Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[Touchofevil]

http://blog.theboomcase.com/

Thank you!

 

[Touchofevil]

Well hell! Those look good!

They are pretty cool. They are also pretty cool to deal with. They sell out insanely quickly. Their prices are starting to climb with the demand. I eagerly await mine.

 

[jamespowers]

Well hell! Those look good!

They should for how much they cost.

 

[David Conwill]

Ingenious!

 

[Carl Miller]

as a joke, my friend built one out of a costco sized box of corndogs. Liv'n the low budget life!

here is one he made for his wifes '66. this one was just slapped together quickly for a car show hence the exposed self tapping screws and ugly speakers.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I just got back from checking out a 1941 Dodge Kingsway sedan -- the Canadian equivalent of a Plymouth P-11 with the only difference being the nameplate and the hood ornament. I wasn't able to take it out on the road because the plates weren't current, but it seemed awfully stiff driving it around the yard -- the owner put it into storage when he went off to war four years ago, and other than the occasional move around the driveway it's been sitting ever since.

What sort of special problems ought I to look for in a situation like this? The hoses and fan belt all seem OK, and I didn't notice any leaky seals or drippage anywhere. It started right up and ran fine, but there was a molassesy sort of feeling in the shifting, like the grease has set up from not moving for so long. Or could it be something more significantly wrong?

This is the car -- it had a repaint/interior restoration in the mid-eighties, and is showing a bit of wear, but for a Northern car it's very solid. They're asking $7200, but there's a lot of piddly stuff that needs to be dealt with -- one of the windshield wipers doesn't work, the horn doesn't work, the brake light seems to be out -- and the clutch seems slippy. I'm thinking of offering $6000 in view of all that, but we'll see.

 

[Talbot]

Reminds me of something from The Boomcase by Mr. Simo website. I actually have one coming my way any day now.

I run a mini amplifier under the seat of my 54. Runs off 12V and feeds into my MP3 player which sits on the seat next to me. Does the job, and gets FM too. I can listen to Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar over gear whine and glasspacks....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/20W-Mini...ctronics_Audio_Amplifiers&hash=item3f17d9eaac

 

[Rathdown]

I just got back from checking out a 1941 Dodge Kingsway sedan -- the Canadian equivalent of a Plymouth P-11 with the only difference being the nameplate and the hood ornament. I wasn't able to take it out on the road because the plates weren't current, but it seemed awfully stiff driving it around the yard -- the owner put it into storage when he went off to war four years ago, and other than the occasional move around the driveway it's been sitting ever since.

What sort of special problems ought I to look for in a situation like this? The hoses and fan belt all seem OK, and I didn't notice any leaky seals or drippage anywhere. It started right up and ran fine, but there was a molassesy sort of feeling in the shifting, like the grease has set up from not moving for so long. Or could it be something more significantly wrong?

This is the car -- it had a repaint/interior restoration in the mid-eighties, and is showing a bit of wear, but for a Northern car it's very solid. They're asking $7200, but there's a lot of piddly stuff that needs to be dealt with -- one of the windshield wipers doesn't work, the horn doesn't work, the brake light seems to be out -- and the clutch seems slippy. I'm thinking of offering $6000 in view of all that, but we'll see.

First let me say that I think that's a very handsome car. From your description I'd say it sounds like most of what's wrong is the result of four years sitting. Price-wise it seems to be in the ball park, although perhaps just a tad high given the piddly stuff that you've mentioned. Before you make your offer, have a knowledgeable mechanic take a look at the car. Most local guys will make a "house call" for around a hundred bucks; he will need to drive it, climb under it, and do a compression check. He can also tell you how much it should cost to do whatever work is necessary. Since many mechanics have "independent dealer" tags, he should be able to take it out on the road for a twenty minute road test as part of the inspection. If he says the car is okay -- and you like it (and what's not to like?) -- then sit down with the owner and start haggling.

