'59 Plymouth Forum

Hi Dan,
I dont recall the TomFox trick on clock point- cleaning, but you are correct in assuming you need to un-bend the crimps in the housing holding the bezel, but you must also un-do the nut in the rear center of the housing. Then the whole guts come out of the housing.
To clean points, use an emery fingernail file borrowed from your wife. Bench-test with 12V before re-assembly.
Its been many years since I dealt with the panelboard headliners in wagons and hardtops, so I cannot advise you there. I don't think you have to take down the siderail moldings...

Lighter elements are not being reproduced, and I know of no modern replacement.
You may need to contact John Fowlie..
I may have something for you, but I would need to get up into the attic of the garage...not so easy these days

You say the element is "toast". good news: you don't need the element if all you want to do is plug in a device needing a power source.

Dan - I might be wrong but I think NAPA is still supplying lighter elements.
Dick.

I was rummaging around last night (looking for the headliner bow ends that Tom Fox gave me at Carlisle! Where did I put them, Matthew? ), and I found a decent lighter! Maybe Tom gave that to me too...

Dan

Faulkner wrote: But as far as getting the upper interior chrome rails off -- it looks to me like I have to remove the track for the weatherstripping to get those off. Is that correct?

Is that right? Do I have to drop the weatherstrip rails, to access the screws that hold these on?

Dan

That is correct, Dan and it would be a good time to replace the weatherstip if you haven't already. Also the stainless roof rails are well caulked and will be stubborn to release. Just take your time so you don't bend or damage the piece.

Tom

regarding the clock:
I think maybe Philippe (Imperial pages) has covered this topic. Use the link on forwardlook.net.

Tom - My windshield had a rock hit it dead center of the drivers vision. It had other problems, delamination and clouding so I decided to replace it. To get the windshield out they apparently had to take all the stainless off except the rear window trim. The outer roof rails were loaded with what looked like plumbers putty. My question is when those rails are put back on should the drain rail and the most inner part of the outer roof rail be packed with frest plumber putty. I bought from Eastwood strips of a pliable sealing compound. How did you do yours, any advice would be welcome.
Thanks,
Dick Koch

Dick, I used a clear silicone caulk just along the flat part between the screw holes and the outside edge, leaving the gutter part of the stainless freee flowing I felt this seal was enough to keep water from getting into the car, and I think the water would drain better without all that putty in the way.
Tom

Thanks Tom - Was the clear silicon caulk an adhesive like Goop or a regular caulk because once you use the Goop it's almost impossibe to take something apart. I had some rust it the rain gutter that I Osphoed and then coated with Enscapsulator.
Dick.

Just regular caulk. Wouldn't have to be clear, you can't see it. There are somethings you want to be glued forever, but this isn't one of them. Look at what Ron and Mathew went through removing the aluminum inserts that should't have been glued at all.
Tom

Faulkner wrote:I was rummaging around last night (looking for the headliner bow ends that Tom Fox gave me at Carlisle! Where did I put them, Matthew? ), and I found a decent lighter! Maybe Tom gave that to me too...

Dan

Found 'em! I had put them away for safekeeping. And safe they were -- even from me!

Thanks again, Tom.

Dan

I find isopropyl alcohol to be useful for cleaning all sorts of things -- including, recalcitrant Carlisle sticker gum on the windshield! But it was great at softening up the glue that held on the replacement makeshift dash pad. Here's the before:

...and the after:

I used it to clean the whole dash. Next, to lightly sand, prep, and mask the dash for painting.

Here's something I always found interesting about Faulkner:

It's not a great pic, but you can see the runs in the original dash paint. Astute observers will note that the paint is running "up" -- so this is a run while the dash was held vertically for painting with the driver's side up. I guess it's true what they say about MoPar quality control in those heady days -- slap 'em together, get 'em on the showroom floor and sell, sell, sell!
Dan

Dan, The Dash is looking good! And happy B-Day too!

The dash cleaned up well. I Think you have a Monday build car or at least the dash was built on a Monday or a Friday before a 3 day weekend was always a sloppy, rush rush, lets get out of the plant day. Or at least it was when I worked in the Chrysler Stamping plant during my College days. I bet nothing has changed in the plant...

Are you going with the same color dash as you have now or something else in color?

John Q.