http://www.forwardlook.net The Forward Look Network - 1955-1961 Forward Look MoPar General Discussion http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80719
It could be helpful, if only I could turn the mirror in more.

I'm looking to figure out what the limiter is -- what's stopping it?

Has anyone tried notching the body of the mirror to get out of the way of the "post" on which the mirror is attached?

See attached photo -- area hashed in red it what I was thinking of taking a Dremel to -- but unsure if it would work or if I'd just be making it ugly.

Any and all ideas welcome. Thanks.]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=63454
I am a noobie to this forum but I am not a noobie to car forums. I have 33386 posts (Mar. 2009-Oct. 2016) on one forum, 11273 (Feb. 2006 to Oct. 2016) on another, and 18,742 (Mostly Feb. 2001 to Mar. 2009) on another. Did I say I was retired? Did I say I am obsessed? Pedantic? ;) Many of those posts were technical info about a particular Audi, the UrS4 (turbo 5 cylinder quattro). I also do build tag breakdowns for Audis of that era (I've done over 100 of them for different people from around the world). One of the best things I did was this live info map (with the very valued assistance of Steve Mills) where you click on the label to get more information:

http://members.shaw.ca/ajmills/UrS%20Engine%20Bay%20Device%20Map.html

I am obsessed by trivia about the vehicles I own so when I purchased my 56 Custom Royal with the D-500 engine and brake package (while searching for a 56 Plymouth V8 2dr hardtop) in mid-Septemeber, I started looking for info about the D-500. What I am about to share is probably well known to you but nevertheless, I felt compelled to document it, i.e. The selection of the 56 Dodge and particularly the D-500 package as the California Highway Patrol (CHP) pursuit vehicle in 1956.

BACKGROUND

When I had my 56 Dodge in a local shop days after I got it (for a full inspection), they had a copy of a 1956 Chevy advert on display. I read it and was astounded to find that the maximum hp was only 205! (I knew the D500 was 260 so 205 was obviously not going to cut it for the CHP). Subsequently, I found another advert for a 56 Chevy 210 that proclaimed 225 hp was available. Wow! (Lame) ;)

The base 265 cubic inch 56 Chevy V-8 produced 162 HP at 4200 rpm with a 2 barrel carburetor and a three speed transmission. Adding a 4 barrel carburetor boosted the horsepower to 205 at 4600 rpm. This is the engine that was referred to as the new “Super Turbo Fire”. The “Super Turbo Fire” 56 was the fastest Chevy yet and one of the years quickest production cars at any price. The "frisky"" 205 HP version recorded 8.9 seconds going from 0-60 mph and had a top speed of 108.7 mph. REF: http://56classicchevy.com/1956-chevrolet-engines



Pushed by Ford in a horsepower race in 1956, Chevrolet upped the ante by making the "Corvette" engine an option for the sedans. With a compression ratio of 9.25:1, new lifters, lighter valves, larger intake and exhaust passages, Duntov Corvette cam plus a twin four barrel carburetor this new mid year "explosive" (sic) engine’s was rated at 225 HP at 5200 rpm. REF: http://56classicchevy.com/1956-chevrolet-engines . The 1956 Corvette itself had three versions of the 265 engine – 210 hp (160 kW) with a single 4-barrel carburetor, 225 hp (168 kW) with twin 4-barrels, and 240 hp (180 kW) with two four-barrel carburetors and a high-lift camshaft. Still nothing like the offerings from Dodge in the 56 Dodge sedans.



Obviously the CHP needed a fast vehicle. In terms of horsepower, even the 4 bbl 315 cu in Polyspherical Dodge had 230 hp so it had to be on the list of candidates for their pursuit vehicle.

THE CHP TESTS

The 1956 California Highway Patrol tests took the car through maximum acceleration up to 70 miles an hour, then panic punched the brakes, attempting a maximum braking situation. Without allowing for any cooling, the car would again be max accelerated back to 70. This was repeated four times in a row; after the fourth stop, the car was maximum accelerated to 90 miles an hour. Again, the brakes were punched in a panic manner. This was repeated. Then the car was taken up to wide open throttle, as fast as it could go, and the brakes were slammed on. This exercise was repeated four times. REF: http://www.allpar.com/history/inside/plymouth-4.html

In 1956, Dodge faced Pontiac, Buick, and Mercury. Mercury was disqualified because it failed the brake test miserably. Buick too had lousy brakes. Pontiac was a little better, going through the four stops from 70, but was not able to hold on at the first try from 90. The only car to pass was the Dodge. The brakes were extremely hot, and had all sorts of funny smells, along with whiffs of smoke coming from them. But they absolutely refused to fade! The secret of the sintered metallic linings is that the hotter they got, the better they stopped! After Dodge had whipped its competitors with its four high speed panic stops, an instructor took the Dodge on the high speed chase course. In the entire length, there are at least 10 places where maximum effort braking is required, bringing the car down from a high speed, over 80 mph to a much lower speed of around 20 to 30 mph. The instructor ran the Dodge through the course, without stopping 10 times in a row. The brakes never offered to fade, pulling the big Dodge down at a measured 25 feet per second, squared! Powerful, but confidence inspiring, brakes! REF: http://www.allpar.com/history/inside/plymouth-4.html

THE RESULTS

As a result, the CHP purchased an initial batch of 400 230 hp Polyspherical-engined 56 Dodge Pursuits, along with 400 Pontiac Chieftains (why why why?) . Like most states, they tried to please everybody. (Sure but why - it had failed the tests) The California experience with the Chieftains was mostly positive, but the Dodge blew the competition away. (Yup ;)) REF: http://www.allpar.com/history/inside/plymouth-4.html



In their book about 1956-76 Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler Police cars, Sanow and Bellah state on page 21 that:


Photo courtesy of Rebels_59

Subsequently, other jurisdictions got into the action and selected D-500s for their highway work:



Well maybe NOT "everywhere" ;)

NOTE: If this ends up to be a double post, I apologize. :( The posting sequence of adding links and uploading photos is quite different than the other forums that I have been active on.

