New to Post-War Plymouths

[47 Coupe Tom]

Hi Everyone - I am new to Plymouths in general and post war ones in particular. My dad was a Chrysler guy (and a WWII Navy machinist) and I have owned everything from Model Ts to MGs. I recently had a '47 Special Deluxe coupe follow me home, and I intend to bring her back to life as time and budget allow. Looking forward to all the information and wisdom I see available here.

[Sniper]

Nice start, it gets to be an addiction.

 

[tom'sB2B]

Welcome aboard

Nice looking car. You will find everything you need to know and stuff you never have imagined on this forum  Become acquainted with the search option on the forum. You can also use google,  by putting P15 along with your search option will bring you to pertinent topics on this forum. Or post a question with plenty of photos. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[keithb7]

Welcome to this group. There are an abundance of nice, helpful, willing people here. You’ll get all the help you need here and more. 
 

That’s a nice looking Mopar.  You may be able to get the engine running without spending much. If you are prepared to roll up your sleeves and dig in.  These old cars are excellent for learning  new automotive skills.  Pretty basic and easy to work on compared to modern vehicles. 

[Dan Hiebert]

Welcome!  You've got experience with old cars, so I think you'll find working on your Plymouth to be "refreshing" in comparison to other makes.

[knuckleharley]

Welcome!

 

That looks like a really nice one,but put it up on a lift somewhere to get a good look under it and look carefully for plastic in the usual areas. If you can't see anything visually that makes you suspiscious,go over the "usual suspect areas" with a magnet.

 

Regardless,the FIRST repairs you make should be focused on the brakes and the suspension. Pull the drums to check the shoes and see if they need to be replaced,and turn the drums if they are grooved. Buy NEW wheel cylinders for it,not kits. IF they are original wheel cylinders in your car,chances are they are pitted and need to be smooted,and you can actually buy new wheel cylinders these days as cheap as you can buy kits.

 

Oh,and check the date on the tires. Old tires are more dangerous these days that ever before due to how the new rubber reacts to the sun.

[47 Coupe Tom]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. The tires will be first. I barely got it off the trailer before two of them deflated. They are ancient. Once I can get it to roll, I can handle everything else. It's original paint - not pretty - but not full of hidden mud, either. The body outriggers are OK - but the running board brackets are toast. Are they re-popped?

 

I am sure there will be several thousand more questions!

 

Tom

[Marcel Backs]

Welcome to the site. That is a beauty of a coupe! M

[tom'sB2B]

Show us some more photos when you have time.

[47 Coupe Tom]

Sorry it's been a while everyone. I decided Easter Sunday would be a great day to have a heart-attack, followed by a quintuple bypass and two weeks in the ICU. In the ensuing weeks I have slowly started to regain strength, and have only just started back with little jobs on the P15 Club Coupe. I had removed the plugs and been soaking the cylinders in ATF/Acetone mixture, and then spent some silly money at Coker (what the hell, I'm alive), and at least now I can roll my coupe (have to give her a name yet) in and out of the storage unit. I got the wheels powder-coated (extremely close to body color), and had them triple pin-striped in cream. I spent several hours on each hubcap, polishing then hand-lettering them in red enamel, and she now has new ribbed trim-rings too.

 

That was all from the last couple weeks. Today, I bought a new battery and satisfied my own curiosity that the engine was not stuck. She didn't come with keys of any kind - so I had to jump the mechanical solenoid to get her to crank. Just pushing the starter button did nothing, so I am guessing the wiring is such that the ignition key has to be on before the starter button will actuate?

 

No cracks in the steering wheel, and the DeLuxe horn ring is intact!

[Sniper]

Just be careful, I had a triple bypass 4 years ago and it took about a year and a half before my sternum quite hollering at me when I tried to do things it didn't think I should be doing. 

[47 Coupe Tom]

Oh I know, Sniper - Lifting those five wheels into position (spare mounted in trunk) once they were mounted with tires wiped me out for a few days. I should have had someone with me just to call the EMTs  - but I didn't, of course...

 

Does anyone know if the ignition needs to be "on" for the starter button to actuate? It might seem like a stupid question, but I have a couple old British cars with starter (pull) switches, and you can spin the motor over by pulling on them without the ignition "on" - helpful for building oil pressure before starting, or setting valve clearances, etc...

