. Finished up the package shelf with concealed speakers......and put the back seat in. it's a red carbon fiber vinyl weave kinda look. Arm rest is removable for 3 passengers front and back.How I installed the rear belts without a helper! 8^) I'm amazed the only thing holding the front seat in the car is 4 5/16 fine thread nuts!Couldn't finish fabricating the pass front seat bracket without installing the seat in place and tacking the rt. bracket before removing and finishing it up.I can't find a Ziploc bag labeled front seat, so have no idea how the cable for fore and aft adjustment attaches....and I have these 2 large mystery springs. One was way overextended and I had to heat it up and collapse it back in shape. Where do they go?
[I weighed in at this point: "Here's where the springs go, Gary. The cable for the seat adjustment threads through that black clip in your second pic; I don't have a pic to show where it attaches on the passenger side, but I'm sure you'll figure that out." -Dan]
Done with the seats and seat belts. Going to take a break before tackling the disc brake conversion.
Them's the Brakes
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2024 4:43 pm
by Faulkner
About to tackle the front disc brake conversion (from an '80 Cordoba) and the upper control arm bushings and the 4 ball joints on the 59 Dodge Mayfair... Have the manual, shouldn't be a problem, but is it worthwhile to remove the inner fenders? Would certainly make working on the upper control arms easier, but if bolts start snapping, it could be a bad idea. Anyone done these control arm bushings?
Doing the upper control arm bushings and ran into an issue with the back bushing on the drivers side. can't remove it without removing the steering box, so I thought! My trusty cut off wheel just fit in enough to cut 1/2 the eccentric bolt. After rotating the bolt, it cut thru. Put the new bolt back in from the inside, no more problems. Will need a bump stop on the drivers side upper control arm as it is smushed.
Got the front end almost finished and the disc conversion done. Actually have a brake pedal on the hoist. will see how they feel once they bed in. Wheel alignment, next stop.
After resetting the torsion bars to the correct height, I went out for fresh gas for the first time in a year. (has stabil in it). The fresh 91 octane (no alcohol) fixed the sticking accelerator pump and she runs great! The Disc brakes are amazingly progressive and a huge improvement! The alignment is very close considering it was all apart. I will toe in the rt. fr. a bit for now. Steering wheel is almost straight. A proper alignment is coming. Have to find an old fart with an old alignment machine. My local shop won't align it.
UPDATE! Found a local guy that does these alignments. Problem solved. Thanks Wade!
You're Taillights To Me
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2024 6:08 pm
by Faulkner
'59 Plodge Mayfair Tail lights have arrived after only 5 months! took all afternoon to assemble, replace sockets and re-install just the rt. tail light. had to re-tap the 6 tiny screw holes for the lens retainer as they had copper in them the 3 threaded studs had to have a die run over them as well. The small side piece would not fit and took hours of hit and miss to get it half way decent. probably the extension from the other rt. tail light .Learning to manipulate the chrome edging material with a heat gun was hit and miss, but ended up looking o.k. Waiting for 2 more sockets and LED bulbs for the Lf. side. I did modify the wiring the have both Bulbs on each side as brake and signal lights.
It's Getting Hot in Here
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2024 6:10 pm
by Faulkner
I have been driving the '59 Plodge daily this week and marveling how great it was running! UNTIL! Leaving the grocery store parking lot, I see a wisp of smoke coming from the dash/steering column area accompanied by a burning electrical smell. I cut the ignition immediately, stop as fast as I can, leap out of the car almost getting me and the drivers door removed by a passing car, as fast as I can, open the hood and dive on the battery disconnect. I get back in the car and dive under the dash to try to separate the melting wiring while my legs are sticking out in traffic. The whole thing took less than 30 seconds! Not bad for a 68 year old arthritic fart! Carefully reconnected power and drove home with the flashers disconnected. The flasher switch seemed to short as the damaged harness seems to head that way and they are now inop! I think I basically caught it on time before major damage was done. A few more fuses might have been a good idea on this car! The battery disconnect was the best money I spent on this car!!
