i can relate. did you mention how much fun we have during shop time? you forgot to mention all the time we waste/spend looking for that item which you know you have, and it is always RIGHT THERE, always, but now it isn't, but then you find stuff you lost previously or forgot you had..... plus, up here we call it "beer oclock" and it has no set time range ... View more

i avoid the whole ethanol issue by not using that 5h1t in anything i want to keep till i croak. my antique cars, motorcycles, snow blower, lawn mower all get premium grade. a little fuel stabilizer before winter layup helps. fired the 94 EVO decker up yesterday (that's a Harley, folks) after 5 month winter layup, no issues. now if the snow in the rest of my yard would just melt i can pull out the cars..... ... View more

bartering skills, lending tools, swapping parts, all good stuff. during the camaraderie, we also exchange tech info, neat tips on how to do certain tasks. how do you remove the kickstand spring from a motorcycle? extend the stand out, shove pennies or washers into the gaps of the spring in many places, and bring the stand back in. the pennies stop the spring from collapsing and you can remove it. celebrate with a beer. my buddy showed me that one. ... View more

great article. i too am a happy accumulator. i gather antique tools, books, a few cars and motorcycles. i get what i like, and keep it, enjoy it, drive/ride it. do i envy the rich? yes. do i appreciate the fact they are responsible for preserving history? yes. the only people i resent are those who are either misinformed or too mentally lacking to understand that a vintage car with a modern engine is not RESTORED, and should never have that word applied to it. additionally as the author pointed out, incorrect examples of a "restoration" should not be on display in a museum setting without caveats pointing out the errors in the unit. people go to museums to see preserved history, real history, not some clowns interpretation of it. dont get me started on those people who put gun scabbards and ammo boxes on WLC Harleys! aaargh! the WLC Harley built for Canada (they ALL were) never, never, NEVER had gun scabbards and ammo boxes in Canada's hands. ... View more

a reply to dhaugh and velocetta where are you getting the zero emissions hydrogen from? the common method to obtain hydrogen is through the use of, you guessed it, electricity, cracking water into its component parts of hydrogen and oxygen gases. once again the mythical zero emissions electricity is used. wind farms? fairy farts i call them, loss of habitat for critters and lots of dead flying critters littering the bases of those things. solar farms? i call them pixie dust. again loss of habitat, unless they only go onto roofs of buildings. every source of energy we use on this planet has issues. ... View more

just to be clear, it has only been the floor that got replaced! flattie and 6 volt electrics intact and functioning nicely ... View more

i cannot watch those idiots on tv doing that. gets expensive when i scream obscenities and throw stuff at the tv......... ... View more

roadworthy, there are firms out there repoping floor panels etc. certainly work involved but those coupes are beautiful. i have a 47 Plymouth club coupe, replaced floor, original flattie, wide whites, 6 volt positive ground electricals, and i drive it, and enjoy the hell out of it. somebody else will get it only after i am dead. if they hack it up i will haunt them! ROFL My only modes have been the addition of original period correct accessories, no repops there though. ... View more

mr Hart has certainly proven he has money. a survivor got cut up in the process, when so many other donor parts vehicles would have provided the same end result, without a loss in history. when you own something, you can do as you will with it. i agree, its "stupid" ... View more

how did they stop the broken rod from hammering more holes in the block? inquiring minds would like to know...... i had to do a more "permanent" repair to a snowblower that broke a rod and holed the engine case. i had spare parts, and after replacing the rod and piston in the bad block, i patched the hole over with a sheet of brass shim stock and some JB weld. got another 2 years out of it..... ... View more

