I suppose that the cars are buttoned up for the winter and thoughts have turn toward other things.  I would just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.   It is probably not said enough but thanks to all for your advise, opinion, and involvement in this forum. 


Chet...

It was such a nice day that the wife and I decided to take the 29 over to Lincoln to visit our old neighbors.  On the way home we drove through Milford DE and parked next to this old Bed & Breakfast.  I believe this may be the oldest existing structure in Milford.  The building's chimney is dated 1783.  Obviously the house has been restored.

The first picture is color the second is converted to Black & White.





Chet...

My headlamps haven't worked properly since I purchased the car.   All it took was a few parts and a day's work.   The main problems were a short, deteriorated wiring, and faulty socket connections.  I had rewired the lighting system and installed a fuse block but the fuse for the headlamps blows whenever I drive the car.  So something is shorting out from the vibrations caused from driving.  All that's left is the sockets.

I purchased two headlamp socket sets for a 1928-31 Ford.  Although the rear headlamp assembly plug is slightly different then the original hardware, if you change the rear incoming wire connector you can use the complete set.   For my application I just needed new headlamp sockets.  After I disassembled the headlamps the light reflectors were in poor shape.  I sprayed the reflector cones with chrome paint to help provide a brighter light.

I installed the new lamp sockets and put shrink rap around any wiring that appeared frayed.  The result was excellent. 



Chet...

PS... I saved the old lamp sockets so that I could refurbish them at some point in the future, but for the time being I have lights again.

A friend sent this to me today, I thought you might find it interesting.
__________________________________________________________

Mr. Allen Swift (Springfield, MA.) received this 1928 Rolls-Royce Picadilly P1 Roadster from his father, brand new - as a graduation gift in 1928.
 
He drove it up until his death last year.....at the age of 102 !!!
 
He was the oldest living owner of a car from new. Just thought you'd like to see it.
He donated it to a Springfield museum after his death.
 
It has 170,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed and
is in perfect cosmetic condition. (82 years)
 
Just thought you would find this of interest....




Cheers, Chet

Dear All,

You may have noticed the forum icon which appears below.



I thought I would let you know where I found it and where it originated.  When I was a teenager I visited the 1964/65 Worlds Fair in Flushing, NY.  The icon was made from my original entry ticket to the Chrysler exhibit. 

It was a great time filled with wonderful thoughts for what the future would be like in the year 2000 and beyond.  Space travel was the talk of the day.  Stereo & Color TV were the new technologies and computers were just SciFi.   Well we are not flying around in Jetson's cars but that's probably a good thing since I am not a lover of high places.  My family's first car was a 65 Plymouth Fury and since then a number of Chrysler Products have followed me home. 

I just thought I would share the reasoning behind the icon. 

Chet...

Well we are hunkered down for the evening.  This is a major event for our area.  Snow is starting to intensify.  Tomorrow I will post some pictures. 

The Lab is running around the back yard making dog snow angels.  We are well prepared for this storm with snow blower and 5 KW generator.  We will see what the morning brings.  For you guys in the mid-west and Canada this isn't a big deal but here in the DC area 12 inches cripples the infrastructure.    Forecasts are in the 20 to 25 range all over with the possibility of 30 to 35".  Probably TV hype.

Best Regards,  Chet...

Tools Explained

DRILL  PRESS:A  tall upright machine useful for  suddenly  snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands  so that it  smacks you in the chest and  flings your beer across the room, denting the  freshly-painted project which you had carefully  set in the  corner where nothing could get  to it.

WIRE  WHEEL:Cleans paint off bolts and  then throws them somewhere under the workbench  with the speed of light. Also removes  fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from  fingers in  about the time it takes you to  say, "Oh, s$!t!"

SKILL  SAW:
A portable cutting tool used to  make studs too  short.

PLIERS:Used to  round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the  creation of blood-blisters.

BELT  SANDER:An electric sanding tool  commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs  into  major refinishing  jobs.

HACKSAW:One of a  family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board  principle... It transforms human energy into a  crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you  attempt to influence its course, the  more  dismal your future  becomes.

VISE-GRIPS:Generally  used after pliers to completely round off bolt  heads. If nothing else is available, they can  also be used to transfer intense welding heat to  the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE  TORCH:Used almost entirely for  lighting various flammable objects in your shop  on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease  inside the wheel hub out of which you want to  remove a bearing race..

TABLE  SAW:A large stationary power tool  commonly used to launch wood projectiles for  testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC  FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an  automobile to the ground after you have  installed  your new brake shoes, trapping  the jack handle firmly under the   bumper.

BAND SAW:
A  large stationary power saw primarily used by  most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into  smaller pieces that more easily  fit into  the trash can after you cut on the inside of the  line instead  of the outside  edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE  HOIST:
A tool for testing the maximum  tensile strength of everything you forgot  to  disconnect.

PHILLIPS  SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab  the vacuum seals under lids or for opening  old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing  oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the  name
implies, to strip  out Phillips  screw heads.

