Technical 49 Plymouth coupe trade? ANOTHER possible trade.......

Maybe not actually technical, but maybe...and might be an unanswerable question.

A guy offered a 49 Plymouth to trade for my 63 Comet. Values aside if possible, the Plymouth is all stock, looks nice, supposedly runs and drives good, but what would I be getting myself into maintenance-wise? I've never had a flathead anything, hell I've never driven a 3 on the tree. I mean what kind of work will a stock car this old need, ***uming it's been taken care of, etc. .. any thoughts?

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If it's your dream car- do it. Other wise no. My humble opinion.

 

That's a sedan.
There is a great gulf between 1949 and 1963.
In 1949, cars are more like the 1930s.
In 1963 a lot of the same engines and design features were used into the 1990s even 200s. So a 63 is modern to a point, a 49....antiquated.
As long as you stay close to stock it can be a very fun and reliable ride. They do have some mild hop up parts for these and it will improve performance.....to a point.

Upgrades to V8s these are more problematic than other makes. Staying with the stock engine and brakes is far far less trouble and as said there are hop up parts for the original engine.

Personally I have never been a big fan of the early Falcons or Comets. To me the that 49 Plymouth is well, a real car.

 

I see a non-stock steering column/wheel.

 

I suggest you take the time to visit the P15-D24 website. There's a wealth of information there that will answer a lot of your questions.

 

Keep the cool Comet...

 

Our parents and grandparents drove these to work everyday (even in the winter in Minnesota), so in decent shape and properly maintained they are very reliable. As to these cars being the same as thirties cars, I don't agree. I have had a '36 ford and a '51 Ford both good original low mileage cars. The '51 was much better in many ways. Sure the engine was the same basic design, but it was much better; more powerful and ran cooler. The suspension and ride were much better. I wouldn't hesitate to take my '51 anywhere in the country, which I wouldn't have done with the '36. It probably would have made it, but it was a much more uncomfortable car.

It all boils down to what you want rather than a matter of reliability, etc. You do have to be aware of the need for increased maintenance. For example, Ford recommends ch***is lubrication on my '51 every 1000 miles, while the oil change interval is twice that. If you have the facilities to do the maintenance yourself, it's not much of a problem, while scheduling at the local auto repair place every few months can be a pain. I will agree that the non-stock steering wheel gives me pause.

 

I'd be more inclined to keep the comet, I like the early 60s ford cars and have a soft spot for falcons and comets, but also, there was always something that looked "off" to me with the Plymouth/dodge/ Chrysler stock roof lines of that era that I have a hard time ignoring.

 

If the Comet has a v8, I wouldn't trade. The Plymouth with the original drive train is a vintage car, not a hot rod. (Excepting that steering wheel someone else pointed out.) my Dodge Club Coupe has a 318/727 conversion that took some creative thinking, but it can be done. If your Comet has a 6cylinder and you desire something older, test drive the Plymouth- then decide.

 

Actually, the correct term for that Plymouth is "club coupe" according to Plymouth literature.

 

I wouldn't worry about the maintenance too much because, though there are differences between the two, the time and cost are not that far apart. I actually had the sister clone, De Soto version as my first car. Back then, it was definitely not considered a cool ride (mine was nicknamed "The Iron Lung") but neither was the Comet in its day. But they both have grown in their charms and appeals and have many fans now. It's really a lateral decision between them, not a getting ahead or behind kind of thing.

I agree with the others that the steering wheel/column is a sour note, but that can probably be fixed. Just changing the wheel would get it more than halfway there.

 

Hi. What is important to consider is that Plymouth was built when most Hwy speed limits varied from 45 to 55 MPH. It was made to drive safe at those speeds. You need to inspect the brake shoes & drums for wear & bleed the brakes to check if the fluid is contaminated from age (moisture mixed in fluid), tires for age & cracks, wiring for deterioration, etc. Likely it has vacuum wipers so check vacuum hoses there and to vacuum advance. If it does not miss or splutter likely plugs & points ok. If you trade check all the above to make it safe and drive within the OLD speed limits of when the car was made. If you must drive faster then do some upgrades such as brakes & radial tires.
Those flathead 6 ran quite well in their day. Many parts are avalible from O'rileys although most will be next day delivery at store. No big deal on that.
The Coupe does look good. I would advise you to go drive it before paying money if you can.
Good luck, Jimmie

 

Yeah, you know I was kinda wondering about the roof line, it did seem a little off to me, not bad , but just "off".

 

Thanks for the input. I like my Comet, but am looking for something different. I like the looks of the Plymouth, mainly because it's clean, but not enough, I think, to do the trade. It would be neat, but maybe not for me, now anyway.

 

Those Plymouths have rear drums with the hubs attached and put onto a tapered axle with a keyway which is a real bear to pull off, making some brake maintenance tougher. Not sure when but at some point Mopar went to a 2 wheel cylinders per wheel front brake design which can also get pricey to keep working, although '49 may not have that.