at the risk of doing a double reply......not sure where i posted this the first time. According to my real paper copy of the parts book, 47 Chrysler town and Country shocks, OEM part numbers are as follows: Front std, CDN built 1119875, USA built 1121205, both were superseded by 1326162 according to a hand written entry. Front heavy duty, all models (dpcd), 1121209, again superseded 1311037. Rear std, CDN built 1119876, USA built 1121206, both were superseded by 1325998 according to a hand written entry. Rear heavy duty, (ply, dodge, desoto), 1121210, again superseded 1311038. For the Chrysler, however, the only number given for heavy duty is an “oversize” which also covers all models (dpcd) number 1122763, superseded 1450040. If you cannot find a crossover modern number replacement, Rock auto lists Monroe 5752 as OEM ride quality for the front, and Monroe 31000 economy, Monroe 58567 heavy duty with coil assist, and Monroe MA727 adjustable. I replaced my rear original 1947 Plymouth shocks with Monroe model 31000’s, due to noise (some clunking) and not due to performance. Maybe I can rebuild these OEM units for spare. People actually did that back in the day, and the parts books list all the parts. ... View more

According to my real paper copy of the parts book, 47 Chrysler town and Country shocks, OEM part numbers are as follows: Front std, CDN built 1119875, USA built 1121205, both were superseded by 1326162 according to a hand written entry. Front heavy duty, all models (dpcd), 1121209, again superseded 1311037. Rear std, CDN built 1119876, USA built 1121206, both were superseded by 1325998 according to a hand written entry. Rear heavy duty, (ply, dodge, desoto), 1121210, again superseded 1311038. For the Chrysler, however, the only number given for heavy duty is an “oversize” which also covers all models (dpcd) number 1122763, superseded 1450040. If you cannot find a crossover modern number replacement, Rock auto lists Monroe 5752 as OEM ride quality for the front, and Monroe 31000 economy, Monroe 58567 heavy duty with coil assist, and Monroe MA727 adjustable. I replaced my rear original 1947 Plymouth shocks with Monroe model 31000’s, due to noise (some clunking) and not due to performance. Maybe I can rebuild these OEM units for spare. People actually did that back in the day, and the parts books list all the parts. ... View more

this car, beautiful, just beautiful ... View more

i believe it was Turner who also did a redesign of the Triumph. that rigid frame Triumph is true art, this coming from a Harley nut ... View more

sir, you only get too old when they toss the dirt on top of you, go out there and have some fun! ... View more

this car should go to someone who will restore it, drive it, enjoy it and love it for what it is and not to someone who only views collector cars for their bottom dollar return. for those people, may i respectfully suggest you find another interest ... View more

i have collected several hundred automotive books ranging from the teens into the 70's after which cars just got too boring, appearance wise. i cannot obviously remember what all i have so have created a list of them in excel and carry a paper copy of said list when i go to flea markets etc, so i do not purchase yet another copy....these printed books need to go somewhere when i croak. i wonder if there is automotive museums that maintain paper libraries for their own purposes? be happy to email a copy of the list of all my books if someone was needing some obscure info 1917 storage batteries? 1921 automotive radiator repair? automotive starting lighting and ignition 1919? a complete "counter book" nothing newer in it than the mid sixties? remember them? you walked into a parts shop and they had them on the counter and the parts guy would look up fan belts, brakes, generators etc in them? i have too much on hand to scan it all but i have looked up parts info for folks in the past....... ... View more

beautiful cars! mopar or no car! (unless its a hearse) ... View more

Brian, right on the money. i live in northern Ontario and all seasons are all crap in a snowstorm. you also hit the nail on the head regards slush. when maintenance crews dump salt instead of plowing during a storm, that slush buildup between the lanes and tire tracks is a major hazard. get into that crap at speed and you are no longer a driver, just a passenger anticipating the impact with other vehicles or the ditch. that slush pulls you where it wants you to go. dec 8th little blue car travelling alongside me on a city 5 laner, got into the slush, thumped side of my truck spun sideways across the lane in front of me, crossed the turning lane whacked a little white car and finally stopped ahead of that car. she could not do anything but pray!! ... View more

