Oxford Auto Sales
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I wish to sell this car as I am finding I am using it less and less. I have put only 35 miles on it since June 30, 2004, and feel that it is time to pass it on to a new user. The last appraisal (for insurance purposes) was also June 30, 2004, and at that time the appraised value was C$13,900.00 (copy of appraisal available). The value of older "collectible" vehicles is really what someone else is prepared to pay for one, as many factors, including nostalgia, can play a part in any decision to purchase one. I have enjoyed my time with it, and feel that there is still much pleasure to be derived from it by someone who can appreciate examples of a former automotive era.I purchased this vehicle in 1992 from a retired mechanic, who had located and purchased the car in Illinois, USA, a few years earlier. During his ownership, he stripped the original paint (an ugly pea-green shade) and re-finished the car in its present black lacquer. He also repainted much of the interior, and went nuts with gold paint being sprayed (and oversprayed) on everything -- chrome, dust, plastic, etc. 
The interior of the engine compartment was similarly treated but with aluminum paint -- once again over oil, grease, road-dust, electrical cabling, etc. Some of this aluminum paint is still visible, but at least the interior of the car now looks presentable, as I stripped out the dashboard, instruments, interior chrome, etc, and sandblasted down to bare metal before re-finishing in gold again, but done with some care. Both windscreen sections have been replaced as well as the two front windows and one "no-draft" pane, the originals of which had large sections of milkiness due to deterioration of the original safety glass lamination material.I have also re-wired the car with new cables, some Teflon, some Hi-Temp vinyl insulation. The AM radio is still the original "tubed" design but has a specially modified silent solid-state "vibrator" replacing the original buzzer type. I have also replaced the four interior door panels with weatherproof hardboard and new cloth, had both "no-draft" window trim re-chromed, and replaced both front window glass-channels, sweeps, and no-draft rubber sealing.. The original cardboard glove-box compartment has been replaced with a fabricated sheet aluminum version.The engine (C38 Flathead 6) and drive-train is still original. The earlier mechanic-owner claimed that he had stripped the motor down and found little wear, but I tend to disbelieve that he ever went that far. I have not had occasion to need to do any major maintenance on the engine or drive-train, as I have not really done a great deal of mileage since I purchased the car and its performance has been quite adequate for my needs. I note that the spark-plugs tend to carbon-up rather quickly, but they never appear to cease functioning, so what may be the cause of this I am unsure. The usual diagnosis would be an over-rich fuel mixture, or worn rings, but inspecting the choke-butterfly shows it fully open after the engine has warmed up. I did have the carburetor re-built at one time but there was little change. I believe that replacing the "oil-reservoir" type of air-cleaner with a modern pleated paper type may allow a better air-flow to enter the carb, but some purists may decide that this removes some of the "original" equipment designation. The compression appears the be reasonably balanced over the six cylinders and sits at around 95 to 100 psi., so I believe that the piston-rings condition is about average. The technology of the day was to use rings with low radial-tension, so there is a tendency to confuse this with excessive wear. Certainly, the engine will use oil -- the amount varies on speed, temperature, and type used. I found that 10W40 was a satisfactory type for my average driving, which was usually short trips of around 15-20 kms to "cruise-nights", etc. Fuel consumption is around 20 mpg on a highway trip, and using non-leaded fuel requires the addition of a Lead-Substitute additive, available from Canadian Tire under the Motormaster or STP brands. The fluid-drive transmission is of a design which was quite early in "automatic" development. There are four forward gears and automatic gear-shifting is done between 1 and 2, or between 3 and 4. Generally, normal driving uses only the "3 & 4" position, unless driving under heavily-loaded conditions, or towing. Up-shift occurs at speeds above 20 mph, provided accelerator pressure is momentarily lightened to initiate the shift. The floor-mounted clutch pedal is not normally used, unless placing the shift-lever into reverse or shifting between the two twin-speed ranges. There has been an intermittent "clunk" which occurs, at times, when upshift occurs. I attempted to localise this and hung indicator-lamps across all solenoid circuitry and governor switching to try to note any mis-sequencing of the electric-logic which eventually allows an electric solenoid-actuated valve to open and cause hydraulic oil to actuate the shift piston mechanism, but all electrics are O.K. The pump which provides this hydraulic pressure is driven from the output drive shaft of the transmission, so I also monitored this hydraulic pressure with an external gauge and found that silent-shifting occurred at around 36 psi, but above 40 psi the pump's over-pressure valve would open. If shifting did not occur, and the car's speed was allowed to drop, a point is reached where the over-pressure valve closes again and a pressure buildup starts again. This sudden pressure actuates the shift-piston, but does so at a point in the speed/load range when the gears being shifted are under load -- hence the "clunk". It would appear that part of the shifter actuator may be binding, or is worn and requires some attention. I have not bothered to do this, as I am not bothered by the noise now I know why it occurs. Depressing and releasing the clutch pedal quickly will usually