The Great ‘38 Thread of '22

[p15-1948]

Safe journeys!

 

[61spit]

Sounds like you are prepared. Enjoy the trip and all the experiences that will come with it. Safe travels.

[TravisL17]

Safe travels!

A friend once said to me "If it can make it around the block, it can make it around the world".

Moral of the story, enjoy the drive. Don't think about the "what if" because it takes the fun away. I've driven my Meadowbrook on several long trips and it's always been memorable. Traveling in a classic is different, in a great way. Have fun!

[keithb7]

I enjoyed a nice trouble free trip. Just a tad under 300 miles total travel.

 

I took a GPS along today check my speedometer and odometer. Seems I am traveling about 5% less than what my speedo reads.  Not bad considering the car's age. I calculated my fuel economy.  I am getting about 16.5 MPG with bias tires and my 237 ci engine.

 

The car performed very well. I know my temp gauge is out about 15-20F. I took some caution today just to be safe. Heading back up a long mountain range home, there is a long grade.  For many miles. It was a pretty warm day. Over a period of 20 mins I watched my gauge slowly creep up and up.  The steepest section was yet to come. My temp gauge was pegged past the 212 mark. I would estimate I was actually under 200 still at that point.

 

A profile of the hi-way home is shown.  When I got to about the 800M elevation mark, I pulled over and shut the engine down. I waited until the temp gauge read 160F. I fired it up and without any trouble we climbed up and over the pass, maintaining 50 mph in 3rd gear. 1:1 tranny output and 4.11 rear end. The temp never did read higher than 210 (in reality probably 190F) all the way up. The car performed beyond my expectations. For my own peace-of-mind I may install a new accurate temperature gauge. Maybe bolt it down on the bottom edge of the dash.

 

I pretty well maintained 50 MPH the entire trip. Glad I did the trip. I look forward to more. The engine oil level never moved.

 

The car show was fun. Just one other old Mopar car. A 1937 Dodge, convertible. Pics seen below.

 

Edited July 2, 2022 by keithb7

[keithb7]

[keithb7]

 

Along side my brother's 1966 Corvair.

Edited July 2, 2022 by keithb7

[Desert Rat]

Not a 38' but close enough.. It's about time I get it out here on the web. My 37' P4 coupe. Same color as your 38 I believe. Stock drive train but engine is a flathead out of a 53'.

  

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by Desert Rat

[keithb7]

Thanks for joining in @Desert Rat. That's a great car. That is the first time I have seen a photo of a coupe's back seat. Mine does not have a back seat.  My spare tire is back there. Also a storage shelf.

[keithb7]

Its been so hot in this mountainous area, I’ve been driving my Mopars very little. We have been seeing 100F for the past week. The big hill home packs a punch to the cooling systems on both of my cars.  This morning I got up before the sun to hit the roads and grab a coffee.  Nice and cool, about 72F. I’ve missed enjoying them.  
 

I wish I could say say the cars have benefited by maximizing my time in the garage. Not so. The garage hits 100 each day as well. Small projects have me leaking worse than an old radiator.  Next week we are expecting a cooling period. 
 

 Very quiet out here this morning. Nice. Very nice. 

 

 

[keithb7]

My Chrysler is running fantastic. The cylinder head swap was well worth the time investment. A couple of leaky valves were also sealed up. Best of all are the results of the carb cleaning in the ultrasonic cleaner, then rebuilt. Its running so nice and smooth now. I also checked my throttle linkage. I put a couple of bricks on the gas pedal, so it was to the floor. (engine not running of course) I then proceeded to check my throttle valve at the carb base. I still had room to open it further. I then twisted a threaded rod in the throttle linkage, making it longer. Now the throttle was opening further. All the way now, wide open. I definitely picked up more HP and torque.  She's pulling harder than ever. Did I mention smooth? Very happy with the latest work I completed on this engine. A rewarding project.

 

Tonight at dusk it cooled off enough to take this car, and make it do what it was built to do.  Thanks to everyone at Chrysler Canada in 1938.

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by keithb7

[Bryan]

Ever think of a small vacation house at the edge of the permafrost boundary?  Would be cooler.

[keithb7]

I may have thought about it for 5 seconds. The bugs are atrocious. Suspect it would be hard to get non-ethanol fuel.  Any car show might be just me and my other car.  It’s definitely cooler. You get about 4-6 weeks of bad snowmobiling per year. 
 

A large portion ½ way up the white area shown, is really pleasant in Aug and Sept. North of that I’m definitely out. ?

Edited August 1, 2022 by keithb7

[chris 48 P15]

think of the trophies you can get

[keithb7]

Annual car show day in my town. Just this one familiar flathead mopar in attendance. Tons of folks enjoying the car. 

 

 

 

[keithb7]

Hot evening again. 100F here this evening. I headed out in my Chrysler tonight. Cruised around for about an hour. I took the thermostat out.You'll see why in my next video. All night the temperature gauge read 160F. Up the hill home it hit 180F. Surely there is nothing wrong with the cooling system in my Chrysler. It's 100% stock and is flatten'n the hills tonight in the hot weather!

