Featured History Why don’t I see Plymouth/Chevy Hot Rods?

Came across this on FB recently. Looks the part. I like the body lines, and if wasn’t so expensive, I would perhaps consider buying it, but then I’m thinking who would ever buy it if I decided to sell it since almost everything I’ve seen is a Ford. Why is that? Would be so cool to put in a 50s hemi into it.

 

Isnt the popularity/survivability a lot to do with the amount of wood used in the body structure on early non-Fords?

30k seems a lot to me but im not really in that market,

 

The main problem with Chevrolets of the same vintage is that they stayed with wood for structural strength of the body shell, and over the years the wood would deteriorate and the body would fall apart. Also, since Ford flatheads were the first choice for hot rodding for years, it stood to reason that the rest of the Ford would be used as well.

 

Termites suck
The ford bodies had better proportions
Production numbers

 

Plymouths and Dodges were used for dirt racing in early years , took the toll on the amount left

 

Part of it hat to do with the fact that Henry made the Ford model T the cheapest car out there. They were good cars and plentiful. That developed brand loyalty. Then that v-8 engine came out and could kind of easily be made to fit the older cars. The other cars 6 cyl. might have been near as easy to do the same thing but the brand loyalty took over to lead the way .

 

Brand loyality/early monolopy, hop up parts (4 cyl and V8), V8, body construction.
The Mopar stuff was on par with bodies, adopted hyd brakes and independent suspension earlier, but didn't have the engines to compete with the popular Fords.
GM had the body issues and the 6 again wasn't a V8, although they were raced.
If it is all original and never apart, it's very rare, but that's a lot of money.

 

There are a few threads on here for the other brands. We have a Chrysler assembly plant in our area, maybe that is why I see some more Dodge/Plymouth stuff. The wood thing is a real consideration- I think chev until 1937, some of the others until 1935. I do regret passing on a 34 Oldsmobile project. Some of the early grilles on the non fords were not especially conducive to a fenderless look.

 

As a strictly kustoms guy, I can’t tell the difference between one or another, they look the same to me

 

Speaking of...a buddy just sent me this ad from Marketplace last night... $3500...

1931 Chevrolet roadster custom · Convertible · Driven 23,552 miles 1931 Chevy homemade roadster built in 1959.... not running $3,500 clear title and very cool documents from 59-60 .. [hidden information] in Norman Oklahoma story of build below.. Kansas Teenagers Hotrod dream from 65 years ago A 16 year old Rod Koon from Kansas paid $10.00 for a Ford chassis August 15th 1959 and received a notorized bill of sale and then 2 weeks later he found a 31 Chevrolet coupe cab at J&K salvage for $1.00 and then started putting his poor man's Hotrod together ❤️ 324ci Olds 4 barrel engine 3 speed manual trans roof removed to build his own custom roadster The young man was very tall and chose to extend the cab for more leg room. A person can only imagine how many of these early Hotrod cars were built from American salvage yards with Dreams and pocket change.... It's worth mentioning that Rod's high school English 2 essay was written March 10th 1960 about this dream car and the teacher gave him an "A" !!

 

@daylatedollarshort That too!
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/want-photos-of-1931-1932-mopar-car-frames.827226/
I don't know about production by '31, but earlier Ford had the field covered. 1931 was also depression era.
Remember, hot rods were old used up cars for most, trying to get more oomph cheap. Racing was big, but the headliner stuff was Indy cars here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1931_in_motorsport

 

I'm pretty sure the original production numbers would tell most of the story.

Given Mr Ford's ability to produce large numbers of cars at very cheap prices is a big deal to over come, right out of the gate. More cheap cars produced means more cheap cars for the kids to start out with. Then add in the fact that Ford didn't change much on his cars for years means the simple cars had lots of replacement parts available, and they were cheap too. Cheap cars, cheap parts, interchange parts that covered for many years, all add up to a broke teenagers dream position. Probably the biggest reason Ford cars were so popular was because as a company, Ford had a 20 + year head start on building cars over most of the other brands. His creation of the production line, and the investment in production facilities gave the company a huge advantage that all the other companies had to overcome.

GM (that didn't even become a car company until the 1920s) may have stood a chance with the hot rodders, if they would have moved the lower cost divisions on to a steel body structure 5-7 years earlier then they did. The more expensive GM divisions with the steel structures, were too over priced for the teenagers, compared to the Fords. The wood structure rotting out had a huge impact on affordable available body sources for those teenagers. By the time the cars were old enough to have the right price tag, the wood was already showing its future problems. That alone probably made the GM car lines less attractive to the teenagers until the later 1930s body styles, and those cars were bigger and heavier then the late 20s & early 30s Fords.

