no avail.

Thanks for asking...

Pete

Edited December 2, 2009 by blueskies

[Frank Blackstone]

I line the garage floor with tar paper every couple of years. When it gets worn or dirty I replace it. Cheap at Home Depot and it lays down nice. I agree that a lot of moisture comes up through even a concrete floor.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I put moisture barrier in my concrete floor when I built the shop..I also extend this into the first 20 feet of my driveway given that their may be a need to aly on the concrete at the door and work on a car now and again...this goes a long way in keeping tools and such dry if left out under the car...my shop in not heater or cooled per say except by whatever the local condition predetermine save the few times when I am off for an extended period of time from work and light a fire in the fireplace in the garage. Wrappping the building prior to exterior finish is a plus, proper installation of insulation with reard to orientation of moisture barrier, all this combined will help you combat moisture and condensation...I have panels that are still wtihout paint in the shop that have been that way for years without rust showing..for humid south that is good..

as I told Rodney about the ground cover..it is a must if storing a car in an unimproved shelter...however even with that if you get an uncommonly warm damp breeze suddenly in mid winter, it happens, condesation will occur...I had this happen while storing a car in the barn yet bumping a the roof, trunk and hood and block sanding a bit as I went..I had to stop all work and move this car inside for a total dryout, acid etch and application of primer to protect what time and efforts ihad already invested in the car...I have since stopped that type work so to prevent major damage should Inot be home when this condition should reoccur

[Norm's Coupe]

Tim's advise about the tarp is a good one. Also his comment about condensation forming is what I mentioned before. That can happen even if you do have the vapor barrier under the floor. That's caused by rapid variations in temperature. If I use my small side door to enter my garage in the spring and fall when temperatures vary a lot, nothing happens if I close the door behind me right away. It still nice and dry in there. But..........if I open the overhead door, it's instant fog and moisture forms on the cars, and the floor from condensation. Then it takes almost forever to get it dry in there again, even using fans to dry out the floor.

My garage is insulated, but I don't heat it unless I'm working out there. Even when I don't heat the garage, it's usually warmer in there during winter, and cooler in summer than the outside temperature.

The best way to stop or cut down on condensation is to install vents in the garage. I haven't done that myself. But.........by installing vents in the garage, you keep the inside of the garage the same temperature as the outside with a steady flow of outside air. By keeping the temperature the same, you will cut down on condensation when the outside temperature changes rapidly. I do have vents for cross flow of air in my shed. There is never any condensation in there. Of course, if you install vents in the garage, you'll want to use the type of vent that can be opened and closed, so you can heat the garage when you want.

[Rodney Bullock]

Well, to give you a sense of when my wood garage was built. I grandfather was listening to the car radio when the Japanese bombed pearl harbour, he was sitting in a 37 chevy sedan. As far as venting this building it has more holes in it then my story as to why I was out after 2:00 am in the morning:) I think the best thing for me to do is to get some of those bags. The metal garage has no problem with the moisture.

I will have to start these cars more often. Hey just imagine if the guy had came down and tried to buy it last week.he would never had offered all that cash:rolleyes:

I am looking into building another garage at the house:mad:money is getting short and my wife will never give her OK to that;) She has been so nice I need to get her a present that will put me in a good light.

[Plymouthy Adams]

as it turns out, today is one just as I described earlier..wet and raining and so super warm compared to the cold of last night...the condensation runs rampant..the front porch is wet, this usually does not happen in a heavy rain....a very rare event except in this type of fast flipping temps..

[Norm's Coupe]

Rodney,

Actually, you may be able to cut down on moisture from the dirt floor without the calcium chloride cost and mess. Calcium chloride will turn into a sticky chunk when it gets full of moisture. Instead, put down about 3 inches of crushed limestone gravel over the floor, then a tarp over that. As the moisture rises from the ground, the limestone will soak it up, then eventually dry out during the real cold or real hot months of the year. And, you won't need to keep replacing it.

There's a classic car dealership in Manitowoc, WI that usually has lots of cars for sale on consignment. All the cars are in very large tents. The floor is as I described above. It not only soaks up the moisture rising from the ground, but it also will act as a filter to keep oil, etc. from soaking into the ground. Limestone is a great filtering material. The dealer I mentioned did this because it was the only way the DNR would give him a permit to have the cars parked in those large tents.

[moparbenny]

thanks for posting those pics Rodney, really liked the black Lincoln photo

great lines.....and the car is not so bad too....:eek:

[Rodney Bullock]

I wish I couls take cedit for that pic but it was there and I have never met her:) Those guy's have some great cars.

The wood garage I have has crushed milling, under the milling is a plastic tarp. When I rebuilt that garage I should have done a little more. It was designed to hold one car and tools. I now do the most of the work on my cars in there.

I should have had more insight on how many cars would eventually have:rolleyes: We have had so much rain here lately, by this time in the year the ground would be frozen and it would be so dry that everything would be hard as a rock. The limestone sounds like a good idea.

The coupe and sedan like their former home however now other cars have there spot and they are in the wood garage, if they could talk they would be so mad:mad:

[moparbenny]

i would try laying down some 6 mil plastic, and parking the cars over that,

that's what i did in my carport were i park my '69 Satellite, and maybe leave the windows cracked down a bit not enough so a mouse can slip through.

you can get a roll of the 6 mil at home depot for like $50 that's what i payed a few years ago and i still have a lot left over.

as for the car starting problems...well there is a reason they went to electronic ignition ....