? Of Mopar Flathead Reliability

[JBNeal]

I vaguely recall hearing something like this as well, something like "if we go into town with the truck for ice cream, don't try to eat it in the truck or we'll be walking home" 

 

When I was a kid, my buddy had a 54/55? dodge flathead, and he always said,
" if somebody walks by with an ice cream cone it won't start".

[Jeff Balazs]

Fred;

I really enjoy this forum and I believe that most of us here do. We have to understand that we are not always going to agree with each other. I did not weigh in to defend anyone but rather to remind the participants that it is OK to disagree. Everyone reading these threads are perfectly capable of taking the disagreeable aspects with a grain of salt. We need to find a way to leave it at that. IMO calling for censorship solves nothing. Let's all find a way to get beyond this.

 

I vaguely recall hearing something like this as well, something like "if we go into town with the truck for ice cream, don't try to eat it in the truck or we'll be walking home" 

I had a Triumph GT6+ that was like that. Spill a cup of water anywhere near it and you had to replace the condenser. I kept a handful of them in the glove box all the time. This problem could be reliably predicted.

 

Jeff

[55 Fargo]

I have a feeling I'm wrong here but I would like to believe that is Tim K and don mentioned in those PMs.

 

I don't feel Jeff or I joined in just because it was Don or Tim. I know I joined to call out BS as I saw it.

Okay Fair enough, no hard feelings.

[Brent B3B]

Hard telling if everyone is kidding around or serious. If you guys are serious, wow, that spun out of control fast. Seemed like a fun thread

GROUP HUG!!! :^)

Edited December 5, 2015 by Brent B3B

[Dodgeb4ya]

If it was PP's dusty patina paint that was touched all would be good and we would all be a happy family

I usually wrote my name in the paint on dusty cars..no one ever called me on it. Good thing they didn't!

[JerseyHarold]

DeSoto cabs were very popular in New York City up until the mid-1950's (my father drove loads of them) and I'm sure the durability of the flathead six engine had a lot to do with it.   Plymouths were also used as taxis for the same reason.  There was even a Plymouth magazine ad from 1951 that had taxi popularity as its theme.

[55 Fargo]

DeSoto cabs were very popular in New York City up until the mid-1950's (my father drove loads of them) and I'm sure the durability of the flathead six engine had a lot to do with it.   Plymouths were also used as taxis for the same reason.  There was even a Plymouth magazine ad from 1951 that had taxi popularity as its theme.

Yes I have read and heard this before too.

I believe many cabs in Winnipeg, used these for Taxi Fleets also.

Taxis stay runnin all the time, and stay at operating temps too, if proper maintnenance, must have got a lot of miles out them.

Police Cars, up here it appears, that Ford Flathead V8s were used a lot...

[JerseyHarold]

Plymouth police cars were considered too slow for suburban/rural areas because they couldn't chase faster cars very well.  The NYPD in New York City used a lot of flathead-powered Plymouths.  I've seen online photos of 1950 and 1954 models, as well as earlier years.  I've never been able to pin down whether or not they used 1951-52 Plymouths (my favorites), but that's a whole other story.

[55 Fargo]

The RCMP  appeared to use Fords in their fleet. Would not be a bit surprised if Winnipeg City followed suit.

Did see some pics of NYC using a late 30s Chrysler for a Cruiser Car in their police fleet..

[T120]

DeSoto cabs were very popular in New York City up until the mid-1950's (my father drove loads of them) and I'm sure the durability of the flathead six engine had a lot to do with it.   Plymouths were also used as taxis for the same reason.  There was even a Plymouth magazine ad from 1951 that had taxi popularity as its theme.

 

        An early DeSoto cab

 

Edit: Found this on the internet - For those interested,(all you wanted to know about the history of DeSoto cabs) 

         http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/w/waters/waters.htm

Edited December 10, 2015 by Ralph D25cpe

[55 Fargo]

I think there is no doubt this engine was well built and ahead of the big 3 competition for the average Man's car in the day.

By the late 50s, with higher octane fuels, the thirst for more power, these engines became more obsolete.

Yes, they were well designed and used for more years for industrial applications, Powerwagons etc. But they had outlived there time, for the modern demand, and public thirst for big power, bigger cars, and more demands for faster highway speeds.

The Chrysler flathead 6, is a very stout reliable, well built for it's time, comparatively speaking with GMs stovebolt 6, and Henry's L head V8.

Now in todays. modern world, this engine will operate and perform, but does it have what it needs in a lot of cases to perform safely in those busy congested highspeed environments of busy fast, freeway and Interstate Highways, crammed with selfish pedal to the metal drivers.

Some will make the grade, and some will ot, condition, gearing and such will dictate this, many who have upgraded, more HP, better gearing, more modern braking systems etc, will be safer, and be able to compete for these busier roadways.

Some will be content , to stay off freeways, take small 2 lane slow highways, drive around small towns/cities, some will not, and thus need to determine what is best for them in their own situation

[55 Fargo]

Okay, here is my reliability video, made earlier today, be the last of the year, supposed to snow, well one of these days, roads and highways are dry.

 

[James_Douglas]

Ok,

 

I have had one of just about every type and class of car built between 1927 and 1971.

 

Sondra and I purchased and drove our '47 Desoto Suburban back from Sandpoint, ID to San Francisco some 13 years ago.  The speedometer cable broke on trip and nothing else.

 

About 2004 I rebuilt the engine very well.  Some of the old timers around here may remember the attention to detail I did on that rebuild.

 

I removed the M5 trans and keeping the fluid coupling and added the 3-speed with Borg-Warner OD.  I rebuilt the king pins, new tie rods, new wheel bearings and brakes. I run a 6 volt alternator and I made a front disc brake conversion for it.  

 

I drive this car around the hills, stop signs, and traffic lights in San Francisco.  I take the car 100 miles away to our place in the country at least one a month doing 65-70 all the way.

 

I load the car up with 6 or 8 people on a regular basis. 

 

Over the last 10 years the only reliability issues I have had was with carburetor or vacuum advance.  I drive it about twice a week.  Starts up fine. It has never left me stranded on the road.

 

I would think nothing of jumping in and driving to the Atlantic is the need arose.

Edited December 11, 2015 by James_Douglas

[55 Fargo]

Well got to thank all the participants on this thread, and with now 9 pages and 88 responses, it can be a "Hot Topic".

There is no doubt the Chrysler flathead  6 power plant, drive train and vehicles can and will still be reliable, for what 55-80 years later.

There will always be those well intentioned types who manage to screw up things, such as a wiring or what have you, thus resulting in a dubious question in how reliable it can be for them. But most times, once they figure out what's wrong in there approach they find there vehicle and power plant become reliable again.....great posts thanx all

Edited December 11, 2015 by Fargos-Go-Far