Any tips for driving a '36 with "modern" traffic?

[36 Ply]

Hey Bob,

I'm glad that you avoided a collision by being alert...Driver's Ed teaches youngsters just enough to get by when the sun is out & the roads are dry...when my boys reached driving age, I took them to the local high school parking lot over Christmas break, and let them slide a FWD and a RWD vehicle on the ice, so they could tell the difference in handling...I also said "no license until you learn how to change a tire"...I also made them learn how to drive a stick shift car and how to start it from a dead stop halfway up a hill. They both still had fender-benders anyway, fortunately, no one got hurt.

Pat O'Connor

[RC Drown]

Sunday afternoon Cooper and I were out and about in the Plymouth, I had a green Forrester behind me, I slowed down, put on my signal light to make a left turnk, plus had my left arm out the window indicating a left turn, just before I started to make the left turn, I noticed that the young girl in the Forrester was passing me so naturally I slowed right down, as she went by me, she was waving and saying thank you.  Needless to say I said a few choice words to myself as she passed, but thankfully there were no problems resulting from her act of stupidity.

Just keep a very watchful eye on all situations while you are driving our old Plymouths or our everday ho hum vehicles

[plym_46]

The observation that these later 30's vehicles represented the beginning of modern automotive design is correct especially with Chrysler products.  They were much better engineered and equiped when compared to their Ford and Chevy contemporaries.

Safety rim wheels, 4 wheel hydraulic brakes, parrellel leaf sprigs or IRS, when ford was still riding on buggy springs.  Open rear ends and synchroized transmission as opposed to torque tubes.  Full pressurized oilinng and insert bearings whee chevy still relied on splash lubricating babbit bearings.  Full steel bodies when Ford and Chevy were still sheetmetal over wood.

I believe Mopars were much better suited for the developmet ad introduction of modern highways that were being developed than their competition.  Granted the average speeds were lower back then but still better cars for the day and much better suited to todays roads.

[RC Drown]

lindydivaus,

Welcome aboard, this is a good forum, not lots of traffic, but still very informative.  Good luck with your '37 and please drive her and enjoy her as these old Plymouths were meant for just that.

Please post some photos when you get a chance, plus let us all know where you and your husband live.

Thanks,
Bob

[lindydivaus]

Great thread! Thanks for all of this information. We just bought a '37 Plymouth, AKA Ruby (after Ruby Keeler).

Yesterday we took her to her first show; we've had her about a month. Lots more to do, but we'll get there. The information on safety and driveability is especically helpful. No doubt my husband will register soon, too, as he does the engine--I'm the detail person.


-Eileen

[RC Drown]

Radio, ah, you don't need one at all:):)  I have one in my car, but it don't work.  I just enjoy driving the old coupe and enjoying the sound of the engine as the old girl motors down the road.

I have turn signals on my car also, but I still use my hand signals all the time.  Most of the time there are no problems with the hand signals, but at times people don't really pay attention, but that doesn't happen all that often. 

Pat O'Conner who is a member of this forum has a '36 convertible, you might want to contact him if you need any advice.

Looking forward to some photos of the '36 with the New Hampshire countryside and even some NH covered bridges if possible.  So pleased that you are able to enjoy the '36, these old Plymouths are so much fun to drive.

Good luck,
Bob

[1project2many]

Ok, so we've made a lot of progress and put a few miles on to boot.  I've installed turn signals and exterior mirrors, reset the dwell (seems like you can't get a good set of points any more), flushed the radiator and block, installed new hoses and belt, and cleaned up the accessory heater wiring.  It's made several drives around the area and one to work on the highway at 60-62 mph for about 1/2 hr each way.  (3600 rpm!  Yikes!!)  I've got some confidence that it will make the trip next Friday without major issues.  I've come up with some inexpensive tires that fit the original wheels so I mounted four of them up last night.  Gonna run tubeless and see how that works out.  The spare is going to remain original for a while.  It's got plenty of tread and it looks, well, original.

These cars must have been beautiful to drive when new because they really seem to be the beginning of what we expect from our cars today.  No real stress on the highway other than the engine rpm and slight driveshaft vibration.  Corners well, rides reasonably, and fairly quiet even without a bunch of sound deadener.  I had a few upset folks in the big city traffic because I wasn't racing to stop at the next red light but overall people have been pretty understanding.   I've got a route planned for next week's drive which avoids interstate most of the way and I'm not really worried about the car.  Amazing, really, after sitting for 54 years that I can do so little and have it work so well.  Now I've just got to get my wife used to the idea of riding for 3 hrs without a radio!

Thanks for the tips so far.  Looking forward to many years of fun.

[1project2many]

1936 movie on safe driving... entertaining and instructional :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QcvHsg-Iwpg

[1project2many]

The engine with a freshly installed bypass filter, the new top, and the interior.  The interior is in "as found" conditionn.

