Hoodwinked

I finally got serious about repairing the hood.

It had been dipped in citrus stripper along with the car body, but sitting without rust treatment for a few years, it acquired a moderate coat of surface rust. The dip treatment also revealed numerous pin holes that needed backing material welded in.

Naturally, the worst damage was hidden by structural bracing that is not accessible with any kind of tool, so I had to rely on pouring rust treatment between layers and then flushing the excess away.

I welded small strips of metal backing in areas I could reach, and then sprayed a coat of Rustoleum Rust Reformer over everything, but I’ll have to trust body putty to fill the remaining pin hole areas I couldn’t reach to weld.


I had considered using the hood from the Fury parts car, but suspected it would also have  pin holes hiding under the three layers of paint that would need to be dip-stripped to reach the inaccessible areas. As least a hood is a bolt-on part, so it could be replaced in the future if the Bondo patch doesn’t do the job on this one.

I set the reworked hood aside and started fabricating a pair of brackets to tie the inner fender to the outer fender. Like so many small things, the original brackets disappeared somewhere, but replacements are easy to make.

I also did some final tweaking and tightening on the doors and fenders and got them to fit a little better. I’m still not totally satisfied with the driver’s side door, but to make it better would require cutting and rewelding sheet metal to create more clearance, so I’ll live with what I have. I keep telling myself it’s intended to be a driver, not a restoration,.


Since the weather turned cold again, I’ve decided to stay in the house this week before Christmas and work on completing the wiring diagrams. I will also need to create continuity checklists so I can verify  circuit redesigns and workmanship. It will be a welcome change to do something different again.

Mostly Invisible Progress

Despite a lack of updates to show with pictures, I've actually been working quite diligently. All the little things that require time and attention aren't often visible or impressive, but they have to be done sometime and I've been taking care of them before attacking bigger issues.

I finished fabricating and installing the door latches on the driver's side and discovered a problem that didn't exist with the other door. There wasn't enough clearance for the panhead screws that hold the latch to the door frame and they interfered with the door closure. Like so many other times fit issues arise with the less-than-precise production process of the fifties, it was a buildup of tolerances. The width of the door opening at the top was about 1/8' less than the passenger side, and the door had a 3/16" bulge in the same area, and that was enough to cause a clearance problem. It was resolved by countersinking the screws along with the Neanderthal answer often used by desperate rebuilders..."If it won't fit, get a bigger hammer!"  A couple of good whacks with a mallet finished the fix.

Once the door was installed and adjusted, I was able to reinstall and adjust the fender. It required Jerry rigging an anchor bolt setup to attach the lower fender. The stock sheet metal had rusted out and I missed seeing it when repairing the area and before installing the inner rockers. I still have to make a bracket to secure the inner fender/splash shield, and that will be welded to the bottom edge of the fender as there is not enough room to use bolts.

Next opportunity was dragging the hood down from upstairs storage and doing repairs. Removing the surface rust with a wire brush revealed several places where the metal had thin areas and more-than-expected pin holes, so I spent half a day repairing them. I plugged and rust protected the worst areas , but still have to weld backing material in two more places that will be hard to access. I considered using the hood from the parts car, and though there were fewer pin holes it would have required stripping three coats of paint, so it was a toss-up.

Phil, who owns the nearly finished stock '56 Fury I mentioned several months ago, stopped by yesterday to get a few trim  parts from my parts car to replace the ones he was missing. His plan is to sell it when finished, but is having the same parts availability problems we all face when working on '56 models.

Since I have nothing to show from my car, I'll post a few of his as it was last spring at the Goodguys show. As usual, I was having camera problems that day so none of the front and full side pictures turned out.

Good News...Bad News

The good news is the weather in North Texas has been almost summer-like for a few days, but the bad news is the weather in North Texas is almost summer-like!

Without the recent cold rain and winds, I've been able to do a lot of yard work. I cut the grass for the last time and then winterized the mower and small engines by burning up the remaining fuel and put in a small amount of fresh fuel treated with Sta-Bil.  Then I turned and added to the newest compost pile so the completed compost can be added to the garden beds where I'll plant a few things in January. I also dug up some dead shrubs and pruned a bunch of others, but still have two bird-planted mulberry trees to cut down. No rush for them, because the weather turns to winter conditions again tomorrow.

