hey everyone my name is Casey and reside in Valdosta Georgia. I recently inherited a 1950 fleetline deluxe. have viewed site a few time and found it helpful. thought i would join. unfortunately i know nothing about cars except how to drive them. any ideas on where to start and how to get it done would be greatly appreciated.
The good thing is that your '50 Fleetline is about the simplest car in the world to learn on. We all started out not knowing much, and this is a good place to learn. Welcome from Rockmart! Henrietta the '38 Ford pickup and Ozelle the '55 Ford send friendly horn honks to your '50 Fleetline. Is your '50 Fleetline running and driveable? If not, focus on getting it up and running before you think about changing anything. Get yourself a shop manual '49-'54 Chevys are pretty much the same mechanically, so a shop manual for any of those years will get you started. Or you can find the old Motors manuals that cover all makes from the late '40s/'early '50s pretty easily. If the car has been sitting a while or if the rubber stuff is old, go through the brakes, replace wheel cylinders and hoses and rebuild the master cylinder. Replace the tires along with all belts and hoses. Do a tuneup on it--points, plugs, condensor. Check the electrical system for any frayed wiring that could short out, and make sure it's charging as it should. Check the front end for worn king pins, bushings, tie rod ends, and idler arm. Holler at us for help on any specific issues you need help with. You're used to driving modern vehicles with power disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, and a much lower center of gravity, so once you get it running and driveable, find yourself a big empty parking lot and get used to the way this beast handles and stops. A '50 Chevy, even one in showroom condition with no worn parts and everything adjusted to factory specs, handles and stops very differently from what you're used to driving--especially if it has bias ply rather than radial tires. Oh yes, even if this car is in mint condition and needs nothing, put seat belts in it!
thanks for all of the info. it does not run. it was put in a barn for about 20 years. the tires aired up and are still holding strong. it is still all original, but the straight 6 is locked up and i also tried to spin the flywheel. no luck. the wiring looks ok, but i have intentions on re wiring the whole car. thanks again for your help.
Do a search here on "stuck engine" and you will find several threads on how to free a stuck engine, as it can often be done without tearing it down. And, even if those tires look OK and hold air, replace them before you actually start driving it on the road. They are probably dry rotted, and they will have developed flat spots from the car sitting so long. Unless you're restoring it as a bone-stock show car, put radial tires on it. It will handle a lot better with radials. Wish I didn't live so far away. It'd be fun to spend a Saturday playing with it, see if we could free up that engine. Go ahead and get yourself a quart of automatic transmission fluid or Marvel Mystery Oil and a pump-type oil can. Take out the spark plugs and shoot a few squirts into each cylinder, wait a day or two, and see if it will turn over with ATF or MMO in the cylinders and the plugs out. If it's been in the dry with the hood closed and air cleaner on the carb, it may not be too badly stuck and may break loose without too much trouble.
thats what i tried, pouring some mmo in it. let it set for about a week with a towel over it so the moisture would stay out better. and then i tried transmission fluid. even took a wooden block and tapped it with a hammer to see if they would budge just a little. i have the engine tore down to the pistons. they look in good condition to me. it has a slotted end at the front of the engine for a pry bar to sit in. i stuck a large screw driver in it and a cheater bar and pried and bent both the bar and the screw driver.
Welcome from Moultrie closest member to you. when you get ready to wire let me know i'll drive up and give you a hand.
thanks for the help. i plan on going to the big swap meet on the 20th. hoping to find one there. if i cant find one there, what kind would you recommend? i was also hoping to take two other cars that a friend just gave me. an 81 malibu and a 79 thunderbird. but i was too late to get a spot
Sounds like you're doing the right things to free the engine. Just a thought--don't mean to sound like a smart aleck or anything, everyone of us here has an embarrassing story to tell on ourselves about overlooking something obvious--is the transmission in neutral? Try having someone hold the clutch in while you try to turn the engine and see if that makes any difference. The other question that comes to mind is: Was it running when parked? Was it driven under its own power to the spot it was sitting when you got it? Or was it pushed or towed there after something broke?
i do believe it is in neutral. we pulled it up hill with a four wheeler in order to get it under my car port. it has a three speed on the column. not real sure the shift pattern but it wouldnt move until we found nuetral. i have it jacked up on some jack stands. hoping to get some good pictures today and post them. and i do believe it was running when my grandpa parked it...but that was 20 years ago. he had it in a barn. we aired up the tires and pulled it out and pulled it up on a trailer and pulled it 900 plus miles home. and then parked it where it sits now.
Shift pattern is the same for any 3 on the tree. Reverse is toward the driver and up, low is toward the driver and down, second is away from the driver and up, high is away from the driver and down. Neutral is in the middle. Keep the MMO or ATF in the cylinders and try the breaker bar every day. If it only moves a couple of degrees, that's progress, if it moves just a little, it'll probably move a little more tomorrow. Also try turning it backwards, won't hurt anything. You may still have to rebuild the engine, but it will be easier to take it apart if your can get it turning freely. You can also try towing it slowly with a chain, get it moving, drop it in gear, and let out the clutch. Good idea to do it on dirt or gravel, that way if it stays locked up, you'll just slide the rear wheels.
Welcome from Fitzgerald, sounds like my 49 Ford, it's up and running now and will probably make the trip to Moultrie for the Swap Meet, Good luck freeing up that engine
No luck on the motor yet. In the mean time I am updating the rear end to a 74 camaro 10 bolt. Along with some new leaf springs shocks and mounts. Trying to find the best deal on disc brake conversion kit.
welcome beck83, I am also from Valdosta! moved here about a year and a half ago. I own the black '36 coupe around town, I drive it almost everyday. I used to belong to Inliners International I might could help you get that '50 goin. pm me sometime.
Welcome Beck form a Bama Hamber, looks like the guys have come to your aid in a hurry, that's what the Hamb is all about! I'll be at the swap meet this next weekend as well! Hope to see all you wrencheads!
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