 

Just a simple summer evening cruise. Hard to beat.

 

 

[keithb7]

I’m out on a Sunday morning drive in my Plymouth today. Again looking for possible photo ops with period correct backdrops. 
 

Lately I’ve been reading the Grapes Of Wrath for the first time. Although it takes place before my ‘38 car was built, I feel I have more appreciation for travel in the 1930’s. People were tough.  Cars also tough. Times were yet tougher. A great period of car evolution was in full swing. By contrast,  today we watching a massive change in transportation. Perhaps the most complex automobile evolution since it’s  inception. Electric vehicles. Momentum is growing. The change is in full swing.  
 

As the decades pass, the early days seem more attractive to me. I am fortunate  to be able to relive them in my own limited ways with my 1938 Mopars.  Perhaps yet an earlier period car is in my future….Maybe some day. 
 

Odometer 683 miles. 
 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by keithb7

[keithb7]

Today I’ve taken my Chrysler on a road trip. A 250 mile trip.  All hi-way driving in the interior of British Columbia. 2 lane non-divided hi-way.  
 

I took my thermostat out to experiment. The engine maintained between 150 and 160F at hi-way speeds. Ambient temps about 80F.  Running a bit too cold probably. I’ve burned a bit more fuel than I expected. I suspect partially due to the cool engine operating temps. I am also thinking that my float is a touch low. . 
 

I engaged overdrive as soon as I left the driveway. Once in 3rd plus OD, I cruised at 60+ mph very comfortably. Not once did I downshift for any hills.  It is plenty hilly around here, so that is impressive. The shocks and springs were noticeably good.   A very nice ride.  
 

The hi-ways are also twisty in places. 55 mph was about the max comfortable speed I maintained on turns. Otherwise my skinny stock sized tires squeaked defiantly.  30 psi in them. They are radials that look like old bias tires. 

This was my longest out of town trip in my Chrysler. There is a big difference between my Plymouth and my Chrysler on longer hi-way trips. OD being the biggest factor. The Chrysler front steering feels a lot lighter. Not as good road feel. Maybe its the radials. My Plym has stock bias tires. Maybe I prefer the stiff road feel with the old leaf springs. Stiff tire sidewalls. Less lean maybe.  My Chrysler has a more modern front steering geometry. Perhaps I need to tweak the sector gear a touch. I will look into later for sure. 
 

The 251 engine my Chrysler doesn’t feel any more powerful than the current 237 engine in my Plymouth. Could be due to power to power to weight ratios or the gear ratios. 4.11 in Plym. 3.93 (or something close) plus OD in my Chrysler. It definitely gets there faster though. As 60-65 is very comfortable. Not so in my Plym which really feels strung out at those speeds. 
 

A great day and a real nice opportunity to compare two 1938 Mopars.  Some very different features and engineering in a few ways. 
 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by keithb7

[keithb7]

My buddie just drove his 1948 NY’r across Canada. We met today. Not much to report. A solid reliable car. 
 

 

[Tim Larson]

14 hours ago, keithb7 said:

My buddie just drove his 1948 NY’r across Canada. We met today. Not much to report. A solid reliable car. 
 

 

 

That sure sounds like fun! His car with the carrier on top looks like a great adventure!

[keithb7]

Some of the conversations are fun. This morning I took my Chrysler to the grocery store for the weekly refill. A friendly older lady approached to voice her approval of my car. “Is it a Studebaker?”, she said. I smiled and told her no. She praised the car and said “I guess you had to install seatbelts?”  I replied “I don’t HAVE to install them.  A stunned, confused look appeared on her face. “What do you mean, you don’t have to?”. I told her if the car did not originally come with seat belts, you don’t HAVE to install them. She paused and asked,  “Don’t you want them?”  I replied “Well, not really. I do wear one if I am leaving town on a hiway. Although I’m not convinced it would do anything to save my life.” I went on about how safety was far down a list, if at all in 1938. There was laminated glass in the car and that was about all the safety improvements I could think of. If someone hits me at 30 mph or less in town where I travel 95% of the time, I’ll likely be alright. Above  30 mph, I put the seatbelt on. Yet, I won’t be alright if someome hits me.  “Its just some of the risks we take to drive these old cars” I told her. She was surprised. 
 

A trunk shot after I put a few items in that massive cavity. 
 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by keithb7

[keithb7]

Just about done cruising in my Plymouth. Fall is here. The car’s insurance expires very soon. My Fall 2022 photo is seen here. I try to find falling leaves, and a back drop that looks like it could still be 1938. 

Its been a great year with the newly rebuild engine.  She’s fully broke-in now. 
 

852.4 miles. 
 

 

[deathbound]

Great thread and dig the '38's. Here's my '38 Plymouth P6 Deluxe Coupe.