New, help!

[arclightzero]

Hi all, I am a new proud owner of a 1947 Special Deluxe. It's a beautiful barn find and runs like it's new. The odometer reads 1200 and it is working, so I don't know if it's original, a new dash cluster or what, either way it's in great shape.

However, I have some questions. First, where do you people usually shift at? I live in a very hilly area and I wasn't sure what speed is ok to go from 3rd to 2nd. Maybe I'm just paranoid because of the age of the car, but 55mph seems too fast to go to 2nd when hill climbing... However, as I found out, it's easy to kill it hill climbing in 3rd...

Also, does anybody have any good pictures of a stock dashboard? A very long time ago somebody made some mods and added a very old aftermarket turn signal setup and I want to return things to original. An old timer up here looked at the aftermarket setup and said it was common in those days because it actually turned off as the wheel was turned like today's cars... However it's ugly and not original, so I am wondering what the original setup looked like. I also heard that there was an indicator on the dash, which is no longer there... I have a small attachment point on the dash centered over the steering wheel that looks like some sort of indicator might have originally been hooked up there, but I don't know for sure.

I also think the heater fan controls may have been changed, but I don't know what the original looked like, so I can't say for sure.

The other ? is about the driver's side spotlight. I can't tell if it's original equipment or if it was added on after the fact. It's very old, I can tell that much, but is there any way to tell if it was original equipment or if the original owner added it on later?

I've got a million more questions, but I'll start with these. I'm so very excited to start bringing up this beautiful car to original factory condition... It's going to be a real head turner when it's done!!

[Norm's Coupe]

I can't really tell you a speed to shift at. I just shift by the feel and sound of the engine and don't pay any attention to the speed at the time. Generally speaking whenever the engine is struggling if in high gear, or she sounds like it's winding too much, I shift either up or down.

The light on the dash in front of the steering wheel is your high beam indicator. P15's did not have a turn signal indicator. As for what you call the ugly turn signal with the wheel on it. Well...........that was added on by someone. However, lots of people are after that type, so I'd hang onto that since they are hard to come by.

Where are you in Wisconsin? I'm in Milwaukee area.

[Niel Hoback]

If you want period type turn signals, thats about the best there is. Mine are ugly too, but they work, even if they aren't the self-canceling type.

[claybill]

most additional options were dealer installed..like whitewalls, spotlights, turnsignals, foglights etc. options like that were NOT factory installations. radios were, but many heaters were dealer too.

bill

i am in galena ill. where in wisc?

[arclightzero]

I'm up in St. Croix Falls, quite a way from Illinois. Although I do make it down that direction fairly frequently. Do you know of any groups or clubs in the area?

[claybill]

southern wisconsin has a regional plymouth club..very good. meets once a month. but next june 2009 not 008 wisc is hosting the national plymouth meet in Oconomowoc??? email ronandshari@yahoo.com for wisconsin and

in minn. email richard at ajorrj@aol.com

bill

[oldmopar]

I shift like Norm said you just know mostly by the sound of the engine but the P15 owners manual says to at 5-10 shift into 2nd and shift into high at 15-20. The manual recommends a max of 24 in 1st and 43 in 2nd. However as you drive you will figure out what is best for your type of driving just listen to the engine it will talk to you

For accessories here is the brochure. This and a lot more can be found on the p15-d24 home page

http://www40.addr.com/~merc583/mopar/p15pdf/Mopar_Accessory_Brochure.pdf

[Normspeed]

I guess it's time to take it outta first gear...

[oldmopar]

I guess it's time to take it outta first gear...

I have to ask what is the penny for ?

[Normspeed]

Nitrous Oxide button or drag chute button, I can never remember which is which.

No, it came with the car, it's a 53 penny so I would guess the original owner glued it there when she bought the car. I bought the car from her son.

[Young Ed]

Theres a pretty active POC in MN too. I belong to it And while it is extremely rare there is a factory turn signal indicator for p15s. I have seen 1. Look for a post titled I'm commited to rewiring for a picture of the dash I just removed from my car

[Plymouthy Adams]

I guess it's time to take it outta first gear...

yeah..even in my car that would have been automatically shifted at 53 out of first....I've never held it and shifted manually yet..70MPH is super smooth in this baby..

