Ours was brown, and as a kid stashed in the back it only took about 11 minutes before I began feeling quite carsick due to the stuffy rear ventilation - but otherwise it certainly was a lovely, solid motor with its own character. Great vid!
love to have one of these old cars, simple as hell, easy to work on, and all those cars back then before the mid 50,s had gauges not those jerk off dummy idiot lights like they have today.
Very much enjoyed your video. I had heard of fluid drive in the old cars but never knew how it worked until I watched your video. Thank you for the lesson. Beautiful car.
Well, you still don't know. He doesn't know that that is not low gear. That is high range. It's not a 3 speed, it has 4. Two in low range and 2 in high range. I'm amazed how many people (even owners) who don't know how it works! Google it!
By 1949 it was much more common for a car like this Dodge to have built-in turn signals like cars today. My parents' basic 1950 Studebaker had 'em. But backup lights were an optional extra for years, and were not a part of the regular lights but an add-on, even if a factory option. It's amazing that either of these things were considered extras! That car had vacuum wipers as well. They didn't bother with a vacuum reservior so under load, unlike just revving the engine, they stopped!
Exceptionally silent and simple. Radio's, clocks, power steering and brakes, turn signals, heaters, overdrive, backup lights, all standard today. In 1949 you had to order them with the car.
+lcar4000 It was very easy, I had a 1950 Dodge Coronet and the fluid clutch was great. Except for parking. You could not park in gear and there was no "park"; so the parking brake was on the drive shaft.
That is a very well kept cool old Mopar. I like how you keep it in actual driving condition. I'm hoping that with advances in additive manufacturing any currently impossible to find replacement parts will soon be available again.
Thank you very much indeed for the demo of "Fluid Drive", where you can drive it like an automatic, as you said -- not so much clutching to have to do, which as you pointed out, certainly saves wear & tear on the car. Really enjoyed that part of the demo at 8:10 - 9:30! Thanks again!
Fluid drive was a semi-automatic. To start out in first gear, one would push the shifter up & forward. To shift into second, one would let up on the accelerator and hear a clucking sound. For third, depress the clutch bring the shifter down. For fourth, let up again on the accelerator for the clucking sound as before. DeSotos & Chryslers had the same transmission.
I had a 47 dodge fluid drive in 1977 here on west coast of Canada. Flathead 6 that could be still purchased new at a tractor supply store for $500 Canadian. Back doors known as suicide doors opened backwards. When you shut the doors on that car they just clicked softly.
The narrator stated that you could have turn signals or a heater (not both ?) I'm sure you could order this car with both a heater and turning signals.
Beautiful '49' Dodge.When I was 17 in 1960, I was very fortunate to purchase a one owner 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe. For the folks that were speaking about the choke. The 1949 Chrysler products were the first year not only for a key start, but also to have an automatic choke.
Very nice very detailed video. These things are amazing, it looks like they are so basic compared to modern cars, but I fully agree with you, you don't need more controls. The FluidDrive system is a nice idea, I don't know why automakers don't use it anymore. I'm thinking of asking you, if you wouldn't mind making a video of the interior lights at night. I mean, modern cars have lights everywhere, and this car has... not :) it would be interesting to see it :) Thank you for the video.
It took a long time to start because the fuel had evaporated from the carburetor float bowl. Pumping he pedal does no good since the engine must operate the fuel pump to fill the float bowl. When there is no petrol in the float bowl there is nothing for the accelerator pump to squirt into the throat of the carb. Since the car had been sitting, you should have filled the float bowl via the bowl vent with petrol or carburetor cleaner. Then you should only have had to pump the pedal once to set the choke and squirt a bit of petrol into the engine. Stomping repeatedly on the gas pedal is neither necessary or useful.
Do not use a key ring with other keys on the ignition key. It will wear out the ignition switch. There is an am radio. What about in the afternoon when it is pm?
Today's cars are like rolling computers. The cars of today are so complex there is the need of a computer system with a screen to be able to configure preferences and way of operation. It would be impossible to put all the buttons and controls on the dash. There would not be enough room on the dash for all the wiring and switches of there was no computer control with a screen. The oldest cars I drove were from the early 60s. They were a lot simpler, had a lot less technology, but were very functional for transportation.
I was looking at a 49 dodge wayfarer at a salvage yard in my home town and under the radio there is this box with I think five nobs and one says air the other one says de frost and I think one says water what is it?
