I'm contemplating a 32 Plymouth 4 dr sedan build with stuff I have on hand. I really like full fenders and hood and low in the front with a slight rake in the back. My question is about the front end. I would prefer to stay with the original equipment with upgrades where strength was needed. How would that behave with a 389 Pontiac? I don't care too much about power steering and disc brakes. My 59 chevy pu is straight axle no ps, no pb and a hot 350 with 3 spd overdrive on the tree and I love it, you have to drive it. I have no experience with 30's suspension, how would this behave and what would be the smart way of doing it and not clipping it. Thanks
Well they are a parallel leaf straight axle and are very good considering the buggy spring most guys run. The problem is you want it low. I would suggest just adapting a aftermarket dropped axle. There were factory mopar dropped axles with parallel leafs but I can't tell you where to look. The nice thing about aftermarket is parts are easy to find. You will have to weld spring perches to it though. Then just rebuild the stock springs with new liners. I would also suggest an aftermarket cross steer setup. If you insist on sticking with the stock front axle you can c notch the frame and mount the axle on top of the springs to get it a couple inches lower.
Thanks for the reply and the info. I'm interested in doing things like guys would have done in the mid 50's through the 60's. You know, when they didn't have a lot of money but were just trying to do the best with what they had and using thier wits. I know that they hotrodded these kinds of cars in those days with big heavy later model v8's and the advice mentioned sounds like it is along those lines. I'm not after a super low stance like it's bagged or anything, just a good hotrod rake. I would use a later model rearend for good strength. Thanks!
Don't bother with finding a dropped axle, just find someone to help you de-arch your springs...or do a search here and try to do it yourself...it's likely you can removed 2 leafs from each side...I'd remove the 2nd and 4th shortest leafs and de-arch the springs and it'll probably drop you a good 2 inches, the motor weight will probably give you another 1/2" of drop...just remember, allow the frontend some time to settle after doing the work, as everything settles it'll likely look too high until everything shimmies and gets set into place from driving a bit...good luck man, and there's a TON of great guys on here to help with any Poncho questions you might have...
**** it, you're in Minot, ND...if I can find my leaf spring de-arching press I made, or if you have a hydraulic press, I can surely help you with that...and I work for cheap (beer, food, gas money or parts ) hahaha...
Nice info. What have guys had good luck with in the brakes with these kind of cars? I'm thinking that would be asking way too much of the stock brake setup? Stopping is important and 1932 was a while ago.
I like your at***ude, I was trying to figure out how to send a pm.... couldn't do it, rookie lameness. I have all the above mentioned forms of currency
Brakes are nearly all interchangable from mopar straight axles, I'm running '46 Dodge pickup drum brakes on my Pontiac powered '40 Plymouth drag car, the only down side is the need for regular maintenance and adjustment, but they work quite well...I think my de-arching tool is down in storage...any chance you could post some pics of your car? I'd like to see what you got to work with...
I'm dealing on the car now which is why I'm asking these questions. It seems like it would be a good candidate for a hotrod, I love 30's Plymouth sedans (and I'm a GM guy). I have a couple of good 389's which I also think are awesome motors. I have cars coming in and going out all the time so I'm reasonably hopeful that I can score the car I just have to be alittle patient. I'll post pics if I get it.
You wouldn't happen to have a couple of 400"-455" Pontiacs laying around, would you? I need one for my '40 Plymouth...the one currently in the car is a mock-up motor that I toyed around with and got running and it seized up the bottom end, took the oil pan off and found a couple inches of mud, rocks, sand and twigs in the bottom...who the **** expects to find that in their oil pan? It was a great learning experience though, always drop the oil pan and inspect the bottom end...good luck buying the car, I'm a sedan fan myself...
I like the idea of keeping thestock frontend. I´ve done that too when i built my 34 Plymouth and it handles very well for a 30s construction. I know your´s is straight axle and mine IFS, but I just added a set of telescopic shocks to the lever shocks( inside the upper A.Arms) and it works like a charme. The stock drum brakes were ok for cruising and speeds up to 60mph but my travel speed on the Autobahn over here ist around 90-100 mph, so that´s why I converted to discs. After braking one or two times at that speed the drums were so wide an hot smoke came out of the wheel wells.But they braked ok.
