Gas Tanks

One day, Dan Shady asks me if I have "the gas tank" for this car.  I tell him, "I think I may have a couple, or maybe even three.  I stored them upstairs in the garden shed years ago.  I'll check."

Well, today (6-23-2012) I checked.  Here's what I found:

So now, I guess I'll take them down to Shady's this week.  We can determine which one is in the best shape.  I'll take the sending units out of the ones I don't use, clean up the tanks, and sell all of them on eBay over the next few weeks.  I promise you'll never see 5 Model PB Plymouth gas tanks in one location ever again!  And I have no clue where I got all 5 of these fairly rare items.

Rumble Seat Steps

20 June 2012 - A few weeks ago, Dan showed me a strange observation.  Under the passenger side rear fender, there were some extra holes in the body that weren't mirrored in the driver's side.  We concluded that there must have been some kind of reinforcement at each of the locations where the step plates are located for climbing into the rumble seat.  I wrote to my friend Andrew Edler in California, owner of several Model PB Plymouths to inquire about these holes.  Sure enough, Andrew responded by sending us a tracing of each of two different braces along with the side profile to show how the heavy gauge sheet metal was formed.  Then, this weekend, I got to see another Model PB Plymouth sport roadster.  There are two braces, one for each step, exactly as Andrew had drawn them:

  

  

... and now, in early July, 2012, Dan has acquired the 1/8" steel stock and is fabricating the braces:

And, Voila!!!  The pieces are completed and installed.

Rubber Pieces

6 June 2012 - I have ordered the rubber components that we need from Lynn Steele.  This will include the little hard rubber bumpers that cushion the door when it closes.  These are little half-round pieces that fit in preformed recesses in the door jambs.

 

Vun-Vun Day!!!

 Today was Vun-Vun day.  I got to sit in the car, and go "Vun-Vun."  Can't wait 'til I have a steering wheel and pedals to play with!  

Of Motor Mounts and Things

There are several items that need to be crafted from scratch when building a hot rod.  On this car, the motor mounts that supported the original 4-cylinder engine and tiny 3-speed transmission are far different from those needed for a V-8 engine and a modern 5-speed transmission.  The clutch linkage has to be designed and fabricated that ties the original clutch pedal to the new clutch.  Likewise, a master cylinder has to be acquired that will meet the needs of the car and fit within the limited space available, considering exhaust headers, starter location, available mounting surfaces, steering mechanism, etc.  Then a linkage has to be designed tying the original brake pedal to the new master cylinder.  And finally, a transverse fixture has to be designed to keep the engine and transmission from twisting too much as torque is applied to the drive shaft.  On the original 4-cylinder setup, this was accomplished by a leaf spring that extended from the bottom of the transmission to a snubber on the passenger-side frame rail.  Below are pictures of the fabrications that Deron Shady devised for each of these challenges.

Motor Mounts:

Front Motor Mount

Click on image to enlarge.

 

Rear Motor Mounts (connecting saddle passes under transmission)

 

Clutch Linkage:

Master Cylinder and Brake Linkage:

Torsion Stabilizer:

Looking toward front on passenger's side:                                              Looking toward rear, underneath engine:

  

Floorboards!

May 22, 2012 - Dan has now crafted the floorboards that will cover the transmission and provide a place for feet.  He has also built the panel that supports the bottom of the seat.  Originally, there would have been a steel plate covering a square hole under the driver's seat.  This would have been the location of the battery.  We'll be putting the battery elsewhere so one of the two exhaust pipes can pass under the driver's seat on its way to the rear of the car.   These floor panels are made of a high-grade 3/4" plywood and are recessed in the framing that Dan had already made.  They are held in place with screws and special recessed floorboard washers. 

Hidden Door Hinges

 

 The ability to have doors with no visible hinges is made possible by these very cleverly designed invisible hinges.  When I acquired the car, these were very "tired" but Dan has restored them to like-new condition.  When I see hardware items like this, I am extremely grateful that they were with the car.  I can't imagine searching for some of these hard-to-find bits and pieces!