You should have set the choke first. ;-) Those wipers weren't thought out very well, were they? If you're throttling down the road on a rainy day, you need them to go faster, not slower, haha! (Maybe it encourages you to drive more slowly...keeping your foot out of the gas)
By 1949 most cars had vacuum boosters built into the fuel pump. From my own experience, the engine developed plenty of vacuum at highway speeds (55 mph used to be the speed limit in most states). You only needed the vacuum booster when climbing hills.
Turn signals first appeared on Buick in 1939 as an option and standard in 1940, for Buick. In 1941 Cadillac had them as standard and the next year all GM cars had turn signals as standard as well as Ford and Chrysler. Your 1949 Dodge had an aftermarket turn signal? Weird.
+hyzercreek I believe these were the add on indicators that clamped to the steering column called 'Flash Way'. Signal lights were not required by law so, some cars had them, some didn't. In 1952 the law required all cars to have factory installed turn signals.
I have a 1940 Buick Special. It was a base model because whoever bought it in 1940 was too cheap to buy any options. No radio, no side view mirror, no defroster (in 1940 Buick had heaters as standard under the front seat, on the passenger's side, but defrosters were optional). It has a turn signal. OK. So that proves a turn signal was standard on Buick (the best car in American history) and not the piece of shit non-Buick. Wouldn't you really rather own a Buick? Oh yeah, the engine on my 1940 Buick Special is a straight 8 and it runs as good as the day it was made. In-fucking-credible engine.
the choke often wasn't enough. Two reasons for the auxiliary pump (when you pumped the accelerator pedal was for cold starting or in hot weather hold it to the floor to lean out the fuel air mixture to get rid of a flooding condition. The other reason is to give an extra squirt of fuel to accelerate without hesitation The driver was the computer.
When engine is at least slightly warm 2-3 pumps then complete full throttle until the first cough then rip your foot off the pedal. This is average. Your engine will vary at least slightly.
You can just imagine how much there is problems with todays cars after 10, 15 or 20 years if thhere is power everything. The engine, clutch, transmission, fueling, steering, brakes all are leaded by computer... Why??! Imagine for example a 2012 Audi a8 in 2040!
I don't know if you have a proper car mount for your camera... but I for one would LOVE to see a video of any of your old cars on the B Roads of the UK! I have been curious about the fluid drive for years and never seen one in original condition... Thank you for these videos!
My uncle had a 1951 Chrysler Royal with fluid drive. Poor fuel mileage and stepping on the accelerator was about as exciting as stepping on a sponge of ice water in your stocking foot. That electric clock was a battery killer and he rewired it to come on with the key as otherwise it was on full time. Nice car to ride in though.
I've found one of these in decent condition running and driving eith very minimal rust. Absolutely needs work. How much is it worth.? I don't want to get ripped off!
Really, it's worth what you want to pay for it, as long as you're not trying to resell it for a profit. If it's for your enjoyment, pay a price that you feel okay with, drive it, enjoy it, love it. Working on it will bring you unending peace and joy and will lower your blood pressure, don't worry about worth, you'll probably invest more than the car's worth, it'll be worth every minute and every dollar you'll spend, then you'll lose you're ass if you ever sell it, so don't.
@@hudsoninbury At the beginning of the video , after you have cranked for several seconds and pumped the accelerator several times you state "and now we have a flooded engine" , and then you pump the pedal several more times. The car does start which means it was not flooded after all , I just found it comical that you think its flooded and your answer is more gas.
@@hudsoninbury It's all good, I hear you and know where you are coming from. Nice car by the way, I know this video is several years old. Do you still own it? I make videos too, and we don't always say exactly what we mean to say when the camera is rolling. So hat's off to you for taking the time to post a video. I was just poking fun at the situation. I have been a mechanic off an on since 1992 , and I have owned several classics and worked on several others so I know how finicky these old fuel systems and electrical systems can be.
The jumpy ammeter needle is caused by the voltage regulator. As the battery charge rises, it starts reducing the charging rate from 40 amps to 2 or 3 amps by switching in the 40 amp circuit at an ever reducing amount of time until the battery is fully charged. "You mean that the generator is set up to only charge at either 40 amps or 2/3 amps?" Exactly. And it worked fine for many years.
@@CardboardSliver American vehicle, it’s a hood. Also, windSHIELD, it’s not a screen. Things can’t pass through it. Also, trunk, sedan, coupe, elevator, apartment, fries, dental hygiene.
