finally got my headlight knob

[larryconnors]

When I got my 47 P15 2 door sedan 2 years ago, the only thing missing was the headlight knob. I've watched Epay ever since but either the prices were way too high or a sniper beat me out at the end. Finally today I called a fellow who was parting out a 46 4 door and he had the knob for $20. I'm probably nuts to drive 150 miles round trip to pick it up, but there was a bonus. He was an interesting guy to meet and he had an unrestored 1942 Plymouth 4 door with 19K original miles sitting in his shop. He started and ran it for me and it started nice, ran nice, and idled smooth as silk. He says he can balance a nickle on edge on the engine while it's running and it won't fall over. I'm leaving the headlight knob on my desk for a few days just to admire it- then I'll go out to the garage and install it.  

[OldDad67]

When I got my 47 P15 2 door sedan 2 years ago, the only thing missing was the headlight knob. I've watched Epay ever since but either the prices were way too high or a sniper beat me out at the end. Finally today I called a fellow who was parting out a 46 4 door and he had the knob for $20. I'm probably nuts to drive 150 miles round trip to pick it up, but there was a bonus. He was an interesting guy to meet and he had an unrestored 1942 Plymouth 4 door with 19K original miles sitting in his shop. He started and ran it for me and it started nice, ran nice, and idled smooth as silk. He says he can balance a nickle on edge on the engine while it's running and it won't fall over. I'm leaving the headlight knob on my desk for a few days just to admire it- then I'll go out to the garage and install it.  

Sometimes it pays to shop around, I love beating the e-pay bandits from time to time. Does my old heart good! 

Edited December 17, 2014 by OldDad67

[1940_dodge]

When I got my 47 P15 2 door sedan 2 years ago, the only thing missing was the headlight knob. I've watched Epay ever since but either the prices were way too high or a sniper beat me out at the end. Finally today I called a fellow who was parting out a 46 4 door and he had the knob for $20. I'm probably nuts to drive 150 miles round trip to pick it up, but there was a bonus. He was an interesting guy to meet and he had an unrestored 1942 Plymouth 4 door with 19K original miles sitting in his shop. He started and ran it for me and it started nice, ran nice, and idled smooth as silk. He says he can balance a nickle on edge on the engine while it's running and it won't fall over. I'm leaving the headlight knob on my desk for a few days just to admire it- then I'll go out to the garage and install it.

Congratulations! I have no knobs for anything in my dash and am not looking forward to tracking them down.

[larryconnors]

The guy who sold me the headlight knob has all of the other knobs still on the 46 Plymouth he's parting out. His ad is on NH craigslist

[BobT-47P15]

I would be inclined to do just what you did Larry.  Some of these pieces have gotten hard to come by now and the

price asked was reasonable.   I looked for a cigarette lighter for my P15 for many years.....didn't want to pay the

eBay prices........finally found one in a junk coupe about 12 miles from here and the seller didn't think it was any big

deal......only charged me $25.    

 

My theory nowadays is to buy all the little items I come across at a reasonable price and stash them for spares.  

If someone I know needs something I have badly enough, I will likely sell them one at a fair price.  Found a few

things at Hershey this year like some door latches - I needed one so I bought a couple extras too.  Wish I had

purchased even more stuff from salvage yard cars back in the 70s when you could buy a pile of stuff for maybe

$20 and everyone was happy.  Now those yards are all gone.  

[1940_dodge]

I would be inclined to do just what you did Larry.  Some of these pieces have gotten hard to come by now and the

price asked was reasonable.   I looked for a cigarette lighter for my P15 for many years.....didn't want to pay the

eBay prices........finally found one in a junk coupe about 12 miles from here and the seller didn't think it was any big

deal......only charged me $25.    

 

My theory nowadays is to buy all the little items I come across at a reasonable price and stash them for spares.  

If someone I know needs something I have badly enough, I will likely sell them one at a fair price.  Found a few

things at Hershey this year like some door latches - I needed one so I bought a couple extras too.  Wish I had

purchased even more stuff from salvage yard cars back in the 70s when you could buy a pile of stuff for maybe

$20 and everyone was happy.  Now those yards are all gone.  

 

A really good idea too would be to keep those for models and maybe startup a 3d business for the things like we need.  Matter of fact I've already been looking into that.

[BobT-47P15]

If I had some extra play money, and a place to store them, I would buy all the old P15s I could find around here....use

them as parts cars.  Of course there are less now than in years gone by.   So I just try to buy a few parts when I can.

[RobertKB]

If I had some extra play money, and a place to store them, I would buy all the old P15s I could find around here....use

them as parts cars.  Of course there are less now than in years gone by.   So I just try to buy a few parts when I can.

