This is a repost from an offroading site that I generally follow. I have always been into the "traditional" hot rods as you guys call them, but as you can read from my screen name, I am a low budget kind of guy. Fate has a funny way of bringing us to places that we need to be at the right time. Without further adieu the short story of how I obtained my Dodge. My family had a time with this whole storm thing (April 27th Tornado Outbreak). My dad's business is gone, parents house was hit, my house was hit, sisters house was hit and so was my brothers. No one was injured, but the second worst thing did happen. My grandfathers car, bought from the local lot in 1951, was damn near fubared. The whole point of this post is to come up with some cool ideas for a totally destroyed car. All the gl*** is broken, the roof is caved in, all the exterior panels have dents and the chrome is toast. I want to put some money back into this car and make a good Sunday cruiser out of it. As it sits, the inline 6 is toast, the drum brakes drive me insane and it is just kinda plain Jane. My thoughts are something along the lines of having the roof, B and C pillars cut, having a parade boot fabbed up, rear suicide doors, rumble seat, crate V-8, disc front and rear, auto OD transmission, Rumble seat (since they were dropped in the late thirties) and remove all of the chrome except for the Ram on the front hood and shave all the handles. Maybe weld the doors shut to help keep the cost down, but then my dad wouldn't be able to enjoy it. I know I am going to have to box the frame and add some structural supports once the roof is chopped. Anyhow, post up some thoughts. I will include a few pictures of other cars give you an idea of what it used to look like. The two door had a very similar rear facade, so I included a pic as well. And finally, the condition the old worn out Dodge is currently in.
So, where is Cullman? I have a 49 Dodge with all of the body parts you need to put it back stock......sheetmetal is available. Flat gl*** is easy. Why is the 230 "toast"? .
Cullman, Alabama. There is a hole in the side of the block the size of a Pepsi Can. The engine decided to die @ just under 200k miles. I don't think I want to put it back to stock. We put a lot of heart and soul into it the first time to get it back to stock. Replaced all of the smoked gl***, reupholstered the interior, converted it to 12volts and fixed all of the guages, rubbers in the doors, yada, yada. It made my dad so sick that he just gave it to me. He is very attached to this car and for him (and for me as well, really) to lose interest shows a lot about what this storm has done to the family. Just like my house, it is time for change. I rarely see people put any money into 1950's Dodge products. Locally it is Chevy and Fords that get the TLC. Plus, having something that is one off has always been a dream.
Well ... as far as opinions I guess I would check out the options for donor cars. These aren't real poular so they shouldn't be too cost prohibitive. Maybe an opportunity to chop a top. Or replace one. Lots of mopar drive drain options. If you need a crate motor, don't forget the 360. Volare front clip and a 8.75? Good luck.
Look here for what my brother was working on when he died http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=569335 There are some cool mods like you are thinking - the air bags are a pita but they add cool
For starters, sorry about your loss Skeezix. Secondly, I love a good bit of the build he was working on. I don't know how I missed that one. I guess my focus was from 50 on and that might explain a lot. I like the engine and rear end, never thought of putting in a 5 speed though. I am going to blow up some of those pics and see if I can find a little more detail of what all he was up to.
If it isn't too much of a bother. I am glad to have found this site. It has been difficult to find people with interest in the Dodge around these parts. catomapackage @ gmail.com if you don't mind
hey man, if you send me some pics in my pm box i can do up a concept drawing for you free of charge. just send me the pics and the ideas you have for it and i will go to town from there. check out my stuff at www.mcflyart.com. i am a mopar man as well so i will design it with love lol.
As a "low budget guy" you'd probably do better getting a 318/360 out of a van or pick up, the tornado should have bagged a few of them, vs a crate engine.
Seconding the 318/360, good power and cheap/available. If you shop right you should be able to get all you need for Electronic ignition from a local junk yard. The harness is pretty simple to implement. I'd start shopping for a diplomat/fifth ave for parts, can get suspension,engine, brakes and maybe rearend (not sure on the size on the dip/5th vs your coronet). 5th aves also have some nice interior that could be incorporated.
ouch! that is one messed up dodge... as for the volare front suspension, a bit of a pain, just because of the frame kick up for the front suspension, dakota clip works well, if the front suspension is intact run it. its not bad, 318 would work, 225 would be cool, (well to me anyways) and probably wouldn't be a pain to make fit in there. those cars are common, (there's like 3 in the salvage yard down the street from me) as for a cheap donor, why not a v8 dakota?