[1project2many]

Pictures, eh?  Well it's probably not as pretty as some of them but it's what we call a "baahn fresh" restoration.  First picture is pulling the car out of the garage in May 2005.  Remainder of the pictures are from today.

[SD Glenn]

Sounds like good advice for all of us. I love driving these old thngs, never get tired of it. lol  I agree, watch that other guy (idiots)
However it is nice when they want to stop and visit a spell lol. Thanks
SD Glenn\

[plym_46]

Well, I drive my 46 pretty regularly on trips of 200 + miles.  I do have signal lights, You can easily wire auxiliary front signals by using motorcycle style lights mounted to the bumper brackests.  Several styles of signal switches at napa. wiring is pretty straight forward.

I generally stay on the state highways (more to see) and only jump on iterstates to go around or through major urban areas.

Interstate highways are generally safer as the idiots are all going  the same direction, so all you need to woryy about is folks running over you from behind.

Because we travel pretty extensively i the car I chose to go to aftermarket rims and 15 inch radial tires.  I travel at an indicated 65 mph on the Interstates, with my speedo this works out to 62 on the road. 

I carry some basic tools, a spare distributor, a spare fan belt ( the only piece that has failed me over the lat 7 years) and a spare head gasket.  You might want to think about upgradding rear lights for brighter bulbs or adding some descreet highmounted stop lights. 

But if your car is in proper mechanical condition, you should be able to make enjoyable trips in your vintage car.  Just make sure your horn works, as many times people gawking at your car will forget which lane they are supposed to be in, forcing you off the road while they stare at you.

[RC Drown]

When you get a chance, can you share some photos with all of us, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob

[1project2many]

Thanks, folks.

Here in NH if a vehicle is registered as antique it's only required to have the equipment it was manufactured with.  If a vehicle is registered as a passenger car or "regular" vehicle then it must have a LH mirror, wipers, turn signals (from model year '57) and seat belts (from model year '68).  NH law mandates that all children under 18 be in belts or a child seat but makes exceptions for antique vehicles.  In the case of my '57 Chevy pickup and this Plymouth I have found child seats which will strap around the existing bench seat and are therefore as secure as the vehicle seat they are mounted to.  These are my kids after all.

As an aside, NH requires that all vehicles undergo an annual safety inspection but has recently made exceptions for vehicles older than 40 years and registered as antique (biannual, every two years) and for all original vehicles which are 60 yrs old or older (no inspection required).  I disagree with the latter rule and ensure all my vehicles are safe regardless of inspection requirements.

I've ordered a set of cheapie turn signal lights for the front of the car and a generic switch for the column.  I'll replace the 12V bulbs and flasher with 6V versions.  Over the years I'll keep my eyes open for period correct parts at reasonable rates and change over as time allows, probably replacing lamps with LED circuits (thanks for the information!).  I've also ordered some cheapie clamp on mirrors.  Some of the ones sold by Epay and other vendors are actually available through K-source which is available through some local parts stores.  I'm sure I'm not the first to think I can use a piece of dense plastic or thin brass to help protect the finish inside the door so we'll see if I have any luck there.

I may have a source for some inexpensive tires to fit the original wheels.  They won't look close to original but they are close to original diameter and if I play my cards right they should cost between $50 and $75 each.  In the meantime I'm going to attach the Plymouth hubcaps to the wheels I'm using now because I expect them to be on the car for a while.

Gotta run... I'm going to change the kingpins and bushings today.

[TodFitch]

Howdy.

New to the board.  I have a '36 2 dr sedan which I've just put on the road after being in storage since '59.  I've put about 170 miles on it doing shakedown runs.  These were mostly short trips but one trip was approx one hour one way on medium speed roads and maybe 15 miles on the interstate.  So I'm looking for advice from people that may be driving these cars frequently enough to have dealt with common problems.

1) No side mirrors.  I don't like it, especially on the highways.  East coast road and interstate speed limits are more like suggestions, or maybe hints of suggestions, and driving at 55mph is an invitation to be cut off by Shaking Fist and his angry followers.  Any suggestions for a mirror which won't do permanent damage to the car?

You might want to check your state's motor vehicle code. Here in California two rear view mirrors are required for all cars and one has to be the outside driver side mirror. Lots of things in the equipment section are listed for vehicles first manufactured on or after a particular date, but the two mirror provision is for all cars. They make clamp on rear view mirrors. I've always had them damage the paint where they clamp on but you won't see it until you remove the mirror which you won't be doing.

California also requires at least one rear reflector. More are required based on "on or after" dates, but a minimum of one regardless of vehicle age. Don't know what your state's code is but you might want to read it to see if there are more things in there that your car needs to be legal.

2) No turn signals.  I've been waved at enough times to realize that no one recognizes hand signals anymore.  I can easily wire in rear signals to the brake lights but the front signals?  Maybe I could come up with something using LED's attached to the front bumper.  How about a switch?  I looked at the parts book and there didn't seem to be a factory option, so any particular brand/model switch which would look appropriate for a pre-war installation?

