New Car Day! 1938 P6 Plymouth Deluxe

[keithb7]

Thanks dpollo. Double checking my book:

 

Dual filament bulbs are in the rear labeled “Tail and Signal Lamp”.  I betcha signal lamp means brake signal. Tail lamp being running lights.  The item labeled “Signal Lamp Switch” , I’ll bet is the brake lamp switch. Gotta be. 

 

This Service book smells exactly like the interior of my car. Literally identical. Its as though they been stored together for 81 years. 

[dpollo]

i think that you are correct.  I will be passing through Kamloops on Thursday   and usually stop at the A&W near Vicars Rd and the Hwy.   usually it is after 2 by the time I get that far

if you want the cylinder. head perhaps we can meet or I can simply take it as far as Enderby.

[keithb7]

Sounds great. I’ll put it in my calendar. I work right around the corner. Thx. 

[dpollo]

better send me a PM with your # and I will call close to the estimated time of arrival 

[keithb7]

The temptation to order up every part I want ,and get going on this project is terrible. My goal is to enjoy the experience and take things slow. 

Currently I am still waiting on a call from the Starter Rebuilder, to get my starter back. I've also been shopping for a MIG Welder. So far I'm leaning toward the Millermatic with Argon/CO2 tank. I've got a long winter coming. I'll be happiest in the garage working on the car on weekends and evenings. Not if I rush and get most things done this summer! Really fighting the urge to tear into this right now.

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by keithb7

[1949 Wraith]

Don't talk about winter, We are just geting some spring like weather here and its nearly summer. 

 

Start playing with it now you can have the garage doors open in the nice weather.

[Worden18]

16 hours ago, keithb7 said:

The temptation to order up every part I want ,and get going on this project is terrible. My goal is to enjoy the experience and take things slow. 

Currently I am still waiting on a call from the Starter Rebuilder, to get my starter back. I've also been shopping for a MIG Welder. So far I'm leaning toward the Millermatic with Argon/CO2 tank. I've got a long winter coming. I'll be happiest in the garage working on the car on weekends and evenings. Not if I rush and get most things done this summer! Really fighting the urge to tear into this right now.

 

Take your time and enjoy every little moment ?

[MarcDeSoto]

You watch Humphrey Bogart driving the coupe version of this car in High Sierra (1941) and The Big Sleep (1946) to get some nostalgic inspiration!  

 

[Dan Hiebert]

Lauren Bacall - yep - that's inspiration!

[keithb7]

I found this dealer installed badge in my ‘38 today. Down under the dash on the interior side of the firewall.  Further confirmation this car has been in BC Canda since new.  

 

Begg Brothers were a Mopar dealer. Based in Vancouver BC. I’m pretty happy to find this. 

[Worden18]

1 hour ago, keithb7 said:

I found this dealer installed badge in my ‘38 today. Down under the dash on the interior side of the firewall.  Further confirmation this car has been in BC Canda since new.  

 

Begg Brothers were a Mopar dealer. Based in Vancouver BC. I’m pretty happy to find this. 

That is super cool!  Congrats on the find. Why were you looking under there to begin with?

[keithb7]

I’ll crawl all over this car from top to bottom. For a couple of reasons. It’s all new to me and I’m enjoying the knowledge I am gaining.  I also want to inspect everything and ensure its safe.  In today’s example I had my legs up over the seat. My head down under the dash inspecting all the wiring.  Found some interesting wiring for sure. Bad stuff that will be replaced right away. 

Edited June 17, 2019 by keithb7

[dpollo]

Begg had an agency in Victoria at that time too..  The building is still standing  Fort St at Vancouver st I think,   My 37 was sold there.

 

After WW 2 Olson Motors had the Plymouth and J M Wood the Dodge

[knuckleharley]

On 5/18/2019 at 8:58 PM, keithb7 said:

Did the deal on this one today.

1938 P6. Great known history. Solid car. Original interior. D24 engine installed but comes with original P6 engine needing rebuild. Lots of spare parts! Good runner. Test drove it. Looking forward to getting into this car. No plans other than make it reliable, road worthy and safe. 

 

Picked up in Victoria BC Canada. I will trailer it home next Saturday. 

 

 

I like it. It reminds me of a MUCH shinier version of the first car I ever bought,a 1938 Chrysler flat 6 4dr. Paid 20 bucks for it with a clear title. Some valves were stuck,but once we freed them up it ran like a new one. I was 14,and my plans were to get it safe and reliable to drive from "summer job money" by the time I turned 16.

 

Then one day I came home from school and discovered somebody stopped by and offered my father 250 bucks for it,and he sold it and kept the money. "My yard,my car,my money" is how he justified this theft.

