Go Fleiter Posted November 8, 2022 Report Share Posted November 8, 2022 (edited) This 3rd of September, we took the Plymouth again for 2 weeks in Italy. I had put a new alternator this spring to replace a shot generator, but it but unfortunately failed in August too. So I had to put a working spare generator which was on hand. Usually, I carry all my spare parts behind the spare wheel, but now I had no time to repair the shot one. We don´t have the autotrain/ sleeping car choice anymore, in Germany they cancelled the whole service! Because of this, we planned to drive the whole trip by car and to stay overnight on both ways. First trip was 400 mls to beautiful Neuschwanstein (castle looms over the hood!). Next morning we continued through Austria 225 mls to Lake Garda/ Italy. We we met traffic jam everywhere. The worse was on the Autobahn incline from Innsbruck up to Brennero in full summer heat. After 1 1/2 hour of stop and go the poor Plymouth´s cluch began to overheat- which forced me to take the next available exit to ÖAMTC (= austrian AAA) grounds. There, I let the car cool down and asked for a connection off the Autobahn to continue on the old Brenner country road. There was none, they told me. Downhill back to Innsbruck to the next exit was the same jam. In the meantime, however, my wife had found an alternative on her cell phone. But stupidly this earth and gravel path seemed only to lead to a quarry and was forbidden for cars. We took it anyway, trusting the cell phone, hoping to reach the old Brenner road. At the Brenner- railroad site we met a group of workers and asked if we would be able to continue. They did not recommend because of a very heavy grade down and a disastrous condition of the road. I dared and made it, but it was extremely steep and the passage under the railroad line absolutely tight. My brave wife had turned quite pale and was happy when we reached our hotel in Gargnano! We had 2 beautiful problemless weeks making 700 mls visiting Brescia, Torino and a lot of small Piemonte towns. (RR crossing near Acqui Terme) (our stylish Samsonites in a stylish Hotel!) (Agliano -Villa Fontana: Piemonte is vine, truffles and hazelnuts!) (near Agliano Terme) Then, we started to the return trip to have 2 nights at Freiburg. At the Milan tollgate again we suffered 1 ½ hour of stop and go in full heat. Now I noticed that the battery was no longer being charged. I changed the voltage regulator - but obviously it was not the culprit. Well, and as I had mentioned before, this time I didn´t have a spare generator on board! Nevertheless, we tried to reach Freiburg, still 250 mls away. We only used parking lights in the numerous tunnels in Switzerland (all one way only and speed restricted) and used as little electricity as possible except for the ignition. Above all, the generator developed an ugly bearing noise. For the last 30 mls in darkness lo beam lights were needed. With 6,6 V at Milan, voltage dropped to 5,9 V when arriving at the Hotel´s garage in Freiburg. That drive was no pleasure! The next morning the ADAC (= german AAA) picked up the car - I would have risked a day drive 300 mls to Düssseldorf with freshly (Hotel-) charged battery, but I did not want to experience the generator bearing´s falilure! We had a beautiful day in Freiburg. The next day, I got a free rental car for the trip home from the ADAC. As I had no hurry they brought The Plymouth to my mechanic in Essen 4 weeks later. In the meantime, I had repaired the other gererator and he could exchange them. Now, the car is ok in his own garage. My wife don´t want to go next summer to hot Italy in Plymouth! Maybe we go to my sister in colder and traffic jam free Helsingborg/ Sweden! Greetings from Düsseldorf! Go (red: travel 2022. The dots are our older Plymouth holidays). Places visited: Düsseldorf: yellow dot red: travel 2022. The dots are our older Plymouth holidays 1 Neuschwanstein 2 Brennero 3 Gargnano 4 Brescia 5 Agliano Terme 6 Nizza Monferrato 7 Acqui Terme 8 Alba 9 Asti 10 Torino 11 Bra 16 Freiburg Edited November 9, 2022 by Go Fleiter 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61spit Posted November 8, 2022 Report Share Posted November 8, 2022 Adventures in travel. Looks like it was a wonderful trip despite the mechanical breakdown. Thanks for the posting with photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryinTx Posted November 8, 2022 Report Share Posted November 8, 2022 That's quite a trip! Beautiful scenic route (except for the quarry). Your wife deserves some kudos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Riding Posted November 9, 2022 Report Share Posted November 9, 2022 Nice pictures and trip description! That is also a great looking Plymouth- and to think that you did it all on 6 volts! What brand of alternator did you buy originally? I want to avoid it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Fleiter Posted November 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2022 (edited) well, I´m not yet sure if it was really the alternator´s failure. I had a couple of problems earlier this year: I changed the ignition lock, one main disconnect switch, one battery and one day I found a broken 150 A fuse (a fork lift part). I had suspected latter, but it showed no damage! But when I dismatled the holder, the fuse was broken