Flat 6 Mopars run smooth and are as dependable as any other old engine, but they are not fast. With a regular stick (and not Fluid-drive or whatever the Plymouth version was called) it'll be better, but that car would probably have a tough time maintaining 65 MPH for any length of time. They're not great for long-haul speed.

The only thing I've heard go bad on a flat 6 Mopar is the valves like to get stuck in the block if it's been sitting, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

 

Thanks!! Yeah, the old speed limits would be an issue I guess. I do want something I can drive, and where I am, that pretty much means highways. Not all the time to go anywhere, but still.

 

I have had a 62 comet with the 170 six with a two speed auto and a 51 cranbrook with the six and three on the tree. I would take the Plymouth the ride is better and highway speed is about the same.

 

I have a ‘49 Plymouth Club Coupe (as pictured) and have owned it since 1995. It was, for many years, my daily driver. When I bought it it had a tired 218 and I replaced that with a 230 from my ‘51 Dodge (which got a ‘54 265 Chrysler six). Both cars got MOPAR OD transmissions and were great highway and around town cars.

I know the Mopars of the era are not generally considered ‘beauty queens’ but they are great driving, and well engineered automobiles, much better than same era Ford products and equal to (or better .....‍?) than their Chevrolet compe***ion.

The Flathead sixes are smooth, quiet and dependable. Transmissions are durable and quiet. The suspension system are the best driving a**** the '40s and '50s American cars. Don't offhandedly dismiss these claims unless and until you have some time behind the wheel of these well made American cars.

Ray

 

Better than the 49-51 Ford car....maybe that's going a little too far.
These Mopars are rugged cars. The roof line of this style of " Coupe" looks more like other makes 2 dr Sedans.
The Dodge and Plymouth 3 window Coupes have to be one of the best looking cars of the era. The Imediate Post War Big Chrysler 3 window has to be one of the coolest cars of all time. The hood is so long it almost looks a cartoon....a very cool cartoon.

 

The only problem I see is that small steering wheel. It won't be fun to drive since it has no power steering. They had big steering wheels for a reason.

 

They have factory IFS. Plenty of Threads on the 46-54 Mopars, upgrading front brakes (disc kits), 65-7 C body axle bolts in. dropping in a rear sump 318/360 from Pick Ups or Vans isn't all that difficult. But once again the Comet may have better value & easier to resell if so inclined.

 

That 'factory I.F.S.' isn't equipped with ball joints, those came much later...
This has 'trunnions', (two n's in trunnions?) and they are no day at the beach for an 'at home' guy to tackle. Bet there are some miles on those, eh?

 

pfffft ! 'no hill for a climber'

Ray

 

I had a '52, it ran so quiet and smooth it was hard to hear. The engine design was well-proven and tougher than it needed to be. Put an overdrive on it and you can easily drive it at highway speed. Take a good look at the frame; many modern pickups don't have that much steel in them. Sold like proverbial hotcakes in their day. Nothing out of this world to repairing and maintenance. Lots of easy upgrades possible. And, all this coming from a dyed-in-the-wool Falcon/Comet fanatic.

 

Some people want everything.... way ahead of Ford & GM @ that point.

 

Install 318/904 & C body axle, the new modern driveshaft eliminates the trunnions.

 

Great details to all, I'm looking into a 53 Cranbrook and this really helps. One question:
how does a modern driveshaft eliminate trunions? As in king/pin trunions compared to a modern ball joint suspension...?

 

Not suspension Trunions, but ball and trunion driveshaft joints.

 

Chrysler used the Trunion drive shafts through the early 60s, so that isn't a big deal.

I would upgrade to disc brakes and a more modern rear axle (65 or newer) without a second guess, if you intend on driving it a lot. As long as the front suspension was properly greased, it worked very well. The only changes that would improve them was the addition of a sway bar if one was not present (sway bars were an option), and if the front shocks are still mounted between the control arms (I'm not sure when Chrysler changed the shock mounting points), relocating the upper shock mount to the frame removes some of the "floating on air" ride these cars had.

I can't tell from the picture what they did to mount the newer steering wheel, but it looks like they may have added an adapter to the top of the column to install the wheel. It may be OK, or it may be a cobbled mess.

The car's roof line was so the guy in charge of Chrysler at the time could drive or ride in any seating position in the car and still wear his hat, and the hat wouldn't touch the headliner. That tended to make the roof line longer and higher, and was a new thing with the after the war first body redesign. That design characteristic hung around Chrysler until the mid 50s redesign.

If the Plymouth is in the condition it appears to be in, it will feel like a much more solid car then the 63 Comet ever will. Gene

 

Do you want a car that is a hot rod (the Comet) or a cruiser (the trade)? Where is your heart at?

I would use the "can I walk away without looking back at it' test.

SPark