We are going to be able to get at it hopefully over the weekend. It is the last object standing on a city block at this point. Due to clearing of rubble and to keep from puncturing tires, it has just had to sit up until this point. I never thought about doing the donor swap. Should make 4 wheel disc a whole lot cheaper too. I have sold all my projects but three to work on m***aging this s**** pile back to something respectable. This will be my only "big budget" build that I think I will probably ever take on. Big being a relative term. I am shooting for under 6 thousand for the whole build plus all the cheap labor I can squeeze out of my buddies. mcflyart, I will get you some pictures as soon as I can get back up there. It will hopefully be this weekend. It is only a few blocks away, but the whole area is still condemned and it is under a tarp. Sadly, most of my pictures were lost on a laptop that didn't quite make it. All of the pictures you will see will be what it looks like now. BTW, thanks for all of the thoughts so far. I am going to be taking a lot of pictures of the whole process. If you guys and girls are patient and help out with ideas, this should be a pretty fun build before it is all said and done. I know it will take a lot longer than I would like it to, but that is just life. Once again, a big thank you. I will keep updating and please keep the ideas coming.
The van & pick up engines are rear sump & fit in nicely if you stay with the stock frame/front. Car engines are front sump & have to be changed to rear.
Thanks George, another good tip. I guess I really need to figure out how far down the rabbit hole I need to go and find a couple of donors. One will be needed for engine and transmission, axle parts. Another for sheet metal and hopefully some good gl***.
Say your prayers....I just found a running driving 2000 Dodge Dakota for $700. Transmission shifts out fine, starts and runs without smoke or any blow by. Just need to get by there and pick it up before someone else gets it. Now I just need to pick up a donor car for body parts. I was thinking about welding and smoothing out all of the seams on the car once it is all said and done. Kind of give it a more aerodynamic look to it. Maybe drop the front and rear bumpers. I need to get some pictures to mcfly so I can quit drooling and start planning.
I hate to see any car with the roof cut off. even a messed up one. I'd rather see another roof added.
I agree to a point. If I find a body that is in good enough shape, I am thinking about fabbing up a Removable hard top. I did a half top for my Bronco II and figure it shouldn't be too much more work to do an entire full top. I guess time will tell.
If theres nothing wrong with the frame or front suspension run with it, the frame is even boxed from the factory. I put a 360 in my dodge and I kinda wish I woulda left the flat 6 in it, it woulda made my build go alot quicker and easier... just food for thought.
As I look at my 50 convert I see great options for the six - head intake and better brakes and a better gearbox but no need for an 8
Besides head & intake, split ex mans are around. QEC "73RR" here, has adaptors for putting a modern ****** behind your 6.
no need for an 8? that's like saying no need for ***, sure ya can get by with out it, but it sure makes ya grumpy lol... course i am biased...
You and I should be friends....I feel this little car has been waiting for 60 years for a little more grunt. Auto instead of the semi-auto transmission and some brakes that can be changed in under 3.4 days. The Dakota fell through, but I am keeping my eyes open. They still won't let me in to go and pick up my car. I'll keep you guys and gals informed of my progress. Kel
You can keep the original frame & front suspension. If your rear springs are not broken, you can use those as well. There are disc brake conversions available for your car. www.rustyhope.com The 318/360 fits well with an auto or standard trans. Many SUV type vehicles have rear axles that will fit under your car, and many of those have disc brakes as well. Your original front bolt pattern is 5 on 4 1/2" as are Ford Explorers, Jeeps, 5 bolt wheel Dakotas and most 60s & 70s Mopars. Of course if your upgrading to disc up front, you can match about any wheel bolt pattern you want. If your fenders are not rotted out, I'd pull them off and beat them back into shape, everything around here is rotted out or soon to be rotted out. If your floors are good, the frame will support the body with the roof cut off, a bit of reinforcing at the door posts and you should be good. It would be cheaper to locate a donor truck or car then to by pieces, but parts are around. Parts at pull-a-parts might be pretty cheap right now, seems to be an abundance of messed up cars around. Gene
I've gotten crazy parts in less than a week just posting what I want in the cl***ifieds here. Fender and rocker ***embly for my 54. You would be surprised how quick and generally reasonable things are on here. Also, greyhound shipping for large things like fenders. As for finding the drivetrain I'd use searchtempest.com it searches all the craigslists around you so you don't have to keep jumping around.
I agree 100% on SearchTempest.....it helps out a ton. I finally got to bring the car back to the house. Here's a few more pictures to show you guys and gals what I am working with.
I have been researching Desoto's. I haven't been able to get any good dimensions, but there is one for sale locally that might be a good donor car to get it closer to being back on the road. Can anyone give me a good idea on the parts interchangeability of Desoto to Coronet? Turns out my Great Grandfather purchased this car new, not my grandfather.
The Desoto is a 1950 and I have also found a 1950 Dodge Meadowbrook. I don't know how much of it would interchange either. I am guessing the Meadowbrook is a lot closer of a match.
Generally, depending on year-make-model and US vs Canadian, the Ply and Dodge are similar and the DeSoto and Chrysler a quite a bit bigger. The pictures seem to show that the sheet metal, although now a bit 'wavy', is pretty solid. Are the floors decent? .
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