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2008 - Registered and On the Road
The first order of business after the weather warmed up
was to install the front and rear bumpers. It took weeks to get the
front bumper to mount correctly without scratching the lower grill. On the other hand, the
rear bumper went on in one afternoon. Then it was off to my mechanic to align the
exhaust system, replace the pinion seal, resurface the drums, mount the new tires and adjust the front end.
The next stop was the Motor Vehicle Department to register the car. Since the car had
been registered previously in my name, no inspection was necessary.
Attention was now focused on the interior.
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My 1958 Plymouth Belvedere photographed in Fall 1988, about six months after I
purchased the car and had it shipped from Northern California to my home in
Connecticut.
The door panels from SMS Auto
Interiors were installed, followed by the rear arm rests. The rear package shelf was fabricated
and installed. Then the rear seats were dropped into place. So we're just about there.
Upcoming for 2009 is a full wheel alignment, fine tuning the carburetor
and getting in some driving time. Yay !
Plymouth Table of Contents |
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'59 Dodge Coronet Convertible
Restoration Underway Again
In 1998, restoration work was halted on my 1959 Dodge Coronet convertible
so that I could focus on my other projects: the 1958 Plymouth and also a
1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible.
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The Olds was completed in 2000. The Plymouth is about 99% done as of Fall 2008. So now
attention has turned once again to the Dodge.
The first stop was to rework the driver's quarter panel, which earlier had been patched with
various sections from other cars. The reworked panel can be
viewed here.
The Dodge section of this website has also been reworked. Several new pages have been
added, as well as a Table of Contents.
Please click on the link below to access the Dodge pages.
Dodge Table of Contents |
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2007 - Almost There
The year 2007 was a year of installations, refinements and
corrections.
Body panel alignment was the first order of business, followed by residual
moulding attachment and alignment.
Later in the year, after a lot of planning and preparation, the windshield and
rear glass went in without a hitch. Read about the glass installation
here.
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Problems, such as the quarter windows binding against the roof rail
weatherstrip were solved when original style 'flocked' weatherstrip was
installed. A persistent carburetor problem was remedied with a rebuild. The
door panels arrived in August, but have not been installed yet. Read
about some of the above here.
By the end of the year, all trim and mouldings were back on the car. |
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2006 -
Close to Completion
It now runs and drives ! For the first time in over ten
years, my 1958 Plymouth is able to move under its own power. It was quite a
thrill to press the Drive button and feel the cast iron torqueflite drop into
gear. A little gas and we were on our way. Another celebration !
Driving, however, was limited to the driveway, as the car is not registered yet.
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Many of this year's accomplishments were in the car's interior. A new carpet
was ordered and installed in the early summer. Then the very fragile original
cardboard headliner was taken out of storage, repainted and carefully put into
place.
A friend of mine in New Zealand had the original dash pad reproduced to
exacting standards. I decided that I needed one. It's in the car now and looks
stunning. Also, the original radio was reinstalled after I had the diecast
bezel rechromed.
In November, the fenders and hood were bolted into place. Many people think
that it is finally beginning to look like a car.
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2005 -
A Year of Progress
The year 2005 saw major accomp- lishments in the restoration of the Plymouth.
In July, my friends and I got the wide block 318 engine to fire up for the
first time in nine years. It was a day to celebrate !
Other accomplishments included installation of the exhaust system, gas tank,
dash, body side mouldings and side glass. In addition, the lights and
electrical system were tested out and made fully functional. |
One of the last pieces needed to complete the restoration, an original PPG
tinted windshield, was located in Missouri. However, numerous problems with the
brake system set me back about two months and delayed the initial test drive
until at least Spring, 2006. A page describing my brake adventures can be found
here.
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Body Shop Found; Plymouth Painted !
 It
took almost three years, but after interviewing many body shops in the New
England area, the search for a shop willing to take on my 1958 Plymouth project
has ended. Atwood's Auto Appearance of Deep River, CT, agreed to
finish the body restoration and paint for a reasonable price. Where most shops
favor collision work over restoration, Atwood's seemed to have the right
attitude, and even had a few restoration projects in the works on my initial
visit. I was satisfied with what I heard and agreed to drop off the car in
August 2003. |
As usual, I was on the scene to photograph the arrival, body surfacing and
paint, which took place over a four month period. The pictures of the
paint application are especially dramatic, thanks to the large glass windows on
the spray booth. More >>
Engine and Transmission are now back in the Plymouth !
More >>
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Chryslers at Carlisle (All Chrysler Nationals)
For 2000, Chryslers at Carlisle became the
All-Chrysler Nationals. There was a great representation of Exner-era cars.
Also making an appearance was the PT Cruiser club, with over twenty PT Cruisers
in attendance. In 2001 things got even better, with over fifty Forward Look
Mopars sighted.
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2001 Highlights
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1955 Chrysler Windsor Conv. with 1956
Plymouth Savoy in background.
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| 2000 Highlights
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1955 Desoto Firedome with 1957 Plymouth
Belvedere in background.
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| 1999 Highlights |
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1957 Dodge Custom Royal D500 at 1999
Chryslers at Carlisle.
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WPC Nationals
The Walter P. Chrysler (WPC) Club, with over 5000 members, is the
largest All-Chrysler club in the world. Here are highlights of several
meets that I attended.
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1998 Meet - Portland, OR
The WPC Nationals in Portland, Oregon had some great cars ! Since there is
little rust in the Northwest (except on the coast), late-50s MOPARs were
plentiful, including rare 1956 Desoto convertibles, 2 1960 Imperial
Convertibles and 2 1957 Furys. In all, about 140 cars showed up from as far
away as Texas and Illinois. I arrived, somewhat jetlagged and hungry, at the
hotel in Clackamas, OR. Of course, eating was put on hold as soon as the
first tailfin came into view. At left, a 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury arrives at
the show.
Car Show
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1999 Meet - Akron, OH
The WPC Nationals in Akron, OH, was my last stop on a two-week road trip that
started at Chryslers at Carlisle in Pennsylvania. From Carlisle, I headed west
to Altoona, PA, for a few days of junkyard cruising. Then it was off to
Pittsburgh for a day before the final journey to Akron. The Nationals was a
great experience, with so many cars to see in such little time. Pictured at
left is a 1957 Chrysler 300C hardtop, a beautiful car.
Cruise Nite Car
Show
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2001 Meet - Parsippany, NJ
A two-and-a-half hour drive from my house in Connecticut brought me to the 2001
WPC Nationals in Parsippany, NJ, about 40 miles from New York City. This is
also the town I grew up in, and moved away from, a long time ago. I never cease
to be amazed at the cars that show up at these meets. Again, the weather was
great. On the left is the unique 1955 Imperial convertible built especially for
Chrysler Chairman K T Keller. This is the only one of its kind in existence.
Car Show
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