found a nice solid '50 meadowbrook, things to look for?

[GlennCraven]

Well, my frame problems appear to be due to the car's sitting flat on the ground at some point. So they are in various locations, wherever the belly  was in contact with the earth. A car of this age could stand to be checked all over as a result.

 

But, there's also a tendency on Windsors like mine, and I presume a lot of other Mopars of this vintage, to rust low in the rear fenders and from the trunk lip down. I'd look extra-hard at the tail of the frame, too.

[_shel_ny]

Cowl vents have been known to leak into the interior. Bad seal with a vent tube plugged allows water to get in. Would cause rot in the gas pedal hinge area.

[knuckleharley]

Just wanted to suggest this setup to adapt a dual master cylinder to the Meadowbrook. I use this system and it is completely bolt on.

Got it from 860-872-7046 (ecihotrodbrakes.com).  Price is reasonable and allows the use of a readily available '67 Mustang MC. I just split the front and rear brake lines.

I work for I learned of this thru my boss at Chrysler (he is customizing a '46 Plymouth Convertible), he suggested this design and they made it.

 

 

  Chrysler Master Cylinder Assemblies  

 

 

    Chrysler Products Dual Master Cylinder Adapters

 

 

These dual master cylinder conversion brackets use the stock brake (and clutch) pedal and are a direct bolt in to the factory master cylinder bracket. They will accept the EC-445 and EC-446 master cylinders and come complete with a new master cylinder and attaching hardware.

Will fit most Chrysler and Desoto applications-call for info.

                    EC-441

37-41 Dodge and Plymouth

EC-441..............................................................................$ 250.00*

46-48 Dodge and Plymouth

EC-442..............................................................................$ 275.00*

49-54 Dodge and Plymouth

EC-444..............................................................................$ 275.00*

 

 Great,once again the 42's are odd man out.

[knuckleharley]

Based on my own sad experiences,the first think I would look for would be a title,and then making sure the serial numbers on the title matched the ones on the car. Once you have established the car you are buying is the car you are getting,you are on solid ground and can worry about things like replacing the brake lines,brake hoses,master cylinder,wheel cylinders,and dropping and having the gas tank cleaned out inside and treated.  Which would also be a good time to replace the gas line and all the rubber lines and any plastic gas filters you might see. The ethanol gas we use today acts like acid on old rubber gas lines and plastic filters,and your car could catch of fire while you are driving down the road if you don't do this.

[mike00]

thank you all for sharing your experience with me.

 

i will be sure, when i get under there, and check the usuals, to pay special attention to the tail of the frame.

 

i do believe that the cowl vents were indeed leaking on this car, as the owner told me that the front floor is rotted, but the body looks pretty good. hopefully the frame in that area wont be rusted to the point of weakening. also, how hard are the vents to repair?

 

sorry that the dual master kit is not available for the '42's. if its not too completely different, maybe you could suggest a design to eci. apparently thats what meadowbrook's boss did and they made it

 

i will definately check the vin against the title..... twice

 

i do intend on going through the brakes completely, (even though i hear the rear drums can be a chalenge to remove)

i hadnt really thought about going through the fuel system, but it sounds like a good idea.

what would you use to treat the inside of a gas tank?

 

i hate that i cant find fuel without ethanol around me anymore. there used to be in a lot of places, then a few, now i cant find any. ethanol gas is more prone to catch condensation and besides being worse gas mileage in any condition, i believe it burns hotter, and it seems especially bad for small engines. (or just more noticeably bad)  example---my father has had chainsaws, leaf blowers, weed eaters (a few of each) for years and years, he's had a lot more trouble with them in the past 5 years, than in the last 20 before that.

i was thinking about mixing some marvel in the gas for this engine. good idea? bad idea? please share.

 

anyhow, i appreciate the advice once again. anyone else who would like to share their experiences on typical problem areas of frame rot/weaknesses on these cars, i'd apprecite it.

[meadowbrook]

A couple of notes on my Meadowbrook.

I keep hearing about the ills of ethanol in today's fuel and I get that it can damage rubber and is more corrosive to metal. But I have not had any issues on my Dodge or for that matter on my '65 VW.

I did replace all rubber hoses, fuel filters, fuel pump and rebuilt the carb on these vehicles when I got them, but that was about 4 years ago on the Dodge and I have had no issues, so maybe it's not such a horrible issue. I do use Stabil on the fuel system during the winter when the car just sits between December and March, but nothing else.

[wayfarer]

With regards to checking the frame for rust; I have a 49 that has been scavenged for parts for other projects and it has several large cracks in/around the area of the coil spring pocket, on the top of the frame. I cannot say it is a common problem but might be worth looking under all of the caked on crud to see what you have.

[busycoupe]

With regard to non-ethanol gas, you could check some area marinas.  In NC it is legal to sell non-ethanol gas but very few service stations carry it, however a small boat marina a few miles from my house is only too happy to sell it to me.