REFERENCES:








]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=68307 So here is a good place to show your collections.

]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80858 http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80730
Please take a listen and let me know what you think could be the cause of this odd, occasional stumble.
Sometimes, it's worse and on occasion will stall out completely while in neutral. It certainly has when I've been sitting at a stop, while in gear.
New condenser in the distributor, new cap, rotor, points, plugs; coil primary and secondary are good (primary at 2.2 ohms; secondary is 10k ohms)
Rebuilt carb a few years ago (have since blasted carb cleaner in it while idling to possibly rule out debris), new fuel filter. New carburetor gasket.
At the time of this video, it had been idling for a few minutes only so wasn't stone cold but not hot, either.

https://go.screenpal.com/watch/cOhqnRntzwx

Help a brother out? Thanks for any advice, first places to look

Jimbo]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=54385 http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=17402 How often do you drive your Forward Look cars? Since mine is still not finished..I drive it around the yard mostly and up the street on occasion. How about some pics of your cars where they are sitting today, tomorrow or whenever you read this.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f310/Larry57savoy/57-1.jpg
]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80825 Does anyone have the mixture screw settings for this Carter carburetor? 354 engine.]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80824 http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=64709
Steve.

http://imperialclub.org/Yr/1955/Limo/Eisenhower/index.htm]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80787 http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80803 New venue. Looked like a good turnout. I was hoping to see a couple of other 56 Dodge D500s that are local to me
but alas, NOPE. Just these 5.

I didn't hang around for the awards (typically that 58 Desoto wins "Vintage" class).

]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80800 http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=80747
So, I have an "opportunity" to buy a '57 300C. It's in a million pieces, as it is a failed restoration. I'm good at car puzzles though, whether I create them or someone else did!
But...there are a few pieces missing, due to various circumstances including a divorce and a garage fire. Those parts are:

-rear window
-grille
-driver's door (and power window mechanism)
-dual carburetors and linkage

I have a spare door, and a window mechanism.

Expert opinion- how hard do you think it would be to locate the correct parts? I know the rear windows were shared, but are hard to find. Were the carbs shared with any of the other makes/models that had the duals in 1957?]]> http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=73140 I love my 56 Dodge D500 Custom Royal 4dr sedan and have gathered lots of (but not all) available information about the 56 D500 cars. Two "myths" that come up again and again in various magazine articles about the 56 D500 are that 1) all the D500 cars got "Imperial Brakes" and 2) it was D500s that were used by the AAA to set 306 endurance and speed records over a 14 day period out on the Bonneville salt flats in the fall of 1955. Both of these "myths" are wrong.

I think that I might have killed, or at least wounded, the "Imperial Brakes" myth in a post that I did a week or so ago wherein I use the parts manuals from the day (55-58 and 56) to "prove" (seriously imply) that there might have been Imperial brakes on D500 cars but, if any thing, those would have been D500s built to race, e.g. NASCAR, not for the street cars. The non-NASCAR race D500 cars got the 12" x 2.5" Chrysler center plane brakes and drums and wider wheels but they were on 4.5" bolt circle hubs and therefore were not Imperial which used 5.5" bolt circle hubs and wheels. I hope that is clear.

REFERENCE (the complete 56 D500 brake post): http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=73076&posts=9&highlight=D500%20brakes&highlightmode=1#M593057

The second myth should have been easier to kill but I saw it again in a recent D500 magazine article. The D500 was *NOT* the engine used in the September 10-24th, 1955 AAA record run. The engine in the record breaking 56 Dodge Custom Royal Sedans was the 230 hp 4bbl dual exhaust "Power Pack" Super Powered-Super Red Ram 315 cu in polyspherical engine. This clear in both magazine articles and advertising from late 1955 and early 1956 (which I have previously posted and repeat again below). The cincher is the casting dates of the first run of D500 engines, i.e. November 22, 1955 for D500-1003. Hard to be in a car in September, 1955 when you weren't even cast until November 1955.

One page from the Feb 56 issue of Motorsport Magazine (establishes the September 1955 date(s) of the endurance run):



An advert from the Feb 56 issue of Motorsport Magazine that states that the engine was the 230 hp (the 315 4 bbl poly):



REFERENCE (for the above two pages): http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=67189&start=1&highlight=bonneville+records&highlightmode=1

The more recent compilation of 56 D500 engine numbers with available casting dates and/or build dates including Nov. 22, 1955 for engine no. D500-1003



REFERENCE for the D500 engine number table: http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=71896&posts=30&highlight=D500%20engine%20numbers&highlightmode=1#M592760

So I *THINK* that I killed both "myths".

HA. ;)

Yesterday, I was poking around looking for something and I found the source of the second myth: Dodge's advertising department and this July 1956 advert which, while it doesn't actually say that the D500 was the endurance record car, it doesn't say that it was the 230 hp poly either (ambiguity will get us all killed someday). :( Be that as it may, it wasn't the D500 that set those records :








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