Very nice project car and project. I have a 51 plymouth and am wanting to put a flathead spitfire 6 and overdrive trans in it. my 51 plymouth has a 218/230 and i understand(but not 100% sure) that the engine you took out was a 251. i am looking to upgrade to a mild performance 251/265 like the one you took out. i am also looking for a rearend with 4.1 or 4.3:1 gear ratio for my project. if you are interested in selling your complete rebuildable 251 and/or your rearend if its a 4.1 or 4.3 for low/reasonable price, then you might send me a note at michael.schmittallen@gmail.com. good luck w/ your project...i am a big fan of these early 50s mopars. mike fyi i am in glendale, california.
Greetings. I am new here, and I am looking for what I can find out about the '53 spitfire engine. I have obtained one which is very rebuildable. It is completely apart and looks terrific. Only the timing chain was bad. I will clean it up and rebuild it or sell it as is. I also have the bell housing and manual tranny (which cleaned up real nice), good clutch and pressure plate. I am looking for information, such as CID, based on piston OD. I am in Santa Cruz, CA, not sure how to post photos here yet. Reply to me at mikaniq@yahoo.com? Thanks, Mike
Nice job. Don't sweat that radiator hose thing. Have a radiator shop replace the goofy right angle outlet to a straight out style that matches the lower hose size of the engine. By the looks of the crud in the outlet, the radiator needs to be rodded out and checked anyway. Brian
Hey everybody. Sorry it's been a while since I posted an update but I have been busy putting some time in. I think we left off with the engine mounts being finish welded in. Today I added another feather in my cap. I installed the throttle cable/linkage, throttle kickdown cable/linkage and fabricated some shift linkage that seems to be doing the trick. I still need to tweak them a little bit to get the gears to engage with a little authority and I need to increase the spring tension on the gas pedal. It's a little too mushy for me. Also I need to tweak the brackets a little more so the cables line up better but it's a great start IMO. I'm not a fan of the blinged out looking hardware so I'm going to scuff and shoot the chrome bits semi-gloss black as well as the shift linkage. For the cables I'm still at a loss. I don't think shooting black will hold up and ultimately will look pretty damned ghetto so any input would be appreciated. I'm thinking of fabbing a sleeve out of aluminum tubing for the braid to slip into and painting that black. Here's a sneak peak regardless. Trans cross member got fabricated and installed so the engine/trans is sitting on it's own weight with no extra supports and what not. It ain't the prettiest thing I've ever seen but I made it, it's beefy and I don't think I'll have any issues with it.
I also gutted the front suspension and took it to get pressure washed before getting it blasted and painted. This is the only pic I have off hand where the front suspension is removed. Kinda goofy but you get the idea. I also found this little gem of a repair by some owner long gone by. It's the upright and the lower eccentric bushing has been welded solid so there's no camber adjustment from the bottom. Thankfully I've got the parts car and I'll pirate the other one off of her. Just a huge PIA to get to these things. Hardware is stuff you'd find on a big rig! No pics yet but I received my DB kit from Olddaddy and it looks like a rock solid piece of equipment. I also got a 7" Single Diaphragm booster with master from CPP. A whole lot more $$ than I was planning on spending but I gotta stop this beast so the rest of the DB parts might have to wait till next paycheck. I will pick up the rotors and bearings so I can at least roll her around when the suspension gets painted. So the list winds down a little more. Once the suspension comes back I'll get the ride height dialed. She needs to come down quite a bit so I'll cut coils up front and dearch or reverse eye the springs out back. Once all the brake parts get purchased I'll plumb it and the fuel system at the same time. I'm still trying to figure out how many Ohms my fuel gauge is so I can find a 12V negative ground sender for it. NOS senders are 300+ bucks and that's just plain old retarded. Rewire job with a Rebel harness. Holy crap is it intimidating. I know I just need to go wire by wire until I run out of them but this is the black art side of things that I'm not very comfey with so wish me luck people. Oh, I also got my shortened driveshaft back with new Spicer U-joints thrown in. I need to massage the driveshaft tunnel for it to fit without rubbing once I drop her down so that'll be another bit of fun! Goal is to drive this monster to VLV. Wish me luck and there should be more pics to come very soon. NAES
I used a rebel wire harness in my truck. Those kits are real easy and the folks there are big help. I called them a couple of times for help and they always had an answer for me. See you in Vegas!!!