That is totally *****in, flyin on the autobahn in a 30's car, respect. I agree that discs woud be a good idea, they could probably be worked out with the original master just tune the valving I would think.
I just picked up this 29 Dodge, this is the ony picture I have now. This is seperate from the 32 that has been discussed. I was wondering what people have had luck with for front brakes on these. I would really like to get something else bolted on so I could have some steel wheels on it and be able to move it around easier.
I know at one point I had a spare set of brakes laying around, I think I traded them off a year or two ago...I'll ask my buddy if he still has em, since I'm almost positive he's not using them...
I used the stock springs on mine. They are stout enough to support a sbc and 4:71 blower. I used a dropped tube axle a friend gave me out of a dragster package Speedway used to sell. Its a little to narrow, but I live with it. If you run fenderless it will look OK. I welded a couple of spring pads on that are the same width as the springs. You can find them at any trailer supply place. I used adaptors and 77 disc brakes on 48 Ford spindles. I used Ford tie rod ends. I am using a 66 Mustang steering box. Its near the end of its life and Id like to find a used Flaming River box. Cant afford a new one. I cant run a cross steering box because I mounted the engine low enough to run a hood with the blower. I dont use the hood but I could. The problem with getting Mopars low enough is that no one makes a chopped front splash apron. If you hit the street with that apron its hard and expensive. If you run fenderless, no problem. Or you can run fenders without it but looks kind of unfinished. Hope this helped
This has been great info, I knew the hambers would come through. There is also the possibility of running Buick finned drums, that came to my attention through a pm. I hadn't considered that but that might be a cool option and I have a few sets of those, this is getting interesting.
I've never heard of Buick drums being used with Mopar brakes, but I know you can ream Mopar axle kingpin holes out to accept Ford spindles, which can be adapted to Buick finned drums...
Leroy 701 here's a sitwe you should check out http://www.butchscoolstuff.com/ I had heard Butch was in bad health and that's why he sold Butch's Rod Shop. Guess he's better. Butch will probably work with you. He used to sell a kit for power brakes for '32 Mopar. It contained a master cy, booster and the mount and pedal. All I needed was the mount and pedal. Butch kindly made me a deal on what I needed. Not many guiys like that. His stuff was good quality as well. He's got some solutions for both ends of your car so take a look.
That is a great lead thank you, Butch has a lot of cool stuff I kept the link. I'm pumped it looks like I'm going to be bringing that 32 in on Friday if the weather is good, if not early next week then. This is the vibe I'm diggin for these kind of cars, I know it's a different car but you know what I mean, right?? Pic is grabbed from pileup pics I think
Nice...personally I'd do 2-3" less of a chop, it looks a little too squashed and out of proportion...I dig keeping the fenders...you planning on running a full hood with the sides?...
I can see what you mean about the chop proportions, I'm not sure though, I like hard chops. As far as the hood sides go, I like full hoods although with a 389.....
There's a member of the Bombers club out of St. Louis that has a '31 sedan. The builder (his buddy) flipped the axle over the the leaf springs and it was sitting pretty low. I don't think I got his name, but they are a nice couple. Engine is a 318, I think. I have a pic of it:
Oh, I met them at the Rust Revival, it's his wife's car, I think it's got a 383 BB Mopar in it if I remember correctly...I had a ton of photos of it at one point because I needed to see how the wheelwell arches and floors were built so I could make new ones on my '31...
Ply-Do in West Va. has almost all of the parts you will need. They have an ad in Rod and Custom every month, have to call as they do not have a web site. Understand the husband died but the family is running the business now. Phone number (304) 475-3245. Good luck with your project, Plymouths are good cars very strong frame and running gear.
Thank you for the lead I will definately save that info and see what they have to offer. I'm getting so pumped about this!
www.robertsmotorparts.com enjoy browsing through that, and I have a set of brake shoes I can trade to you in whatever deal we wind up working out in the future (brand new from Roberts)...I'm still trying to get ahold of the guy I traded the front brake setup to, I'm sure I can reacquire those as well if you're still interested...
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