Questions from a new owner

[W.F. Brown- III]

This is my first post, so please be kind ...

I became the owner of a '48 Plymouth Special Deluxe less than a month ago. As far as I can tell, the car is mostly original. It is in excellent shape and runs good. I do have a question though (not knowing a thing about auto mechanics - old cars or new).

I know that with a 6 volt system you don't have that "zing" starting as you do with a 12 volt. But, should the starter turn sloooooow? It will start, but it sure does take a long time and it is turning over ever so slow. The battery is a relatively new battery, so I don't think that would be part of the issue.

Any advice or comments? Thanks.

[1940plymouth]

six volts do turn over slowly. Make sure that all your connections are good and clean. Welcome aboard.

Got any photos?

Bob

[randroid]

WF,

Welcome to the forum. Scroll down on the main page and you'll see a thread titled, 'Woven Ground Strap'. Most of us have or had battery cables meant for 12v cars and they are simply too small to carry the amps required to turn our engines over rapidly, and generally it is agreed that 00 gauge is the way to go. These can be had (or made) through most farm supply houses. Measure the length of the three cables you have or take them with you and show them to whomever will be making your replacement cables.

That might not be the whole answer to your question but it will make the engine spin faster regardless of any other problem.

-Randy

[W.F. Brown- III]

... Most of us have or had battery cables meant for 12v cars and they are simply too small to carry the amps required to turn our engines over rapidly, and generally it is agreed that 00 gauge is the way to go ...

Thanks, I'll give that a try first thing next week.

[old rat 49]

Welcome to the forum. I'm an old guy with a fare amount of auto experience but haven't messed with one of these in decades. Ditto on the cleaning and the cables. GET THE BOOKS. Maint and Parts. You will be lost without them. Search and read posts. I've read about 3/4 of all posts so far. The folks here on the forum are the best I've found on any forum. Enjoy your car but it can be frustrating at times.

[P-12 Tommy]

Hi W.F., Welcome to the best forum on the WWW. There is a lot of knowlegable people that will help out when needed. Please post pics.

Tom

[W.F. Brown- III]

... Got any photos?

Bob

Here are a couple photos of my '48.

[P-12 Tommy]

Nice. Thanks for the pics.

Tom

[1940plymouth]

Thanks for posting the photos, you have a great looking car. Good luck with it. You'll find that these old Plymouths are so much fun to drive and very dependable

[Don Coatney]

Looks like you have the semi rare self canceling turn signal. Great looking car. Where did you find it?

[Charlie Olson]

Welcome aboard, you have clearly shown your superior intelligence by purchasing a Post War Plymouth. In regards to starting issues, make sure your vehicle is very well grounded; usually two separate grounding connections works best. Proper size cables and clean connections are imperative, also. Find some old car folks in your area to help you understand things automotive and to give you good advice. Joining an antique/collector car club is helpful and a great social outlet. Enjoy that P15.

Edited June 12, 2010 by Charlie Olson

[Young Ed]

Don thats a signal stat. I have them in both my car and truck. Mine are black and I know they come chrome. I suppose maybe they came that color at some point or someone painted that one.

[maine48ply]

WF, I've got the same car, except yours looks like mine will, in a few years. Hey, if you get a minute, would you be willing to snap a photo of the body mount brackets near the rocker panels? I need to replace those, mine are too far gone to even see what I'm after.

Welcome to this forum.

Mark

[W.F. Brown- III]

Looks like you have the semi rare self canceling turn signal. Great looking car. Where did you find it?

The signals appear to be something someone added at a later date (I'm fairly sure they aren't "original" to the car). They don't work now, so it's hand signals (I think I like that better anyway).

Interesting story about finding the car. One morning while taking my daughter to school, I saw the car sitting on the side of the road with a "for sale" sign in the window. I wasn't looking for an "old car" at the time. I've been driving a '65 Ford Custom 500 almost daily since 1983, so I had all the "old car" that I needed. But that Plymouth really looked nice and caught my eye.

My Dad drove a '42 Plymouth before the War (he wrecked it after he got back from the Army) that I'd always heard stories about (and had several pictures). I keep looking at this old car as I took and picked-up my daughter from school. After a couple days curiosity gets the best of me and I stop to take a close look. I see it's a '48, but it looks almost exactly like the '42 my Dad had (later learn about the body style not really changing for a couple years after the war).

I'm really starting to like this car, but I think "I bet they want an arm and leg for it, so no way I can afford it." But, after another day or two of passing by, I decide to give the guy a call. After all, it doesn't cost a thing to ask.

Well, he didn't want much at all for the car (I mean NOT MUCH AT ALL). The guy was a preacher at one of the local Baptist churches and was a respectable man, so I wasn't concerned with being sold a "good looking piece of junk" if you know what I mean. I ask him, "will it run" and he says "yes". He met me at the car in about 15 minutes and we took it for a ride.