Dave

[meadowbrook]

Here are the pictures of my dual circuit brake mc bracket

[martybose]

With regard to non-ethanol gas, you could check some area marinas.  In NC it is legal to sell non-ethanol gas but very few service stations carry it, however a small boat marina a few miles from my house is only too happy to sell it to me.

Dave

I guess NC must be different from a lot of other states, which tend to get grouchy about fuel being used in cars that doesn't have the usual gas taxes applied to it (which are supposed to be used for road repairs, etc.)  Working in a Kalifornia shipyard, we have to be very careful how we use the red-dyed marine diesel; if we get caught with it in any of our trucks it is a big fine, but we have plenty of diesel-powered equipment in the yard to use it.

 

Marty

[GlennCraven]

With regard to non-ethanol gas, you could check some area marinas.  In NC it is legal to sell non-ethanol gas but very few service stations carry it, however a small boat marina a few miles from my house is only too happy to sell it to me.

Dave

 

Whereabouts in North Carolina? ... I'm trying to remember if stations had a choice of ethanol or not when I was still living in North Carolina around 2010.

 

In Kansas and Oklahoma a number of stations will carry both; gas with some ethanol is cheaper, but ethanol-free is an option. Other stations -- particularly with Shell products at independent stations or certain convenience chains -- will advertise on their signs that all grades of their fuel are ethanol-free. Their prices are, of course, higher, and they don't seem to get quite as much traffic at the pumps, but that's their business model and they appear to be sticking with it.

[busycoupe]

I am in eastern NC about 5 mi. from Washington, 18 mi. east of Greenville.  There is an independent gas station in Washington that carried non-ethanol premium gas in addition to the usual offerings with ethanol, but they have not been reliable about carrying it lately.  I moved here in 2010 and I'm pretty sure they carried non-ethanol gas at that time.  Now I find it convenient to go down the back road about 8 mi. to a little marina at a place called Cotton Patch Landing.  In addition to getting gas, it is always a pleasant ride.  The gas at the marina costs about $0.25 more per gallon, but I tell myself that I get better mileage with it.

[GlennCraven]

You almost certainly do get better mileage without the ethanol. Maybe not enough to justify 25 cents a gallon, but if you like the drive and it makes you feel good about your car, that makes up the difference.

 

I lived in Henderson from November 1998 through January 2011, so not ALL that far away. I was going to say it's a beautiful part of the state, but the whole state has a lot of beauty.

[Don Coatney]

I believe this link has been posted in the past.

 

http://pure-gas.org/

[DJ194950]

Thanks for the repost, Don.

Checked avail. in Ca.

It would take a tank or 2 get get to any of the No ethanol sales places here in CA. All way north without smog problems, nore many people compared to the rest of Ca. Closest sold it Hi test only out of a 55 gal drum for only 6.89 per last report this year.

Been running my car on unleaded regular w/ ethanol for 1-1/2 years, but low mileage- about 2000 total.

Timing set to run without knocking.

Has anyone thried uping grades (mid and premium, 100 oct. avail. at one station in town.)) and changing timing to check performance differences with the changes??

Tks,

Doug

[mike00]

@meadowbrook - i cant see the picture of your dual-master brake cylinder setup. could you re-post it?

 

@doug - if it's a flathead motor i doubt higher octane would run much different. (at least not if its anywhere near stock)

Edited October 25, 2013 by mike00

[mike00]

i found another vechicle i might be interested in instead, a 1950 coronet (a huge change in plans)

i have a couple questions about this car

 

1 - is there any such thing as the owner describes "three on the tree and an automatic option"?

it was my understanding that while they both had the same fluid coupler, the transmissions marketed as "fluid drive" were three on the tree while the ones called "gyro-matic" have two ranges, each of which automatically shift between two gears. and that the "fluid drive" was more common on the meadowbrook, while the "gyro-matic" was more common on the coronets. is this correct? was there any other options in a 1950 coronet?

 

2 - did any of these come from the factory with a sun visor? (outside type)

Edited October 25, 2013 by mike00

[Don Coatney]

Fluid drive is not a transmission but a fluid coupling.

[mike00]

....." it was my understanding that while they both had the same fluid coupler "

....." marketed as "fluid drive" "

....." ones called "gyro-matic" "

@ Dan - I know

[_shel_ny]

With the "automatic" reference, the seller is most likely referring to the fact that you can start out in 3rd (if not gyro-matic) and just do stop and go driving without shifting 3-2-1, or 1-2-3.

 

Meadowbrook, Coronet, same car. Coronet upgraded trim/options, and more likely to have a Gryo-matic. I see the M-6 trans as no particular advantage. Actually more of a headache, with the possible problems with the two shifting ranges.

Edited October 25, 2013 by shel_ny

[meadowbrook]

Resend of the dual MC setup on my Meadowbrook.

Edited October 25, 2013 by meadowbrook

[meadowbrook]

And another.

[mike00]

thanks for the pics meadowbrook. did everything you needed come in that kit?

 

also how reliable/troublesome are the gyromatics?