1948 Plymouth Special Deluxe 2DR Sedan

Well the bug bit..... and picking it up next week. Extra hood,bumpers and nice Original hubcaps....mild cancer on rockers and pans....but not too bad!! Funny thing is a highschool friend owned it...hadn't seen him in over 20 years.

 

alrighty then now check out this site----->http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/
and then have fun with it. the p15's are sharp lookin cars, i've got a biz coupe

 

Congrats. Nice 2-door Sedan.
Get acquainted with the P15-D24 site
http://www.merc583.addr.com/mopar/framesets/welcomeframeset.html

 

Nice...I have one just like it. Here it is after its first bath when I brought it home.

Still have stripes to remove and some basic mechanical work to make it street worthy.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for all the info guys....I',m thinking I'm with you scottyt....chop the springs! excited but a bit nervous...I've owned 62 cars and it's been 5 years without a good one...so here I go. thanks for the info on the P15...thinking of redoing it with a mild custom (original for now) but prepping the body for a different drivetrain in the future,,,,maybe. Not sure if I want to do a mild chop....still looking for pics of what it may look like. got some surfing thru those links you guys gave. thanks again for the warm welcome!

jon

 

Good find. Congratulations

 

Nice find....

 

It seems that there have been quite a few P15's showing up lately. Glad to see folks finally catching on to these cars. They are head and shoulders above the Fords and Chevys of the same period.

I am on my second, this one a 48 Club Coupe. The first was a Buisness Coupe and my first car I purchased at 14 years old in 1975.

 

Remarkably I've found a guy that does Repops on the rockers,floor pans and some other stuff. Even ran into an old friend and found out he does chop jobs and resto's for a living.....gonna work out a deal with him...real good price for really great work....luckee mee!

 

Do you know the name of the company that does the repops for the rockers? I've seen one before and can't remember itnow!

 

Nice, love me some old Mopars.

 

The name of the company is:

Owner: Wayne Brandon
Plymouth Doctor
PO Box 467
Perry,Mi. 48872
517-625-7596 plymouthdoctor@aol.com

1935-52 Chrysler,Plymouth,Dodge,Desoto sheet metal 1933-47 Dodge and Plymouth Truck sheet metal

4 hours or 250 miles from Dayton,OH

Really nice guy who also has used parts too. Good luck!

 

*****in! Keep us posted on the build!

 

Your gonna love it! Kinda like driving a big old well worn Barcolounger! Absolutely the most comfortable car ever!

 

I definately will post pics....don't plan on much til the winter except info gathering and planning. Will post all the way thru.

I'm planning on a choptop ,some different gl*** taillights, differnt front turn signals, modifiying the grill and shaving the side stainless,locks and trunk trim. I'm seeking info on modifing the bumpers by slicing them horizontal and widening them. (I've got a couple sets)
I also plan on rounding the rear wheel wells for the future ch***is and drivetrain.

Right now plan on redoing the current drivetrain and dropping it down low. On ly thing missing on the car is the front seat. You know things may change...but committed, not sure if it will be a year or what.

 

Mine is @ normal ride height & to get the P235/70/15s off the rear I have to jack up the frame, insert jack stands, then jack the axle to where the tire just clears the ground, then squeeze the tire out between the drum & fender. Be carefull about lowering.

 

Thanks George. I won't be going that low. i plan on driving it alot!!

 

"I also plan on rounding the rear wheel wells for the future ch***is and drivetrain."

What are your plans for a future ch***is? If you are considering a swap then why is yours rusted or bent beyond repair?

The P15 already has an independent front suspension that only needs a stock rebuild to be a good competent daily driver. If you want discs then check out Oldaddy here on the HAMB for a basically bolt on kit, then relocate the upper shock mounts from the upper control arm to the frame with a couple of simple brackets and you are even better. Only real issue with the front of the frame is the location of the steering box if you are planning a V8 swap. It can be overcome by offsetting the engine about 1 1/2 inches toward the p***enger side or going with a rack-pinion setup.

A late 60's - early 70's B-Body 8 3/4 rear will drop right in after relocating the spring perches.

Frame swaps are a lot of work and should not be undertaken lightly. There are a lot of wasted cars as the result of a frame swap gone wrong. With the modifications I listed above you are looking at weekend type projects. So you could continue to drive the car as it is being updated. Not so with a drawn out frame swap that requires new floors, body mounts, front fender/radiator/bumper mounts etc.

Not saying a frame swap can't be completed successfully, just that the stock frame always fits better than a swapped frame and with considerably less work.

 

My son had a club coupe we transplanted a Mopar 360 auto into. When we got to fitting tires, clearance was going to be an issue. Rather then cutting the fenders round to clear the big rear tires, we cut the existing wheel opening and moved it up on the fender a couple inches. That gave us the tire clearance we needed and still had the factory looking wheel opening. Sorry, no pictures, and the car has been gone for several years. Gene

 

Good info Hkestes....I only wanted to round the wheel wells for a different look and After looking at the ch***is, it is alot better than I thought...just needs perches and the front welded by the sway bar. Looks like I'll stay pretty stock on the ch***is now after reading your post. Definitely will looking up Oldaddy and an 8 3/4. One thing I'd like to add, I'm thinking of widening the rear wheels a couple inchesbut keeping the stock hubcaps.
Thanks for all the input!

 

There's a number of Threads on how to update your stock front end, including shock relocation. The 67-8 C Body axle is supposed to be a direct bolt in.

 

With the lowering of the car it all depends on the look you go for. I dropped mine a considerable amount. Like 6" in the back. I have 255/65r15 on back. I widened out the rear tubs two inches at the back. Seeing as how I molded fenders front and back it wasn't a big deal. Check out my build thread on my 48 Plymouth club coupe.

 

Also I'm running a 66 Newport 8 3/4 its only like an inch longer fit great. Also are u planning on changing rear springs?

 

Thanks guys! I would like to change the springs, any advice there? I've got some reading to do on your guys threads! Great info and help.....Thanks

 

Sweeet! Congrats!

 

I used spring packs n perched off of a 80's Chrysler minivan n just had a heavier flat springs cut for it. It was the closest to stock spring dimension I could find.

 

sweet car i love my Unorthodox Plymouth chop

 

Except a wider spring width. The stock springs on the older plymouths are fine if you are easy on them but not from the performance aspect

 

Mine has original rear springs. Ran an Olds 455 for 7 years & then changed to a 331 Hemi w/o problems...

 

I know people were having issues with wind up n axle wrap. Plus easier dealing with a normal width leaf springs for parts availability