A word about haggling: there is a TV series on Discovery Velocity called Wheeler Dealers. Watch how the host (Mike Brewer) haggles over cars, and take notes. Finally, be prepared to "nudge up" a bit from your $6,000 offer. I've bought more cars for 8% less than the asking price than 10% less than the asking price. When you make your offer, tell the seller you are talking cash, right now, and don't be bashful about pointing out (and over stating) any problems pointed out by the mechanic.It's always a good idea to bring cash, or at least a cashier's cheque, for what you are offering. I usually bring a cheque for $200 less than my offer, and enough cash to "top it up" if I have to go over my first offer. Why the cash? It's a psychological ploy-- a couple of hundred cash in the hand always seems like a lot more money than numbers on a cheque. I usually close with the suggestion that the seller take the cash and take his wife to dinner...

Good luck! and keep us posted.

Scott

 

[Rathdown]

One other thing. Make sure the car has a valid US registration, or it will have to be returned to Canada and officially imported. Not a major expense, but a definite pain in the butt to have to mess around with.

 

[noonblueapples]

I just got back from checking out a 1941 Dodge Kingsway sedan -- the Canadian equivalent of a Plymouth P-11 with the only difference being the nameplate and the hood ornament. I wasn't able to take it out on the road because the plates weren't current, but it seemed awfully stiff driving it around the yard -- the owner put it into storage when he went off to war four years ago, and other than the occasional move around the driveway it's been sitting ever since.

What sort of special problems ought I to look for in a situation like this? The hoses and fan belt all seem OK, and I didn't notice any leaky seals or drippage anywhere. It started right up and ran fine, but there was a molassesy sort of feeling in the shifting, like the grease has set up from not moving for so long. Or could it be something more significantly wrong?

This is the car -- it had a repaint/interior restoration in the mid-eighties, and is showing a bit of wear, but for a Northern car it's very solid. They're asking $7200, but there's a lot of piddly stuff that needs to be dealt with -- one of the windshield wipers doesn't work, the horn doesn't work, the brake light seems to be out -- and the clutch seems slippy. I'm thinking of offering $6000 in view of all that, but we'll see.

The slipping clutch sounds like the most worrisome problem

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Wow, Lizzie, that's a very nice car.

Given all the issues, I'd say 5500 to 6000 is pretty fair, considering the car is in good shape overall. You strike me as a good haggler, I think you should have no problem talking him down.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I just got back from checking out a 1941 Dodge Kingsway sedan -- the Canadian equivalent of a Plymouth P-11 with the only difference being the nameplate and the hood ornament. I wasn't able to take it out on the road because the plates weren't current, but it seemed awfully stiff driving it around the yard -- the owner put it into storage when he went off to war four years ago, and other than the occasional move around the driveway it's been sitting ever since.

What sort of special problems ought I to look for in a situation like this? The hoses and fan belt all seem OK, and I didn't notice any leaky seals or drippage anywhere. It started right up and ran fine, but there was a molassesy sort of feeling in the shifting, like the grease has set up from not moving for so long. Or could it be something more significantly wrong?

This is the car -- it had a repaint/interior restoration in the mid-eighties, and is showing a bit of wear, but for a Northern car it's very solid. They're asking $7200, but there's a lot of piddly stuff that needs to be dealt with -- one of the windshield wipers doesn't work, the horn doesn't work, the brake light seems to be out -- and the clutch seems slippy. I'm thinking of offering $6000 in view of all that, but we'll see.

Book value for a #4 condition car is $4200. #3 would be over $9000 but it would have to be awfully nice, and everything in working order. Suggest you have it checked out by a mechanic experienced in vintage cars, if you can find such a thing.

Stiff steering and shifting could be normal for a car that has been out of commission for that long. I believe that model had column shift and the mechanism has a lot of joints in it. Could just need a little oil.

The slipping clutch is a concern. Does it hold when it is fully released? If the engine revs when it is released, without the car moving, you need a clutch job.

The horn may or may not be a big problem. At worst you need a new horn, they do seize up sometimes. Or could be no worse than a loose or corroded wire.

