41 Plymouth coupe

[ntxcustoms]

It's been awhile maybe 5 since I've posted? Had a 39 dodge coupe and wound up selling it. Anyway life, the shop, other projects...and time flew by. 

So me loves me Mopars! I've gone through 5 (39-46) dodge trucks and 2 (1.5 ton) COEs in that time. I still have a half ton dodge truck I'm currently building. 

Anyway it's been too long since I've had a running car to scoot around in. I own a rod/resto shop but always focus on getting customer rides done. That changed this last weekend when I picked up this sweet 41 Plymouth deluxe coupe. It's to solid to go chopping and all that, but I am installing disk brakes and doing the ol' shock relocation thing. 

I've drooled over this coupe since the previous owner mentioned he may sell it. Half a year later and its mine! 

Edited September 8, 2019 by ntxcustoms
Name change on thread

[ntxcustoms]

[wldavis3]

Very nice !!!

[laynrubber]

Great lines

[thebeebe5]

Love the car.   Love the color!!

[plymouthcranbrook]

Absolutely Gorgeous!!!!!!

[keithb7]

Jealous!!!

[ntxcustoms]

Thanks guys! Ignore the 31 license plate on there...just getting a feel for when my plate arrive

[Tim Larson]

Absolutely beautiful car!!

[40plyrod]

Beautiful car! Persistency pays off.

[9 foot box]

   I'd like to see more pictures of the dash and engine compartment. I just posted a reply on another thread. Just keep this thread, as yours, with all the pictures. Then it's all here. Then I can see how your charging problem, and 6 volt neg. ground works out.

[DMeister]

That is one gorgeous Coupe...color and all ! ?

[ntxcustoms]

I'll post some interior pics tomorrow. Tonight i started taking out the gauge cluster. The bulbs are so dim I can't see the gauges on a pitch black night. My high beam light barely glows. When powering up with a power probe it doesn't make a difference, but now come to think of it i only supplied power not ground. Anyway night bugs are chewing me up so I'll give a go tomorrow. 

 

Btw i have 6.0 volts at the dash light switch input. 5.9v output on high and 3.5v on low. So i don't think the switch is the problem. 

 

I'm thinking I'm going to supply more grounds and clean contacts this weekend.

[9 foot box]

   I have an early 1946 Plymouth Coupe that has a three position toggle under the dash, right of the column. It turns the dash lights off, dim, and bright. My 49 only has an on and off toggle. Did you change the Battery to Pos. ground? In earlier pictures, I thought you had 12 volt, from the bright lights. Your brake light is on, might need a switch or you propped it. I don't see the advantage of 6 volt neg. ground. My fuel gauge hasn't worked properly since I bought my car last Dec. I replaced the Voltage regulator, it charges and the gauge is working. After doing extra grounding to frame and firewall and cleaning connections at the Amp gauge.

Edited September 6, 2019 by 9 foot box
additional information

[ntxcustoms]

My running lights are on. They are bright because i cleaned all connections, installed ac duct aluminum tape in the housings. and washed the lenses. I installed a column mount turn-signal switch with double filament bulbs. 

[ntxcustoms]

Someone down the line changed it to negative ground 6v. I'm going to change it back...my dash light switch is the dimmer type

[9 foot box]

   I'm glad you got the time to post again. I posted in another thread that if the Pos. post from the coil goes to the Dist., it's Pos. ground. The sellers hooked the battery up with what they are used to. That probably toasted your field coil in the regulator.

Edited September 6, 2019 by 9 foot box

[Young Ed]

Beyond that dash switch make sure the bulbs are clean and that the whitish paint inside the housing is clean and in good condition. In my 46 truck the bulbs were covered in a layer of dust and the white paint was about 1/2 peeled off and laying in the bottom. 

[ntxcustoms]

Ok, i removed the gauge cluster, bulb wires from the harness, and dimmer switch. Using jumper leads from a charged battery straight to the bulb harness and cluster on the bench it's still very dim. Doesn't change if i bypass the switch. The upper bulbs had some blue translucent plastic curled in the housing so i removed that with no difference. I'm thinking it's the wrong bulbs. Currently it's had GE 44 bulbs installed. Tomorrow I'm going to the parts store and try out some others. What bulbs are you guys using? Still 6v...

[ntxcustoms]

Some interior pictures. I have the radio delete plate off so I can remove the gauges.

[9 foot box]

   Looks nice ntx. I use 51 and 55 bulbs in my cars and truck. In the resource tab, click reference info. It has a listing of the bulbs, and location. 

[ntxcustoms]

Thanks 9ft I'm still getting used to the layout on here. So i bought some 55 bulbs from the parts store. I'll be ordering them online in the future as they were proud of them at 2.50 each.

The cluster was still dim. So I took the housing apart, washed all the parts, and painted what was needed white. I went ahead and painted the face white as well to make the gauges pop. While i was in there i noticed the upper bulbs have metal cups that surround the bulbs and the lower to have a metal shield above them. I know mopar installed these to diffuse the light but I went ahead and removed them. Much brighter now!

[milo9rat]

Very nice coupe.. I'm envious....

[ntxcustoms]

I can see! This is on the dim setting without the cluster crimped tight so there is light bleeding around the edges. Going to try the gauges with the face white for a bit...may decide to paint it back to the stock brownish color. 

Edited September 9, 2019 by ntxcustoms
Clarification

[9 foot box]

     I put a dual voice coil speaker in my dash, when I had it apart. You know you'll want tunes. I still think your car, was originally a police car. The dual spotlight's? I've seen cars in old movies that look like that.  Got any pictures of the engine?