Thanks a lot for your informations. What I'm asking me is if the SPD is linked with the sequence number and if the VIN (normally a consecutive number) is in line with all cars produced  at the Jefferson plant at that time. Or if the sequence number and VIN number is related to the order of the dealer at the factory. Actually I really don't have any clue when exactly my Letter has been assembled at the production line.

Happy Motoring!

Dieter

Hi Sven

Thanks a lot.

This morning, when I applied torque to the center screw (3/4" screw) with my torque ratchet something unexpected happened when I applied the torque CCW. I could break loose the center screw. So I could only apply torque to he CW direction (saftey reason: adjusted to the nominal torque addressed in the 1960 service manual).

I think I need a chain wrench now to apply torque to the double grooved pulley, e.g. http://www.reedmfgco.com/en/products/wrenches/chain-wrenches-heavy-... or

http://www.rothenberger-usa.com/en/products/-/208-chain-pipe-wrench-heavy-duty-/

Happy Motoring!

Dieter

BTW: I have the imagination that the crankshaft moved a little bit - in one cylinder I could see a small band with a different color (more red) at the cylinder wall above the piston.

I was working again at the Letter. To my disappointment the crankshaft didn't move even a thousands of an inch. I removed the cover plate at the bellhouse and noticed a tag at the front of the drivers side cylinder bank while I was seeking for a serial number at the engine block. That doesn't look very promissing.

At my Beast the serial number is punched into the boss behind the water pump housing. The serial number of the engine of my former truck was punched into the front of the engine block (318 A engine).

Dieter

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Hi Nick thanks for your replay.

Happy Motoring!

Dieter

Today I looked for what is to do for the preparation of the transmission removal. Then I looked at the trunk lid again and found some evidence that the ornament didn't walk away itself Somebody apparently used a screw driver and all four mounting bolts are still in place. Plus there was some sealant or glue used to  fix the ornament in the trunk lid... personally I do not wonder when my ornament would appear at e-pain in a few years...

Happy Motoring!

Dieter

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Today I removed the propeller shaft. The u-joint looks okay, it's just a little bit sticky but no lash noticeable. First I removed the propeller shaft from the emergency brake and afterwards at the yoke at the differential. When I removed the drive shaft I vaguely remember that first I removed it at the yoke of the differential and afterwards at the emergency brake. No wonder the propeller shaft fell to my nose when removing it from the emergency brake first.

Now it's a real pain to remove the cap nut to remove the speedometer cable. That's the next step to proceed to remove the Plymouth transmission.

Happy Motoring!

Yesterday I got a parcel from England, containg No 12 x 0.75 stainless steel machine screws (10 pieces). Three of them I used to mount the cleaned (ultra sonic bath) and lubed deck lid latch. Now I could close the deck lid like on a normal car and I do not need the clamping set anymore. To open I use a metric #4 blade screw driver. That fits perfect into the slot for the opener mechanism of the latch.

Today I removed the non stock expansion container for the radiator. It seems somebody tried to cure the loss of coolant fluid (cylinder head gasket leak) with an external container...

Happy Motoring!

Dieter

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Hi Nick

Compared to your 300F I need a trunk lock. There was none in the parts stock I got from the seller. As for the trunk lock latch I would contact Big M. As far as I know it's a generic part used on many Mopar cars during that time period.

Happy Motoring!

Dieter

Yesterday night I took pictures of the rear panel because there is a discussion at Jaris thread to help. At the picture collection are two pictures with the seam (top end and bottom end). Thanks to the pictures of Nick I found two pieces for the C pillar. As well documented with pictures.

I found a tin can mounted below the stock washer water canister. It looks like a reservoir for the vacuum. Anybody has a similar tin can mounted below the canister?

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

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Thanks Wizard. So I'm gonna to keep it.

Happy Motoring!

Dieter

When I visited my Letter the first time at the yard of the shipping company in Switzerland I discovered that the trunk lid ornament was not on the trunk lid anymore, I informed a friend. His proposal was to use a plain deck lid like from a Windsor, Saratoga or New Yorker. His point was that the trunk lid is in a discutable state as well (almost beyond repair) and some 300F left the factory without the toilet seat. I resisted until today because my plan was to bring my Letter back to the state it left the factory.

