Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[Stanley Doble]

Ah -- it looks like the floor pan has been replaced and the replacement omitted the access hatch. A lot of the non-body metalwork on this car was pound-n-bend out of somebody's home workshop (the gas tank I replaced was a thing to marvel at) so this does not come as a surprise.

The spring *feels* like it's there -- the pedal has a nice bouncy action when you release the pressure, so I'm thinking it's OK. I just had it out for a short drive to the grocery store without any problems, but that was only a mile or so.

Given these issues though, I'm going to have to take a pass on the parade tomorrow. We had an unfortunate incident in Maine at a 4th of July parade this year where the brakes on a 1930 fire truck suddenly gave out and the truck ended up killing a man, so we'd rather not take any chances. There goes my tax deduction for using the car for "advertising purposes."

You really need an access hole in the floor for filling the master cylinder. It would be very difficult to check and refill from under the car.

The hole was in front of the driver's seat about half way between the door and the driveshaft tunnel. It will be necessary to locate the master from under the car and measure the position carefully then cut a hole. The original was probably oval, 4 or 5 inches wide and 6 or 7 inches long. The exact size is not critical. It had a metal cover held down by screws.

The carpet or rubber mat was made in 2 halves. The back half went from the rear seat, to a few inches in front of the front seat. The front half went from the firewall to the front of the front seat, and overlapped the rear part. It was a simple matter to flip the corner of the carpet or mat forward and get at the master cylinder.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You really need an access hole in the floor for filling the master cylinder. It would be very difficult to check and refill from under the car.

The hole was in front of the driver's seat about half way between the door and the driveshaft tunnel. It will be necessary to locate the master from under the car and measure the position carefully then cut a hole. The original was probably oval, 4 or 5 inches wide and 6 or 7 inches long. The exact size is not critical. It had a metal cover held down by screws.

The carpet or rubber mat was made in 2 halves. The back half went from the rear seat, to a few inches in front of the front seat. The front half went from the firewall to the front of the front seat, and overlapped the rear part. It was a simple matter to flip the corner of the carpet or mat forward and get at the master cylinder.

Ah -- found it. Apparently on the '37-'41 Plymouth-bodied cars the access panel is directly under the pedals, whereas I was looking closer to the seat.

I can't see well enough to get a look at the ports without taking off the entire top cover of the MC, but my fluid level, at least, looks OK.

Took a two-mile drive just now, and while the brake light isn't locking on, the pedal is noticeably firmer than it was when I started and the drums are decidedly warm. Not blister-raising hot yet, but a lot warmer than they ought to be after a short drive.

 

[Stanley Doble]

You must be anxious to take advantage of the nice weather and go for a drive.

 

[Big Man]

Took the old '48 Plymouth out for a nice, long drive after church today. There's something special about a leisurely Sunday afternoon ride in an old car.

 

[jamespowers]

Took the old '48 Plymouth out for a nice, long drive after church today. There's something special about a leisurely Sunday afternoon ride in an old car.

Geez, you look like you stepped out of the time when the car was made. Nice!

 

[Big Man]

Geez, you look like you stepped out of the time when the car was made. Nice!

Thanks.

 

[jamespowers]

Thanks.

Throw in a couple of old time guns and you would look like a Revenuer.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Throw in a couple of old time guns and you would look like a Revenuer.

:eusa_clap
I'd hide the moonshine if he drove up!

 

[jamespowers]

:eusa_clap
I'd hide the moonshine if he drove up!

Oh yeah! I could imagine him swinging a mean axe.

 

[Big Man]

:eusa_clap
I'd hide the moonshine if he drove up!

Hiding the moonshine would be a good idea; not due to fear of confiscation, but rather to fear of consumption.

 

[jamespowers]

Hiding the moonshine would be a good idea; not due to fear of confiscation, but rather to fear of consumption.

:rofl:

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Giving the Dart a cleaner look.

Before:

After:

 

[jamespowers]

Giving the Dart a cleaner look.

Before:

After:

For a minute there I thought I was going to see a picture of you throwing a grenade into it and running. lol lol lol

 

[AtomicEraTom]

You should like it. It doesn't have a vinyl top.

For a minute there I thought I was going to see a picture of you throwing a grenade into it and running. lol lol lol

 

[jamespowers]

You should like it. It doesn't have a vinyl top.

That would be the one thing that could actually make it worse. lol lol lol

 

[David Conwill]

Can we get rid of the RWL tires next? Skinny whites and dog-dish hubcaps (or spider caps) would make that car.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

The tires are brand new, so they're not going anywhere. I want dog dishes for it bad, but they're just so darn expensive. I'll have no profit margin left if I put much more money in it.

Can we get rid of the RWL tires next? Skinny whites and dog-dish hubcaps (or spider caps) would make that car.

 

[jamespowers]

The tires are brand new, so they're not going anywhere. I want dog dishes for it bad, but they're just so darn expensive. I'll have no profit margin left if I put much more money in it.

Those things have a profit margin?!:eeek:

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Spinners..!

 

[LizzieMaine]

An update on the endless drama of the Plodge Brakes:

I finally got it in to a local garage that's come highly recommended as somebody who knows older cars, and he actually opened up the brakes to see what was going on -- and found that the right front drum had warped from the heat of the Big Lockup and that the boots on the wheel cylinder had melted into a globby mass. Which tells me that the original mechanic never bothered to look at the damage when I sent the car back after the Lockup, and that very likely he didn't bother to re-check the MC piston either. The adjustment of the shoes was all buggered up as well.

To say the least I'm not happy about this. I've got a bill from them sitting on my desk that I'm going to hold back on paying until I get some satisfaction.

The local guy didn't bother to look at the adjustment of the MC, even after I left him a detailed note suggesting that he make that his first examination. I repeated that suggestion this morning with a certain degree of emphasis, and he finally agreed to do it.

I'm getting pretty sick of mechanics with their "what could a mere girl possibly know about this stuff" dismissiveness, and I'm about to go on a rampage. If you hear a loud noise from the Northeast, that will be me.