[FWDLK] 59 wagon out of retirement

["John Bartell" <jrbartell@xxxxxxx>]

Hi All,
      Having drug the 59 Ply Sub. all the way home from Kansas (850 mi.)
I just had to see if I could make it's 318 come alive again.  I was told
by the fellow from where I purchased it, it had been on blocks some 20 -
22 years.
      First I swiped the starter, volt. regulator, generator,
st. solenoid, fan blade, distributor, dist. cap, and plug wires out of
my parts car, and installed those.  I used the distributor from the
parts car, as I did not have the correct points for the original
distributor.  I then shot many squirts of Marvel Mystery Oil in the
cylinders and added the rest of the can to the gas tank.  Put in the new
plugs, new battery cables and then put a few capfuls of gas in the
carb.  Hit the key and it almost instantly fired.  I could not keep it
running, as the fuel pump is not drawing from the fuel tank.  If I put a
hose in a gas can, I can keep it running, in fact it will idle quite
nicely.  I also put the transmission in forward and reverse, and it
engaged perfectly.  I do not know if it will upshift, but once I get the
brakes working I'll give it a road test.
     If I were to blow out the fuel lines from the tank forward, and
that does not do it, can I blow the line backwards into the fuel tank
without damaging something?  Of course this is if fuel does not flow
from the fuel tank when I remove the line at the tank.  Any ideas???
     On another note, the Jiffy Jet washer bag was still in the wagon,
and had all 41 years worth of the dirt it had collected.  I took it in
and washed it off, but it was all stained and I couldn't hardly read the
writing on it.  I tried Fast Orange on it, but that only scratched the
surface.  I then tried Soft Scrub with Clorox in it...worked great!  I
think with a little Armor All it should look just like new!  Oh yeah, it
doesn't leak either!
     I guess after getting this old warrior running and finding the
original Jiffy bag in good shape, I had a great day.   And to top it all
off, Rosie, my wife, gave me a big smile when she heard it run!  "That
put the icing on the cake"!

John in little 'ol Neillsville
Sorry I got long winded!