Chrysler wasn't a car company until 1924. Dodge was a free standing company that started in 1917, mostly because of a conflict between the Dodge brothers and Mr Ford. The Dodge brothers were supplying most of Ford's drive train parts at that time. Mr Chrysler bought the Dodge motor company from the Dodge brother's estate after both had died in 1919. Plymouth was the cheap car division for the new Chrysler Corp. The biggest challenge Chrysler faced was not enough production facilities, can't sell cars you can't build.

If you could balance the field with everyone starting production at the same time, with the same amount of production facilities, I have question if Ford would have been so popular for the early hot rodders. But history is history, and a 20 year head start is a big deal.

 

I see mostly Fords simply because Ford sold more cars in this era. Then 2nd are Mopars around here, and then Chevys lastly. Late 30's I seem to see almost as many Chevys as Fords, and less Mopars.

 

Thanks for the replies. Hadn’t thought about the wood issue. Really don’t know much about hot rods and the early history, so appreciate the feedback. I tend to gravitate towards the path less travelled, and prefer things that are apart from what the “masses” consider desirable, so would prefer something like this Plymouth, but again not at that crazy price. I see that Plymouth being no more than CAN$15K considering it’s still all orig other than the tires/rims.

 

Here in the Sunny South we see a lot of Plymouths and Chevys, as some have pointed out the wooden structures in the early chevys is expensive to replace, the 35 and up chevys are real popular in my area and the Chryslers & Plymouths are were built like tanks and they little to wood. HRP

Cool video.

 

Does seem high considering what 30K would get you in other genres.
Asking and getting are two entirely different critters, throw him an offer, he may bite.

 

Production.
Decided to look it up. Consumer Guide's Encyclopedia Of American Cars from 2001.
They don't have a break down of Plymouth model production, but mention (pg. 722) nearly 107,000 for 1931.
On page 399, it says that Chevrolet outsold Ford for 1931 but only by 4100 cars. Ford is broken down by model, so I had to add it up. 555,135 total.

 

Even the Dodges are built to take whatever is thrown at them, check out this video. HRP

 

For a better understanding of why so few chevys still exist, they were basically a carpenter's framework with a steel skin nailed on.
I found this site from the picture. I haven't explored the site, but this should make anyone who isn't a competent woodworker shudder!
https://1931chevrolet.com/restoration/

 

Hang on to your wieners.
I'm workin' on it.

 

This one is more reasonable on price.
https://greensboro.craigslist.org/cto/d/high-point-1932-plymouth-pa-sedan/7835287042.html

 

I dig early 30's Plymouths! IMO Plymouths have better proportions than Fords, especially the coupes. They have a little more leg room inside, and the roof is not quite as tall, they don't need a chop to look good. And they came with juice brakes long before Ford did. Fords have better styling with the grills/radiator shells, but Plymouths aren't bad. And since the engine compartments were designed for a straight 6 they're a little easier to fit an OHV V8.

 

Plymouths of that era are better built. The least wood. Much stronger frame. No comparison. Body too. And just a little larger. Three inches wider and six inches longer interior than the Ford. Flush fit doors. Etc.

You could say the Fords are prettier than the Mopars. The Mopars do have awesome reveals. It's a matter of taste. And circumstance. I think looking for a hot rod project is kinda like looking for love. So much of it has to do with what's available. LOL

Early on, it was all about the Fords. I think a Mopar build would have been more likely to happen in the later years. Early 60s. So that's what I'm shooting for.

 

Along with all the other reasons mentioned, you gotta take into account that humans are herd/tribal/social creatures. I want to be different, just like everyone else! If the group is all running Fords, you probably are too.

 

thats why I bought this car... no wood/no rust...

 

Good to know being I’m 6’-6”. Despite what I said earlier, I really like the 32 Ford roadster, but likely way too small for me, so started looking more at the 33/34 Fords. In a way, I prefer their body lines and they seem bigger, at least seem to have more room under cowl.

 

^^^^ This. All the cool kids have Fords. I got turned down for the ROC because I have a Chevy.

 

I traded a Ford for a Plymouth that had a Chevy motor - guess met all of the criteria discussed

 

if my memory's correct, pat ganahl was with "street rodder" magazine when he bought a '32 (?) chevy coupe with a 394 olds in it. he built a six for the car and it actually was faster!