If I would use a plain deck lid anybody could get out (with the broadcast sheet) that my Letter isn't original anymore. As a consequence I'm not related to the broadcast sheet anymore so I could choose any color for the body in a range from gay rose to charcoal metallic and from viper green to blue, red, black or dark brown for the seat covers and door panels.

Or let the original (and repaired) trunk lid with no ornament forever...
Happy restoring!

Dieter

BTW: my opinion: any body color except rose and black. Black is an absolutely no go for me.

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Yesterday I removed all (except the license plate illumination) lights at the body of my Letter. There are clear evidence that my Letter once was repainted with a brighter white than the original eggshell like original color. What color I would choose I'll decide later on. As I wrote above if I'll change the trunk lid with a plain one then I could choose another color as well. My favorite is stardust blue metallic like I saw on a 300F convertible (picture from Sweden). That convertible looks very sharp with stardust blue metallic.

Next steps are removing the bumpers, the resting chrome trime (passenger side only), the dashboard, the transmission, the engine, the side windows, the wiring harness and - when my Letter is on the floor again - the windshield and rear window.

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

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Thanks a lot for your proposal. This car looks really nice, especially with the wire wheels and the two tone color. I like red as well. But I assume I'll keep my Letter Alaskan White as it was when it left the factory. I can live with it even though it's not my favorite color.

http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?type=paint&paint=7003&ditzler=8218&syear=1960&smanuf=Chrysler&smodel=&sname=Alaskan%20White&rows=50

Furthermore I took some pictures of the grille after I removed it. It looks sad, the frame.

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

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Big thank you for your comments and proposals. I hope I could find a nice NY grille frame. In the meantime I took two more pictures to show details of the frame and the grille from the back. What I don't know is if the vertical rails of the grille should be straight or slightly bent like on mine.

I'll appreciate your answers very much. Thank you.

Happy restoring!

Dieter

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Thanks a lot for all of your comments. Personally I was wondering as well why Chrysler didn't use specialised washers to get a parallel surface to the hex head of the screw. The two different parts numbers for the frame could indicate just with (300F) or with no screw holes (NY) in the frame.

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

Hi Antonello
Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

The "toilet seat" is a surname of peoples in the States. In my broadcast sheet fragment there is the box under TRIM "Flitesweep Deck Lid". But there is no number in the check box like e.g. "radio/speeker" which has a 3 (423).

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

It looks wonderful. I don't know if these spacers were from Chrysler. I didn't find them in the parts catalog.

In the meantime I disassembled the grille. It's possible to miggy-weld the slot at the bottom of the frame. But then I would build an assisting frame to bend the original frame back to it's original shape. It's because front end of my Letter looks like it apparently was hitted once at the front, rh side.

From JcParts it looks like I gonna get an ornament. More later on.

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

I assume there was a change during the livecylce of the 300F production. I'm sure my Letter was an early bird at the production line. So it could be that the staff had to improvise some solutions.

Today I was working at my Letter again for some hours. I tried to loosen the emergency cable at the handle mechanism. But the nut is frozen as well so I cleaned the thread with a steel wire brush and applied penetrating oil. When I looked upwards at the windshield I discovered a crack in the outer glass of the windshield compound. This crack is quite new and was not present few weeks ago. But at least I could destroy the windshield now to save the windshield weatherstrip. At that weatherstrip I discovered a lip inside at the A pillar near the corners routed down to the corners. I think no reproduction weatherstrip would carry this lip.

I removed the front license plate and noticed that the year 63 is stamped in where the stickers were mounted at the rear license plate. At the rear license plate is a sticker of 1973 and at the other upper corner 1974. At least the rear sticker were applied when Mr. Fred Schafer was the owner of my Letter.

I also applied penetrating oil to the push button mechanism. Now the push buttons are working with ease and don't stick anymore.

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Thanks a lot for your explanation Nick.

Today I worked a  little at my Letter. I tried to remove the chromed frame around the license plate at the body. Unfortunatley the RH side is sticking because the vertical metal sheet is higher at the RH side than at the LH side of the opening (license plate and filler neck). I removed most of the RH chrome moulding.

To remove the chrome trim around the opening I assume first I have to remove the rear bumper...

Then I checked the lilfters. Two of 16 lifters were sized due to rust. I applied Diesel to try to free them. Today I noticed that one of the sized lifters is free now (:-). So I think it's just a matter of time until all lifters are free.

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

BTW: I peeled off the broken layer of an unprofessional repair of a parking accident, last picture shows the state after the removal of the layer.

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