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have to ask what is the penny for ?

my guess is that it is the same year as the car...

[BobT-47P15]

An original looking 47 Plymouth dash......is painted rather than woodgrain

like in sedans. Heater fan control on lower left, defrost control on right

of below dash unit. Rabbit's foot optional.

On the very right end of that unit, you can kinda see a pushbutton. I use

that to operate my oogah horn. That hole is where the cigarette lighter

actually goes. To the left of the key is a plug in one more hole that is

for a heater control.....attaches to a water valve at right rear corner

of the motor.

Confused yet???

[Norm's Coupe]

BobT,

Only the convertibles had painted dashes. All sedans and coupes originally had woodgrain dashes.

[arclightzero]

Hmm, I'll have to do some work! It looks like somebody added a heater fan control after the fact as there is a knob on the passenger side above the footwell that turns on a fan. It's kinda neat though, and lights up when it's turned on... Otherwise it looks like most everything else is there, including the original cigarette lighter.

[greg g]

A note on shifting. I believe the owners manual calls for shifts at quite low speeds. I don't have it in front of me but 18, for 1st to second and 25 for 2nd to 3rd rings a bell. You are dealing with a conundrum of sorts here. A long stroke motor that doesn't like a lot of revs, and a low geared differential that encourages high revs.

Engine peak hp is developed at 3600 and max torque at 1800 or so. Most of the work that these cars did was probaly with a max average speed of around 45 mph. Infact the country just came out of a War imposed National Speed limit of 35mph.

On the plus side however, these engines produce a lot of torque and downshifting on hills shouldn't be necessary if your engine is in good shape. In fact in normal driving you should be able to make turns at intersections in third gear if you don't have to stop. Mine will pull from about 15 MPH in high wihout a problem. Even my old tired 218 (have since installed a rebuilt 230) would pull most highway hills at the speed limit with very rare need to go back to second. As for you mph when down shifting, I would recommend around 25 or 30. Mine is wound pretty tight at 40 in second.

I am not familliar with the topography of Wisconson, but I think it is considered one of the prairie states isn't it? Couple summers ago we attended the Plymouth club meet in Vermont, which was held in the ski areas. I could climb all the highway hills there in third. On the secondary roads, only a couple of downshifts were necessary. So if you find yourself in a situation where 2nd is necessary I think it would be wise to limit your speed to about 35, and shift up as soon as possible.

Have you done a basic tune up, checked the timing, ascertained theh condition and operation of your vacuum advance, or done a compression test?

Even though you say the engine runs good, there may be more performance in it if it is out of tune. Even misadjusted points will cause a lack of pulling power.

Welcome and enjoy your Plymouth.

[dirty dan]

An original looking 47 Plymouth dash......is painted rather than woodgrain

like in sedans. Heater fan control on lower left, defrost control on right

of below dash unit. Rabbit's foot optional.

On the very right end of that unit, you can kinda see a pushbutton. I use

that to operate my oogah horn. That hole is where the cigarette lighter

actually goes. To the left of the key is a plug in one more hole that is

for a heater control.....attaches to a water valve at right rear corner

of the motor.

Confused yet???

In my 46 the under dash has a lamp that's enclosed where the key switch is supposed to be. My 46 had a plug in that hole and the key switch way to the right. Was the original key switch on these cars lighted with the dash lights?

[arclightzero]

Well, I found that my biggest problem was bad gas and a dirty tank and filter. The guy who sold me the car didn't bother to tell me he didn't do anything to the tank when he pulled it out of the barn other than drain it and fill it back up. So the hill climbing is probably not going to be a problem. The shop I brought it to to have the tank restored and sealed went over the motor and said the only thing I needed was new points. Otherwise it was sound and solid. So I'm doing a full ignition system overhaul to go along with the fresh gas tank and filter, so I should be back in business this week.

[BobT-47P15]

Regarding the ignition switch.....it is originally in the middle, and yes, there

is a light that attaches to the housing - comes on with the dash lights to

illuminate the keyhole.

You may be able to see it in this wiring diagram. Ignition switch and switch light about in the middle of the diagram.