The car was so nice and the price was so right that I told him to go get the title and I go get some cash. We struck a deal right there and an hour later I drove away with a '48 Plymouth Special Deluxe thinking to myself "did I just buy a 62 year old car?"

The guy that had the car had bought it about four years ago from someone else local. His intent was to turn it into a "hot rod". He'd messed with it for a while on and off, but said he just got tired of the project and wanted to sell the car and do something else.

So, that's the story of how I came to be the owner of this car (hope I haven't bored you with the details).

[W.F. Brown- III]

WF, I've got the same car, except yours looks like mine will, in a few years. Hey, if you get a minute, would you be willing to snap a photo of the body mount brackets near the rocker panels? I need to replace those, mine are too far gone to even see what I'm after.

Welcome to this forum.

Mark

I'll give it a try. Not sure exactly what you are looking for, but I'll take a picture of something.

[maine48ply]

Didn't mean to put you right to work!

What I am after is a section under the floor, between the outside edge of the rocker and where the seat starts, roughly. There are some brackets under there that extend from the frame to the outside of the rocker and help support the floor. Mine have virtually vanished, through rust.

You don't even need to get under there, just put the camera under there and snap a few...that shoud do it.

And if you don't get to it...thats ok too.

[1940plymouth]

Can you post those old photos of your Dad's '42 Plymouth?

Sure would appreciate it, the old family photos with the cars that they drove are really AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,

Bob

[steveplym]

Welcome to the forum WF. Looks like you have a very nice, complete, car there. Nice find.

[greg g]

A lot of 6V cars struggle by starting to start through previous owner installed skinny 12 V cables. 6V needs nice thick primary cables 1 gauge or better yet 0 gauge. about the size of your little finger.

6 V pulls twice the amperage (current) of 12V so you needs nice thick cables with lots of strands. You car should also be wired with positive to ground.

NIce car welcome.

[Joe Flanagan]

As a newbie, when I first saw the 00 cables I didn't believe they could possibly be used for a car. They look huge.

[Tom Skinner]

W.F.

Welcome to the Forum!

Nice Car!

Lots of knowledge and experience with this Forum.

Good Luck with your new Car.

Tom Skinner

Huntersville NC

[W.F. Brown- III]

... Hey, if you get a minute, would you be willing to snap a photo of the body mount brackets near the rocker panels? ...

Is this what you were wanting?

[BobT-47P15]

Hi W F.......a really great looking car - ya did good!

Hang around a while and you'll learn all sorts of things about an

old Plymouth. I've found about stuff that was news to me.

[PatS....]

Welcome!!

Those underside picks reveal a true survivor in incredible condition. Usually those areas are literally gone...rusted away decades ago.

Your car is like new!!

Congrats...enjoy the new ride.

[W.F. Brown- III]

Can you post those old photos of your Dad's '42 Plymouth?

Sure would appreciate it' date=' the old family photos with the cars that they drove are really AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,

Bob[/quote']

This is my Dad, Bill Brown, Jr., about the time he graduated high school in '42.

This is the closest thing to an interior shot of the car. I think it is a very interesting picture. That's my Dad in the driver's seat hugging my Mother. The little girl with "the eyes" in the back is my Mother's little sister, Margaret Dobson. I didn't find this picture till after my Dad and Mom both passed away, but my aunt told me that it was taken on a trip when my Dad took my Mom to school at Appalachian State Teachers College (ASU now) in Boone, NC (my Dad went to UNC till he was drafted in the spring of '43). She said that she, my one of their other (older than her but younger than my Mom) sisters and a friend of my Dad's went along on the trip. My aunt said that she embarrassed her other sister because all the way home she giggled because she saw my Mom and Dad kissing. This was about a year before they were married.

My Dad was a big guy and there isn't a lot of room in that front seat. That hug and kiss must have been something to see.

This is the best picture of the '42 Plymouth. On the back of the photo is written "side view of old Faithful". My Mom sent this photo to my Dad when he was overseas in the war. It was taken in the summer of 1944. In the background of the photo is the old home place. The house is mine now and, since my '48 looks so much like their '42, I parked the '48 in the exact same spot and took a picture. With the exception of the corn in the background, it looks just about the same. I've got corn planted there now, and when it gets up high enough, I'll take another "now" photo to go with this old one.

One last note about the '42 Plymouth and I'll stop boring you all with my stories. I always thought the car was my Dad's car. After I got my '48, I was talking to one of my Dad's old school mates about the '42. He corrected me when I said something about "Dad's car." He said the '42 was my aunt's (Dad's sister) car. My aunt Hazel was 17 years older than my Dad and lived at home (she was a school teacher). My Dad's Father died in early 1932, so my aunt was almost like a parent to my Dad. Anyway, my Dad's friend said: "That old Plymouth was Hazel's car. She supplied the car, the gas, oil, and tires. Your Dad and I just supplied the fun!"