[keithb7]

An exciting day as I flashed my Plymouth up again finally. Fresh new 1/O battery cables. Good starter that I had serviced and a new clutch gear installed in. Thanks to @dpollo for a good starter.

 

I am really enjoying this car very much. Tinkering away as time allows. Its kinda become like a go-cart for me. I crawl under it and smile at the simplicity of it all. I feel like little kid building my own go-cart when I work on it. Except now I have tools. And space! And money! LOL.

 

Engine is not blowing any smoke that I can see. Radiator is doing it's job well it seems. I plan to warm it fully tomorrow and do a compression test. We'll see what we've got here.

My latest blog video. Learn about Necker Knobs here:

 

https://youtu.be/O3ZKXp0VWl0

 

[Worden18]

Looking good man!  You've given me inspiration to take my time on my '48 B-1-D.  Been so stupid busy with other things that I've stepped away from it.  

Love the necker knob ?

[dpollo]

glad the starter worked out for you.  happy motoring.   Hope the brakes are up to the challenge of the hills surrounding you.

should they need relining  be careful you get a lining which is relatively soft.  Automotive Frictions of Damascus Oregon understands.

I have lots of "core"  shoes.

 

 

[keithb7]

So far brake shoes appear to be near new. I’ll be definitely digging in further. I see old crusty flex hoses. They’ll be replaced. 

 

I exposed the carb bowl today. Quite dirty. To be expected for a car that has seen so little use in decades. 

After some extensive internet research time, I learned this is a Carter BBS carburetor. Used from about 54 and up thru the 60's. This carb seems to align properly, age-wise with D54 engine SN on my block. I was able to locate a rebuild kit on the Carb Doctor web site. Carb is currently disassembled and soaking in Lacquer thinner. Every time I walk by I agitate it a little.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by keithb7

[keithb7]

While awaiting carb kit to arrive I’ve been picking away at other tasks. 

 

New emergency brake cable is installed and working well.

 

Front brakes look new.  Adjusted. 

 

I was working on dash wiring and decided the front seat just had to come out. Pain in the neck getting down under there. Front carpet is in a very bad way. I removed the front section. You can see here what I have to work with. I’m pretty pleased with the floorboards. Moslty appear like new. Some rust near driver corner on screw-in floor access cover. Not much. I won’t complain. 

 

Now I have to deal with the need to store large removed items like the seat.  

 

Here you can see the uncovered treasures of the floor. Not bad for a 1938. 

 

I’ll get to wrapping up the 1/O  battery cables. They are a tight fit to get back down around the  battery box. 

 

Edited July 23, 2019 by keithb7

[keithb7]

I do see where someone brass welded-in a patch on the drivers side. They did a good job. It’s interesting to me that they brass welded back in the day. 

 

Poking away is so very fun and rewarding...As it sits tonite. 

 

 

[keithb7]

I’m amazed that my ‘38 had not caught fire so far. This is the high/low beam switch as I discovered it today. I suspected there was a wiring issue. It’s tucked in a tricky spot to access. 

 

I have some q’s about wires from the head lamp switch. I’ll start another post. I can only seem to add 1 photo to each post for some reason. 

Edited July 28, 2019 by keithb7

[keithb7]

 

 

Does anyone visiting this thread own a 1938 Deluxe? I am hoping to field some questions and compare parts of my car to yours.  I’ll post my first question see if a fellow owner can help. 

 

Pic below here is my headlight switch. I’m scratchimg my head a bit over the wiring. You can see a bare exposed extra dash illumination light. Only 4 dash lights are shown in the electrical layout diagram. 4 are indeed installed in my gauges. This fifth light does not seem to have a home. However in another layout drawing of the car’s harnesses they specify a hi-beam indicator lamp.  Does anyone know where this hi-beam indicator lamp is supposed to mount?  I don’t see a home for it.  By chances does it mount to the back of the headlamp pull switch somehow?  Perhaps my headlamp switch has been replaced, with an incorrect one, and is missing a mount for the hi-beam lamp?  

 

The headlamp switch in my car is shown here too. Thanks.

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by keithb7

[keithb7]

Wait! I remember finding a something under the carpet. A little circular mount of some type. I could not ID it so I saved it just in case.  I google searched 1938 Plymouth healight switch....Well I’ll be darned. 

 

There is is. The bulb is mounted to the switch again!  Baby steps.

[keithb7]

The tiny circle in the middle of the headlamp switch lites up when the hi-beams are on.  I had no idea. This car is totally foreign to me. The old concepts totally new to me. I don’t know anyone locally with a car like this. Lol. Those crafty Chrylser engineers....They are schoolin’ me 81 years later. 

 

Getting back on track now cleaning up more wiring. 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by keithb7

[RobertKB]

Glad you figured it out. I would have told you if you were still baffled. My '38 Chrysler was exactly the same. Car is now sold.