I was also able to check off a few things on my wife's honey-do list. She's been gone for a week and will be for another two weeks. While she's gone, she wanted me to do more shelf customizing in her studio, and build a work bench on rollers, so those projects are now done.

I had planned to link the youtube video of our completed studio, but it's been disabled by the owner so it can not be shown on other websites. Strange...you would think they'd want to advertise their products.

However, there was a bit of progress on the car. Today, I actually got back to making the mirror image parts for the driver's side door latches. I made a bunch of changes these latch assemblies so they are more compact and simpler than the passenger side. I hope the mods will provide more space for the power window hardware and controls.

One Small Success!

The passenger door latch is operating as designed, so I guess I can claim some degree of success!


It’s been a frustrating process, but the passenger latch now opens with both the outside and inside handles. Before I install it permanently, I want to remove it to adjust one end of one cable, so the latch opens slightly earlier in the handle travel. Right now it releases in the final quarter inch of movement. At least the inside handle works beautifully and releases at half-travel!


 The good news is that the oddball design functions quite well, but the bad news is that the hardware is seriously crammed together in a small space and I’m concerned about possible chafing of the cable jacket with time and normal vibrations from driving. The contact is bad enough that I’ve decided to make additional changes in the driver’s side actuator to reduce the package size and allow minor cable rerouting.  I’m a little worried that those changes could increase the cable pull-force too much, but I have to give it a try since the driver’s door will require more reliability and built-in adjustments than the passenger door, which does not get as much use.


For now, I’m busy fabricating the mirror-image metal parts for the other door and will probably postpone the actuator re-design while I test and evaluate the function of the first one.

The Problematic Latch Mechanisms

The smallest things so often create the biggest problems! I’m still fighting the problem of trying to fit my homegrown door latch controls inside the tiny door space I’m stuck with. I’ve redesigned, rebuilt and miniaturized parts wherever I can, but I’m getting frustrated!

I’ve been trying to avoid using electrical controls like door poppers, but I may be forced into doing so if my latest design won’t operate properly.


My wife did such a good job of hiding her GoPro camera, she hasn’t been able to find it yet, so I’m still playing with my crappy Canon. After resetting everything yet again, I was able to get a couple of pictures to focus, but it seems to change settings by itself while it sits in the drawer.  

Bear claw latch with adapter to operate inside and outside handles individually.

Outside handle actuator mechanism to convert door handle push rod to cable pulling action. 

Maybe I’m doing something wrong with the camera, but it seems that the more things a device can do, the more unreliable it is, and I don’t need or want most of the features available on what is supposed to be a very simple, basic camera for technically-challenged operators like me.

Return from Zombie-land

Ten days lost to the flu, and still not 100%, but a whole lot better than I was a week ago! I lost ten pounds since the flu hit, and I'm now at the low side of my target weight. I'll have to start eating again.

It's been years since I had the flu, even those years when I didn't have a shot. I had planned to get one this fall, but the bug beat me to it. Now I'm behind all the normal work required to own and maintain a home, so not much time to spend on the car project. Since I can only sneak in an hour or two in the shop when the wife isn't looking, I've not been able to start any bigger jobs.

There were some tolerance issues with the door latch setup, so I've had to re-make some of the parts, and that's been the focus since feeling well enough to do some light work. The biggest problem has been designing and fabricating parts that will fit in the cramped area between the window channel and the door sheet metal. It's the proverbial 50 pounds in a 49 pound bag! I'm anxious to finish the replacement parts to see if I resolved the clearance issues.

Tried taking pictures again after fiddling with the settings on my crappy Canon camera, but still can't get the dang thing to work right. I really need to talk the wife out of her GoPro!

This is the only picture that was even close to being in focus.

By next week, the weather should be cooler and more comfortable to work with the big overhead door open, and by then I should be caught up with the yard work...or maybe I'm being too optimistic!