stone reliable? looks like a hearse? AWESOME, now i need to go look for one, the wife needs a good vehicle, and the last Lincoln she drove was a 75 Town car. Hmmmm, seems to me i have a spare set of landau bars in the garage seems to me some smart aftermarket outfit should be able to make cast aluminum pumps for these to replace the crap plastic ones..... ... View more

not knowledgeable on the fleetwoods, but the professional chassis series retained much of the undercarriage and driveline from previous years, or for several years running. again, due to low volume. eg when Caddy "experimented" with multi cylinder displacements (cutting out cylinders for economy), they did not do that with the professional chassis. when fuel injection was becoming the norm, the professional chassis retained carburettors.... those photos you posted had me drooling....big beautiful luxurious.... ps, my interchange manual advises the limo bare chassis exchanges 63, 64, and 65 ... View more

i am of an age that i drove real full sized cars, used, as new was beyond my means, as well as reason. (why lose thousands in value as soon as you drive off the lot?) nothing today has the roominess of the old Mopar "tanks" or Grand Marquis or Caddy's i had. you cannot stretch out in today's ugly grey shapeless lumps that pass as autos. technological marvels when new, hateful crap when old. i put a Honda 90 motorcycle in the trunk of my 68 Monaco 4 door hardtop, loosened the handlebars and closed the lid. another trip, i removed the back seat from my Monaco, removed the front forks from my 45 flathead Harley, and pulled the Harley into the back seat. the forks went into the trunk, a spare engine on the passenger side floor, a suitcase etc, and drove from Sault Ontario to Sydney Nova Scotia. try that with today's "full size" ... View more

on the fuel situation, use premium fuel. yes it costs more, but isn't your pride and joy worth it? that way you avoid all issues in vintage vehicles that come along with today's ethanol contaminated gas, reduced corrosion in the fuel tank and lines, no corrosion attack and ugly green scunge around brass carburettor parts, no rubber fuel line rot from the ethanol........ i do not use ethanol contaminated gas in my Harley's, my hearses, nor my 47 Plymouth, or small engines (lawnmower, snow blower etc) only my 07 Ram gets that crap, but only because the truck was engineered to handle that "stuff" as far as mice are concerned, i found a repellent sold at RV shops called "rodent away" which is mesh bags with organic material we humans do not mind or find repugnant, but the mice sure do. a couple bags inside the car will last several months, all Canadian winter in my case. ... View more

any early generation diesel Dodge 4x4. they go for big bucks now in any condition, if you can find them. no computers and none of that stupid fluid into the exhaust. i listened to a high revving diesel 5 ton truck sitting at my local landfill, driver advised me that the truck was "resetting" and purging the exhaust and it would take over an hour every time it was needed. while doing this, of course, the truck could not be used, and all i could think of is how much fuel is being wasted during this process. some idiot engineer / epa clown thinks this helps the environment....... ... View more

A successful business does evolve with the times. However, a successful business also understands their market and customers, and will deliver to those needs. Harley has done that. When Harley strayed outside the "norm" , those strays had a following, but not the mainstream Harley customer. If all motorcycle brands built the same cookie cutter type of engine and motorcycle, it would be a boring world. Motorcyclists are individuals and we like our choices. when my 43 WLC is restored, it will have that same uneven pulse idle as my 94 Evo decker, and i am going to love it. ... View more

i recall seeing a couple fellows de-carbonizing their car engine as follows: drove up to the lake shore, engine is well up to temperature, one inside the car, the other with a small scoop for lake water..... air filter off, buddy revs the snot out of the engine, lake water buddy slowly pours water down the intake. all i could think of is if they poured the water in too fast, they could wind up bending a rod when when piston at high velocity meets almost in-compressible water volume in the combustion chamber. they stalled it a few times, put the air cleaner back on, and drove away.... yes i speak to machines all the time as well, not always nicely ... View more

