2011 AACA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia

The AACA Annual Meeting will once again be held at the Sheraton Philadelphia Center City Hotel, February 10 - 12, 2011. For more information click the link here for the registration form.

In addition, we will be offering a CPR certification class again this year. It will be held on Friday, February 11, 2011 during the annual meeting.

This CPR CLASS will offer a credentialed American Heart Association (AHA) Course. To be held in the Logan's 1 Room on the Sheraton loby level at the bottom of the escalator. The Class will now begin at 12:30 PM and last for approximately 3 hours.

 Please help us by passing the word to your fellow members and friends! Pre-Registration is required.

The club is splitting the cost of the program as we feel it is important to have more people who attend AACA events qualified with this special skill. Your cost is only $25.00  

Those completing the course will have the credentials mailed to them from the AHA training center two to four weeks after the program. The course is video driven with AHA certified instructors facilitating the hands-on CPR skills practice for each participant, using mannequins.

To register please use this form http://www.aaca.org/meets/brochures/2011_Annual_Meeting.pdf

1935 Plymouth PJE Business Six

 By Member Wayne R. Brandon

In 1935 America was deeply entrenched in the 'Great Depression' but the venerable Plymouth which had been introduced by the Chrysler Corporation just 7 model years earlier was clearly established in third place in annual domestic market sales behind Chevrolet and Ford.

The Plymouth Division built 330,104 units (Source: Standard Catalog of Chrysler) which were identified as the PJ Standard Six (Early production) the PJ Business Six and the PJ Deluxe.

All 1935 Plymouths began life as a PJ but trim and or mechanical options determined whether it would be sold as a PJ Deluxe; PJX (Export Models) PJ Westchester (Wood Body Wagon) or a PJE (Economy Models).

It was 1935 that Chrysler was determined to capture the fleet vehicle market by bringing a newly designed body and very efficient drive train to market.  This drive train was designed to reduce oil consumption, increase fuel economy and provide a comfortable and highly reliable driving experience which Chrysler Engineers accomplished by reducing the compression ratio, installing a one inch bore, single throat carbureator on a centralizing manifold; adding 17" wheels and tires and a final drive ratio of 3.7:1.

 In short, they starved the engine and geared it tall providing the economy they wanted. 

This model was calle a PJE (the E stood for economy) and was sold only in a coupe body until February 1935 when it was clear that this idea was popular with route salesmen and taxi companies so the drive train was offered in any body style Plymouth built.

My was built in March 1935 as a Business Six 4dr Flat Back Sedan and is fully restored.

The trim on the business series is plain as it has a painted dash and garnish moldings; nickle plated knobs and a rotary style headlamp switch vs the draw type and a  simple toggle switch for the dash lamps.  Also missing are the signature hood rings that make the '35 Deluxe PJ so appealing.

I have achieved fuel economy of 24.5 MPG which by comparison is about 6 MPG better than the regular PJ models.  My cruising speed is higher thanks to the 3:7 gear vs the 4:11 standard gear.

The PJE was built in such limited quantity in 1935 that Chrysler did not keep separate production records so it is impossible to tell how many were built let alone in which model.

I have been selling Plymouth restoration parts as a business for more than ten years and inquire of every 1935 Plymouth customer as to the numbers on their PJ intending to loacte other PJE's but have located only one other PJE, another coupe. 

Presently, there are only seven registered PJE Plymouths; Six coupes - five  in North America and one in South America and my 4dr sedan in Michigan.

The rarety of the PJE and the fact that it actually performs as it was intended is what makes these cars so unusual and I am pleased to own what may be the only PJE 4dr Sedan in existence.