Features The 1955-1956 Plymouth and Dodge Thread

I was thinking the same thing...rear springs were redone before I bought it, and it seems to ride a bit high if anything...I've got the manual, hoping I have the right tools to measure that angle...

 

The stance on these is perfect. Lovely pair of '56s

 

http://www.troxellsgarage.com/1956-plymouth-plaza.html

This might interest someone here as well. I'd like to see it finished.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

So would I, and I wish the photos were bigger. I researched this swap eight years ago for my '56 and decided it would be a great fit, but too big a project for one old man to take on without help and a better shop setup.

 

Got my KG4550's. waiting for a set of Moog CC792's to (hopefully) get the Savoys front lip off the ground.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Hi Everyone. New to The HAMB, but I have used this thread for research for some time now.
Any members in New Zealand that that have 55 & 56 Plymouth's / Dodge's / Desoto's, please feel free to introduce yourself. Always happy to swap parts and knowledge.

 

Great looking rides here guys! I'm finally at the driving stage with my 55 belvedere but having major trouble with a front end darting issue. I want to replace the idler and pitman arms but can't seem to find a single pitman arm new. They are all used units.

I am able to find pitman arm rebuild kits, is that the fix for this vintage of pitman arm? I've sourced the ifler arm no problem.

Thanks guys!

 

Have you tried Andy Bernbaums, Atlas Obsolete Auto Parts or Roberts Motor Parts.............all are in the US.......andyd

 

Was your car originally a 6 cylinder or a V-8 since the steering set ups are completely different (your signature says Plaza so I assume it was originally a 6 cylinder? Have you checked the kingpins & wheel bearings?

-Dave

 

If it we're a 6cyl car it would not have an idler arm. I've been all through my front end. I've never really been happy with how it steers on the highway. Over the years I've done all except have the power steering box rebuilt.

Sent from my XT1585 using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

That's why I asked (I've come across too many of these cars where someone decided to drop a 440 in a 6 Cylinder car. I have also never seen a pitman arm have to be rebuilt on a V-8 55-56 Dodge or Plymouth either. IF it was originally an V-8 common issues are with the idler, centerlink, and king pins. To increase handling and performance, use the sway bar out of a '55-56 DeSoto, Chrysler, or Imperial, ditch the bias ply tires, and order a set of "HD" springs from EPSCO Springs 'n Things. Also check the steering box.

If it was a 6 cylinder originally, there is no Idler arm or centerlink. You have 4 tie rods and super long adjusters hooked to a "forked tongued" pitman. Maybe there is some wear. Check the tie rods & king pins. You can also do the spring and sway bar mods above.

-Dave

 

Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Got the Savoy back on the road. It sits up higher like I wanted & it handles great!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Yessir. Kingpins are good, 4 new tie rods, new shocks/ bagged up front. Wheel bearings need replacing soon but are not that bad. When I picked my car up it already had a 302 in it so I was not sure of the original trim. Sure enough, it has the forked pitman and not idler arm.

Doesn't seem to be any play in the pitman arm. Which now leaves me stumped. Steering box seems tight in spec as well.....

 

Are you running bias ply tires? They can dance a lot depending on age/brand/etc. And I'm also starting to think it could just be because of the bags/ride height. I wonder if you need to tweek the steering knuckles to put them at a better angle when you are at ride height. It's something that needs to be done with the Fatman 3" dropped uprights for these cars. I'm just thinking aloud here.

Dave


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Keep the thoughts coming. I'm desperate at this point.

New tires at proper air pressure. The car behaved exactly the same before I did the air ride and I have tried the steering at every height and no change. I guess I can try a new pitman arm, then everything is new but the steering box and the pitman.

 

Ok, so here is another thought that may make me sound stupid, but I have always wondered about it . . . . The V8's had a completely different steering set up which we can reasonably assume was due to the weight differences between the motors. So I wonder if the super long and hollow tie rod adjusters on the 6 cylinder steering are deflecting/tweeking/bending due to the additional weight of the V8. Maybe park the car next to a curb and turn the steering to see if you can see them flexing. My only other thoughts are the steering box is bad despite it feeling OK, or you possible have a bad joint on one of the control arms so you are getting some movement there.

 

Does the car have a sway bar? Mine was a 6cyl & now it's got a 318. My shocks were original & toast. But after replacing the shocks & springs it's fantastic. But my Savoy does have an original sway bar. I have a 1966 Fury that does not have a sway bar & is a bit "dodgy " on the highway too. I intend to put a sway bar on the Fury in the near future.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Haven't had anyone around the shop to lend me a set of eyes to check flex. I am running a super thick jeep Cherokee front sway bar with brand new poly bushings. Perhaps the bar is jacked up from the jeep it came off of? I can pull it off and check if it's square or if it's causing a type of front end dog legging of sorts.

 

just posted an add in the parts section
we are going to gasser the 55 2dr belvedere so
all the stock stuff (car has under 12K original miles!)
is for sale.

