Me and the Meadowbrook

[Worden18]

1 hour ago, meadowbrook said:

Hi. I have a 50 Meadowbrook too and my fluid drive functions as yours except that the engine vibrates and does not sound happy if I use it as you describe. How does your car feel ? 

I have no complaints on how my car functions using Fluid Drive at a stop sign.  As far as I can tell its as smooth as it was when it was new, likely.  I'm no great mechanic, but here's a couple of thoughts:

What kind of shape are the rubber parts of your engine mount and transmission mounts?  If those are worn away that can cause some vibration.  Maybe at those lower rpms its just right for your engine to want to vibrate....and if those mounts have gone bad then possibly that's the problem? Or part of the problem?  Maybe start there.  If you need more help I would start your own thread and see what others here have to say.  I'm sure you'll get some solid answers as the guys are very knowledgeable; certainly more than me 

[Worden18]

Today was a good day guys.  My son and I took the car to a neighboring town to pick up my weed wacker from a small engine shop (repairs).  I hung the cutting edge out the window because there was no way it would fit in the trunk 

After that we stopped at a Kwik Trip gas station and a van pulled up and the guy asked me "are you from around here?"  I said yes and then he told me that every Saturday about 6 or 7 cars leave from there and drive to another town on a little wagon train cruise.  He invited me to go.  So that was nice to meet him.  Another guy approached me right before we left and asked what year the car was and what it was.  I always have fun showing guys the keys.

Here's some random pics I snapped:

[Worden18]

Later on in the day we took my daughter to a friend's for a sleepover.  My daughter mentioned to me that her friend's dad used to own a green 51 Meadowbrook.  I was beginning to wonder if it was mine.

When we got there he was happy to see my car, but right away said it wasn't the one he owned.  But it was green like mine and had been sold new at Chrysler Seifert Baldwin Motors in Winona as it had the same tag mine does.  He said the guy he sold it to did a bunch of work to it and then was trying to resell it at some point.  He thought it hadn't sold and was likely in the guy's garage.  He later told me after seeing mine he regretted selling it 

[Worden18]

This is an oil change sticker still attached to the door jamb.  Not quite sure if it says 1973 or 1978; either way its a long time ago.  When I bought it in March of 2016 there was less than 1,000 more miles on the odometer than what's on this sticker.

[Worden18]

A pic of the driver's rear door LOL.  Its original and probably the nicest one of the 4.  The front ones are pretty torn up and stained 

We drove all over the countryside tonight.  Only issue was I think either my gas guage or the sending unit is stuck.  My guage went from 1/2 a tank up to over 3/4 suddenly and stayed there.  Not sure what to think about that...

[Worden18]

The guy whom also had a 51 like mine has a 66 Chevy 2wd truck with a built 327 in it.  Still has the original paint which has aged really nice.  It was fun to check that out after I showed him my car.  

[Andydodge]

That door trim is amazing, I especially like the armrest ........no doubt the drivers rear door and that side of the seat received the least amount of wear & tear..........nice to see..........andyd

[Worden18]

Late this afternoon after the sun cooled down a bit we drove to a neighboring town to get ice cream.  A gentleman approached our car and started looking it over.  If I had to guess he was at least 75 years old.  So I knew he'd have some type of story to share.  He said his dad had a '50 Chrysler with the Gyromatic transmission.  He said his mother drove it once and started off in high gear (like you're supposed to) and when they got up to speed she shifted it back into low and let the clutch out!  That scared everybody in the car LOL.  

He admired my car and I showed him the keys and told him everything I know about it.  He liked the pattern on the dash and the original paint and interior.  He asked if I was going to paint it and I told him no.  We chatted for probably 10 minutes and then he thanked me and left.  I wondered whatever happened to his Dad's '50.  I forgot to ask him. 