1956 Plymouth Belvedere Lost in the 50s

I'm down with a case of the flu of some kind, so haven't had the strength to do much except sit around and feel sorry for myself. Food doesn't interest me and even my ever present coffee goes cold before I finish.

Camera Troubles Again

I’ve been trying to take photos all weekend, but it appears my camera has gone into total failure mode.  I was only able to salvage two of about twenty pictures, and they are blurry.

I finished one side of the interior door handle assembly, and I’ve begun fabricating all the small parts needed for the opposite side.  It’s a very time-consuming step without showing a lot of physical progress.

These photos don’t show much detail, but you can probably see that the handle’s  supporting structure and arm rest base are combined, and attach in the original arm rest mounting holes. The side will be covered with door panel matching vinyl.

I promise better pictures if I can talk my wife into teaching me how to use her go-pro.

I may have to entirely re-think how the outside door handle will operate the latch. There is so little room between the window channel and the door sheet metal that I may not be able to fabricate a sturdy enough structure to function the way I had planned. The mockup I made is too flexible to create enough leverage to move the cable, and a heavier design might not clear the window.

Another option might be to find a “push” style cable and redesign the way it attaches to the latch and the handle.

Time to rest my brain for a few days.

Getting a Handle on Things

I made good progress on my door latch/handle design the past few days, but not much visual to share.

The inside handle assembly works great and I’ve finally calculated a way to convert the outside handle movement to actuate the latch.  The prototype outer handle release needs only a few minor dimensional changes to clear the window channel inside the door, but it functions properly.

These pictures show how the custom interior door handle is built into the arm rest housing and how it attaches to the latch. When the outer handle design is proved to operate acceptably inside the door, I’ll order two more cables and assemble the parts for the driver’s side. Then on to something different!

Functional Version of Armrest and Door Handle

Good old cardboard does it again!

Due to lack of aftermarket parts and some of my grandiose ideas, I 've had to design and fabricate many parts for this car, I don't know how I could have created anything in three dimensions without a supply of heavy, corrugated cardboard. I prefer using corrugated plastic for mock-up work when closer accuracy is required, but for most jobs, cardboard box scraps work just fine, including for my current  armrest/door-handle prototype.

I just finished what I think will be the basic armrest design and it looks functional so far. Since I'm installing electric windows, there is no need to match interior door handle and window crank styling, so instead of the original door handles, I'm making my own that will mount on the front of the armrest and will look somewhat like those used on some Imperials and Chryslers from the sixties. My handles will at least be simple to remove and install, unlike the OEM '56 parts with the annoying spring clips that require a special tool and loads of patience.

I received the 14 gauge metal I ordered to build a more rugged version of the latch actuator. It will also be used to create the arm rest base. I also  received the twelve-dollar box of small coil springs, but they are all very light duty. At least there are several lengths so I can use them to build the prototypes and determine what physical sizes and features I will need when I choose heavier springs for the production part.

Here's what should be the final configuration latch-actuating mechanism. Final termination will require clamping the cable inside the door to clear the electric window hardware. Seems there is always something that has to be accomplished before other things can be finished.

Yes, my design is probably crude compared to what others might come up with, but I didn't want to modify the bear claw mechanism. It can now be replaced independently from the actuator if needed. It functions quite nicely and the light springs work better than expected. It only needs minor adjusting and a couple of bolts and nuts replaced by better fitting parts before I can install it in the door. Then comes the difficult part of figuring out how to make the outside handle operate the cable!

Open Sesame!

With the aftermarket ignoring the Forward Look era, there is a huge amount of study and contempaltion involved when stubborn restorers choose different methods to resurrect cars that should have been scrapped. NOS replacement door latches are rare to non-existent and most of the original star-wheel parts are severely worn in high mileage cars, so we clean, lubricate, adjust and then try to get by with worn junk...while a few do like me and adapt modern systems!

