My First Car -- P15 1947 Plymouth Deluxe

[NickPickToo]

This picture shows that this started off well, but I think we learned a lesson the more experienced on the forum already know.  We won't post the following pics.  We got lucky.  The Plymouth Doctor let me and my dad pull the right spindle assembly from a parts car sitting next to his shop.  Reasonable price too.  Actually great price.  Thank you Mr. Brandon. 

 

Advice from the Doctor, "Press, don't pound."  Now we need to get access to a press.  Dad had advised I tap not pound, but who hands a teenager a three pound hammer and say's tap don't pound.

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by NickPickToo

[casper50]

Lol, just think of the experience you've gained. Hard won but won nether the less.

[Andydodge]

Nick.........we all have to learn somehow.........tho' just a tip, I never place a stub axle in a vice with the vice jaws clamping on the king pin bush area, to me its just inviting the vice jaws to ever so slightly crush the area where the king pin bush fits...........if you have to remove the bush clamp the stub axle on the upper or lower brake backing plate/steering arm bolts........also a tip is to clean the grease nipple holes and threads and even clean the crap out of the grease nipples with a small piece of wire or ideally replace them with nice new ones, some times its also a worthwhile thing to check that the threads where the grease nipples screw in are fine...........I'd like a dollar for the number of times I've gone to grease something, attach the grease gun, squeeze the trigger and the grease shoots out everywhere but into the grease nipple or pulls the nipple out of the hole.........greasing a car is one of the most unenjoyable jobs there is...................lol..............andyd   

[Frank Elder]

You will never regret buying this, or one like it.......under 200 clams.

https://www.amazon.com/Central-Hydraulics-Ton-Shop-Press/dp/B006ZBB7YG

[LeRoy]

I recently attempted to hammer the u-joint pins in and out, no go. Then I tried to use a large vice to press them out and back in, pretty tough to get it done correctly. I'd have given anything to have a good press. Still don't have them back together as the replacements seem to be a hair too large for the flange to go over. 

 

Now have the engine out and disassembled, beginning the slow process of putting it back together. with a little luck and a big box of goodies from Andy Burnbaum  it will run again some day.

 

 

[NickPickToo]

On 6/18/2019 at 1:07 PM, LeRoy said:

...with a little luck and a big box of goodies from Andy Burnbaum  it will run again some day.

 

 

Mr. Burnbaum's is a veritable cornucopia of wholegrain mechanical goodness.  I'm mentioning sources as we build back up, and his shop will receive a lot of credit before this is done

[kbuhagiar]

14 hours ago, NickPickToo said:

Mr. Burnbaum's is a veritable cornucopia of wholegrain mechanical goodness.  I'm mentioning sources as we build back up, and his shop will receive a lot of credit before this is done

 

'Wholegrain mechanical goodness'.

 

I gotta remember that.☺️

[NickPickToo]

Rebuilt spindle assemblies with new kingpins, bushings, bearings and caps  ?  

 

I'll post the details on the Technical forum

Edited June 27, 2019 by NickPickToo

[knuckleharley]

On 7/22/2018 at 9:24 PM, NickPickToo said:

Hey Guys

 

Taking drivers ed right now and while I'm really excited about driving soon, I wasn't feeling any of the newer model cars that I would likely be able to afford as a fist car.  Where did all the style go after the cars of the 40's and the 50's.  I asked my parents if I could put the budget into a real car:  curves, character and charisma.   My mom said I needed to write a proposal with a timeline and budget.  My dad agreed to give me some help and advice.  He was a mechanic in the Marine Corps.  He can get just about any old motor running, but he can't weld or anything like that..  

 

We found 47 Deluxe 2 door sedan, flathead six, three on the tree, VIN indicates Detroit steel.  Body looks smooth with no sign of patches.  The frame is straight with some surface rust but nothing too bad.  Floor and floor brackets look like they will need attention for sure.  There are some decisions to make that I could really use some help with.  Safety and drivability are important because this will be my first car and my primary car.

 

Engine runs and sounds great so sticking with the flathead, but is the three-speed transmission good enough for highways these days -- should I upgrade the transmission -- if so, what are the best option?