-original 1st year polyhemispherical "hyfire" v8
-2speed powerflite trans and 1 year only dash "wand" shifter
-rear axle
-front suspension from frame out
-driveshaft/P-brake drum assembly
-hubcaps
-stock radiator
various other small bits & pieces.

i mean, aside from tires and master cylinder
she is ALL ORIGINAL. been sitting for 25
years, so nothing is "perfect" but its all there
and in good condition.

i am in hawaii, shipping for large/heavy
items might give you a heart attack (last time i sent
a complete 454 to california it was $800--and took
5 weeks to get there! ) but you only pay actual shipping
cost, no extra fees. (and agreed upon purchase price...)

 

From our friends over at FuelCurve.com:

1955 PLYMOUTH SAVOY – ALLOWAY BUILDS A MOPAR!
October 20, 2017
by John Drummond (@John D)

​

You can count on one hand the number of Mopars that have been hot rodded by the legendary Bobby Alloway of Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop down in Louisville, Tennessee. While those cars were bitchin’, none are as bad to the bone as his latest custom cruiser – Gene Suelzle’s black and mysterious ’55 Plymouth Savoy. Cloaked in PPG black (99% of Alloway’s projects are black), it’s dark and mysterious, especially captured at night in these photos by John Jackson (@NotStockPhoto).

When Suelzle, a career hot rod guy wanted something other than a 30s car, he approached Bobby Alloway a few years back about a 1955 Chevy build. “What do you think you can do to a ’55 Chevy that hasn’t already been done before,” he asked Alloway. “What do you think?” Alloway didn’t have to think too long. “I have a ’55 Plymouth at the shop,” he said. Once he started laying out his thoughts and ideas on how to build it, Suelzle was ready to start cutting checks. The car was finished last month and will appear in the PPG booth at the upcoming SEMA show where you can see it up close.

The first thing you will notice is the stance. All of Alloway’s cars rest menacingly on bigs and littles. So renowned for his rake, it has been said he builds his cars around the rear wheels. In that sense, he has perfected automotive art.

​

Around 15 years ago, his friend Glenn Grozich of Billet Specialties began cutting wheels exclusively for all of Alloway’s builds. They are a signature look loosely patterned after classic Halibrand slots. And they work on everything – be it a 1932 Ford, a 50s car or a 70s muscle car. For Suelzle’s Savoy, Alloway went with 17s up front and 20s in the all-important ass end.

​

But getting the right wheel and tire combo takes a lot more than picking diameters! The Alloway team (as they so often do) cut out the floor, remade the firewall, tubbed and re-arched the rear wheel well openings before setting the massaged body on a custom Art Morrison chassis.

They also de-chromed the Plymouth opting for original stainless trim. That presented a problem. They only had about a quarter of the needed parts. Thus began an exhaustive junkyard hunt for Alloway as he searched far and wide for ’55 Savoy trim coming up quite a bit short. To adjust, he sourced stainless trim from every other 1955 Plymouth he could find – Belvederes and even wagons. He collected enough then massaged it to fit like new. “I’m not like these other hi-tech shops that can just mill the parts they need,” Alloway said. “Here, we like to use as many OE pieces as possible, converting them as necessary. It helps add to the timeless look we strive for. We don’t like building trendy cars.”

Under the liquid-smooth hood lies the mother of all motors. An electronically fuel injected 500 inch-plus Chrysler Hemi built by Indy Cylinder Heads. Of course, it’s turned out in show-winning fashion and makes crazy power. A Tremec 5-speed trans ensures the power band is on point.

​

Inside the cabin, Alloway went with his signature ’64 Thunderbird seats masterfully trimmed in black leather by Steve Holcomb with matching black carpet. The stock dash and gauges were retained but all new internals by Classic Instruments light up the night.

​

So there you have it. What might have turned out to be just another ’55 Chevy ended up being a menacing mid-50s Mopar sure to have tongues wagging during the 2018 event season after its SEMA debut.

​

 

Gidday,
1956 DeSoto Diplomat Deluxe here - based in Auckland.

 

Very nice, .....thank you for posting, .......just the kick in the butt that I needed.

 

yep....thanks Hemi 32....my 56 Fury stance is still bothering me.........

 

Hey - I’m in Auckland too. Hit me up if you need anything. Coldry@orcon.net.nz. Cheers - Colin.

 

Hey ColDry; I live in Texas, and have a 55 Dodge Coronet 2dr sedan. I would like to build this car as a soft custom as it would have been from the late 50s to mid 60s, plus totally drive able. some later model parts such as front disks later motor and trans. no bucket seats, no 20inch wheels etc. I have for parts a 88 Chrysler 5th Ave for the motor and trans and any other parts I might need. hope to start on it this spring.
Is your car a Dodge or Plymout, hard to tell from picture, but looks good. Do you still have a stock front frame? what motor and trans are you going to use? Hope to talk to you soon, mike h.

 

If your floorboards look like this and you buy some semi-trailer tie-downs (and take the clevis out) you have instant body mounts.