anyone looking at a classic vehicle and can only comment about pollution, is begging for, and deserves, a vulgar 2 word response which relates to sex and travel. at my age, my tolerance for the self entitled and arrogant among us has diminished to a negative number. i had a 1981 dodge "miser" pickup, 318, 4 on the floor, tall geared rear end that was rated for 29 mpg, no stupid computer. what do trucks today get? ... View more

could someone advise Mr. Leno that one cause of hum in his radio, would be failed capacitors. if he gets a professional to go through the radio and replace the old electrolytic capacitors with new ceramic or other type, he will enjoy that radio. Mopar used very good quality radios back then. ... View more

crap! forgot the fulton sunvisor, the oem wheel trim rings, and the clip on wider mirror in the interior, the oem mopar backup light...... ... View more

blue plastic breezies, light hoodies and bug/snow deflector for my 47 plymouth.  also added the vacuum operated dash fan, and combination spotlight mirrors that clamp onto the doors and need no drilling to mount. mopar locking gas cap. mopar marked foglights. all items oem, or original 40', 50's items, no repops. ... View more

i have already learned how to use my American lathes (Atlas) and crappy chinese milling machine. now it is on to electroplating. thankfully nothing i work on has major amounts of plastic (dash knobs, that's all folks) no you do not become calmer and more patient as you age. you find that your patience for modern stupidity diminishes to zero as you have less life left to waste on it....... ... View more

my best was while walking past a 46 to 48 plymouth sedan, i spotted the hood ornament plastic insert in pristine condition laying on the package shelf. after scoring the parts i came for, presented my stuff to the yard owner, who oohed and awed over the insert and then told me $10 for everything..... not a salvage yard score, but at my local landfill on day and spotted a shiny glint in the mud. kicked the piece out and found a locking gas cap. after washing it off and researching it, discovered it was the correct Mopar marked cap for my 47 Plymouth. local locksmith keyed it for me..... ... View more

my experience with an aerostar was a good one. drove it in northern ontario winter salted roads until rockers needed attention. lots of room, not a lick of mechanical issues. replaced it with a POS fairly new safari. it ate its engine because the intake gaskets and that dexcool crap could not get along. the power windows failed, would go down but not back up. had to fight with them constantly. less room inside than the aerostar, less balls on a hill, as well. was happy to see it leave the driveway with someone else. ... View more

another slimeball practice that goes along with hiding information for repairs, is the practice of early obsolescence. farmers, and others, need to keep certain equipment for a long time in order to amortize the investment and not be forced to always be in debt. why should consumers be losing money constantly so manufacturers can profit? in order to absorb the costs of equipment, the price of the produced goods must cover those costs. having a capable machine sit dead just because some overpriced delicate piece of electronic crap cannot be repaired is plain wrong. when a crop needs to come off a field it needs to come off NOW, and not a few weeks later after a repair by the dealer ... View more

a gentle trim on the corners of the razor blade may help prevent gouging. when you sand, may i suggest using the same technique as when restoring stainless? sand in a given grit in one direction only. when you switch to a finer grit, sand perpendicular to the previous direction, until scratches from previous grit are gone, then switch to next finer grade, back to original direction etc. until reaching that 1000 grit. lots of water is your friend..that technique should result in the least amount of sanding, and provide some indication of your actual progress. ... View more

sorry but the word "classic" does not come to mind when viewing the range of modern some tone of grey shapeless lumps that have passed for automobiles since the 90's. i agree with your 3 choices, however, you need to have a PAPER copy of what the ODBII codes mean with you as well. a cell can be used to call for a tow or a buddy, but if you really go off road in the boonies cell coverage for your overpriced smart phone (and the therefore the internet) may not exist. i suggest sturdy footwear for the walk out to civilization...... ... View more

amen to the Robertson! invented by a Canadian in 1908, and superior to the p o s Phillips. i hate those things. when i do need to remove one i always either lean full body weight against the screwdriver or use an impact driver. it is unfortunate our good neighbours to the south have only recently learned of them, but unfortunately refer to them as "square drive" instead of the proper name Robertson. it is only a Robertson or a torx screw that will stay on a driver held horizontally or even vertically. ... View more