 

The suspension is very loose and all drum breaks.  Cant afford a custom chassie, but cant tell if rebuilding the suspension and upgrading to disk breaks is less expensive than just welding in a new suspension (MII).  We would have to hire the welding.  Which direction is most cost effective but still safe?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Nicholas.

First off,congratulations on making an EXCELLENT pick! Simple,easy to work on (except the brakes),and reliable like a rock once you get it right.

You are young,this is your first car,and nobody in your family has experience rebuilding cars,so keep it simple and focus on fixing what you have instead of modifying anything. Yeah,people selling stuff will tell you,"It's a little different,but simple to install!" Unless you are a mechanic at a NASCAR shop or some similar place,that is a lie. The truth is the original stuff is sometimes hard to remove and install.

 

The suspension is fairly straight-forward and not that expensive to fix,but like the brakes,it is something that MUST be fixed before you start driving the car. New shocks aren't that expensive,and neither are new sway bar bushings. If your car doesn't have  a sway bar,that means someone removed it in the past. Find one (they are cheap),put all new rubber on it,also cheap,and install it. At a MINIMUM install new front shocks and then install new rear shocks later.

 

Pull the drums and redo the brakes. Be aware that pulling the rear drums is NOT the simple task it appears to be. Do a search here for rebuilding brakes and pay close attention to everything written before you even start.

 

The next thing you need to do is post some photos here for us to look at. We LOVE these things and we love looking at photos of newly captured ones.

[knuckleharley]

On 7/22/2018 at 10:33 PM, 49D-24BusCpe said:

NPT,

 

    I'm very impressed with you, and your parents!

 

    You should join the Detroit Region of the Plymouth Owners Club. This group is hosting the 2018 Grand National Meet this coming weekend (July 24-28) at the Four Points Hotel in Novi MI. This is right in your neighborhood!

 

Walt   

Oh,yeah! Nothing matches having local help that know what they are doing,and can even tell you where to buy cheap and tell you what NOT to do,

[knuckleharley]

On 7/29/2018 at 8:09 PM, bobd1976 said:

Andy did a great job of explaining the different models,

Here is my 48 which is a club coupe with a back seat.

Notice the grille . I know they are a lot of work to clean and polish but  well worth it in my opinion. .

I am eaten alive with envy at that paint job. Whoever did it sure knew what he was doing. Sadly,I live up a dirt road and have to stay aware from dark colors.

[knuckleharley]

On 9/13/2018 at 9:02 PM, NickPickToo said:

Dad was also able to snag a gantry crane, an engine stand and a cherry picker off Craig's List.  All from some guy who's wife said she was tired of seeing the stuff in the garage.  It comes out of my budget until we can sell it later, but Dad seems to really like the crane.  Received some front suspension parts we ordered from Kanter and sourced a front grill and some missing fender trim from a forum member (Thanks Ken!).   

 

 

 

 

NEVER sell a tool. NEVER!  If you do,you will instantly need it again,and no longer have it.

[knuckleharley]

On 3/7/2019 at 1:14 PM, casper50 said:

I agree weld it up with thick metal.

Best part of welding is that you can't weld rust,so if you get a good weld you know you got rid of the rust..

 

Just try to make VERY sure you can seal the area behind the weld because the heat will cause it to rust back there if you don;t.

[knuckleharley]

On 3/17/2019 at 7:25 PM, NickPick'sCrew said:

Pictures or examples?

 

As of now we think we are going to have to fabricate the braces.  Do you know of any source otherwise?

Probably too late for this to help,but since the Plymouth Doctor is in the biz of doing this and lives close to you,why not ask him? Chances are it is something he can sell once he has the pattern.

[NickPickToo]

On 6/29/2019 at 2:49 PM, knuckleharley said:

Probably too late for this to help,but since the Plymouth Doctor is in the biz of doing this and lives close to you,why not ask him? Chances are it is something he can sell once he has the pattern.

Thanks -- we've visited the Plymouth Doctor a few times so far and Mr. Branden also paid us a "house call" in the fall.  He's been a great help.  That said, the braces are not something he can get for us. 