The bear claw latches themselves proved easy to install, but I was on my own to design a method to open them using the stock door handles. The first job was to choose a system that functioned while incorporating readily available parts from current vehicles and trying to keep most of the car appear close to stock. Original latches had complicated hardware to open the doors, but newer cars almost exclusively use cables with bear claw latches, so I chose a cable from a Ram truck that would help keep the project Mopar. Since it’s been used on trucks for several years, replacement parts should be available for many more, if needed. It’s about the right length, and the ends terminate in a very common way with a crimped barrel on one end and a ball on the other. Since there is more room on the latch end, I'll use the larger barrel-end inside the door, so I'm in the process of designing and fabricating a prototype that will actuate the latch from both outside and inside.

I need a system that will allow the latch to open with either handle, and will be robust enough to survive daily use while having a tactile feel somewhat like an original factory part when operated from both sides of the door.

This picture is the first prototype. It requires springs to retain the latch actuating lever and cable arms in a retracted position and also keep them from rattling. I would have liked to use the homemade  torsion spring visible in the picture, but they twist the arms too much. For the next version,  I ordered a box of extension springs in different sizes that should allow me to select better parts. They will be here today.

This version also used thinner metal to form the bracket, but I have 14-gauge sheet metal on order so the next iteration will be sturdier and simpler to make.

'56 Fury Finally Recognized!

On this fifteenth of August, my favorite sixty three-year-old gold-trimmed muscle car will finally get its due when Rodney Crowell releases his new album..."Texas". One of the songs will be "56 Fury", along with 10 more Texas related songs featuring Crowell and other artists, including Ronnie Dunn, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, and yes, even that famous old Texan, Ringo Starr!

Hanging Doors and Fenders

Now that the wheels are aligned as best I can until the car is closer to road weight, I switched my efforts to installing and fitting more sheet metal. The passenger door received s a new bear claw latch and I had a lot more confidence after doing a mockup on the parts car.  I learned with the test installation to pay special attention to the pin alignment so I could remove the wide, thick washer and secure the pin against the door jamb. It loses a little bit of support and adjustability, but it looks and fits a lot better. If needed at a later time, I can retrofit with an adjustable plate for the pin to strengthen the support.

The passenger door installation and adjustments went reasonably well, although the original tolerances were nowhere near today’s computer designed and built cars, which meant I made compromises in fit. The door has a slight twist in it that can’t be adjusted to match the rocker panel, but the fender and quarter panels look decent. After paint and weather-stripping, there will likely be more tweaking to take care of.

The driver’s door fit is much worse. The door opening is slightly narrower than the other side, and the fender won’t move far enough to create the proper gap. I need to find another quarter inch fore and aft clearance, so I’ll have to remove bolts and probably slot some holes where the inner fender attaches to the radiator support.  Another challenging problem that will require more thinking!

I decided that I’m going to install power windows in the doors, and after researching the various manufacturers, I quite sure I’ll be ordering from Specialty Power Windows. They get mostly good reviews and claim they are made in the USA, but I’m betting China made the motors and switches. My original window parts were in bad shape, and re-plating pot metal cranks is expensive, so I’m choosing to spend the money on new parts instead of fixing the worn and very rusty hardware. Since that means more wiring and adding another fused circuit, I want to run the cables while I still have easy access to everything, and before I start testing circuits.

Sorry I don’ t have many pictures, since my camera has again chosen to randomly malfunction.

 Weather report: In the twenty-three years I've lived in North Texas, we never had a July when the temperature did not get above 100*F, and in 2007 we suffered more than forty days in a row over 100*! Compared to that hellish year, this has been a rare and wonderfully cool summer! However, August is our normally hottest month and the highs are expected to reach 100 to 104 for a few days beginning next week. Not sure if my little window air conditioner will make the garage comfortable enough to work in the afternoons, so I might have to retreat to the house.

Bear Claws it is!

I was dreading the job of possibly replacing the OEM door latches with aftermarket bear claw latches, but I had to do something since NOS or good used parts are so rare and expensive. I didn’t think I could satisfactorily rebuild the stock parts myself, and if I was able to find someone to rebuild them I suspected the price would be astronomical, so economics was a compelling consideration.


The stock latches in both cars were in terrible shape. The star wheels were badly worn and after cleaning and lubricating only one latch functioned at all. The rest worked intermittently, and one jammed to the point of having to occasionally pry it open. I finally decided to try the modern latches, and to first use the parts car door to experiment. If the idea proved impractical, at least I wouldn’t damage any project car parts in the process.