just LS swap it? i don't think so. for lazy or non-visionary or fast performance folks fine. only buy NOS or USA parts? there is something to be said for that. try fitting made in china parts (eg sheet metal) on your vehicle, and be prepared to use a torch, sledge, and many bad words. NOS or OEM quality are best because they do something too much modern aftermarket stuff will not. nos and oem actually fit. its amazing! ... View more

sacrilage! april 1st must be your day, LOL ... View more

i have a stock 47 plymouth with the clear insert in the hood ornament. i found an original light kit for it, and wired it in with the low beam. very cool, just do it. i almost bought a desoto when i was a young teen. guy wanted $75 for it, desoto's face lit up at night.........dummy i was did not buy it........ ... View more

there is much more to the Avro Arrow story. in 1959 it was the most advanced interceptor in the world, would smoke anything the Brits, Russians, or Americans had at the time. it went "over budget" only because potential buyers backed out. then some idiot ordered the project not only shut down, but all documents, aircraft, tooling etc destroyed. the brains from AVRO went to NASA. the rest is history. read "storms of controversy" to know more. ... View more

amen brother! ... View more

i live in northern Ontario, and make trips to Toronto and area a couple times a year. i loathe parking, er, i mean "driving" in T.O. if you are not doing 120 km/hr, you get run over, leave a space in front of you, and some idiot kamikaze cuts in front on their way to a spot 2 lanes over. the don valley "parking lot", don't get me started. idiots on their cell phones, and yes they are in shock and awe at these 2 wheeled vehicles that show up when the snow disappears. after the inevitable crash, you can add the corrupt, fraudulent and extortion tactics of the towing companies ... View more

i don't see (other than the model T) any blacked out models in the photos you present. all have either chrome or polished wheels, or some bright trim. blacked out is all black. ... View more

if you build a tribute to a special car and try to pass it off as the real deal, you should be hung, drawn, and quartered. if you take a run of the mill car made in the tens of thousands and build your dream car to flog the snot out of it and have fun, by all means go for it, enjoy! but i cringe when some person asks if i am going to "ghost buster" my hearse. i am not an idiot, so no. why would i butcher one of them into a cartoon car? my 74 superior end loader is one of ONLY 611 made that year, and my 77 superior 3 way is one of ONLY 58, that's fifty eight, made that year. commercial chassis cars are hard to find, and the attrition rate, is high. all commercial chassis production for any given year, all makes, in total measures in the hundreds of units, not tens of thousands. but i still drive em. more freak outs and thumbs up per mile than you can shake a stick at ... View more

garage junk drawers are an absolute must. stripped a brass fitting? don't toss it, it will (and has) become a bushing or spacer or.... after being turned up in the lathe. i cannot count the number of times some odd bit of junk has been repurposed in my shop. trashed tools become special tools.. pullers, deformed wrenches for tight spots, picks, tiny pry tools.... ... View more

i am not a fan of convertibles. meh....you want the open air experience? GET A MOTORCYCLE. i prefer coupes over rag tops, and 4 door sedans over 2 doors, as i prefer big yank tanks, and they just make more sense with 4 doors. i am a little different than other people though....... ... View more

an electric chair for people who actually hack up rare cars........just kidding......but it is a fun mental exercise....could start with the manual crank generator from the old hand crank wall phones, surprising amount of juice out of those.... ... View more

always dodge, always ram, always 4x4, unless i use the hearse. lots of covered room in the back....... ... View more

always well written Sam! another fun event on motorcycles is not broadcast anywhere i believe. go to you tube and watch "sons of speed". old riders, really old bikes, usually without brakes. motogp and other modern motorcycle racing all had their roots in dirt tracks and board track racers from the teens and 20's. yup, a bunch of old codgers on old bikes, no brakes, pushing 100 mph, grinning and giggling...... ... View more