STRAIGHT  SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint  cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted  screws into non-removable screws and butchering  your palms.

PRY BAR:A  tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that  clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to  replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE  CUTTER:
A tool used to make hoses too  short.

To all,

I would like to wish all the members of this forum a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Each of your experiences, expertise, and counsel is helping to make a place in cyber space where owners of early 4 cylinder Plymouths can come to experience great practical information from those of us who "have been there and done that".    My purpose in creating this forum was to provide a free exchange of information and ideas that are set in an atmosphere of no rules; just early Plymouths back on the road again.

Sometimes within the organization of car shows and judging we forget the purpose of our hobby.  Well, for me anyway it is to influence a younger generation of restorers and have fun in the process.  I have never been able to stay all day at a car show waiting for the awards presentation.   I generally get board and long for the open road, a place I remember from my youth.., a feeling of freedom, self reliance, and the purpose of man, machine and adventure. 

To our members in the Americas, Australia, and Europe your holiday may not be Thursday but our celebration of thanksgiving is, to me, a celebration of self reliance, common sense, and camaraderie between people all engaged in the same wonderful adventure.

So.., Happy Thanksgiving & keep them old cars rolling.

Chet...   

As you guys may know I picked up a rebuilt 30U block with water pump and mechanical fuel pump.  I know the engine will bolt in but I was wondering about the radiator hook ups.  On my 29U the output pipe from the radiator is on the drivers side.  With the 30U setup the water pump input is on the passenger side.

Questions.

Does the 30U have a radiator with an output pipe on the passenger side or is there some type of cross over pipe behind the fan ?  If so a picture would be great.  If I use this engine to putt around in I would certainly want to use the water pump without having to change the radiator.  There appears to be plenty of room to run a crossover pipe ?

Any thoughts ?

Chet...

I received this email today from a gentleman who wondered onto our web site.

Hello,

I am Vic Miesel from PA. I'm 90 yrs old and your pages brought back the fondest memories of the one I  bought new and owned until 1937. I guess you are aware that it was the first car with Hydraulic Brakes & tubed tires.

I wrote back:

Thanks, Vic,

I am very glad to hear from you and I can't tell you how much I enjoy my 1929 Plymouth.  I epically enjoy keeping this automobile on the road and the joy it gives people who like yourself are reminded of a time where computers and video games were not even a concept.

_______________

My dear friends, this is what I believe this hobby is all about.

Chet...

Is anyone going to be in Hershey Friday 10/9.  I will be running around the flee market on Friday it would be nice to say hello.

Chet...

I stopped in on Show Day at the National Fall POC meet in Westminster, MD.  I thought you guys might be interested is seeing a nice 1928 Touring Car.  There was also a 1928 fresh barn find.  Since the barn find didn't have any interior roof material left I was able to get a number of pictures of the construction and the owner let me take measurements of the wood pieces.   This was the main reason why I stopped up, so mission accomplished. 

1928 Touring Car








Chet...

I have been collecting information concerning the wood structures for the 29 Plymouth.  I have yet to get a good understanding of how the original wood framing was constructed for the roof and inner body.  I founded this picture of a car that is for sale on eBay and the picture is of the roof looking from the drivers side door.

It looks to me like the original construction especially with the burlap batting.  Can anyone confirm that this picture is of the original roof construction for the 1929 Plymouth.  Also can anyone confirm how the woods are fastened together ?   Also is there any arc to the roof or is it totally flat ?



Tks,  Chet...

I might have the opportunity to pick up a good PA engine.  I was just curious if anybody knew if the PA block would bolt up to a Model U bell housing.   If so I might take the block just to have as a spare incase my engine went south. 

Chet...

On Sunday I went over to the storage facility and removed the car cover on the 29 and fired her up for a drive.  After sitting since November she started right up without even charging the battery.  Just an FYI, I use a low pressure electric fuel pump.  The Kingston pump is there but it's currently just for show.  Someday I will hook it up. 

Cheers, Chet...

Well Tuesday of this week and since then we have been pelted with huge amounts of rain in very short periods of time.  Of course the Virginia soil is clay based and doesn't drain water very easily.  For the last 11 years we have lived here in our current home water free but Tuesday night before I was getting on a plane for a business trip at 5:00 AM the next morning my wife and I spent a number of hours ripping up carpets in our split foyer home.   The insurance adjuster is coming Monday but what a mess and the rains continue to come.

I hope things are going well for you all, but currently we are immersed in more work then I really want to do.  Hopefully at some point this spring I will take my old car out for a drive.  Maybe tomorrow if it doesn't rain.  (Fat Chance)  Hopefully the wood wheels have swelled up tight. 

Oh well!!!,  Chet...

This link was from a post on another car forum.  I thought you guys would appreciate the photos.