The wiper is more of a concern. I believe on that model both wipers are worked by one vacuum motor, to which they are connected by cable. Could be the mechanism gone wrong, or maybe just the wiper slipping on the shaft.

For that kind of investment you should have the car inspected, the wheels taken off to inspect the brakes, etc. To do this requires a special puller for the rear hubs.

How are the tires? If they are cracked, even if unworn, they need to be replaced for safety.

Count on spending another $1000 possibly more to get everything fixed. You will need to keep at least that much "in reserve"when thinking of how much you can spend.

There are so many things to look at with a car that old. Like old accident damage that was repaired years ago, that the present owner may not even be aware of. Like a compression test, very important on a flathead Dodge or Plymouth. They are a very well mannered car, the engine can be in an advanced state of wear and give no outward sign other than being hard to start and sluggish, which a lot of people think is normal (it isn't).

Wish I could come over and check it out for you. Do you know any old car fans, or clubs? They may be able to recommend a good mechanic.

 

[Stanley Doble]

There is nothing wrong with drum brakes if they are working correctly. Chrysler products had particularly effective brakes but they are more complicated than other makes, and need to be carefully adjusted. Once the "major adjustment" is made, after a brake job or new shoes, they work very well and need only the occasional "minor adjustment" thereafter.

Having said that, I would not want to drive a drum braked car in real meat axey multi lane traffic. For ordinary town and rural and secondary road driving, or when traffic is not real heavy and snarly ( and you can leave a reasonable distance between cars) they are fine.

 

[Stanley Doble]

If the brakes pass inspection the fluid should be replaced with fresh fluid. This will prevent corrosion and leaks. The fluid gets contaminated on pre 1968 cars because the system is not sealed.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Thanx for all the food for thought, folks. It was last registered in 2008, which would suggest the import issue has been dealt with, which is a relief -- I hadn't thought of that angle.

There was no trouble starting it at all -- one punch of the button and it started right up. Ran a little rough, but I don't know how old the gas in the tank was. The clutch grabs and holds well enough to move the car around the yard, but there's quite a bit of play in the pedal. It may just need an adjustment, but on the other hand there's 91,000 miles on the odometer and I don't know yet if it's ever had a full clutch job done. I didn't notice any issues with the brakes -- no pulling this way or that -- but I didn't get it up to road speed, I just looped it around the yard and back. Fortunately I live about fifty miles from the nearest multi-lane highway, so I'm not too worried about keeping up with traffic -- I just want to be able to get it home without any catastrophic failures. There's a lot of hills between there and here, and having driven that route before with a slippy clutch, I don't want to take chances.

I figure a clutch job would cost $1000-$1500 or so, just based on what seems to be the going rate around here, so that's affecting what I'd be willing to pay. Even if it doesn't need it immediately, it's going to need it in the near future, so I'm sort of planning on that.

The tires are at least "several" years old, so I'm figuring that's another likely expense.

There's also some relatively minor interior work that needs to be done -- the headliner could stand to be replaced, and there are a couple of broken knobs that can be found easily enough on eBay, so I'm not too worried about any of that stuff.

I had vacuum wipers on my old VW, so expectations aren't very high there anyway. The passenger side seemed to work fine, and I didn't get a good look at the hoses, so possibly it's as simple as that. Replacement motors don't seem too hard to find if worse comes to worse.

The owner himself wasn't there when I checked it out, but I talked to his sons and got a basic idea of the situation -- the car had belonged to the guy's mother, and they used to drive it to parades and shows and such, so it hasn't gotten a whole lot of use since the restoration in the '80s, and has been stored inside. I plan to talk to the owner himself on Wednesday and I have a whole page of questions I plan to ask about what, if anything, has been done to the engine and other mechanicals over the years. The engine itself looked very clean -- no evidence of any oozing oil, no gas smell around the base of the carburetor, sediment bowl was clean, new-looking oil filter, etc., so it looks like at least basic maintenance has been done.

