Worden18 Posted December 31, 2018 Author Report Posted December 31, 2018 New Year's Eve: At the market waiting for the girls to come back out. My son snapped the picture. It felt really good to drive the Meadowbrook. I always like to hang on to the big steering wheel and just listen to the engine. 1 Quote
51_Meadowbrook Posted December 31, 2018 Report Posted December 31, 2018 Worden, when your car is fully warmed up where does the temperature needle rest? Quote
Worden18 Posted December 31, 2018 Author Report Posted December 31, 2018 5 minutes ago, 51_Meadowbrook said: Worden, when your car is fully warmed up where does the temperature needle rest? Either at or below the dot...no matter what the outside temp is. I've ran it in 97F degree weather and below zero, doesn't make much difference. I do run Evan's waterless coolant in replacement of standard antifreeze. It's been really good so far. Quote
51_Meadowbrook Posted December 31, 2018 Report Posted December 31, 2018 Mine runs at the second to lowest mark, the last triangle on the left of the dot. It doesn’t matter the temp outside or the type of drive, it is always there. So mine must run colder? I have a 160 thermostat in it Quote
Worden18 Posted December 31, 2018 Author Report Posted December 31, 2018 Yeah, sounds like yours runs cooler. I have a 180 thermostat in mine if I remember correctly. Quote
Worden18 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Posted January 30, 2019 January 30: -17F; 1:30pm. Was having some minor problems with my EcoDiesel in this cold (-28F this morning), although I made it to work and back. So I decided to see how the Meadowbrook would do. I had not started the car for 10 days. I did not expect the battery to be able to turn the engine over fast enough to start it, but it did! After about 15 total seconds of cranking (in 3 separate spurts), she fired right up. I let it warm up and then turned the heater on. Then I drove into town to top off the gas tank and put a bottle of Heet in. ZERO PROBLEMS. If it starts tomorrow morning I will be taking it to work. It's going to be minus 33 degrees Fahrenheit. So much for modern technology. I trust that old flat head more than anything else I have. Nuff said. Pic: warming up in the driveway. 2 Quote
Worden18 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Posted January 30, 2019 (edited) Jan 30: Back in the garage after my drive to town and back. EcoDiesel: plugged in Meadowbrook: not plugged in ? My best guess at the temperature gauge: 160 degrees at 50 miles an hour. When I came to a stop or at idle, back up to 180 degrees. No cardboard in front of the radiator. Edited January 30, 2019 by Worden18 Quote
Worden18 Posted January 31, 2019 Author Report Posted January 31, 2019 Jan 31: -33F This morning. Not with the wind chill, but straight -33F. ? No block heater, no battery blanket. I did not bring the coil wire into the house or anything. My garage is not insulated. Full choke, 3 pumps. The Meadowbrook started up on the second crank of the engine if you can believe that! I would never believe it myself if it hadn't happened to me this morning. This is as cold as I've ever seen it here in Southeastern Minnesota. The heater worked great, and I had ZERO problems to work and back. A number of my co-workers had many problems with their vehicles, including one whose brand new Chevy traverse would not start this morning. So much for modern technology. Everybody should own an old Dodge! ? The car ran about 160 degrees at 55 miles an hour. At idle it would warm up to 180° which is what my thermostat is. I truly put that Evan's waterless coolant to the test, and it did not disappoint. At least I knew the block wouldn't crack because there's no water in it. Pic: under the I-90 bridge on the way home. Quote
Worden18 Posted January 31, 2019 Author Report Posted January 31, 2019 Jan 31: At the market to pick up a few groceries on the way home. Still - 20F degrees Fahrenheit at noon. 1 Quote
Worden18 Posted March 6, 2019 Author Report Posted March 6, 2019 March 5, 2019: Drove Meadowbrook to work since my brand new truck is not reliable, that's the very truth. there's something to be said about the simplicity of these old cars. Zero degrees F, no problems. The only issue I had was I lost the driver side headlight ring somewhere on the way to work. I'll have to hunt around for a replacement. Pic 1: at work Pic 2: warming up in the driveway at home 1 Quote
51_Meadowbrook Posted March 6, 2019 Report Posted March 6, 2019 I hope you find it. They are thick metal. I lost mine on the way to the bank and couldn’t find it. The replacements are thinner and the piece that holds them on is flimsy. Plus they don’t sit flush with the curves of the fender like the original ones do. Quote
Worden18 Posted March 7, 2019 Author Report Posted March 7, 2019 5 hours ago, 51_Meadowbrook said: I hope you find it. They are thick metal. I lost mine on the way to the bank and couldn’t find it. The replacements are thinner and the piece that holds them on is flimsy. Plus they don’t sit flush with the curves of the fender like the original ones do. I think a call to French Lake Auto parts here in MN is in order. No way I'm going aftermarket on that. How does the ring actually attach? Quote