---------

Here is a photo gallery from KTLA.com it is a local TV Station in LA. The name of the gallery is "Chrysler's best from past to present"

http://www.ktla.com/photo_gallery_landing/?galleryID=6530#68552

  Ready To Crush Your Car?
« Reposted from POC web forum  ( January 27, 2009, 11:57:35 PM )»

I thought this might interest some of you so as directed in the text.., I am passing it on: 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.houstonmopars.org/scrappage-alert-2009.html

The Dems are on the loose!  Say good by to our cars.  Read and pass along!

I found this section ominous:

"Many of you may wonder how this will affect the old car hobby.
It will affect us immediately in some ways and eventually in
others. There will be an immediate reduction in older parts available
for restoration and project cars. Old cars will be looked upon
as detrimental to the environment, and will be labeled as such.
Most government programs and initiatives such as this start out
as "voluntary". They then become permanent, and we may all
be compelled to rid ourselves of older cars, or prevented from
driving them. In addition, body shops and auto service related
businesses will dwindle in number, driving up repair costs. Trust
that once old cars are labeled as gross polluters due to this
legislation, we will be forced into emissions testing, or even paying
carbon taxes on our cars. There is even the possibility of federal
auto registrations to keep track of these older cars. You and your
hobby will be affected by this legislation."

I also read a comment from the California Air Board saying that all old
cars belong in museums, not on the road.

Remember,SEMA has an alert online now:

http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=62505


A message from Tom Cox

Hello All,

Some of you are no doubt aware that the Senate and Congress
are considering funding another ill advised cash for clunkers
program. In the past, such scrappage programs have been largely
funded and administered at the State Level. Unfortunately,
the Senate and Congress are poised to ram a stimulus package
through within thirty days of the inauguration. Many
representatives in both Houses, at the urging of car dealers and
manufacturers, are petitioning the Obama transition team to support
a Federal scrappage program funded in excess of 1.5 Billion
dollars as part of the stimulus package.

The belief is that low income families will trade their clunker for
approximately $1,500.00 from Uncle Sam, and then rush to buy
a new car. In addition, it is believed that buying  and scrapping
these 13 year old and older cars will clean the air.
Both assumptions are heavily flawed.

Many of the cars traded in under this plan would have been
driven sparingly, if at all, and many would likely come from
junkyards and junk dealers. Additionally, these vehicles aged
13 years and older are a minimal part of the pollution problem
due to their small numbers and minimal annual mileage driven.
This is another feel good proposition that never accomplishes
anything, but making bureaucrats feel useful rather than
addressing true causes of air pollution.

Low income families will never be able to run out to buy a new
car simply because someone gave them $1,500. New cars cost
far more than that. $1,500.00 will not cover taxes, DMV fees,
and the higher insurance required on most new vehicles. Not
only will these lower income folks not be able to access a new
under this plan. Accordingly, they will be limited to working
in areas serviced only by public transportation, which will trap
many in deteriorating metropolitan areas without access to better
jobs. In addition to the motorists affected, auto body shops, general
repair shops, auto parts companies, and many others in our back
yard will be affected negatively through the scrapping of these
cars.

Many of you may wonder how this will affect the old car hobby.
It will affect us immediately in some ways and eventually in
others. There will be an immediate reduction in older parts available
for restoration and project cars. Old cars will be looked upon
as detrimental to the environment, and will be labeled as such.
Most government programs and initiatives such as this start out
as "voluntary". They then become permanent, and we may all
be compelled to rid ourselves of older cars, or prevented from
driving them. In addition, body shops and auto service related
businesses will dwindle in number, driving up repair costs. Trust
that once old cars are labeled as gross polluters due to this legis-
lation, we will be forced into emissions testing, or even paying
carbon taxes on our cars. There is even the possibility of federal
auto registrations to keep track of these older cars. You and your
hobby will be affected by this legislation.

If politicians really want to help in these times of crisis by
selling cars, while cleaning the air they should support the following
instead of Cash for Clunkers:

* Allow an above-the-line tax deduction for interest, sales and
excise taxes associated with the purchase of a new car as put forth
provide a tax credit/voucher for everyone towards the purchase
Provide tax credits to help repair or maintain an older vehicle
since this employs the folks who make the parts, sell them,
install them etc.

* Provide tax credits to help repair or maintain an older vehicle
since this employs the folks who make the parts, sell them,
install them etc. This will offer the owner added performance,
since maintenance and not age is the greatest factor affecting air
pollution from vehicles.

It has come to my attention that Congressman Rich Boucher (D)
of Virginia, Chairman of the  House Subcommittee on Energy
and Air Quality, is a major driving force behind this legislation.
Please write him via the E-mail link on his web site below, or
BETTER YET, contact his Washington office at:

Congressman Rick Boucher
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-3861 (It only takes a minute to call!)
202-225-0442 (fax)

Chet...

I took the old girl out for a drive after I finished the yard work.  I stopped at a local park and snapped the picture below.    The sun was setting so it came out a little washed out but just thought I would share it anyway.



When I stopped for gas at the local 7/11, a passerby asked if the car came equipped with air bags I said no.., be it comes standard with two old bags. 

Chet...