Well stuff is finally starting to go back on instead of constantly removing stuff so I'm making progress I guess!!! I made a little alternator bracket for the alternator sit down lower in the engine compartment. Stock mounting wouldn't work and the only other orientation I had put it above the level of the carb. LAME! It's pretty tight and I just hope it doesn't touch with the engine vibration. Also started with the wiring harness install. Rebel wires 9+3 kit. Super high quality from great guys. Excellent customer service. I first bought some of that sleeving from McMaster Carr that looks like Chinese finger cuffs. I didn't like it because of the high gloss and the fact that you could see the brightly colored wires inside. Instead I went with friction tape AKA hockey tape. Its cloth electrical tape that almost looks like it has rubber or tar embedded in it. Much better looking IMO for this application. I haven't finished wiring the front yet as there's a lot of detailing to dial in first.
The NIGHTMARE part was running the wires up the A pillar, through the headliner and down the C pillar and back. The stock wires wouldn't pull free so I couldn't just grab one, tie it to a new wire and string it. So I had to fish a piece of Mig wire through and go that route. Took me 2 days off and on. I would stop when I got frustrated so I wouldn't screw anything up further. I know it doesn't look like much but trust me, that's a job I could seriously have done without! Not shown in the pics but I found a little cancer that needs addressing. Front wells of the rear wheels are rotted. I'll have to fab a patch, probably on both sides. Oh well, that's part of the deal I guess. Next up, MC mounting on the frame with booster and enough clearance to not drag it over speed bumps!! YAY!! NAES
We finally have a complete drivetrain!!! Well after waiting a couple of weeks for the correct Ujoint I was able to install the driveshaft today!! Of course it hits the driveshaft tunnel so I'll have to move it out of the way. I need to put the seats and interior pieces in there to see what kind of interference I'm going to run in to. For sure it won't be a drop and go kind of situation. I swear nothing on this car has been so! Anyway, a couple of pics for you all. I also got the MC pedal and mount modified and welded in. I used one of those $69 Jegs Universal ones. Of course I had to hack away at it for my car but it was to be expected. I just forgot to take pics. Anway, here's a couple for you guys. Till next time, NAES
Well today was fuel line day. I spent waaaay too much time getting it bent up but in the end I've got to say I'm really happy with the results, especially since I've never run hard lines before! I ended up getting a carb adapter from Edelbrock which took a 5/8-20 thread. I had to source a step down adapter from Berg Hardware in Pasadena so I could run the smaller fuel line in one piece. Like I said, way too much time on it but it's over now.............as long as it doesn't leak! I cannot tell you how well spent my 9 bucks was on a tubing bender from Harbor Freight. I tried doing the bends by hand but was making a mess of it. Tip to the newbies like myself. Spend a few extra bucks on a length of tubing way longer than you need. Trust me, you'll use it all up. Pics Here's a question for all you guys. You can see how I have my belt routed. It goes from the bottom pulley to the fan pulley over to the alternator pulley. My buddy thinks I'm in danger of throwing the belt because it's not wrapping around the alternator much. That leads me to having to fit an idler pulley. If I can avoid it I really would like to. I'm certainly no expert so if you all have any thoughts please chime in. I also scooped up one of these air cleaners. I've been checking them out for a while and really like the look but I'm not sold on the filter element. I have a feeling I'll be changing oil like a madman with this setup. Am I just being paranoid? Again, experienced owners please comment. That's it for now. I'm hoping to get the engine compartment finished up next time I'm at with radiator install and additional electrical and plumbing. I'm sure I'll hit a snag as usual but I've gotta go in with lofty goals if I want this beast finished. NAES
There is nothing wrong with your alternator belt set-up, many were like that from the factory. The air filter you have won't filter much, large bugs, birds, etc... You have a really great project there.