I am still using hand signals. I find that if I do sort of a militaristic formal motion it is less likely to be mistaken as a wave. Don't know if people know what I doing or not though. And so many people don't use the signal lights anyway so I guess I'm not much worse than they.

You are right that the rear passenger tail light was an option and you can retro fit the tail lights for turn signals fairly easily. The front can be the problem. One common way in my area to deal with that is to get an accessory set of fog lighty with amber lenses and then wire them as turn signals.

They still make a signal-stat after market turn signal switch that can clamp on to your steering column that looks fairly period correct or you can get a real vintage one off ePay or from a swap meet. They also make electronic versions that you hide under the dash and just have a small toggle switch poking down.

3)  Tires.  Wow!!!  This car came with optional 17" wheels. The vintage replacement tires I've found are going to cost me anywhere from $800 to $1000!!!  I'm currently running some ahhh... "special" radials that appear to be vintage but readily give up their intended purpose when viewed up close ("maximum speed 65mph").  Any suggestions for reasonably priced replacements?  At current prices I may keep using these for quite a while.

17" tires are bit slim on choices nowadays. If you can find the 16" wheels for your car you'll have more options. I find that the tire wear on the 17" tires on my '33 is much higher than for my daily drivers. I'm thinking about those radials that look fairly period that were introduced a couple years ago for my next set. But that will be a year or two from now with my current driving and state of tread.

4) Any other tips?  I hope to use this car frequently for trips to car shows, ice cream, and general fun with the family and I'd love some practical suggestions.  My son's 2 1/2 and my daughter will be 1 yr next month and so far everyone's enjoyed the trips we've taken.  In July I hope to take a 150 mile trip back to Grandma's house to show her that her old car is back on the road while she and Grandpa are still around to appreciate it.

Thaks for the help, and for everyone who's put up some great old Plymouth resources.

You might want to consider adding seat belts. Here your children would be required to be restrained in a child seat and those require seat belts to hold them properly in place.

By the way both turn signals and seat belts if installed in a manner that is sympathetic to the era are accepted without deduction in most clubs for judged cars. Not so for radial tires. If you get interested in showing your car you might want to check out the clubs that you might want to participate in and see if they have equipment rules that you agree with or not.

[Go Fleiter]

rear mirrors:

For sedans, they offer mirrors to be held by a clamp at the roof edge.
http://www.oldmoparts.com/w.htm
look for W-Accessories

You can?t drive safely without turn signals, LED are a good choice.
With 6 V (may vary from 5 to 8 V at some conditions) You will encounter difficulties , with 12 V much less.
For 6, I had to test lots of configurations, with simple resistor technic, soldered on a copper heatsink, the resitors even un soldered themselves from their own heat...
I had to put a complete  Voltage regulator system.
Consider clamping additional enclosed turn lights over the bumpers.

Good luck, You will like the drive to the grand parents!
Greetings from D?sseldorf! Go

[1project2many]

Howdy.

New to the board.  I have a '36 2 dr sedan which I've just put on the road after being in storage since '59.  I've put about 170 miles on it doing shakedown runs.  These were mostly short trips but one trip was approx one hour one way on medium speed roads and maybe 15 miles on the interstate.  So I'm looking for advice from people that may be driving these cars frequently enough to have dealt with common problems.

1) No side mirrors.  I don't like it, especially on the highways.  East coast road and interstate speed limits are more like suggestions, or maybe hints of suggestions, and driving at 55mph is an invitation to be cut off by Shaking Fist and his angry followers.  Any suggestions for a mirror which won't do permanent damage to the car?

2) No turn signals.  I've been waved at enough times to realize that no one recognizes hand signals anymore.  I can easily wire in rear signals to the brake lights but the front signals?  Maybe I could come up with something using LED's attached to the front bumper.  How about a switch?  I looked at the parts book and there didn't seem to be a factory option, so any particular brand/model switch which would look appropriate for a pre-war installation?

3)  Tires.  Wow!!!  This car came with optional 17" wheels. The vintage replacement tires I've found are going to cost me anywhere from $800 to $1000!!!  I'm currently running some ahhh... "special" radials that appear to be vintage but readily give up their intended purpose when viewed up close ("maximum speed 65mph").  Any suggestions for reasonably priced replacements?  At current prices I may keep using these for quite a while.

4) Any other tips?  I hope to use this car frequently for trips to car shows, ice cream, and general fun with the family and I'd love some practical suggestions.  My son's 2 1/2 and my daughter will be 1 yr next month and so far everyone's enjoyed the trips we've taken.  In July I hope to take a 150 mile trip back to Grandma's house to show her that her old car is back on the road while she and Grandpa are still around to appreciate it.

Thaks for the help, and for everyone who's put up some great old Plymouth resources.