1960 Dodge 4 door sedan build

Ok. Plans with this one are to swap to a V8 Sub and a 360 out of a 71 pLymouth Fury. Pics tell the story... Well, it will tell the story... The Hamb's pic setup doesn't appear to be working... More later.

 

This is the car as it was picked up. Notice the "snow cap." Lol.....

 

Here are pics of the tear down....

 

I wanted to get the salt off it from the drive to pick it up, so once I had the sub out, I wheeled it outside for a good hosing. This car had some crazy dust build up from the gravel roads it spent its whole life on. Check out my helper.. One of the 3 reasons I like 4 doors better than 2 doors!

 

Some light engine work. The car the engine and trans was pulled from and drove well, so I am just replacing things that tend to wear... Timing chain, cam, lifters, pushrods, oil pump, water pump, fuel pump, etc.

Speaking of timing chain, check out the slack in that old chain! Night and day difference to the new one.

I just realized I have done a ****py job of getting pics lately. As of right now, the transmission is half apart getting re***embled, as I am working on putting a rebuild kit in it. (shouldn't have bothered, it looked beautiful on the inside!)

And, I have the short block painted, as well as the new V8 subframe cleaned and painted. Going to finish up the heads and trans today, and then get it all sat back in the subframe!

 

Man thats a solid old Mopar where did it live its younger years?

 

Please tell me more about this subframe swap. I know these cars are unibodies and the subframes are removable. Have you researched this much? Is this a bolt in swap for the C body Mopars? I know the brakes on the early 60 Mopars aren't much, and I can see where the seventies swap would make for a much better driving car. You are giving me an idea......

 

Subscribed! Love to see what people do with 60-61 Mopar unibodies - whatsit gonna look like? Also keen to see the later subframe swap, could be a good route into easier to find mechanicals.

 

Man, if you wanted a big block V8 subframe from a '63 880 I'd have you covered...the damned thing is just taking up space in my shop ...

 

And by the way, if you consider the 12"x3" drum brakes on the early 60's mopars to "not be much" then you must not have driven one...my '63 880 will lock up all 4 tires with a manual master cylinder and bring that big heavy tank of a car to a halt in no time...

 

what clip are you putting on your car? and if you need to get rid of that clip check out the forward look. http://www.forwardlook.net/

 

I just remember my Dad having a hard time with the double wheel cylinder set up on our 62 Chrysler when I was a kid. Too young to drive at the time!

 

That subframe is actually from a 60 Plymouth. An LA 318-340-360 is pretty much a direct bolt in to it. There are disc brake conversions made for these cars, and I will be doing one. Plan is to use the original front clip, though I have been debating on finding a 61 Chrysler front. I think it would bolt on.

HEre is last nights progress.

 

I like where this is headed. I'd swap in 2 door sedan doors and jambs but doesn't sound like you'd be into that. I do have an extra canted quad Chrysler front clip laying around but it needs some work and also factory A/C from one.

Body looks really solid for a '60 Dodge.

 

Very cool - please tell me you replaced the timing chain with a double roller while you had it apart . . .

 

So Mike you going to paint it pickle green?

 

Lol... Not sure color yet. Hey, what is up with that 61 Front clip? I still have most of one down south at my house in Camp Point. Depending upon what is wrong with it, I might be able to fix it.

 

You must have missed that pic.... What you think it has too much slack? Your nuts! Lol

 

That looks to be the exact same subframe as mine, except mine is set up for a big block...

Big Bad Dad, those dual wheel cylinder era cars are a special case, they were terrible ...can someone go back in time and convince the engineers that having 6 hydraulic cylinders in one braking system is a stupid idea?...

 

And those steering boxes may be huge and ugly, but good lord do they work well...I lowered my '63 880 a couple weeks ago 3" in the front by turning the torsion bars down and it rides fantastic...and it steers even better now...

 

Finished up cleaning the firewall and painting it the same color black as the subframe... And yes.... Rolling around the front end swap in my mind.

 

Don't suppose anyone out there close has some nice solid not dented doors?

 

If they're the same as the '63 880 doors, then I do...

 

if you run out of options try big Ms in central Cali

 

Theres one of these at the pick and pull in upstate ny.

 

Fronts will be the same on the 880 but rears will be different.

 

I have used early seventies only, c-body discs and spindles on my 65 and 66 c-body.easy fit.

 

you have incredibly bad taste in cars.

 

Actually, one of my rears is not dented at all, and I am buying a really good one from a guy in Iowa...

So, color me interested in those front doors... email pics to safetymike1977@ ya hoo.com

Same thing goes with the 61 Chrysler front clip... Interested in that for sure.

 

In about 1981 I was offered a 1960 Dodge 4dr, located somewhere in Kansas. Black, rust free, and the original 383 2x4 long ram. Very rare. Supposedly an ex-government vehicle. Cheap at the time, but I couldn't pull the trigger for such an anti-muscle car vehicle. Too bad for me.

Steve