Okay, just bought this coupe. I haven't owned an early Mopar, so learning about it. I've always liked these early coupes. It has some issues, brakes locked up (I was able to loosen them up-but locked up again after brakes applied..master cylnder I'm thinking), old, brittle wiring, bad windshield, etc., but hey the damn thing is old. Where are you guys getting your parts for these cars?
That one is pretty nice looking. One of my favorite body styles. Parts, unfortunately, are not falling off trees like they are for some other brands. What are you looking for, and what are your plans for the car? Does it have a flathead six that still runs? Many original type replacement parts are available at www.robertsmotorparts.com and Kanter auto parts (don't know the web site) www.rustyhope.com has a disc brake kit available for your car. Gene
Vintage Power Wagons, strangely enough, has some mechanical items. Good ole Andy Bernbaum has things. Roberts Motor Company. Plymouth parts sellers on ebay. You might be able to find certain things at your local auto supply, like NAPA or O'Reilly. If you're gonna keep it mostly stock (or not) the P15-D24 forum has many knowledgeable old Mopar people.
That's a seriously clean looking '35! Artillery wheels, all the hubcaps? Wow. Very nice find. All the parts sources I know of are already listed, although I'm sure there's more out there. Good luck getting her fixed up!
The "Art Deco" look of these cars is fantastic ! WHATEVER you do KEEP THE ARTILLERY WHEELS & CAPS ! Check-out the sources listed above, and just keep it sweet & simple. Doesn't take much to make these rare beauties very cool. PS: If you're going to keep the spare where it is you'll need to find a "spare cover" to make it look smooth & complete. Jonnie King www.legends.thewwbc.net
Thanks 50 dodge 4x4, 47 Plym, Mopar monkey, Johnne King, and moparBenny. My plans are to make it road worthy, resolve the locked wheel issue, install new wiring harness, replace windshield, I'm not sure after that. Drive it for a while as is, it is semi-respectable looking, and unmolested in it's current condition. It has the original flathead in it, that actually seems to run very good, it is still 6 volt. I have the hard spare tire cover (or at least the outer portion, apparently it is two piece). I do have all five of the artillery wheels, and will run them.
That is a beautiful car. The brakes are locked up at the wheels because the shoes are locking in place(broken/weak springs, and rust) probably not a master cylinder issue. Get that fixed up, then drive it! www.oldmoparts.com
Really nice looking start! I have a '38 Dodge Coupe and have to agree with others that parts are a lot tougher to find. However, you will likely never see another one parked next to you at a cruise night!
Quite a few parts were shared with Dodge, Chrysler and DeSoto, keep those in mind when looking. I sell some '37-'39 Plymouth parts, but if you need something specific for a '35, send me a PM and I will look out for it.
Another possibility for the brakes is leaky wheel cylinders causing the shoes to grab and not release. But the easiset thing to check is the MC. remove the cap and shine a light into the reservoir, You should be able to see two holes in the bottom, one feeds the piston and the other relieves the pressure when the pedal is released. It is a common problem for the relief hole to become fouled with rust or debris. A piece of stiff wire clearing the holes usually addresses this problem. 35's are neat cars and if you watch the old Sam Spade movies a favorite of Humphrey Bogart's character. His had a hand gun dispenser on a flip down panel under the dash. I doubt it was a factory option though. echanical parts are not to hard to find. If you need engine parts Egge has them as well as Terrill Machine in texas. I would also recommend you register for the P15 D 24 forum and check out the main website. Most maint parts exchange through the end of flat head 6 production. Also sources for split mainfolds, disc brake conversions etc.
plym 46, I had a chance yesterday to inspect the master cylinder..and yes, there are two holes at the bottom. The hole closest to the front of the car is rusty colored, the rear is clear. I attempted to "clear" the plugged hole with mechanics wire, but it only bent it. It must be really clogged, or I need a stiffer wire or smaller diameter. I will inspect this out further, when I get back on it tommorrow. Thanks, for the help.
Try Ply-Do in Del Barton West Virginia. Don't know if they are still around but I got a lot of parts from Tom when I was building my 33 Plymouth Coupe. If he doesn't have what you need he will probably know someone who does. 304-475-3245 used to be the number if I remember correctly, btw....nice score! 48 poncho
I was in the same position last spring with a barn find '36 Plymouth coupe. A great source for transmission parts is DME [dmellc@suddenlink.net]. Dennis had every internal piece except bearings and rear seal, NOS or NORS for $600.00. Watch ebay and cl and eventually most parts will show up, but they can be expensive. My initial plan was a big Chrysler flat six, OD floor shift box, later 3.54 rear, but research showed that he late '50's small sixes were rated at 135HP at 4000 rpm. with 8:1 nominal compression. I found a rebuilt '58 L230 on cl for $800.00. It has way more torque than my Ranger with a 4 liter V6 at a claimed 200hp, and both have 4.10 rears. Don't sell the sixes short. They run cool at 60 - just make sure the water distribution tube in the block is intact, and don't mix the early external coolant by-p*** parts with the later internal by-p*** engines. Later engines have superior rear main seal and much lighter flywheels. Get it running and drive it for awhile. You'll be amazed at how well the old ch***is performs and the response you'll get when you drive it.
That is one seriously cool old Mopar. the only thing I ever find out here on CL are Accords with Lambo doors on them. LOL
Really a cool score,parts are available and reasonable priced.I`d try even eBay besides the ones listed before.Good luck!
Thanks everyone. Good advice on parts. The paint may be original, with the exception of the left rear.
I have kind of the same issue. BUT, I rebuilt the brake master cylinder with a kit and now its not getting pressure built up, so I'm thinking plunger, as there is NO brake pedal, all the way to the floor. Any other thoughts before I take it apart?
I ended up buying a new brake master cylinder..still available (at least was a couple of years ago) from NAPA. Worked out great. I have since sold this car..with regrets.
Ok, after much research and taking the floor board out to see what was going on, I've come to a mental block. I took the reservoir lid off and depressed the pedal, and it did move the fluid up. A little. So I did a fast and hard push on the pedal and it did indeed "volcano". I've adjusted the rod so there is about 3/8" play in pedal action, as per specs in the manual. I went to rear brake drum and loosened the bleeding nut and sure enough, there is fluid there (on both rear). Still no pedal. All the way to the floor. What did I miss???
It is hard to get the air out of the under the floor systems as the cylinder is the lowest part. I ran about a gallon and a half through mine P-15 before I gave up and built a pressure bleeder. The end cap on the back end of the master cykinder is the same size and thread as the P-15 master cylinder so I just replaced the cap with an end piece from an old master cylinder and plugged one hole and used a hose bib in the other. Used a quart plastic container designed for pressure bleeding, filled it and connected to the hose bib. then I took a cheap garden sprayer and removed the nozzle from the hose and installed the hose on the cap of the fluid bottle then pressurized the bottle. Then go from wheel to wheel opening the bleeder untill all of the air is gone. The shoes must be adjusted so that they are less than .010 from the drums all the way around to have good brakes.
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