For accessory freaks: Windshield Washer Kit

[Thomba48]

Have been thinking about adding a windshield washer kit. Certainly not needed, but could be a nice add-on. I know for a 1949 Plymouth that did not come as a standard. A bespoke aftermarket solution is the Mopar Jiffy Jet package. But the usual asking price for this item is astronomical :-)

Does anybody know of alternative offerings from other manufacturers of that time? I obviously have found a few on ebay but none really seem to work for the Plymouth set-up. Either they require holes that aren't there or to drill a hole in the middle of the hood (which obviously isn't possible given the hood trim that my Plymouth has).

Looking forward to hearing from you. 

Edited October 30, 2017 by Thomba48

[Plymouthy Adams]

Jiffy Jet had models with different squirt nozzles based on the model of car it was being attached.  While a hole will be required, the drilling into the trim is not required for the correct Jiffy-Jet kit.  I sold one long back that was proper for these cars.  It is as you say, a novelty more than a necessity but they do serve the very purpose of their intent so yes, they can be a valued accessory on a road trip.  Item two, these kits, like most of the older rubber products....if not stored properly can result in early retirement due to dryrot.  At the price, you could like to ensure the rubber foot pump would be good.  I personally would look closer at some of the English car of the sixty's and even closer to home for you, the VW and Porsche setup using the spare tire as the power source.

[Thomba48]

:-) I shall investigate that train of thought :-)

[Dartgame]

Something you might consider is an electric washer from a mopar. These are simple to operate. One wire connection and a ground and a couple nozzles +hose. Put a push button switch under the dash. One from a dart or b body mounts more or less on a flat surface and the pump hangs below it off the washer tank....

[Frank Elder]

3 hours ago, Dartgame said:

Something you might consider is an electric washer from a mopar. These are simple to operate. One wire connection and a ground and a couple nozzles +hose. Put a push button switch under the dash. One from a dart or b body mounts more or less on a flat surface and the pump hangs below it off the washer tank....

One 12V neg ground wire connection..........not 6V pos ground.

[Thomba48]

The 6V positive ground issue certainly is something to bear in mind. Finding an electric solution for that will be hard. :-)
But most are pump/ vacuum driven anyway. So that should than work.

[DonaldSmith]

Get an inverter with ample amperage rating, to power a 12 V pump from a 6 V system.  

[Thomba48]

11 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

Jiffy Jet had models with different squirt nozzles based on the model of car it was being attached.  While a hole will be required, the drilling into the trim is not required for the correct Jiffy-Jet kit.  I sold one long back that was proper for these cars.  It is as you say, a novelty more than a necessity but they do serve the very purpose of their intent so yes, they can be a valued accessory on a road trip.  Item two, these kits, like most of the older rubber products....if not stored properly can result in early retirement due to dryrot.  At the price, you could like to ensure the rubber foot pump would be good.  I personally would look closer at some of the English car of the sixty's and even closer to home for you, the VW and Porsche setup using the spare tire as the power source.

Any experience with a solution of that kind?

https://www.ebay.de/itm/162723491453?ul_noapp=true

[Plymouthy Adams]

only what is mechanical operated on such cars as my Sunbeam Tiger and other British cars I have here, the 61 Dodge Lancer even and of course the spare tire operated model as on my Porsche...finding some of these laying about in the wrecking yard in your neck of the woods should still be a possibility....nothing else, next fall you have the auto-jumble in England...make a good day trip

[Thomba48]

Just now, Plymouthy Adams said:

only what is mechanical operated on such cars as my Sunbeam Tiger and other British cars I have here, the 61 Dodge Lancer even and of course the spare tire operated model as on my Porsche...finding some of these laying about in the wrecking yard in your neck of the woods should still be a possibility....nothing else, next fall you have the auto-jumble in England...make a good day trip

:-)

[Thomba48]

Just finishing off this by adding one more question:
There are a few vacuum activated windshield washer systems on the market. Would that work for our car system set-up? Well work enough? The vacuum wiper I owned never managed to go beyond "Hi, I am moving don't you see but this does not mean that I am willing to push away the rain anyway." :-)

 

thanks for your final thoughts on this matter

[Dartgame]

Many of the low line dart and valiants used a foot operated pump ....

[Thomba48]

I actually purchased a pump set and shall play around with it. Biggest issue now will be the best location for the nozzles. Don't like to drill a whole in the hood. If that should work out as the only feasible approach I shall resell the kit again. 

