If you can rebuild the flatty and swap in a T5 so you have gearing for the road, it would be cooler than a 318/auto. I went with the V8 many years back when I didn't know about all the cool flatty stuff. A V8 is fine too, so long as it's Mopar!
that sounds good!! nice. im gonna do the flathead. your right you hardly see them around. itll save me a lil bit of time and money too! thanks for the inspiration!
The old flat 6 is extremely durable and as mentioned an overdrive is handy if you want to cruize with autobahn traffic. If your existing engine is needing a complete rebuild then you might also consider looking around for a 25" replacement. No subs***ute for cubic inches... .
well supposedly it ran before. so idk it needs a carb starter generator and a radiator right now so im hunting down those parts at least a radiator for now
The 25 inch replacement mentioned above is a bit of work. If you want to see what all goes into that process, go to the P15-D24 site and look for previous posts and pictures on that topic from Don Coatney. He gives a very detailed account. My 47 convert. Still a flathead 6.
I won't be getting my car up on a lift for a bit to be able to snap a pict of my handy work, so I will dirrect you to look up some threads by a H.A.M.B. member by the name of El polacko. I help out at his place quite a bit and my X member and trans mount is pretty much a complete rip off of his tube X member that he puts in damn near everything. As a matter of fact, my front legs were "misbends" from one of his customer projects... Reuse, Adapt, Recycle, right?!
I remember something from the deep dark past about using later Chrysler bigger sixes in these cars by drilling two new mount holes forward of the originals in the front crossmember and flipping the radiator horseshoe around to put the radiator out front. Never did it, but I bet it would be fun with a nice five gear backing up all that touque. Gary Meador's (from Good Guy's) yellow '48 has the Chrysler deal done with if memory serves correct an over drive trans to back it up. Always loved that car, it's part of the reason I have mine.
To do the 25" swap you just need to do what need louvers suggested along with putting a notch in the front crossmember to accommodate the crank pulley being moved 2 inches forward. All the P15's built in Canada were built stock with the 25" engines so it is not a major undertaking if you are handy with a hot wrench and welder.
Def. stay with the stock front end! Check out Butch's Cool Stuff (formerly Butch's Rod Shop). http://www.butchscoolstuff.com/ for some cool plymouth parts and he's a great guy to talk to. There are a ton of guys on here with a ton of knowledge on these cars. I would say a mopar small block or chebby small block would be the way to go, but lots of guys have hopped up the flat 6 and they look awesome in there! Rememeber one side of the car has reverse threads on the lug nuts! Its good to see another old Plymouth on the HAMB. Good luck...I'll be looking foreword to future updates!
That's his more basic K member. Add a couple rear legs and another crossmember and that's pretty much it. If you enlarge that picture, you will see that the trans mount can be slid to accomodate any trans. Simple and slick...
i can't quite picture what you're describing can you make a quick sketch? i like the sliding trans mount! does he do mail order?
Nice Looking Ride. I just got my 48 on the road and two weeks later I notice my rear end is cracked. Good luck with your build.
Steve does do mail order, and we can probaby use my car for a mock up. As far as a sketch, I can barely type my name on a computer, so I have no idea how to make that happen. Pretty simple though. I'd give him a call at 602 278 6800.
ok plans have changed haha im picking up a nova subframe with rear steer. i was told keeping the kingpin front end will give it a lot of bumpsteer. im getting a great deal on a complete 74 nova front end. gonna reinforce the frame put a small block mopar 318 or 360. the chop 7in in the front and 5in in the back! will have pics uploaded as i go!
Who ever told you that has obviously never driven a P15 with a rebuilt stock front end. I had a Nova subframe installed in my first 48 Plymouth Coupe by a very competent professional builder who did a great job on the install. Ran a 383 / 727 combo. The change in the way the car drove was minimal. The main difference was the addition of disc brakes which were not readily available for the stock front suspension at the time. For the cost, down time, work involved in my humble opinion the subframe swap was an absolute waste. That is why my current 48 coupe has the rebuilt stock suspension with the addition of disc brakes. Just my 2 cents, but build it the way you want it, it is your car.
now your makin me second guess the subframe swap. i wanna do cheap and easy. what would i tell my neighbor as an argument against the frame swap? since like you said. you drive the car he doesnt
My '48 has a Cutl*** subframe. Besides the usual comments about brakes & suspension, I've already mentioned a 455 & 331 Hemi. The subframe gives you more room to work with. My 331 fit w/o hacking the firewall, where another guy who dropped in a 392 in his '48 conv said he had to recess 7" with the stock front end. At the same time a 318 will fit in with the stock front with only a slight dent needed on the p*** side firewall to clear the valve cover.
I've got a 40 frame that a shop installed a chevy subframe on for the previous owner. I will happily trade it for a stock frame. I can be PM'ed here, I'm just North of Prescott AZ. I can't even push the thing around the yard! Subframing has been done, but there is really not a lot of point unless you just have a lot of time to kill and like taking good stuff and going through a lot of effort to get it back to good. I see a lot of unfinished Mopars that have been clipped and had 305s shoved in for sale. I'd rather see one on the road with a happy owner.
yeah. i might put a big block in it its just whatever i find thats a good deal. lol what year cutl***? im trying to stay away from metric frames
I'm gonna get flamed for this, but a Nova sub is just too wide for this car. If you want to run your car at just slightly lower than stock it can be made to work if you are real careful with back spaces and front tire sizes, but put it down in the weeds and you'll be hating life! I don't know what year Cutl*** George has under his car, but if it is a '78 - '87 type, that is a step in the right dirrection. The mid seventies Nova has a hub to hub width of about 61". The '78 - '87 stuff is right on 58.5". Still a bit wide for my tastes, but much better camber curve, less toe change, just flat a better front suspension. My MustangII with aftermarket disc brakes measures in at 57.5" hub to hub, I run a 205/60R 15 on a 7" wheel with a 4" back space... The tire to the fender clearance is still just a bit tight.
I havent read the whole thread, but make it a taildragger!! Subtle chop, shiny dark paint, skirts, wide whites, wheel covers... mmm
Almost 10 years ago I went thru this same dilemma with my '40, to subframe or not. I put power disk brakes on the front, a Cavalier power R & P, 350 / 350 combo, and drive it almost daily. I did add a stock front sway bar as my Road King didn't come with one, and I made a home made upper front shock mount relocation. Drives, corners, handles great. Never even took the doghouse off the car doing it. I can't see doing all that unneccessary front clip swap if your front end is any good.
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