directly hidden under tit´s fixing bolt (red scissors). I did check the function several times and current was passing. Sometimes, starter could draw too much A and died. A moment later current was back, strong enough. When I moved the cables, I could interrupt or close the circuit. Really mean! So, sorry, I don´t want to discredit the alternator in public until I could check it over. Greetings! Go Edited November 9, 2022 by Go Fleiter errors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJK Posted November 10, 2022 Report Share Posted November 10, 2022 Thanks for sharing the great pictures and adventure. In the 3 yrs. I have owned my Cranbrook, it has accumulated 10K miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy 46R Posted November 10, 2022 Report Share Posted November 10, 2022 Beautiful car, beautiful country and a beautiful memory. Win Win all the way around. Thank you for sharing. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booger Posted November 10, 2022 Report Share Posted November 10, 2022 you sir have some stones! what a fantastic trip. Im sure the Cranny had some looks. Man I love Italy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan G Posted November 12, 2022 Report Share Posted November 12, 2022 I love that you dared to take that old road; well, these cars were made for such routes! Here's to more European adventures behind the wheel of your Plymouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laynrubber Posted December 10, 2022 Report Share Posted December 10, 2022 An excellent journey and best in an old car, mechanical issues not included. No doubt those issues added to stress but the highs must have been better than the lows. Thank you for the photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcDeSoto Posted December 10, 2022 Report Share Posted December 10, 2022 Great looking 51 Plymouth! I think it's the first 51 Plymouth convertible I've seen. I once owne a 51 Plymouth Suburban wagon. It was in poor shape and the owner inherited it when he bought some land in the country of East San Diego County. He said if I could haul it off it was free. So I did and parted it out. That was 40 years ago! I just saw a 51 Plymouth in a 1957 movie called The Girl Most Likely starring Jane Powell. Her boyfriend drives it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hiebert Posted December 10, 2022 Report Share Posted December 10, 2022 What a nice trip, thanks for sharing! I consider breakdowns part of the adventure when taking longer trips in the old cars, although we've been fortunate so far not to have experienced anything major. Our family name originated in Fussen (in the 1520's, much too long ago to claim that's where we're from, especially since the family immigrated to the US from Ukraine 300 years later), so I always get a kick out of Neuschwanstein sightings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted December 10, 2022 Report Share Posted December 10, 2022 8 hours ago, MarcDeSoto said: Great looking 51 Plymouth! I think it's the first 51 Plymouth convertible I've seen. I once owne a 51 Plymouth Suburban wagon. It was in poor shape and the owner inherited it when he bought some land in the country of East San Diego County. He said if I could haul it off it was free. So I did and parted it out. That was 40 years ago! I just saw a 51 Plymouth in a 1957 movie called The Girl Most Likely starring Jane Powell. Her boyfriend drives it. Guess that means it's been too long since I posted Dad's. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Fleiter Posted December 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 (edited) "old Ed" (I suppose) has a real beauty! Very straight sheet metal, immaculate paint, accurate trims and very nicely maintained! It rides a bit higher than mine- i like that too! Mine has a more used look, which I liked very much. I could not even bring myself to complete repaint when the hood and left fenders had to be done after an accident. So, I have a right half in faded, ancient look and part of the left side highgloss. This combination I like much less. Maybe, in a couple of years I get so far as to decide for a repaint. The appearance of your father's car is seductive1 Greetings from Düsseldorf! Go Edited December 13, 2022 by Go Fleiter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 6 hours ago, Go Fleiter said: "old Ed" (I guess) has a real beauty! Very straight sheet metal, immaculate paint, accurate trims and very nicely maintained! It rides a bit higher than mine- i like that too! Mine has a more used look, which I liked very much. I could not even bring myself to complete repaint when the hood and left fenders had to be done after an accident. So, I have a right half in faded, ancient look and part of the left side highgloss. This combination I like much less. Maybe, in a couple of years I get so far as to decide for a repaint. The appearance of your father's car is seductive1 Greetings from Düsseldorf! Go Thanks you should have seen it before the restoration started. It was very rough. I remember helping tow it as a kid and one of my jobs was to secure the doors to each other because they wouldn't latch anymore from rust making the latches misaligned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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