Since the passenger door skin on the parts car had already been cut open to access the jammed stock latch, I decided that it would be a good place to start.


After removing all the unused original parts from the door and jamb, I marked where the door had to be cut and drilled to install the latch. Instead of using a Dremel tool to make precise cuts, I relied on my trusty DeWalt saw and a couple of hand files to make an acceptable opening…acceptable, not neat! The temperature was 96F, so there was no time to waste making the beat-up old door look nice!  Minutes later the latch was in place.

Then I held the door closed, and through the hole in the skin, I marked the latch pin location on the jamb. In another five minutes I had drilled a hole and temporarily installed the pin, using a thick washer as a temporary shim on one side.  All in all, it took about forty-five minutes to strip parts off the old door and install the new latch.

The door now opens and closes better than it ever did, even when new! I located the new latch lower for two reasons. First, when centered it pulls the door closed more evenly. Second, there is no way to hide the latch claws where they would not be visible from inside the car. When they are mounted lower, they will be less obvious from the front seats and from outside the car.

My wife was released by her surgeon to resume light activities, so my caretaker duties are not quite so time consuming. Hopefully I can spend more time on the Plymouth.


I received the grease seals to replace the splitting and crumbling Chinese crap. As is the usual case in our modern shopping methods, the price for eight seals was less than nine dollars, and the shipping cost was nearly eleven dollars! The small bag of parts could have been shipped in an envelope, but they chose a box that could have contained a few hundred seals!

Wheel Aligment

One of the next jobs on my agenda was learning how to align the front wheels with my newly purchased manual alignment tool. I knew I couldn’t make accurate settings until more car weight was on the wheels, but I wanted to practice the process and see if I could get the alignment close to correct.

Like so many new tools, the digital world has taken over, so it was like going back to school again. The tool includes a precise position indicator that you place in a magnetic holder in various ways to check caster, camber and toe-in. Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not include a printed manual and only links to videos on their website. The videos were more promotional than informative, but they got me started. Then I searched the Net for manuals I could read while I had hands on the settings. I finally got most of the info I needed from the Summit website, so I printed them out and sat down by the front wheels to set up the tool.

I had originally assembled the suspension parts mostly by guess, and I could immediately see the toe-in was off. The tool verified my eye-balling estimate, and it took only seconds to adjust it to factory specs. When I attempt the final alignment, I'll be seeking opinions about recommended changes to settings based on modern tires, shocks, etc.

Then I worked on the camber. It was surprisingly close to perfect, but I needed to check the caster before I could be certain. I found it too far off, and on the ’56 suspension the camber is dependent on the way the upper control arm bushing pin is assembled when rebuilt. To get it within specs, I had to remove the pin and rotate the bushing one thread to get to the needed negative caster, and that’s when I encountered my first problem.

When I assembled the suspension about five years ago, I quickly discovered the poor quality of the Chinese-made rebuild kit from Kanter, and I wrote about some of the issues. One discovery was the poor quality  of the grease seals, but I used them since they were all I had. Naturally, as I was removing them yesterday, one crumbled and fell off. Then when I removed the one from the other side, I found it cracked and brittle, so I'm now looking for better replacements.

I made the rounds of local auto parts stores, and no one had the right size seal, so I’ll have to search Internet sources. That means another delay, and if I can’t hold them in my hand before I buy, I might be getting the same crap I got with the rebuild kit. With all the cursing I’ve done about Chinese-made parts for this project, I’m probably already on somebody’s hit list in Beijing!

Just before I posted, I found a source that makes seals that are close to the originals, but won't know if they are better until they arrive.

While I'm waiting for parts, I'm going to work on door latches. The originals are badly worn, and I have a set of new, hot rod bear claw latches that I'm going to consider using if there is enough room in the doors without major cutting and welding.

Brake Cable Routing

I found a few minutes to finish routing the emergency brake cables and take a few pictures.

Cables are functioning with the foot operated mechanism from my old '79 Aspen parts car, but will have to be adjusted when I can find someone to help. I also want to add a couple more guides  to keep the cable tucked in close to the frame near the front.

