39 plymouth project from tarp find to road in 100 days

Short story here; I find a post for a 46 Plymouth convertible for sale. The car has been under a shelter for 30 years. Its been fully disasembled, but is complete. Its being sold with a 39 Business coupe included, also under the shelter stored slightly longer, also in pieces. Price $8500. Both cars are claimed to be nearly rust free.

I go down to have a look and yeah, they're doth unasembled, both complete +/- and both rust free ( the convert has minor floor issues like all of them). To see them I have to crawl through a mint 32 ford frame, past a 34 ford truck cab, over felders and goodies for 3 48 chev trucks. Both projects are going to be big ones but very cool. Hands were shaked and a deal was made. A great hot rodder who gave me a great deal.




L to R: Duke, Lono and HemiKid



So here's my challenge. Canadian winters are long and summers way to freakin short. By August 31 I'm going to have her on the road along with:

Body:
Custom fender skirts
chopped 3 in in front 4.5 in back
shaved and smoothed
lowered 4 inches
reached springs w/ air ride shocks ( No, not air bags)
Some other custom body goodies ( watch for it)
Paint: something satin


Drive train:
full running gear from a 84 grand Lamans with less than 48,000 miles
ps/ pbrakes
Disk brakes from a Challenger ( done by the last owner)

Bling:
Gennie goose neck
Diamond tires ( I'll never buy another Coker)
hidden CD player for my Rockabilly
functioning lakes pipes
T/R seat ( sewn by the last owners wife but never installed, very cool job)
Dash: wild vintage cluster.
Original steering wheel

Wheels:
Plain Jane with Moon caps.

End results will look something like this:



Two folks to thank: Hemikid from B.C.- thank you for the great projects and your carefull storage of the cars. Duke- Thanks for the help dragging the old girl home.

 

Nice find. Selling the convert to finance the coupe? Oh ya, schedule in plenty of time for things that don't happen as fast and smoothe as you have planned. You will need plenty of $$ for all of the stuff that you did not list. Have fun. Why are you reading this?-go out and work on project.

 

The body's off the frame so a good chance to clean up the frame from surface rust. A pretty sight, straight as an arrow and ready to start mounting goodies too.

Dropped the stock springs in place, bolted them in and took the blocks out and had it sitting on the springs. Nice rid height but the clearance would ****. I see reaching and blocks in its future.

The floor and trunk are nearly rust free but will require a big clean up. Will set the body back on and do a quick mock up of ride height.

 

ARRRHHH!!!!
You just reminded me of what I have to do to get my '39 done.

 

04:30 ; Jacked the body up off the frame and pulled the frame out for a quick sanding and clean up.
Wire wheeled it and inspected the bottom of the car. A little wire wheel action and rust treatment followed.

Then mock up time.
Dropped the body back on, mounted a door, slipped the springs under it and slammed a wheel/tire and fender on it. The car is sitting on its rear springs in the picture but gives me the idea of what I want for a ride height.
The frame is level in this picture. I can see pulling a few leaves out and maybe rearching the springs to get it this low... but ooooooo I like it.

Going back now to fill in pin holes in the trunk in an area about the size of a $5. spot.

 

Lono, what a killer score! I love these cars! Good for you man! Yer plans sound great, can't wait to see it come together.
Long cold Canadian winters? Yer in the worng part of the country
The mock up looks gooder!

-Shiny

 

Thanks Shiny!
I'm lovin it!

Day 2 and I got the trunk pin holes welded and filled, call it project done.
Tonight I got funky and stripped and got about 1/2 ground clean. Talk about great shape!

Tomorrow I'll blast at it and finnish the clean up and then give the shop ( aka closet) a clean up. I gotta find a rear end for it soon.

 

'Looks you're well on your way to a killer ride.
I'll be watching for your posts.

Dave

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Both my rods are hybrids, they gas and they burn rubber.

 

Yea me too....i have a 39 in awesome shape that i have never figured out what to do with.....so ill watch you and grab some ideas

 

didnt get as much done as planned today. Been grinding off the old paint layers and bondo. No bad holes have appeared. I'm thinking it was a lazy body man who took to it last time. With a shrinking disk and a little luvin' I can cut back on the filler. One more dy of grinding and I can focus on other things.

I have a set of 39 ford teardrop eyeballs coming and rear window sheet metal and found a Granada 8" rearend, should drop in there real nice, will take some measurements tomorrow.

I slacked off today to check out a 35 slopeback for a fellow Cajin rodder.

Saturday I'm off to pick up the 46 Plymouth convertible that I bought from the same gentleman. Pix of it to follow on Sunday.

results of todays slack ***ing...

 

Looks great!

Hey if you aren't going to use the garnish moldings on the doors I know somebody that really needs them ;-) Plymouth doors are the same from 37-39.

 

I'll let you know about the garnish molding when I get there.

My need list has shrunk nicely over night.

skirts.. found
rear window sheet metal ... found
Rear end... found
Springs... found

Well, that does it for stripping. I took a huge wod of bondo out of the drivers door. I think the body man was a little to quick with the mud rather than shrink a dent, the same goes with the p***enger quater and door. Theres been no hole larger than a pencil rubber.

