1940 P10 - new car, many questions!

[Ivan_B]

Hello Everyone!

 

Just got my new 1940 P10 home, this weekend. I have plenty of small questions, while I am getting to know the car and trying to get it ready for safe operation. Most of these I am figuring out with the good old Google search, but for some, I'd really appreciate a little assistance from the fellow enthusiasts. I'll post these in the same topic, so that I don't flood the entire forum with my curiosity ?

 

About the car: got it in GA (I am in FL), the car appears to be mostly original, except an older re-paint. Engine number matches the chassis ? I am (supposedly) the 4th owner. The previous owner mostly had it sitting in the garage for the last ~15 years. The owner before him (supposedly) had it for a number of years and acquired it from the original owner. The car looks very good, and is running and driving (although, it obviously needs the regular maintenance performed and some minor repairs, due to age and lack of use).

 

Question 1:

I believe I found the original radio tag:

Does this mean that "Mis Thomas" must be the original owner, from June 18/40? Does it say "PA" for the state? I can also see "Orang", "Pine" and some unclear cursive. Any idea what city\dealer that might've been?

It's funny how the tag itself says fill in ink, and they still did not do it.

 

Question 2:

Were the doors and door locks originally mounted to the car with cross-slot screws? I was under impression that manufacturers only used regular slot screws at that time.

 

Question 3:

Does this look like original paint under the hood? The same exact color appears on the wheels, and under the dash. What frustrates me, is that there appears to be bare metal under it. Was Plymouth not using any primer back in the day? There also appears to be some over-spray of this supposedly original paint on the decorative "wood" window frames. Were they also painting the doors assembled? ?

Edited May 10, 2023 by Ivan_B

[vintage6t]

Spent some time staring at the radio tag. Here's what I think I see.

- Mrs Thomas

- Based on where you bought the car you would think GA not PA, but the city/town do appear to read York, PA. I'd check it with a magnifying glass.

- Dealer name is "Wh.... motors"

[Ivan_B]

Thank you for the clarification.

According to Desoto dealer registry, there used to be Wolf Motors in York, PA. But you are right, the tag clearly says "Wh..." I've looked at the tag under a different angle, as well, but still cannot read it.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I see this as maybe the dealer was named Whering, and in the town of Groton Conn.  The distance between the two is 312 miles and could well have been installed there while visiting family.....

[Ivan_B]

Thank you! Now that you've said it, I can also see Whering and Groton too. Well, Mrs Thomas' hometown seems, indeed, to be York PA, so I think it is safe to assume that the car was first licensed in PA. The reason I ask is because I am thinking of getting a vanity plate. It will make sense to get an actual 1940 PA plate, then. I am not going to register it, but will simply use it for decorative purposes.

[greg g]

Typically Plymouth firewalls are body color.  The early post war cars used a gray primer on trunk lid reinforcement  stampings and inner fenders.  Not sure about 40 41.  Lots of good inf at allpar.com.   search 1940 Plymouth,  see what you get.  Typically dealer brochures,  advertising  illustrations specs and more.

[RobertKB]

These are the correct screws. 
 

 

Not sure when they changed. I had a ‘38 Chrysler with slotted screws but a ‘40 Dodge I owned had the Phillips. 1940 might have been the first year for them. 

[DonaldSmith]

I understand that the Philips head screw had some advantages for production. 

The "X" shape keeps the driver from slipping out, and the inherent slope kicks the driver out when the screw is torqued enough. 

However, this is the bane of the design when we try to get a stubborn screw out.  

I think that the development if drivers with torque limits allowed the development of screws such as those with a square recess and the Torx head screws with their star-like recess.

But what do I know.  

[vintage6t]

As said above, the screws are original. Here's a 41 Plymouth.

 

[Ivan_B]

Thank you all for the comments.

vintage6t

I've noticed that your lock mechanism and guide are not painted. Is this an indicator that the paint in my door jamb might not be original, or were some of them painted at the factory and some not?

 

Question 4: was there a factory tool set included with these cars? My owner's manual does not have any information to this effect.

Edited May 11, 2023 by Ivan_B

[vintage6t]

7 hours ago, Ivan_B said:

vintage6t

I've noticed that your lock mechanism and guide are not painted. Is this an indicator that the paint in my door jamb might not be original, or were some of them painted at the factory and some not?

 

I don't know if mechanism should be painted or not. That car was restored and repainted back in the 1970s.

[Dan Hiebert]

The door latching mechanisms were not originally painted, they were installed at the factory after the body was painted.  The color on your firewall and inside lip of the fender are your car's original color.  Plymouth would have called it something else in 1940, Dodge called it Fortress Gray in 1948.  MoPar kept the same basic color palette for several years in a row, but named the colors differently between the makes and years so the consumer would think they're getting something new or different.

 

Supposedly we can thank Henry Ford for Phillips head screws being prevalent in auto manufacturing, reasons as Donaldsmith pointed out.