More Demands on my Time

Nothing important happening to the Plymouth, and husbandly duties will now take priority. My wife underwent major surgery Monday and will be in the hospital for several more days, so dealing with that has limited my automotive play time. She's on the mend, but will need my assistance for at least a month when she gets home. Old age is hell until you consider the alternative.


In the meantime, I’m trying to decide what type of air cleaner I should use with the Edelbrock 4-bbl carb. I’d like to have one that looks at least somewhat stock, but the height of the intake means that the hood clearance is not generous, so and the tall ’55-’56 cleaners won’t work.  I suppose I could do it the easy way and get a cheap aftermarket chrome version with a low-rise filter element, but I think I’d rather have something a little less flashy.


A related question is crankcase venting with the cast aluminum Chrysler Power valve covers. Over the years, I’ve had engines with a single downdraft tube, or a PCV valve on one bank only, or with a PCV on one side and an oil-fill cap vented to the air cleaner on the opposite cover. All of them worked fine as far as I could tell, and as long as the engine was healthy, there were no sludge issues.

I never had a state inspection failure since they were all pre-sniffer era. This time I will essentially be creating a new car that will have to be inspected for roadworthiness by a DMV inspector before it can be licensed. It came without a title from a state where it was apparently last licensed in the early seventies. I was informed that Texas does a visual inspection only on ’73 and newer cars, so the ’66 Drivetrain in the ’56 body should fall into that class.

After reading dozens of posts on other sites, there doesn’t seem to be consensus on a functionally “best” venting system, and since I’ve never given it much serious thought before, I’m interested in personal opinions as well as links to legitimatel technical information.

Views from Below

I picked up the driveshaft from the shop where it was being shortened, but as usual something had to go wrong. They had installed the slip yoke on the back end of the shaft after I had carefully explained to them about how it was supposed to go on the damper end. They fixed it in a few minutes, but it was  annoying, especially when the technician commented that Ford driveshafts with dampers had them on the differential end, as if Chrysler did it wrong.

I didn't like the shape of the lower radiator hose when it was installed, so I visited O'Reilly's and picked out one that looked like it would be a better fit. It's still not perfect, but looks better than the one specified in their computer, and it's not a universal fit flexible hose. Couldn't get a clear photo.

This morning I routed and hooked up the Lokar kickdown cable, but will have to wait for a helper to operate the accelerator when I make the adjustments.

I created an adjustable shift rod by combining parts of two different rods. It works okay, but now I regret having changed to a lighter detent spring in the transmission when I was originally trying to adapt the pushbutton controls to the '66 transmission. If it proves to be a problem, I'll take the car into the transmission shop to take care of swapping back to the stock spring. I just don't want to mess with it myself.

More from Down Under (the car)

Once the car was off the jack stands and all the weight sitting on the suspension, I re-measured the driveshaft space and decided I needed to shorten the shaft 1-3/4". I found a local truck repair shop that will do the work, and was told it wouldn't take more than a day or two once the Spicer U-joints I specified arrive. Should be sometime next week.

The transmission was next. I installed the speed sensor and made up a cable for it and the neutral start switch. However, the transmission shop didn't replace the neutral switch and I discovered that the  nut won't come off. It just spins, so apparently the threads are stripped at the terminal base and I can't see if the bad threads are on the terminal or the nut. Even grabbing the nut and pulling as I try to re-engage the threads doesn't work, so I guess I'll have to order a new switch..
As usual, nothing is as simple as you might expect. Apparently Chrysler changed switch designs in '67, and my transmission is a '66 so I have to order the $65 single terminal version instead of the $13 three terminal part used on later transmissions. Oh well!

The rod connecting the console shifter to the transmission shift arm is my next opportunity. I dug through a box of shift and throttle rods and found a combination of parts that should work, but I'll have to cut and weld two rods together and that looks doable.

I got the neoprene flaps pop-riveted to the shields and mounted to the inner fenders. Not sure they will be needed on blacktop roads in fair weather, but they are installed anyway.

