Projects 1941 Plymouth Coupe 440 4 speed Custom

Could we talk about the nurf bars. Skeleton hands ?????? bet you are just pulling us old guys chains. No not gold chains! Glad you had the fore thought to keep your car. Don't french the lights.

 

I'd love to talk about nerf bars. This spring I'll fire up the forge and start hammering steel. "I HAVE A PLAN" Out from the grill I'll round the humerus, upset the elbow and bend it upwards. Split the steel forming the ulna and radius bones and using a chisel to shape the elbow and hand joints. Then split the steel 5 times to shape the fingers. Upset finger joints and chisel details then close the fingers around s-shaped wrenches for nerf bars. They'll be chromed with polish patina left to bring out the details. If they look good they'll go on if not. Something else. My idea includes making two fingers moveable to do a peace sign remotely by cable.

 

looks cool, keep up the good work.

 

Glad you kept the car all this time. It's part of your family now! Had my Chevy since I was a teen in the 80's. Never gonna part with it.
That 440 is a torque animal, any idea what the coupe weighs?

 

Exactly WTF

 

Are you off your meds? Or on too many?

 

If you want to French the headlights.I used Chrysler Cordoba units on my 41.

 

Was trying to be as diplomatic as possible - but I want some of what he is smoking.

 

Factory weight was 2975 lbs | 1349.437 kg. So far weight reduction from modification is rear leaf springs to coil overs 50 lbs. Front suspension (hub to hub plus coil springs) and cross member steering box to a new Corvette sub frame (fiberglass spring. aluminum control arms and rack) guessing 250 lbs. 440, 4 speed aluminum bell housing adds back the weight savings and aluminum grill sheet metal. Should be about the same weight when finished. Yeap, no regrets. Everyone who sold their ride I know, regrets it today.

 

Can you post some pics? Like to see them frenched.

 

Smoke fumes from welding and grinding. Wait for the voc from the paint. Lol

 

Kool project . I like it. The skeletal nerf bars sound interesting .With the detail you describe putting into them wow. You have raised a few eyebrows as this is a traditional car group that expect round tube nerfs . Its your car build it and have fun.

 

Ha ha!

 

Thanks for your insight.
Since this project has been over so many years a lot of car trends have come and gone. They have however, influenced some of my designs. So as not to date the car specifically I've adapted the idea of "Just crack the glass jar of main stream trends, don't break it."
While many trends are "kool "for the moment. They date them selves to a specific time period and that's okay. I just wanted to stretch normal/different out of shape just a bit. I mean, what's normal in car building anyway. We can identify what is not-normal easier. Right?

 

Does your wife let you drive? Way kool!

 

Sorry,no pictures.However I used the bezels.They fit in the openings for the 41 headlights.the only bodywork required where the parking light mounted..Sinks the light into the fender about 2 1/2 inches.used the buckets also.Just mounted them with tabs welded to the fender.

 

I just say it’s her car, actually she’s never driven it. Because I’m such a nice and caring person I unselfishly gave her the Plymouth before I bought my 27 Model T. She would never finance the idea of me owning two (2) cars. She’d like to sell the Plymouth but I tell her we can’t sell her car.

 

Just to make sure you know, this place does have a time period...and that is before 1965.

So to work here, that's where your head needs to be.

 

"Aw, nuts" Brigadier General McAuliffe, Bastogne pre 65'

 

Spot on.

The 'pre-65' declaration is at best fuzzy in many areas of some projects unless the body itself is obvious, even then..... As long as you don't broadcast fancy electronic crap and EFI whiz-bag engines most folks will look past the obvious. Skeleton hands/fingers are, however, hard to disguise....

.

 

A couple of quick points. I want to keep the focus on my build. Send me a private message and we can have fun with barbs and ideas in a different thread. I enjoy that also.

If anyone is interested there's a 1941 Plymouth with a 392 Hemi on Ebay this week 60 bids at 5500 clams at this point. I would love to have that motor. Click the highlighted text. I'll remove link after auction ends. Ok I removed the link to Ebay. Although I don't think the car sold. Auction appears to have been ended early.

My last thought; spring is around the corner. As soon as the weather breaks I plan to mock up some final ideas for running boards side scoops and dash board designs. I've been combing HAMB for ideas and got plenty to consider. Thanks to everyone who's posted.

Just took inventory of parts and surprisingly found them all. Until the weather breaks I plan to polish the stainless trim. That'll keep me busy for a while. I also have a few photos before pics went digital. I'm looking for the one with the 413 long ram manifold when I originally fitted the 440 into the frame. Kool Factor pics.

 

Isn't it amazing how once you find the HAMB things you thought you would do for 30 years are questioned? I have had my car for 17, been on the HAMB almost 8 and have changed my mind more times than I care to remember.
Ill hang on and see where this goes.

 

...perhaps not 'that' 392...but one could be found...hint, hint

NOTHING wrong with an RB package in your coupe. Not too sure that I'd change it were it mine.

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440 sure is a cheaper build....more HP and torque, something about popping a hood and seeing that dizzy laying on it's side gets me every time.

 

After studying other rides that drag their tails I believe I can achieve a similar effect with work that still needs to be done on the car and not have to re-do anything that is for the most part finished. From the rear I'll create a bumper that drops below the body line. To complete the look I'll use two stock bumpers.

The first one will contour to the curve on the trunk lid and taper toward the curve aligning under the rear fender. It will require heating to pull out the curve in the center. A good coal fire should do the trick. After getting a good smooth curve in the middle the ends of the bumper will be relaxed and matched under the body line of the rear fender. A section from a donor bumper will be welded to extend down the bottom of the rear quarter. and the end will be contoured to match the wheel well at the end.

Because the bumper is symmetrical through the cross section it will require work to make it blend so that it doesn't appear to be a bumper. I want it to look like part of the body; like a rear pan. This will require pulling the bottom of the bumper in toward the chassis. This look should add about 4 inches of drop to the back of the car.

The finishing touch will be a splash pan fitted the space between the bumper and body and will cradle the exhaust tips from underneath.

The running boards will create the lowering effects from the side view. We will start matching the bottom of the rear fender and taper the board inward toward the front fender ending about the middle of where the original running board would have stopped. The side will have a slight radius that will compliment the body lines.

Because these parts are made of heavier steel and not attached to the sheet metal they should be more forgiving if they make contact with anything because of low ground clearances. The car will ride with about 6" clearance on level road.

 

Cabin fever got the best of me this week. So, I went out in the cold and polished trim. Each piece took about 15 to twenty minutes to get a good shine using a buffing wheel and white rouge. Final polish will be with green rouge to give it a mirror finish. The hood trim is next and has a few areas that will need to be hammered straight before I shine it up.

Below are before and after pics using white rouge and a buffing wheel.



Both center grill trim pieces polished.