Featured Projects Rickybop's 1931 Plymouth Business Coupe build

Hey, Ricky;
Very nice coupe! FWIW: *If* you *have* to chop it, keep the rear window full size n cut it only 1", 1.5" max, hey maybe 1/2"(chopping *only* for if you can re-create the more stylized/factory-chopped-like-the-ads-look), just to schmooze the troops & make 'em wonder "what the ...???".

Glad you're keeping the stock -type suspension - cutting the ford axle is a good move. A "Z"-cut in the center/middle of the axle is a very good way to go, very little load there.

On the rear fenders, it's just barely possible that those are 'glass repos for a Ply, iirc, yrs ago, someone(Ply-Do ?) did do a short run of Ply fenders. If you haven't tried yet, mock them up *under* the body-to-inner-fender-panel area to see how they fit, since they shouldn't bolt onto the body. It's also possible that they were for a close-but-not-quite-sedan, I don't remember just what the small (Ply-Do?) company offered. They mount like 32 fords. I think even if they have to be adapted, they'll work & look fine, as they seem to have nice contours, looking very similar to the oem Ply fenders.

"Goldilocks"... Well, works if it's Pagan Gold... . Or better yet: Roth Gold w/large 'flake! OOOooohhhh !

Keep the speedster project alive, by using cast off parts for it, soon, it too will be done.

Also, if you haven't seen it, or have it, Tex Smith Publishing had a series of Hotrodding xxx... , one of which was on Chrysler stuff, incl Dodge/Ply/DeSoto. Had some good info on adaptation(s), etc. They are fairly cheap these days. Worth having.

Marcus...

 

PLOWMOUTH! HRP

 

Black Slacks

 

Rick, will the deck lid be ventilated? HRP

 

Thanks, Marcus.

I've seen 'em chopped a little bit above and a little bit below the window. But there's not much there to work with. Then I've seen 'em cut right through the middle of the window. Becomes a cat eye as mentioned earlier. I thought that if I chop it, I'd go through the window but add rounded pieces to the ends to retain the oval shape. It's possible the original ends could be modified to form the tighter radius.

But I think I'm just gonna try to get her built as soon as possible without chopping the top for now. Make sure the doors fit real nice and everything. Drive it for a while and go from there.

I think you're right about the fiberglass rear fenders being for a Plymouth. Something's wrong with the attachment flange area. But I'll make 'em fit.

I might keep key parts of the speedster tucked away just in case for the future.

 

I doubt it, Danny. I've never been a big fan of too many louvers. I like seeing them on a hood. They make sense on a hood. It has the look of an old stove. But louvers anywhere else seems excessive and unnecessary to me. And it lets water in. And it's pretty expensive to louver a whole decklid. And if you've ever painted and wet sanded and buffed louvers... and I have... you might not want them so much. LOL

I'm going to keep it easy on the eyes. I like the simple, uncluttered, expansive real estate of a nicely painted, unlouvered, business coupe decklid.

 

No license plate or tail lights on the deck lid either.
Completely uncluttered.

Hang the license plate on the tube bumper.
Tail lights on the fenders or the bumper or on gooseneck posts.

 

Oh yeah, I had to paint the hood on the sedan.

Since it is a 25 louver hood when you add up both sides you end up with 100 vouvers to sand ~ inside and out, talk about sore fingers.

Personally I love louvers but it has to be the right car, it works for this car.



But I like my old beater just the way it is. HRP

 

Sore fingers and literally no fingerprints left. LOL

And it's probably more like 200 or 300 cuz of the unavoidable overspray and having to go back and forth multiple times.

The hood I did was on an original 1933 Ford 3W Coupe. Truth is, I enjoyed it. I did a real good job. And it came out nice. But man... tedious.

 

'Nother thing to consider about lots of louvers in the deck lid. For an audio system to have a nice healthy bass note, speakers need to be mounted in a mostly enclosed speaker box. In cars, the speaker box is often the trunk. And it makes for a good one. Excellent, in fact. But I suspect that if it was opened up too much, it would diminish the effect.

 

As a teenager, was driving with a buddy, stereo goofed up, don’t recall exactly but no tunes.
I said “damn, I gotta fix this tomorrow “. He replied “hot rods don’t need radios”.
45+ years later, still remember that.

 

I've never had a radio in my hot rod, I love music but I prefer the rattles & noise. HRP

 

I understand. I get it. There'll be times I only want to hear the sounds the car is making. But I'll never parrot those who say, "I don't need music in my hot rod."
Rickybop needs tunes. I consider it to be part of the experience of riding in a "time machine." I even like the Beach Boys. First 8-track tape I ever bought was Beach Boys Endless Summer.

OoooooooOOOOOOoooooh...

 

Warm and dry in the garage.



No small feat. After the fire, we had to move everything to the other end of the house. Naturally, the garage was the likely recipient of way too much of it. I needed the garage back. So I filled Judy's currently unused indoor swimming pool.
Not with water.

 

Can't wait to get started.

But I gotta finish work on the chicken coop before I can start work on the Plymouth coupe.
Or Judy won't be happy.
Move your ass, boy!

 

I'm a Southern boy and like my chicken fried.

Happy to see the coupe has been moved into the garage, now ya got to build 2 coop/coupes. HRP

 

Rick, You need to talk to Judy and tell her all work and no play makes Ricky a dull boy, how about working on her coop Monday thru Friday and let Rick have the weekends to work on his coupe! HRP

 

Sign me up. Something about an uncluttered view of the trunk area, draws me in.
TEHO

 

Hahahahahahahahaha...
Hahahahahahahahaha !!!
Sorry, Danny
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!

 

It's a nice thought.
Just doesn't work like that around here. Always something. It's neverending. I started work on the chicken coop today cuz the weather wasn't too bad. Gotta get it done before it gets too cold. But then I realized the furnace wasn't working. Water on the floor. Shut it down, clean up the water. Start bringing in firewood and fire up the wood stove.
Maybe I can work on the coupe tomorrow.
I mean, the coop.
Then the coupe.

 

Used to think I'd catch up on stuff around here and then do my stuff. Priorities. But that's never gonna happen. You don't "catch up around here." LOL
That's okay. One way or the other, I'll take time.
When I can.
Over this winter, maybe.

 

One thing about painting when it's cold outside. No bugs.

And the air is nice and dry.

 

Yes, Tom. Nothing on there except the chrome latch handle bottom center.
"Let the shape of the body speak for itself."
That's a decades-old quote from Pat Ganahl or one of our other many favorite editorialists. They were actually speaking about custom cars being stripped of all their superfluous trim. But the idea is the same.

 

You bet, Gene. Gotta show off the engine. And short of no hood at all, I like just a hood top. Kind of the best of both worlds. Shows the engine, but the hood top provides continuity of line.

Oh yeah... and it'll help keep water out. Functionality is always the last thing I consider.
LOL

I did find a few minutes yesterday to separate the hood sides from the top.

See... progress.