Car is sweet! Throw that filter setup in the bin! The elements break down on them and fall in the carb!
That filter is also a fire hazzard. Not that it will probably happen but if your engine ever backfires that filter will burn. Quickly. Just a heads up.
Heeeeeerreee we go!!! Got the voltage regulator wired, coil wired, plugs changed and wires hooked up. Also found time to install the radiator. A couple of 45* rubber elbows and some straight pipe and it'll be time to fill the radiator. I dipped the exhaust manifolds in muratic acid in prep for BBQ paint but forgot pics. Stuff sure does the job. I got a couple of whiffs from being down wind and let me tell you, this shit'll kill you if you're not out in the open! Hopefully Friday I'll have a little more time to get at it. The plan is to start hanging the front sheet metal on her as pretty much everything is done in the engine compartment. Then she'll look like a car again. I also got the rear brake stuff I'll need. Drums turned, new pads, wheel cylinders and hardware. On a side note. I went to NAPA in Long Beach having no clue what year my brakes were from. Guy behind the counter nailed it as being off a 68 mustang without ever looking in a book. He just went in back, grabbed a box and there it was. Totally effing amazing! Pics On a sidenote, Charlie AKA Olddaddy has been working his ass off on a DB conversion for the front of my ride. We found out that the Wagon and Limo version of the Chrysler line has larger spindles and uprights. Most everything is mocked up and about ready to be sent out my way. I cannot give this guy enough credit for keeping this project moving. I hope to get the stuff soon and I'll post up an install. Also, anybody have a glass shop they trust to install my windshield? I'm not willing to risk busting the glass doing it myself. I've installed plenty of 'em and know what to do but this piece isn't exactly easy to find or cheap. Thanks all, NAES
She's finally starting to look like a real car! I didn't do much today in the way of getting her running but sometimes I have to do something to pretty the project up or I'll just get burned out. So I cleaned up all the sheet metal up front and bomb canned it semi gloss black. I also cleaned up the grill parts and got them installed with new hardware. This is by far the cleanest engine bay I've personally owned. I'm going to try to keep it sort of looking clean. I'm hoping all the parts for my DB conversion arrive this week so I can get it installed this weekend. I found a little time to clean up some suspension pieces in prep for that. Here's some pics y'all. You think the hangers are going to hold up or are they gonna drop those painted parts right in the dirt? I hope to have her on the ground again by the weekend and make her a roller again. Fingers crossed, NAES
Well, the DB conversion up front went pretty well. Charlie at Olddaddy did a perfect job of getting the brackets laser cut and doing the needed machine work. Simple install that only took the first half of the day. A few bugs that I need to work out but I'll deal with it when I plumb the entire system. I also cut a coil off the front and it got her down a bit. Not in the weeds by any means but she'll be drivable and I may cut a little more if I need to. Threw on the hood and gave it a good polishing. Still a ton of crap in the paint but she hasn't shined this good since I've known her. The chrome is what it is and I doubt it'll ever get redone. Just isn't worth it. Here's a few pics for ya. Disc brakes don't have that bling factor but I still gotta show off a little. Here's the ride height as of now sans shocks. I've always driven around slammed so I have to wrestle with being low but still functional. But everything under the car is above the frame so I have plenty of room when it comes to a scrub line which is nice. Paint still has some life left even if it is a little thin in spots. Time to get the ass end figured out and clearance the floor for the drive shaft. Good times. NAES
Hey, since you aren't going to get the chrome redone, a super cheap way of shining up the nasty pot metal is to sand it smooth and buff the pot metal itself. It shines up very bright, but will tarnish quickly. Give it a clear coat, and it will hold up much better. It won't look as nice as chrome, but it will look a lot better than a pocked up mess. The only cost will be sandpaper and a buffing wheel with compound, and time of course. Pot metal is very soft and sands and buffs easily once you get the old plating off (or whats left of it.) Assuming you don't cut through the castings, it won't make the parts any harder to rechrome, if that should ever be a consideration. Your chromed steel parts don't look bad, and will shine up nice with a hard surface cleaner and wax. BTW, you are doing a great job on the car, I like it.