Still playing around with the emergency brake cables, and discovered another problem to resolve if I can find the patience to work on it! I think I'll play around with my wheel alignment tool first and forget the damn e-brakes for a while!

Beneath the Belly of the Beast!

While waiting for parts to arrive, and the car is still sitting on jack stands, I’ve been working on some tasks that require crawling under the car. My age and arthritis really show up when I work on my back!
First thing I did was search through my driveshaft collection to find the closest to my needs. The one from the ’66 B-body that donated the engine and transmission looked like the best option. I removed the old U-joints and after a couple hours of scraping off decades of mud and grease it looked quite nice.

The way the car sits, it appears I’ll have to shorten the shaft by 1” to 1-1/2”, but to get an accurate dimension I’ll have to set the car on the floor so the suspension is loaded when I measure.  I haven’t found a nearby shop to cut the shaft yet, as the one we had locally moved or went out of business. I hope I don't have to send it out.

The small splash shields that fit at the bottom of the inner fenders were next. One side was missing on the project car and one on the Fury donor, but fortunately I ended up with a matched pair. The donor car part was badly rusted, but it served as a pattern to make a new one. Today I finished cleaning and painting both and now they need to dry before I can make new neoprene flaps to replace the damaged and missing rubberized-fabric originals.

I’m still working on the intermediate e-brake cable and really want to finish that pain-in-the ass job! Maybe next weekend.

Here’s a blurry picture of the fans and shroud installed. Once again, my crappy camera went out of focus by itself so I’ll have to play with settings until I can get some better-quality shots.

Ooops!

Finally got a chance to troubleshoot the parking brakes problem of the lever in the wheel not moving enough to apply the brakes. I was the dummy and should have caught it while putting the parts together. Since I didn't have the cables at the time, I failed to check the lever movement to see if it moved the shoe. It seems that the park brake struts were for 10" brakes, not the 11" ones I needed. New struts on order. Shame on me!

Got the radiator and fans installed and the transmission lines attached. Pictures later.

Back-burner News

The car has indeed been on the back burner for a couple of weeks. Between weather, visitors, dog-sitting, home repairs and honey-do’s, I’ve not accomplished much restoring.

It’s funny how the smallest things can be the most annoying and time consuming to resolve. I wanted to terminate the transmission cooler lines at the radiator and needed two tubing nuts since the Champion aluminum radiator has male connections. I had the male version and thought it would be simple to find the others at any auto parts store, but no one locally stocked any for 5/16” tubing.

O’Reilly found four in one of their stores in Oklahoma City, and the counter guy here said he would order them and that it would take two days. Two days later, I went to pick them up, and though the request had been sent, the parts were never packed for shipment, so the local store re-ordered them for overnight shipment. Two days later, their computer showed them on a truck that was due in a couple of hours.  They didn’t show up on that truck, so the store located four more in a different city and ordered from them. Two days later, the parts from both sources arrived.

It took over a week to get my parts, and I made four twenty-mile round trips! If I had ordered online, they would have cost half the price O’Reilly charged, plus they would have arrived on about the same day and I wouldn’t have had to drive eighty miles. The result is that the local store knows I’m not happy with them and they now have a twenty-year supply of Mopar-only 5/16” tube nuts!

I did finish fabricating a shroud for the two SPAL fans, and here’s a picture of the parts getting a fit check. They clear, but not by much. The info I found said a shroud was probably necessary with two nine -inch fans and suggested at least a half-inch spacing from the fins to permit drawing from a larger area. I still have to do  little trimming and then paint it.

Still having a problem with the parking brake. For some unknown reason, the park brake levers inside the wheels will not move the required distance to apply the shoe. They make a click when they get to a certain point, so apparently they are hitting something inside and not visible. All the brake parts in the wheels were obtained and installed individually, so something is installed incorrectly, or I have a wrong part. I'll have to disassemble and check everything. Oh well, one step forward and two steps back!

Cooling and Braking

Yesterday I rebuilt the emergency brake cables and the crimping operation went reasonably well. The hardest part was removing the stainless-steel stops without damaging the wire cable while saving enough length to re-crimp. I used a Dremel with a narrow cutting wheel, but I’m getting to the point where I don’t trust my hands for precise work anymore. Lucky I guess...everything survived.