 

If so I guess I will be saving up for a keyed ignition switch assembly next???

[Dartgame]

ignition switches shouldnt be a costly item, at least for my car they arent. I suppose your car has a push button switch to run the starter. Try jerry rigging jumpers to the ignition and the starter button and give her a whirl.

[greg g]

The stock starter button is live with the key in the run position, if it hasn't been tinkered with.  My 46 has a later switch which also has the start terminal so I can use the key or the button, but the key still needs to be in run for the button to be live.

 

You can get a universal style ign switch from Napa for 20 bucks or so.  I have one in my studebaker truck as it's run position had a fault and would intermittently cut out.  Not a pleasant circumstance intraffic.  These commonly will have a start terminal, so you will need to decide whare you want to power the solenoid from. Typically  they are 4 terminal, power in, run, start, and accessory. Most will have the run and acc terminals both hot inrun position, and only acc hot in that designated position.  Hope that doesn't confuse you. For testing purposes  you  can  get  a remote starter button that will you to engage the starter from the battery.  Assume you have been made aware that these cars are 6v positive ground as built. Primary battery cables should be thick 0 gauge cables for proper performance. 

 

https://www.napaonline.com/en/search?text=Universal%2Bignition%2B%2Bswitch%2Bto%2B&referer=semantic&se=1&txtUser=

 

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7000115?cid=paidsearch_shopping_dcoe_google&campaign=GSC-Tools-Equipment&campaign_id=8553470562&adgroup_id=107047174069&adtype=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhYuChMzb8QIVXgutBh3JnQCtEAQYBCABEgJ84vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&

Edited July 11, 2021 by greg g

[keithb7]

Someone over here having similar issues. See comments there. 
 

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/365147-need-helpadvice-1949-plymouth-special-deluxe/?tab=comments#comment-2241406

[oldodge41]

Welcome back, glad you are recovering and able to get back at it.

[47 Coupe Tom]

Thanks everyone for your help. Since I have to temper my enthusiasm for the moment, I was just happy to be able to spin the motor by jumping the solenoid posts. The P.O. had said the engine wasn't stuck, but he seemed to know less about the car than me. I have had a '40 Buick and a '53 Special, and am familiar with 6V systems. The British cars are usually 12V, and Positive ground is common pre-1967.

 

So - to confirm (because I am a bit dense and learn by the Rote method), the push button for starting is NOT energized if the ignition key is not in "run" or "on" - correct? Since I have no key (yet) it's hard to determine that without all your knowledge. So I should not expect to be able to turn the engine over by the button alone without the switch "on"? Not expecting it to run - yet

[greg g]

You can power the solenoid with the referenced remote starter, and energize the coil with a jumper wire directly to the negative coil terminal.  But make it easy to unitattach when you want to shut it down. Those will bypass the ign switch and allow for cranking and eventual test start.

Edited July 12, 2021 by greg g

[47 Coupe Tom]

Thank you sir!

[Conn47D24]

Go easy !

[Dan Hiebert]

So, to answer your question.  You are correct.  The starter button is not energized if the ignition key is not in the run position.  The ignition key for these post war MoPars only have the on (run) and off positions, no "accessory" position.  Nothing but the interior lights will work with that key in the off position.  (I beat myself up for hours when we first got our car trying to remedy the horn not working - until I figured that ignition key thing out.)

 

   

[47 Coupe Tom]

Dan, thanks for that clarification. It really helps me. I have ordered a color-coded wiring diagram, and a new/NOS ignition switch with keys just this afternoon (and a carb rebuild kit), so hopefully can make a little progress as my health allows. Wasn't feeling great this evening, hence my awake-late posting here.

 

I don't see an escutcheon on the outside of the ignition key-hole in the dash. Is there going to be a trick to getting the old ignition switch out? 

 

I also noticed a red jumper wire in the engine bay going to the horns, and a discreet black button screwed to the underside of the dash below the steering column, so I am guessing someone direct-wired the horns to that switch. I didn't have time to reconnect the battery today and double check that theory.

 

Thanks again,

 

Tom

[squirebill]

As Greg G said ,a jumper wire from the negative battery terminal to the neg post on the coil will bypass your keyless ignition switch.  I have used a house wiring toggle switch inline on this jumper wire to be able to turn ignition on and off as necessary.