 

You are right on all counts. Buying a few parts when you can is a good idea and sharing them through ebay or over the forum is great.

 

I am surprised you have any P15's for parts where you live. I cannot think of a single P15 or D25 Dodge in my area that could be picked up for parts. Only ones I know of are originals or restored. When I restored my '48 Dodge D25 back in the late 70's and early 80's there were lots of parts cars around. I figure I have parts from at least a dozen others cars in mine. I know of only one parts car for the '51 Dodge D39 business coupe I am working on and have pretty much stripped it of what was worth taking. It sat on and sunk into the ground with no wheels on it but had lots of smaller pieces I needed. I can't think of a single '53 or '54 Plymouth for parts either except for the one I bought several years ago just to have spare mechanical parts. It's a good idea to pick up parts cars if you have the space or strip what you can because they are getting scarcer every year.

[Young Ed]

You are right on all counts. Buying a few parts when you can is a good idea and sharing them through ebay or over the forum is great.

 

I am surprised you have any P15's for parts where you live. I cannot think of a single P15 or D25 Dodge in my area that could be picked up for parts. Only ones I know of are originals or restored. When I restored my '48 Dodge D25 back in the late 70's and early 80's there were lots of parts cars around. I figure I have parts from at least a dozen others cars in mine. I know of only one parts car for the '51 Dodge D39 business coupe I am working on and have pretty much stripped it of what was worth taking. It sat on and sunk into the ground with no wheels on it but had lots of smaller pieces I needed. I can't think of a single '53 or '54 Plymouth for parts either except for the one I bought several years ago just to have spare mechanical parts. It's a good idea to pick up parts cars if you have the space or strip what you can because they are getting scarcer every year.

Parts cars are around here in MN. I've done 2 p15s already and almost did a third last summer.

 

Edit: to tie it back to the original topic the blue 2dr is how I finally got a lighter knob for my coupe.

 

 

 

Also bought up this pile of leftovers from a shop that did a p15 convert and had 2-3 sedans for parts. Also got a radiator hood fenders etc

 

Edited December 19, 2014 by Young Ed

[RobertKB]

Ed, do you just take the smaller easy to store parts or do you take power trains, steering, brake stuff as well. Doors and body panels. Storage is always an issue for me but I believe you have somewhere you can keep parts cars out of town.

[Young Ed]

Ed, do you just take the smaller easy to store parts or do you take power trains, steering, brake stuff as well. Doors and body panels. Storage is always an issue for me but I believe you have somewhere you can keep parts cars out of town.

 

Can't save it all but I do save a lot of that stuff. The 2dr was really rusty so I didn't save much body stuff other than the hood. The 4dr I did save some of the body parts. I've got a deal going right now to pass the trunk lid onto a new home. The green front clip is what ended up on my car after I crashed it.

[Don Coatney]

I stumbled upon this photo of a 1941 Plymouth lighter. I have never seen one mounted on top of the dash.

 

[Andydodge]

Don, yep all 41 Plymouths had the lighter in that spot......you can see the one I had just above the top of the steering wheel.........tho' it wasn't an original but was an all metal one that I'd had for a while and as they are a standard type fitting, in it went........ andyd

[Don Coatney]

Thanks Andy. Guess I was not paying attention when I looked at 41's.

[Jim Yergin]

Where is it located in a P-15?

Jim Yergin

[Don Coatney]

Jim Yergin, on 12 Jan 2015 - 3:37 PM, said:

Where is it located in a P-15?

Jim Yergin

[BobT-47P15]

I think this one is still at the home of a fellow over in Kansas......have bought a few things off it.  

He had another, but got rid of it.  Can't recall what it still had that was useful.

They are indeed much harder to find now.

 

[Uncle-Pekka]

Speaking of correct design knobs;

What should the wiper control knob of a D24 look like?

the knob is located on the top of the dash board right behind the windshield divider bar,

but I guess I've never seen a correct one...

On my car the knob was replaced by round chromed one before I bought the car.

[Plymouthy Adams]

similar to that of the P15 and of a brownish color to match the rest of the knobs on the dash..one can also get a chrome knob from a Dodge truck if he so chooses..if your D24 is a "special" the knobs will be done up in black...

[Uncle-Pekka]

Thanks Tim,

My D24 is Custom trim, knobs on the dash are light brown or tan what's-u-call-it...

After some google-search I found the below photo, I suppose that there is the original style?

[casper50]

Mine doesn't have the chrome strips on the door panels but is the same otherwise.   

[Plymouthy Adams]

bingo....