The next time I hit the body its going to be filling a few small holes in the trunk lid lip and then onto the cools stuff, filling gas neck and bumper holes.

Heading into town now to buy a shrinking disk... and now the last strip and grind pic.



I've got new springs coming late next week along with a ford 8 inch.

Next week the focus turns to getting the front end back in, mocking up the motor/ ****** and if things go right, getting the rear end in.

Tomorrow its off to pick up the 46 plymouth covertible.

 

Good idea to keep those original 39 Taillamps! Most people don't recognize them as they are gold, only used for 1 year, hard to find anything but lenses.

 

I've taken inventory of all the parts and find missing are the front coil springs.

Anyone know an affordable replacement for them from a modern car/ van/truck that will work? I want to drop the car 3 inches in front and will do through cutting coils if needed.

Will post some interesting new pix tomorrow... Got the 46 convert home early this morning ... *** draging today.

 

Love them.

 

I found my front coil springs today and ordered them, now the big wait. I hope to have them next week.

Turned my head back to doing a little body work while I wait to pick up my donor car later in the week.

Small work space means one panel at a time.

 

Sharp!
There is an old guy about three miles from me with a '38 Plymouth Coupe in his barn, his brothers drove it to high school back in the sixties.
Wp

 

great looking coupe, got any pictures of the convertable?

Cant wait to see it done.

 

Nice car!

 

I dont want to be one of those guys who say, 'I'm gunna restore it one day." If someone comes past with the right offer, she'll go home with him. Its all there pretty much from roof ribs and cylinders to all the panels and drive line.

then again... a fat hemi ...tuck and roll interior

 

Day five and I found myself playing with my big Deck. Huge man I tell you!
Shaved the handle and lock along with the plate light. Tomorrow I'll bang on the rear apron and get it cleaned up.

I'm hoping I'll get the call to come pick up my donor car, I'd like to get working on some mechanical soon.

 

Keep it going....i want to see how low you can get this thing without cutting frame....i have a restored stock 39 frame and primed body....thinkng bout finishing it after i see how low you can get yours

 

I think if you really want a weed wacker, you have to sub the frame but I'll be happy just having it sit 4 inches lower than stock .... ( for this year).

 

Looking Good. Great find.

 

The big job today? Putting the car on a set of Princess auto wheel dollies to be able to move it around a little.

I went out last night and ground the rear skirt clean and put the first thin coat of mud on it. One small area of damage from where it slid off the 2x4's as we got it home but no biggie. Today, a little embow grease on the long board and another small skim coat and another blocking.

Looking down the p***enger side you can see a thin coat all the way down the side. There's no rust so I'm suspecting more shrink disk work coming this week.

For now, the sun just came out and I hear a cold Corona calling.



Tonight I'll play with the roof chop picture in photochop to get a feeling for whats in store.

Anyone want to jump in on the photochop fun?

 

It's coming along nicely! Keep the updates coming. I just love the lines of these cars in their stock form, so personally I would skip the chop (just my 2 cents). Looking forward to the continued pics.

 

You tow that from Mexico to Canada?


I wouldn't chop it.The size of the crown in the trunk lid will make the car look like it is Quasimodo reborn as a car.
I know top chops are fashionable but so were floral bell bottoms jeans and knowone wears those anymore.

 

That's what I thought of on my 40 dodge. If you look at those year mopars and compare them to other makes, they look like they are chopped from the factory.

 

In 22 years of being married and countless cars since we've been together, my wife Jan is taking an interest in this one. Her view on cars has always been, ' they're a way to get from here to there." Since putting the 31 on the road, she hasn't gone for cruise in it yet so for her to be watching with interest is a happy thing.

Last night I was showing her the pictures of the chopped roof and Flatz paints. The first thing she said was, "dont chop it, I like it the way it is" ... I LIKE IT THE WAY IT IS .

Fender skirts... p***ed approval
lakes pipes.... all good
less than perfect interior... boarderline but okay
She suggested doing the main bodywork and handing it over to my painter make it perfecto... ( where did that come from???)

So as I move along, I hope she continues to take interest so any chop ( if its going to happen) will be the last project before windows and insurance... a happy wife is a happy life.

A long day on the long board. I havent found a small panel yet.
Some interesting early lead work around the side quarter window that will require some surgery.


Tomorrow, I'll block this off again, deal with the low spots and move on to the door. That way come tuesday when Santa starts bringing all my (feeling real hopefull here) springies and thingies I can blow out the shop and exchange dust for grease.



Jan chose her favorite colour today too. She's liking Daytona Blue: [/IMG]
I was hoping for
Vintage burgandy ... oh well, I'm just a pawn in the game of life

 

Chop it and paint it Vintage Burgundy man...YOU are the car guy, not the missus !

Then again, I dont know your missus !! lol

If you do the chop, flow the roof into the rear deck nicely and it should look killer.

Mind you I like the stock roofed 39,40 and 41 Plyms.

Confued now haha ??

Seriously, nice project Ill be following along on the updates, keep em coming.

Rat