46Chris Posted October 22, 2023 Report Share Posted October 22, 2023 When she knew I was going to buy this P15, my wife christened it "Old Blue." Coincidentally, the car was named "Blueberry" by the prior owner. Departed UHaul with their rig at 8:10 yesterday morning. When I arrived at 10:30, Sue (the seller) welcomed me with a big hug. She invited me in to take part in her daughter and grandkids all making fresh apple juice from the trees in their front yard. They had already prepared a half-gallon jug of apple juice for me to take home. Best apple juice we ever had. Time came to get the car loaded, and hear the engine. I wasn't able to hear it run or drive the car when I was there on Wednesday, as the switch-operated hood ornament light the owner had installed had been left on. When I got back home Wednesday evening I went ahead and wired the funds, as I was confident there wouldn't be any big surprises. The next day they had gotten it charged and running, and shared a video with me. It had sounded a little rough, but I knew it had old gas The battery had taken a full charge, fortunately. After more than a few tries I got the key to turn to the right and I hit the button. I got a couple of those bendix spin-outs before it finally caught. A little choke and a few blips, and it smoothed out, sounding really good. What a great feeling! Amazing given the age of the gas. Good oil pressure, ammeter showing a charge when I gunned it, gas gauge showing a little less than a quarter tank. Good clutch pedal, but had to pump up the brake. Good parking brake. No visible temp needle. No worries, always a few things to sort out - so far, ignition switch, bendix, temp gauge, and brakes. You'll see from this photo of the car on the trailer that it's not on straight. The rain made the ramps slippery, and when I gunned it to clear the ramps it skewed to the right. I used a heavy tiedown strap to make sure it wouldn't skew further right and possibly have the door sill chrome trim come in contact with the trailer fender. No way to easily adjust it any further at this point, just wanted to make sure it was secure. Had an uneventful 2 /12 hour drive home. Saw no deer. Perfect. At a gas stop I added a can of SeaFoam and 10 gals of no-ethanol. Wife, nephew and dogs greeted us as we arrived. I figured that when I got home I could attach a tow strap behind the tire, secure it to the hitch on our van and pull the car back straight. One tug with the van and it straightened right out on the ramp. Fired right up on the trailer, drove it off and left it running for a bit while we all looked it over. Such a sweet sound, a smooth-running engine. Very satisfying to see the car at home. I'm leery of driving it on those 40+ year old tires even 16 miles to the tire shop next Wednesday. Decided I'm going to put the car on jack stands, take the tires in to be dismounted, and bring the rims back home back to clean them up and paint-seal the rivets (thanks, @soth122003 for that guidance). I'll get the new tires mounted and then I'll feel ok about going for a first drive. Found an old 5x8 Chrysler Corporation instruction book envelope folded up in the glove box. Inside was a double-sided sheet of instructions for "Installing Tailored Cushion and Back Covers on Late Model Chrysler Motor Cars." Imagining this may have been a dealer-installed item. Heres Page 1 and Page 2 I'll be separately posting some request for guidance on the few squawks I've discovered so far. Just want to again say "thank you" to all of you for your support and guidance. Without the help of the members of this forum, there's no way I could otherwise hope to take proper care of this car. We've moved from a city with a number of shops that work on old iron, to live by a lake in the northwoods of WI, 15 miles from the nearest small town. Even though we've had quite a few old cars over the last 30 years and I've learned a few things, it still feels like what I know could fit on the head of a pin. I just couldn't do it without the help of people who know a lot more than I do, and whose generous help I am grateful for. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hiebert Posted October 22, 2023 Report Share Posted October 22, 2023 That is a good looking car! At least it doesn't look like you have too much to do, but you've already figured out you've found the right place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan_B Posted October 22, 2023 Report Share Posted October 22, 2023 (edited) Well, yes, and no. Compared to an average "project" car you see - this one is in great condition. However, it probably still needs everything, unless it was on the road, recently, and properly maintained by the PO (which I doubt). I've started driving my car, recently, but still have not gone even over the standard maintenance items - greasing suspension, wheel bearings, adjusting the engine, etc. This is a lot of work ant it takes time. Not even counting the rest of everything that needs to be checked/overhauled due to age and lack of use - like the rubber engine mounts, bushings, hoses, entire brake system, and much more. Also, I would not recommend re-painting the wheels, unless they are destroyed. just clean them, gently, and cover with plenty of wax to preserve the metal. Remember, everything is original only once. If you re-paint - it is not the same anymore This is probably my worst-looking wheel. Used to be the same color as the car, when new. Edited October 22, 2023 by Ivan_B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eneto-55 Posted October 22, 2023 Report Share Posted October 22, 2023 1 hour ago, 46Chris said: .... Very satisfying to see the car at home. .... Nice to see that the dogs approve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Buchanan Posted October 22, 2023 Report Share Posted October 22, 2023 (edited) Congrats on your new ride! It looks great and reminds me of the U-Haul ride my "new" '48 took to my shop. These are great cars to work on and will give you many miles of enjoyable cruising. You can change your signature now. The P15 has the better butt......... ? Edited October 22, 2023 by Sam Buchanan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46Chris Posted October 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2023 6 hours ago, Ivan_B said: Well, yes, and no. Compared to an average "project" car you see - this one is in great condition. However, it probably still needs everything, unless it was on the road, recently, and properly maintained by the PO (which I doubt). I've started driving my car, recently, but still have not gone even over the standard maintenance items - greasing suspension, wheel bearings, adjusting the engine, etc. This is a lot of work ant it takes time. Not even counting the rest of everything that needs to be checked/overhauled due to age and lack of use - like the rubber engine mounts, bushings, hoses, entire brake system, and much more. Also, I would not recommend re-painting the wheels, unless they are destroyed. just clean them, gently, and cover with plenty of wax to preserve the metal. Remember, everything is original only once. If you re-paint - it is not the same anymore This is probably my worst-looking wheel. Used to be the same color as the car, when new. Yes indeed, Ivan, a lot to do. Starting to get pretty cold out, so after I get the tires on I don’t think I’ll do too much before winterizing and getting Blue into storage. Just glad it’s here and running. I’ll be sure to mask the wheels before painting the insides, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desoto1939 Posted October 22, 2023 Report Share Posted October 22, 2023 congrats on the new arrival. I have a 39 Desoto and have owned it and driven it for the past 35 years. was at a local car show today and most of the cars were GM, Ford, Chevy. Lot or people were asking lots of questions about the car and they wanted more history on the car. Nice to know that other car owners appreciate the other makes of car and not just the FORD and Chevy brands and the more modern cars with the full bling works in the engine area. Hope you enjoy the car and take you time getting it on the road. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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