 

[Story]

He bought Hitler's car...

(CBS News) EDGEWATER, N.J. - An auto repair shop owner was shocked to find out that a Mercedes-Benz he purchased over the Internet for a customer has strong ties to Adolf Hitler.

http://www.inquisitr.com/272931/rep...-purchased-may-have-belonged-to-adolf-hitler/

http://www.inquisitr.com/272931/rep...-purchased-may-have-belonged-to-adolf-hitler/

 

[John in Covina]

I just got back from checking out a 1941 Dodge Kingsway sedan -- the Canadian equivalent of a Plymouth P-11 with the only difference being the nameplate and the hood ornament. I wasn't able to take it out on the road because the plates weren't current, but it seemed awfully stiff driving it around the yard -- the owner put it into storage when he went off to war four years ago, and other than the occasional move around the driveway it's been sitting ever since.

What sort of special problems ought I to look for in a situation like this? The hoses and fan belt all seem OK, and I didn't notice any leaky seals or drippage anywhere. It started right up and ran fine, but there was a molassesy sort of feeling in the shifting, like the grease has set up from not moving for so long. Or could it be something more significantly wrong?

This is the car -- it had a repaint/interior restoration in the mid-eighties, and is showing a bit of wear, but for a Northern car it's very solid. They're asking $7200, but there's a lot of piddly stuff that needs to be dealt with -- one of the windshield wipers doesn't work, the horn doesn't work, the brake light seems to be out -- and the clutch seems slippy. I'm thinking of offering $6000 in view of all that, but we'll see.

Always best to change the fluids after a lengthy storage - oil and coolant.

Best of luck in getting this one.

 

[Talbot]

The car had belonged to the guy's mother, and they used to drive it to parades and shows and such, so it hasn't gotten a whole lot of use since the restoration in the '80s, and has been stored inside.

I'm assuming 91,000 miles first time around. Has it been with this family since new?

If one side of the wipers are working I'd be willing to bet on linkages. It may be a push/pull cable arrangement which can be fiddly, but not major drama. The vacuum wipers motors are not difficult to refurbish, and rainex is your friend as well.

A shop manual will be helpful and I'm sure there are dedicated boards for these cars.

Good luck with this. If its been a family car, you are the type of buyer they would enjoy selling to.

 

[Flw Sock]

I wouldn't worry about the clutch! It would probably only cost around $1000 to have a man to it for you. I only say $1000 because of the rareness of the clutch you are going to need. It's not like you're bringing in a Ranger!

 

[Carl Miller]

OOOOOH, a DODGE!!! starting in '39, chrysler offered the fluid drive in most of its cars. instead of a flywheel, it had a fluid coupler (sorta like a torque converter) only without torque multiplication. I rebuilt one of these for a friends '48 dodge sedan. If this car has a cable operated overdrive DO NOT put it in reverse with the overdrive engaged. ALWAYS disengage the O/D before selecting reverse.

ALSO, a fluid drive transmission wont feel "firm" like a regular clutch. the "slippy" feeling you feel is just the nature of the beast. It also helps to make sure the fluid coupler is full. if there isnt a dipstick in the engine compartment, there will be a fill plug on the fluid coupler. If you aren't concerned with acceleration, you could leave the transmission in high gear and never have to touch the clutch once while driving around town. Due to the fluid coupler, you can just hit the brake and never have to clutch when coming to a stop as if it were an automatic.

edit: parts for the fluid drive are rare as hen's teeth. When my friend killed his, we found another one in San Francisco for 200 dollars and had just enough pieces to make one good tranny out of 2 broken ones.

I'm going to assume that this car has the old flathead 6 cylinder. excellent engine. I have a forklift with this same engine and it gets ZERO attention or maintenance and the engine is out in the elements and it fires every time.

Here is my friend's '48 sedan. It was on the cover of Lowrider Magazine back in the day. He has since swapped out the wires for a set of artillery wheels to give it more of a stock appearance.