This crimper did the job, but it's not top quality by any means. The manufacturer included several seals and gaskets with the kit, so they must expect problems  and are covering their butts.

The cable rebuilds required removing the longer, heavier return spring from the long cable, and installing it in place of the lighter spring on the short cable used on the left side. The long donor cable will now being used as the front cable attached to the e-brake foot pedal. Once I secure the front and rear cables into their mounting brackets, I can determine what size intermediate cable I’ll have to buy.

The lower shock bolt I ordered from Mancini arrived today and I got the hole in the shock plate re-sized for the new bolt. If I can avoid distractions tomorrow, I might be able to finish the shock installation as well as install the brake cable mounting bracket, attach the gas tank wire and hoses and touch up the bottom side paint scrapes. It would be nice to complete all the mechanical and electrical tasks on the rear-half of the car so I can get back to the front and try out my wheel alignment tool.

Now that all the belts and pulleys are in place, I ordered two high performance Spal 9” curved blade fans for cooling.  I had hoped to use a single large diameter fan, either electric or stock 7-blade with a clutch.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough clearance between the 4-core radiator and the water pump pulley for either option, despite the numerous low-profile fans on the market. The combined CFM rating of the two nines is about the same as a single 14”.

Designing and fabricating a fan shroud might prove to be interesting!

1956 Plymouth Fury-Great YouTube Video

What a beautiful restoration! I can't begin to imagine the patience, the labor, and the cost of his car. It makes my project look so crude and imperfect, but it also looks like a car I'd be terrified to drive on the highway for fear of it being damaged in any way.

My shock absorber project has both good and bad news to report. The extensions fit fine and the left side shock is installed. The right is attached at the top, but the stud on the shock plate is too short! If I recall correctly, the pair came from the same car, but the right stud measures 1/4" shorter than the left and will not work with the shock. Fortunately, the stud is not welded in place, so I can bolt on a new one. Mancini has new replacements in stock for a little over eighteen dollars plus shipping, and that sure beats buying used parts that now cost over a hundred dollars a pair!

Thanks to my lack of forethought when I placed the gas tank, installing the upper bolt on the right side was a real pain. Had I installed the tank an inch more to the left it would have been simple, but the nut was close enough to touch the tank strap and in the cramped area it was nearly impossible to get started. Once the nut engaged, everything went well.

It was also difficult to find a good position to take a clear picture of the installed extensions.

When it Rains it Pours

Lots of things underway, but nothing of importance finished. The daily rains continue unabated, and my gauge has registered over Five inches in the past week! The yard has standing water everywhere and the grass is growing like jungle bamboo. The ten-day forecast predicts that intermittent storms will continue through the middle of May, so if it ever does dry out, it will take days to catch up with delayed yard work.

Here’s all that’s happening with the car.

The metal for the homemade shock extensions arrived and I’ve been trying to determine the best bracket design to use. I would have preferred switching to a longer shock that would bolt in, but I had to give up the search. The closest length I could find were those for a Toyota 4-wheel drive truck, but they were too heavy duty for my use, and still two inches short at full extension. I don’t like the five-inch brackets but will use them for now. After the car hits the road I may decide to create a different mounting method.

This is the best extension design I've tried so far and will paint and install them this weekend. Both sides will be identical, so they are easy to make. Angles will be installed and welded after parts are fitted to the frame.

I've also changed my mind about modifying the e-brake cables. I was leery of having the mechanic experiment attaching a barrel stop on my parts, so I invested in a tool that will crimp the aluminum barrel-stops I found in Lowe’s fencing department. Not sure if it will do the job but will give it a try after I finish mounting the rear shocks. At least I’ll be the one to blame if it goes wrong.

The hydraulic crimper is Chinese made, so I might regret doing the job myself, but we’ll see.

The e-brake cable bracket is done and will be bolted to the left spring shackle support.

I did finish reconfiguring the belt drives and everything fits much better now. Belt adjustment has improved and the entire mounting method is significantly sturdier. I’ll need to buy different belts, but overall the design should be much better than my first idea.