Projects Updates on my 33 Plymouth PD Coupe Build

I have been wanting a 33-34 Dodge or Plymouth since I was 9 years old. I am real close to 62 now so last year I decided if I was gonna get one built I had better hurry up. It had to be fenderless and old school 1959/1960 era influenced. My original thought was a 340 small block since I have several and the run like crazy. Was thinking 727 automatic. That conflicted with the old hot rod thinking. The guy I bought the 33 Plymouth body said " What you need is one of my old Hemis for that!" OK, new direction. Well, that fell through entirely. Now I got the Hemi bug and decided to find one myself. Bought a 1953 Chrysler 331 extended bell Hemi. Not the best choice but price was right and they look like a 392 except for the ext. bell.

I bought a couple of adapters from HAMBers and fleabay. 1 is a ext bell to LaSalle. The other is to Flathead Ford. Then Flathead to an all syncro Ford 3 spd. I had decided it had to be a stick shift. Ended up buying 3 LaSalle trannies at the Portland Swap meet.

I bought chrome valve covers, headers, 426 nipple boot type plug wires, gaskets, etc online.
Found and bought a 1954 only 4bbl intake and carb, and before I could pick that one up, bought a second 1954 4bbl intake.

Picked up a 1934 Dodge sedan frame south of Las Vegas. Cut the front of the frame off with the independent front suspension. Spliced on front frame rails from a 1937 Dodge pickup. Fish plated them, and boxed the frame from the x member to the 2" drop Model A type front crossmember. Got a reverse eye front spring. Bought hairpin weld on brackets from Speedway and welded them to a 1937 Dodge car tube axle. I had bought a pair of hairpins at the Spokane swap meet a few years ago. I was making my 2nd or 3rd pass through the meet and noticed these. The fellow said I needed those! I didn't have a need at the time but asked how much? He said, "We want to buy 2 ice cream cones so 6 bucks!" With that story and the ridiculous price I had to buy them. Now I have a need.

Ok, so now I am mounting a steering box bracket and u joints etc and not alot of room around the header so I take it off. Then I felt rather sick. There is a 3" freeze crack that I completely missed seeing earlier! I checked out the other side and it is 6-8 inches cracked. I am 99% sure the rodder that sold me the engine didn't see them either. Just not that kinda guy.

So, on to CL I go looking for another engine or block. Found a 51 331 150 miles away. Made arrangements to meet him Sunday between 11-12. I start calling him about 45 mins out. Instantly goes to voice mail over and over. Sent him texts, got to his house, engines were sitting there with all ports full of water and the second engine without heads had these nasty corroded things that used to be pistons. He wanted $1100.00 for them. I waited quite a while, then left to do other things. At 5pm I get a text saying he unexpectedly had to leave and if I wanted to go back I could load them myself with his picker and take them for free. I was nearly home by then and decided even free was too much for another 300+ mile trip.

I did pick up a 68 Charger rear end yesterday and moved the spring pads and got that mounted. Just the right width with the 1940 Plymouth 16" wheels. I tried an A body rear end but it was a little too narrow. Would of been fine with big reversed wheels though.

So, I am still in search of a replacement Hemi. Anyone not to far away have any?
I will post some earlier pics, a couple of which I have posted previously.

This body had been hit in the right rear so I put in a replacement quarter.

 

Some more pics.

 

Ok, these pics are a little out of order but you get the idea. See the crumpled rear? Had it sitting on a 25 DB frame for mock up before I got the 34 frame. Trying out different tire/wheels sizes. Here are a few different wheels, and my 4 year old Grand Son. He thinks all my cars are his! He knows which are which and notices every new one I drag home! And no, there is no problem with his legs or feet! My friend asked me that. He was just standing that way for some reason. I didn't ask him to pose, he just jumped in the picture. Not the 1st time either. Does that at car shows and cruise ins too!

 

Grill shell is 34 Dodge with custom aluminum grill. We thought hood was 33 Dodge but the center hinge is incorrect. It does not use a chrome or stainless piece down the center like Mopars and Fords, etc. It has a male and female side and the two slip together without additional hardware. Any ideas what it might be? I decided on red wheels with 40 Plymouth caps.

 

Here are some later pics.

 

Here are some with the new frame under it and the motor mounts installed

Frame horns will be trimmed when I decide if I want a V spreader bar or what. Tacked some headlight mounts on top of the shock mounts. Going to run these old painted buckets.