Anybody any hints to how to find  out the best location for this kind of gimmick? Thanks  

[casper50]

My 47 came with a bag type foot pump washer.  The nozzles were thin tubes that went between the cowl and bottom of the hood.  A screw held them in place.  Only two small screw holes that way.  I removed them and filled the holes.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

24 minutes ago, Thomba48 said:

I actually purchased a pump set and shall play around with it. Biggest issue now will be the best location for the nozzles. Don't like to drill a whole in the hood. If that should work out as the only feasible approach I shall resell the kit again. 

Anybody any hints to how to find  out the best location for this kind of gimmick? Thanks  

This is the exact reason I always recommend a trip to a wrecking yard and stroll amongst the heaps in a row just so you can see for yourself what may or may not work or suit your fancy....I could tell you a XXXX would work fine but in you have never seen the XXXX you could well still be scratching your head with a puzzled look on your face while I am banging my head on a post wondering why you just cannot seem to grasp the concept....walk through a yard.....you may well be surprised at the things you may wish to add to your car as a safety compliment for todays conditions that would still be sorta out of sight out of mind to the casual observer.

[Thomba48]

Totally and utterly right - we simply don't have this wrecking yard culture over here. Whereas you may find wrecking organisations where one can acquire used parts I have personally never come across a wrecking yard of the likes that I have seen in your country.

So in this particular case and with a shipping box waiting to be shipped over to Germany anyway I decided to simply purchase it for little money (will not impact the actual shipping price anyway), have a look at it, play around and than work out if it is going to work for me or not. This 30 USD I paid I shall be able to also make over here when selling it off to somebody else in the end. So a bit of fun, very little risk in this case. Especially bearing in mind - I don't obviously need this part anyway :-)

 

So again - thanks to you all

[Plymouthy Adams]

I know some of what you dealing with, there was one wrecking yard I was aware of in Augsburg many many years ago (40+) and it was a small outfit, totally contained within a fenced in area.  I was very much concerned the US was going to go the route of others with the wrecks being turned over by the insurance to just a few companies to sell of to professional dismantlers.  Was going that way about mid 80's here but thankfully it did not seem to catch on 100% as we still have many wildcat yards.  We do have a large portion of professional dismantlers and after skimming the cream they set the hulks out for scavengers like us in form of PICK AND PULL yards.  Most of the cream cars however are less than 10 year old feeding the collision industry. You will be hard pressed to find a late model in a standard wrecking yard.

[Thomba48]

Not entirely sure if it is a insurance driven reality but as you know yourself better anyway:

We never had that many cars build in the 30s, 40s and early 50s as in the US (due to the sheer market size, the overall road reality, the market place as such and many very often unfortunate and sad reasons). So there are not that many leftovers available in the first place.

Adding to this, Germans are obsessed with cars, but new ones. So there isn't a real market for vintage car oriented wrecking yards. Hence, old cars were mostly totally disposed of. Owning a vintage car is mostly seen as a quirky and useless hobby (which it actually is :-) conducted by either a. the rich (vintage European cars tend to be expensive; this type of customers would not go to wrecking yards)  b. the nerds mostly interested in the US culture for various reasons (that would probably be me; they would not find anything over here anyway due the sheer lack of US cars) c. European nerds (only interested in 60s, 70s European cars) and a few show offs (for whatever reason you have to own a muscle car these days if you want to be perceived as a successful person in the world of marketing over here (or so it feels :-)). In any case it is a small market.

Plus - I guess - wrecking yards are missing the cool factor over here. They are not perceived as male play grounds and adventure havens, but as a location for poor, useless people who can not afford to purchase the stuff somewhere else.

And probably finally - Germany isn't that big and therefore land isn't that cheap. What I mean to say - wrecking yards that I have come across in the US are often hugggeeeeee, spacious, but out in the sticks. This kind of "out in the sticks" we rarely have and if so it is probably still too valuable to be covered purely with "chunk" to be visited by a hand full of people on a daily basis. Probably wouldn't be worth the investment.

 

That's it . . . :-)

[Plymouthy Adams]

definite culture shock to same the least.....while in the Mideast there was a wrecking yard out in the desert...some pretty late model and right down expensive cars that were parked/junked as seemingly the owner grew tired of them and they were 'not is fashion' with the rides on the street currently......antiques were cheap and abundant when I was in Germany and did a few shopping trips for sending things stateside.  I still have a number of vintage items from Bavaria in my house today.  They will be here till I am gone..the kids can choose to do with them as they wish later but hopefully they will respect the past enough to keep them in good condition and on display.   My house if full of stuff dating back to ownership of my great grandparents...am I a hoarder, maybe, do I appreciate the past, yes, with enthusiasm. ...!

[Thomba48]

:-)