allow a silent gear-shift, as this removes, momentarily, the drive from the motor and relieves the radial-pressure on the shifting gear. It is also possible that replacing the long tension spring, which holds the pressure valve closed, with one of greater tension could solve the problem, at least for a time, by allowing pump-pressure to rise higher before the over-pressure point is reached. However this may be viewed, by a potential purchaser, is debatable. Some people may wish to replace the engine and drive train with a more modern version, some may wish to tear out the gearbox for overhaul, some may choose to leave well alone as I have done. The brake light lenses are red glass, which tend to absorb a lot of the brightness when the lamps are activated. Both brake-lights have since been doubled up with an additional lamp each, as the brightness of a single lamp was marginal during daylight hours. As a result, the brake-light switch, which is a pressure type actuated from the main hydraulic brake-line, was failing after only a few months use due to the higher current draw. Accordingly, the circuit has been modified to one where the switch now is used to trigger a transistor relay circuit -- the switch now switches only milliamps. An additional LED, in parallel with the switched 6v, is installed on the steering column mounting bracket to indicate that the lamp feed is O.K. The original thermal-type flasher, used to flash the directional signals, has been replaced with an electronic version. The original "vibrating points" type voltage regulator is still present and operational, but a separate all-electronic regulator module has been installed as the main control. Only one wire needs to be switched over should original operation be desired. The hydraulic brake system uses DOT 5 grade silicone-based fluid --use only this grade if topping up the reservoir. This is located under the floor on the driver's side and access to it requires rolling back the carpet to expose a coverplate. The "emergency" brake uses a separate brake-shoe system acting on the main drive shaft to the rear wheels. The fuel-pump was re-built in summer 2003, and the fuel tank drained and flushed summer 2004, and again in summer 2005. The original dashboard clock mechanism, which used a weird pulsed 6v ratchet winding system, has been replaced with a transistor clock module. This runs on its own single AA penlight battery which lasts for around 15 months The original clock face and bezel remains. The electrical system uses 6 volt positive ground polarity, and the battery charging is a DC generator. The wheels are mounted with stud bolts -- the LH front and rear wheels use a Left Hand thread, the RHS front and rear wheels use Right Hand thread. Take care not to confuse LH bolts and brake drums with RH bolts and drums. Should any service be required on the two rear brake drums, a special heavy-duty hub-puller tool will be required in order to draw the rear brake drum from the rear axle shaft. The axle has a tapered end which mates with a similar tapered hole in the drum. The main axle nut, cotter-pin, and washer should be removed before using the puller. Because there is a large area of tapered mating surface, it may take considerable force to separate the two sections. Do not hammer any part of the axle directly, as the outer wheel bearing could become damaged. The piece of square-section key-stock ( a "Woodruff Key") which locks the drum and axle rotationally together is held in place by the axle washer. During reassembly of the drum to axle, line up the axle-slot with the matching internal slot in the drum-hub, then insert the key before sliding the drum forward to its final position. It should not be necessary to hammer this key in, unless, somehow, one of the slots (or both) have become nicked. If so, remove the hub and re-form the damaged slot with a small file until the key entry is smooth, and the key enters to its full length without great force. Do not hammer the drum on -- allow it to find its final position using the thrust of the axle nut torquing. It helps to coat both tapered surfaces with Antiseize before reassembly. The original design used rawhide leather axle seals which dry out in time and cause leaks. I have replaced all four wheel-axle seals with modern neoprene substitute seals. Also replaced (Nov 2005) is the driveshaft pinion-shaft seal with a new leather type (a neoprene version does not, apparently, exist for this item). In November, 2003, the vehicle was Safety-certified. Some front suspension components had to be replaced in order to meet the Safety requirements. The car has seen little driving since that time. Included with the vehicle are the following: 1. A Chrysler Corp Shop Manual covering the model --with some useful added Part Nos. 2. A file of wiring info with details of added mods, reprints from auto tech articles, etc. 3. The heavy-duty drum-puller referred to above. 4. A spare starter motor (6v) 5 A box of misc spares (glass lenses and odd bits). 6. A 110vac powered battery charger (3A). 7. A rotary "homebrew" spacing gauge for setting up front wheel shoes. 8. A "homebrew" inclinometer gauge for use during front wheel alignment. I am also available by 'phone, or internet, to answer individual queries, where possible, about any other aspects of the vehicle which any interested party may desire. Brian Snell, Hamilton, Ont. Tel: 905 527 5477 Email: bsnell@lara.on.ca |
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DISCLAIMER: This is a private advertisement for a private sale. Oxford Auto Sales does not own the vehicle, is not selling the vehicle, and does not have any interest or connection with the vehicle in any manner whatsoever. We do not warrant or guarantee the vehicle or the contents of the advertisement in any way. The onus is on the buyer to determine the condition and value of the vehicle and to do a lien search before concluding a purchase. |
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