 

Nice plan,another Mopar coming to the fold.Cool.

 

Ok, I think this brings me up to date on pics unless I missed some on my phone.

Thanks for looking,
Dave

 

Nice car. Love 1932-34 mopars,miss my33 ply.Glad your keeping it all mopar.

 

And I really like your convertible!

 

Watching this for sure. My '34 Dodge is coming along slowly.



Mechanically its all done. Now slogging through all the the body work.

Dave

Sent from my GT-P5210 using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks.I have always preferred 33-34 Plymouths over any other car.

 

Awesome car. I like your plans for it.

 

Lucked into this one and love it! Gotta get back to working on it.

 

Suthunman- Love your car! That car is BADDDDD! Wish it was in my garage.

 

Turns out one of my car buddies has a complete 51-53 Chrysler New Yorker with the same ext. block 331 as I am using. When weather permits we are going to pull it from it's resting spot to his shop and get it fired up and see what shape the engine is in. He said he drove it to where it sits some time back. I may have Chrysler parts or car for sale soon.

 

BTW, I plan on this '33 being Satin Black. I liked the black wheels with the rust colored body but I think I will prefer the red wheels with black body. Don't know if it will ever really be straight enough for shiny paint but that is just fine with me. Satin Black covers a lot of sins and wild times!

 

That is a very nice car! I like them a lot.

Please don't take this the wrong way;
I like MOPAR, and I applaud any non ford owner who dares making a traditional Hot Rod out of what they got. I'm building a Spurgin inspired dry lake roadster my self.
This is my question :
If you wants to run MOPAR body, engine, trans, hood, grill, rear suspension, but plans to run the insuperior FoMoCo set up with transverse leaf spring?

No disrespect meant , just curious.

On a different note I like your color choose and your workmanship. I like you run steelies and caps.
And I definitely will keep watching.

 

Well Volvo, the crossmember is aftermarket Speedway product, looks nothing like the Model A item it replaces and the spring is an aftermarket too, except the main leaf which IS an early Mopar that I reversed my self. Parallel leaves look rather awkward on a fenderless car, hence my buggy spring approach. I take no offense to anyone's politely worded opinions. Besides, how boring would it be if all our cars looked exactly alike?

 

I appreciate the honest answer.

Despite I like the look of parallel spring set up I understand that most people disagree.
But you at completely right, to each his own.




I know I'm weird, I just dislike people chopping parallel springs because they claim it can't be lowered or that it has too look more ford-Ish to be era perfect.
That just ain't true, but I'm glad you made the call to make you self more please with it

 

The frame I used is a '34 Dodge frame, which had independent suspension. While they work ok for a full fendered car they are terribly ugly for a fenderless car. I didn't have a parallel leaf frame to start from. So far, no Fords were harmed in the building of this car!
Oh yeah, I used to own a couple Volvos too. A 444 and a 544. Both long since moved on, though I wouldn't mind having another. a '59 and later a '62 I think. Sports cars with rear seats!

 

Great cars. I like the pics and fenders.

 

Well, I scraped all my pennies together today and went and bought the '52 Chrysler New Yorker 4dr. It had not been started since 1993. Last licensed in 1965. Fired right up, sounds pretty decent, moves under its own power. I plan to go trailer it home tomorrow, only 10 or 12 miles, clean some things up and maybe run it around for a while, really see how well it runs. One of these days I will have the rest of the car for sale after pulling the engine, etc. Has a clear title, that will help.

 

The 33 PD body has always been my favorite coupe, not an ugly line on the body and it always looked like it had a slight chop.

 

Enjoyed watching and reading about your build. Looks great! I'm considering swapping out for a 340 small block for my 36 coupe. I'll watch for you at the Central Oregon cruise-ins this summer.

 

Latigo, I live on the south end of Madras right on hwy 97 just before the turnoff for hwy 26 to Prineville. If you have ever driven through Madras you saw all my antique cars lined up out front. Stop by any time.
I don't think the 33 will be ready for the road this summer, but several of my other cars are.
Dave

 

I got the '52 New Yorker home and drove it off the trailer. That's all I did with it today, too many other things keeping me busy today.

 

Getting anything else done on this built???????????

 

Nope, Vern.

 

This is a great thread and a really nice car. You are doing a great job. Too bad we didn't live closer. I have beautiful 392 just rebuilt with a hotter cam. Thought I sold it last year but buyer never showed up. Will be watching the thread. Very cool Mopar.