Charlie's disc brake package looks great. What are you doing with the master cylinder, if anything? .
Been a while since I posted yet again but work has steadily been progressing. Biggest thing is that she fired up!!! Took a little futzing around to get her to stay lit but it went easier than I thought. Almost! (Double click the pic for vid) #1 There we go!!! #2 I didn't fire it after that for fear of messing up valves or warping something. I'll save the rest until after I get the exhaust done. All the lines have been plumbed completely at this point and there is fluid flowing through all the vital components. I have a couple of brake lines to redo but I was expecting that after reading what others had experienced. I think I'm just about finished with all the loose ends in the engine compartment and can work on the rest of it for a while. Here's a bunch of random pics. Trans cooler mounting Engine pretty much done. Still need to tidy up the wires and stuff but you get the idea. "New" battery box 73RR. For the MC I used a CPP 7" Dual diaphragm booster with their Disc/drum proportioning valve. I got it to tuck up inside the frame rails really nicely with a Jegs pedal/mc mount. It took some cutting and modifying but it worked out pretty well. I did have to make a bulge in the drivers floor to clear the MC but it's pretty small and won't mess with your feet when driving. No good pics of it but I'll snap some if you want. NAES
I found a 53 town and country in a Northern Michigan barn this week , but it has factory ambulance emblems on it . It would have to be for small people though you would never get a gerney in there .. It has faded Fire Dept painted on it . Also I am trying to get the lugs [ bolts ] off is there any chance they are left handed ?? I do not have internet but once a week when I go to town so please email if you have the thread left or right answer Thanks Dan Oldog3@Gmail.com
The lugs on the driver's side are left handed for sure - I can't remember about the passenger side. I owned a 54 New Yorker wagon that was supposedly a factory equipped ambulance. It had previously had a factory/siren combination unit mounted on the front of the roof. And, it supposedly had a stretcher in the cargo area. I assumed that the rear seats would need to be folded down to accommodate a stretcher back there. It was purchased new by an Iowa funeral home and, after some time, it was sold to an Iowa dirt track, where it was used as an ambulance in case someone needed transporting to a local hospital facility. It had a factory radio delete plate in the dash.
Man, I sure have a soft spot for the old MoPars, but really have a soft spot for MoPar wagons! Sweet ride and good luck
Wow it's been a while since I've posted. Since last time we visited I've gotten the thing roadworthy and safe enough for wifey to drive. Coker wide whites went on, got the suspension aligned, fixed the leaking intake manifold and had a few exhaust sections redone from previous questionable work. She starts every time with no hesitation. The power brakes with discs work amazing. Ride height is OK but I'll probably drop her down a bit more after I get her back together again. Steering isn't the tightest in the world but I can't expect it to handle like a new car. Next up is to have a few floor patch panels made up and weld those in and then seal up the entire floor area. Then redo the wood and have some tears in the upholstery stitched back up. In the meantime new window and door seals and then drive the shit out of it. I got a lot of complements at the last Donut Derelict get together and tons of thumbs up while driving. It's always a great feeling. I'm planning a road trip this year with the wife and a good buddy of mine to Bonneville. My pops-in-law will be running his streamliner and it would be a hell of an experience to see him do it. I'll snap a few pics when I have time and get back to posting. Happy New Year everybody! NAES
The Jalopy Journal