After ice cream we took some back roads not too far from where we live.  The car will easily travel 55-65mph but I've found I like 48mph for some reason 

Some pics from today:

[Worden18]

My son and our female boxer "Brandy"

[Worden18]

My wife and I...my daughter photo-bombed us!

[Worden18]

Here's the remnants of the original owner's staff parking sticker for Winona State University.  He was a professor at the college.  Passenger side rear window.

[Worden18]

Got the car back from the exhaust shop today.  Wow, did that guy do a nice job!  The car is whisper quiet now, and has a bit more power.  Someone had put the old muffler on backwards, which we all know is not good.  I always pay very close attention to my temp guage, and with the new muffler on the way its supposed to be, the car runs just a bit cooler.  The guy actually had the exhaust info card for my car (from BITD) saying how long each piece of pipe should be, and the angles for the bends, etc.  So it is exactly to factory specs; well very close 

We took it out tonight for a cruise.  Things just keep getting better 

Edited June 7, 2017 by Worden18

[Worden18]

The dogs had fun riding, too.

[Worden18]

[Worden18]

Here's a shot of the passenger side badging.  Not as flashy as the cars that have Fluid Drive stamped into the bumper, but still cool 

[Worden18]

My dome light works, but the switch for it between the driver's door and the rear door has some issues.  I'll have to look into that.  The passenger side has its own switch so when you open the door the light comes on; and that works fine.  Next pic after this is that switch, or dome light thingy as my son calls it 

Edited June 7, 2017 by Worden18

[Worden18]

[Young Ed]

My door switch was funky too. The more I've used the car the better its got. It's almost 100% now. You may find it's just dirty and use will "fix" it.

[meadowbrook]

Great to see you enjoying your Meadowbrook. I just used mine in a parade with some mentally handicapped kids in the back. They loved it.

On the switch for the dome light, I removed it and was able to disassemble it, clean it, lightly same the contacts and added some dielectric grease. Now it works like new.

I always wondered why these cars only had door switches on the passenger side.

 

Edited June 7, 2017 by meadowbrook

[Young Ed]

2 minutes ago, meadowbrook said:

Great to see you enjoying your Meadowbrook. I just used mine in a parade with some mentally handicapped kids in the back. They loved it.

On the switch for the dome light, I removed it and was able to disassemble it, clean it, lightly same the contacts and added some dielectric grease. Now it works like new.

I always wondered why these cars only had door switches on the passenger side.

 

Remember just before these models cars only had locks on the pass side because you were expected to enter and exit curbside. I would guess the same reasoning applies to this. 

[Worden18]

6 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

Remember just before these models cars only had locks on the pass side because you were expected to enter and exit curbside. I would guess the same reasoning applies to this. 

That's strange; I never knew that.  I wonder if people actually did that or if they broke the rules LOL 

[medium_jon]

8 hours ago, Worden18 said:

I wonder if people actually did that or if they broke the rules

I love breaking the rules...   ...any rules.  Drives my kids crazy.

[Young Ed]

9 hours ago, Worden18 said:

That's strange; I never knew that.  I wonder if people actually did that or if they broke the rules LOL 

I'm guessing they broke the rules since it's still against the law to open your door into traffic but all the cars became equipped with external locks on the drivers door. Well until all the keyless entry stuff came out. Now some have gone back to only having one outside lock. 

[mmcdowel]

I'm getting a big kick out of your adventures in the Meadowbrook.  I enjoy mine very much too and am using you as an example to get it out more than I do.  

Interesting too that mine likes around 48 mph ......it will go 55 no prob, but when you aren't looking she will slow back down to 48.  

[DJ194950]

18 hours ago, Worden18 said:

Really not to hard to clean the switch contacts as stated.

I will add a factory map light schematic with a second switch on the drivers side. Give you some ideas to just add the switch and tap into the ground wire that turns on the interior switch? Maybe both!

Has been several avail. on ebay fairly reasonable recently.

DJ

 

Edited June 7, 2017 by DJ194950
Add switch purchase info