keithb7 Posted March 7, 2019 Report Posted March 7, 2019 Unfortunate to hear about your new Ram Truck problems. The good news is you get to enjoy the Meadowbrook. I finally have heat in my Windsor but have not yet to driven it this winter. Still doing more work. I tend to stay off the winter roads, spoiling the Windsor. Does this look about right for your headlight ring? 1 Quote
Dan Hiebert Posted March 7, 2019 Report Posted March 7, 2019 (edited) Doesn't show it in the diagram, there is a small tab on the top inside of the ring at the back. That hooks into a slot at the top of the inner headlight bucket. The ring just rotates down onto the lens and is secured by that screw (#1 in the diagram) at the bottom. If that screw is stripped and came out, or just worked its way out somewhere along the line, then it usually doesn't take much to bounce the trim ring off, especially on bumpy winter roads. Around here, the "extreme" cold, and the difference between warm garages and that cold (-10 this beautiful, sunny, morning) will work things (especially older things, except maybe me - just makes me creakier) loose if they don't have lock washers or such on them. Hope you find that trim ring ("headlight door") in one piece, always nice to have the original parts on the car, but at least those aren't all that rare if you have to source a replacement. Edited March 7, 2019 by Dan Hiebert typo Quote
The Oil Soup Posted March 7, 2019 Report Posted March 7, 2019 That ring looks the same as those on the B series trucks. Quote
Worden18 Posted March 7, 2019 Author Report Posted March 7, 2019 Thanks for the responses fellas. I just may have an extra ring that came with all of the parts I got with my 48 B1D. I'll do some digging... 1 Quote
51_Meadowbrook Posted March 7, 2019 Report Posted March 7, 2019 There is a tab that is pressed into the ring and slides into a slot on the top side of the headlight then it is screwed into the bottom. I’m not sure why the aftermarket ones are smaller and flimsier but I don’t like how it looks. Unfortunately my Meadowbrook is hidden in a barn with 13” of snow leading to it and I haven’t shoveled it out so I could take a picture for you. But it’s one of those things where if you replace one with the new one you will have to replace both or it will look weird. Quote
Dan Hiebert Posted March 8, 2019 Report Posted March 8, 2019 12 hours ago, 51_Meadowbrook said: There is a tab that is pressed into the ring and slides into a slot on the top side of the headlight then it is screwed into the bottom. I’m not sure why the aftermarket ones are smaller and flimsier but I don’t like how it looks. Unfortunately my Meadowbrook is hidden in a barn with 13” of snow leading to it and I haven’t shoveled it out so I could take a picture for you. But it’s one of those things where if you replace one with the new one you will have to replace both or it will look weird. Ditto. When we first got our D24, it had two different headlight doors on it. At first glance, it was OK, but once I looked at it a while I could tell something was off. Got a pair to replace them a few years ago and it made a big difference to me. "Common folk" would probably not notice, unless it is someone with an eye for details. 1 Quote
Worden18 Posted March 24, 2019 Author Report Posted March 24, 2019 March 22: It had been a long while since I had the Meadowbrook out for a ride. She fired right up and I took her to town for gas. After that I drove my daughter and her friends around town for about an hour. It gave me great peace to hold the wheel and hear the engine. Around town I kept her in second gear and utilized fluid drive. It was awesome. Pic 1: Warming up behind the bushes Pic 2: Gassing up at BP I still need to take care of the headlight ring. Soon... Quote
Worden18 Posted March 25, 2019 Author Report Posted March 25, 2019 March 25: Drove the Meadowbrook to work today. The picture is from the drive home. When I stopped at the gas station a guy walked up and admired the car. We chatted for a few minutes. He wanted to know if I was going to paint it and restore the interior, etc. No way! was my response. ? 1 Quote
Dan Hiebert Posted March 25, 2019 Report Posted March 25, 2019 Good to see ya out and about, we've got another month of keeping it indoors (still 3-4 feet of snow on the ground, and the roads are horrible with potholes and frost heaves), so the inspiration is welcome! 1 Quote
Worden18 Posted March 25, 2019 Author Report Posted March 25, 2019 16 minutes ago, Dan Hiebert said: Good to see ya out and about, we've got another month of keeping it indoors (still 3-4 feet of snow on the ground, and the roads are horrible with potholes and frost heaves), so the inspiration is welcome! We had a huge melt-off (complete with flooding) along with rain. Washed all the roads clean. Now the weather has been sunny and warm ?; 40's and 50's so it's just been great! I need to wash my car though. ? Quote
Worden18 Posted March 28, 2019 Author Report Posted March 28, 2019 3-27-19: Had to use the interstate today for about 55 miles. 70mph the whole way. No problems as usual ? 1 Quote
The Oil Soup Posted March 29, 2019 Report Posted March 29, 2019 Do you have an overdrive transmission in the Meadowbrook and what is the rpm at 70mph? Quote
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