A variety of questions about newly acquired '54 Clipper

Posted by Steve Davis On 2009/5/7 21:05:13

I recently bought a 1954 Clipper 4-Door Super Touring. About two months ago I registered it on this great website. I have had the car about a month and have not attempted to start it because I removed the gas tank to have it worked on. (An old sealing job has peeled away from the tank walls.) While I await the return of the tank I have been going over the car front to back assessing anything that needs attention. The car has just 60,000 miles on it and has been driven less than 1,000 miles in the last 32 years. It's had several elderly owners in that time who put money into the car replacing numerous parts that naturally wear, yet rarely driving the car. I purchased it from a fellow AACA club member who is in her late seventies or early eighties. (Her dad was Sherman Fisher who owned the Packard Balboa concept car for a while. She sold it after his death.) She reports that this Clipper runs great, transmission and brakes are fine.
The car has Easmatic power brakes, Ultramatic, radio with electric antenna, heater/defroster and Solex tinted glass.
Based on the odds and ends I have discovered I am posting these questions in hopes that you experienced folks could help me figure out some of the mysteries. I have a shop manual and it's quite good, but some things just aren't covered. I apologize for asking sooooo many questions all at once. Please guide me if I should submit these individually. I'm new forums.

Loose Linkage
At the "cross shaft" behind carburetor on passenger side there is a rod attached to cross shaft and down to the base of the transmission pan. I believe this is called a "relay rod" and what I interpret from the shop manual it is attached to the "throttle valve lever" on the transmission. There is a light helical spring dangling from the relay rod and I can't determine any place that spring attaches to. It is quite rusty and thin. The relay rod, if that is what it is, is quite loose. Any suggestions about the mystery spring and is the loose rod acceptable? It is securely attached.

Fluid for Easamatic
I can't find in the shop manual guidance on fluid for the Easamatic device. There is a large nut on top that appears to be a place where fluid is placed. Is that the case? Should one open that and check? How can one tell if fluid is at the proper level? What is the proper fluid? Is this fluid under pressure?

Mysterious Casting on Intake Manifold
I noticed on the side of the intake manifold a "j-shaped" cast iron piece that pivots. When manually lifted up it reveals a hole in the intake, as best I can see. Gravity keeps the piece rotated down over the hole. Any idea what this is?


Interior lighting
The light located above the rear seat, lights fine but is constantly on. It is not impacted by the switch on the pillar or the plunger-type switches on the door. Any idea what causes this light to stay on? Would all switches need to be replaced?
A previous owner had messed around with the dash lights, apparently to get them to operate. None of the instrument lights light except the high beam indicator and turn signal indicators. The rheostat on the headlight switch does not impact this. (The switch apparently had been replaced.) Lights seem plugged into appropriate sockets on instrument cluster. I found two black wires with what appear to be sockets at the end, though one can't place a bulb in these sockets. They have claw-like teeth, as if they place into an open hole and are held in place by tension. I can't identify where they go and the wire length is fairly short. Perhaps they are for a fuse. Any ideas what they might be?
No light at radio and can't determine where light goes into radio. Any guidance?
I located just one courtesy light at bottom of center of dash. The shop manual and schematic references two. This one light operates and can be controlled by rheostat at headlight switch and plunger-type switch at passenger door. Switch at driver's side door does not have an effect on this bulb. Is it safe to assume the plunger-type switch needs to be replaced?
By the way it does have a functional glove box light.
I have understood that Clippers have a trunk light but I have not found one though I did find a loose, rusty old plunger-type switch when cleaning out the trunk. Should there be a light in the trunk?

Stop Lights
Headlights, taillights, parking lights, turn signals all work well. Brake lights do not light when pedal depressed either with key on or off. Would this be a case of stoplight switch malfunctioning? Is this the switch that appears to be mounted at the base of the shift linkage? It is ahead of the Easamatic but does not appear attached to the Easmatic device.

Spare Tire
This car, incredibly, has the original spare. Does anyone have a 15" wheel they can sell me for this car? I want to have a spare but don't want to touch the original spare. Do wheels from any other makes of car work? I plan to put wide white radials on the car. It has dry-rotted bias ply tires on it that probably only have 500 miles on them.