[NickPickToo]

Control arms and knuckle back on.  Holding off on spring till we POR-15 and top coat the exposed metal.  Brushing on the paint to keep spindle and zerks clean.  Will add step by step to the the technical topic already started on this as we complete the left side.  Learned a few tricks on the right side that should make the left easier.  Most important one I think is to keep everything except where the control arms connect to the frame slightly relaxed (loose) until its all together and somewhat lined up.  This helps make everything easier to work with.  Also think if I were doing it all over, I would have added the kingpin and spindle after getting the rest put back together.  The spindle was just in the way.  Note that the Impact sockets were used only for size (we don't have larger than 1" in normal sockets).  

Edited July 2, 2019 by NickPickToo

[casper50]

The exciting part of the rebuild is upon you Nick.  Putting clean freshly painted rebuilt parts back on is a joy.

[soth122003]

On ‎7‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 9:37 AM, NickPickToo said:

Control arms and knuckle back on.  Holding off on spring till we POR-15 and top coat the exposed metal.  Brushing on the paint to keep spindle and zerks clean.  Will add step by step to the the technical topic already started on this as we complete the left side.  Learned a few tricks on the right side that should make the left easier.  Most important one I think is to keep everything except where the control arms connect to the frame slightly relaxed (loose) until its all together and somewhat lined up.  This helps make everything easier to work with.  Also think if I were doing it all over, I would have added the kingpin and spindle after getting the rest put back together.  The spindle was just in the way.  Note that the Impact sockets were used only for size (we don't have larger than 1" in normal sockets).  

Smart move Nick. In the aircraft world, when putting things back together, DO NOT TIGHTEN things down until the parts are completely assembled. Makes life so much easier to hook everything up. Also a tip on the zerk fittings. coat lighty with grease before painting. Then after wipe off overspray, paint splash etc... with a rag. It will come right off.

Joe Lee

Edited July 3, 2019 by soth122003

[NickPickToo]

22 hours ago, soth122003 said:

Smart move Nick. In the aircraft world, when putting things back together, DO NOT TIGHTEN things down until the parts are completely assembled. Makes life so much easier to hook everything up. Also a tip on the zerk fittings. coat lighty with grease before painting. Then after wipe off overspray, paint splash etc... with a rag. It will come right off.

Joe Lee

Wish the Zerk tip was posted a day earlier ?

Edited July 4, 2019 by NickPickToo

[NickPickToo]

Okay this is too cool.  Went on vacation in the U.P. MI on Round Lake this week end where my dad use to go when he was young.  Great grandfather had a cabin that now my dad's uncle owns.  My great Aunt showed me a picture of my great grandmothers plymouth.  The picture was in Graford TX and the girl is my great Aunt.  picture is black and white but she says it was charlotte ivory.  I know its four door and mine is a two door, but I'm starting to believe the car (and the color) picked me rather than me picking it.

 

 

[casper50]

Cool stuff Nick.  Seems that it was meant to be.

[casper50]

Nick we need an update.

[Frank Elder]

School must be starting for him this week...........

[mrwrstory]

Hi Nick,  Ya know there's a Round Lake in the lower peninsula too.  I spent time there in the 59's

[NickPick'sCrew]

Gents, Nicholas and crew are still here.  You're correct.  School is back in session and he also attended a two weeks at a running camp just prior to school starting with his cross country team.  Good news is that he has become a competitive runner for his Cross Country team and rumor is that their top seven may be competitive for State's this year.  The down side is he's spent most days after practice.  He's also still playing trombone in the marching and Jazz bands.  It's a pace I couldn't keep up when I was 16.   Kicking ourselves over missing the dream cruz this year, but more confident now for next year.  We'll keep the project moving, but Nicholas will likely be a little slower on the updates through the cross country season.  As a proud dad, I'll update his run times periodically as well ☺️.  Nicholas was referring to North Manistique Lake.  The locals refer to it as round lake.  It was surreal when my Aunt pulled out that photo and started describing Grandma's Plymouth.