51 plymouth

my buddy just brought home a 51 plymouth cranbrook, it's a 4 door with the original drive train in it... flathead 6 and three on the tree...
If he keeps the flathead, what trannies can we swap to make this thing more driveable? vintage speed parts ideas? any photos of some nicely done ones so I can get him some ideas about customizing?

 

Three on the tree is drivable. I've got one. It does fine. Frank

 

Decent on the highway? He wants to drive it to Il from Colorado now and then... HE has 3 on the tree in his 76 ford truck, so he knows how, I was just wondering about gearing and what not

 

Paul Curtis makes a T5 kit for around $300. Check out www.p15-d24.com for all your mopar flat 6 needs

 

****** is just about bullet proof. Easiest thing to do for raod trips is to swap the rearend for something out or a 70's B body 3.55 and 3.73 are good. A pair of 225 75 15 on the rear are good, Jeep Cherokee (not Grande)rear axles are nearly a bolt in (with drive shaft mods) find a 2wd drive one and it will likely be limited slip.

An interseresting swap is the Over drive version of the MOPAR A883 trans. It is basically a 4 speed with an OD set for about a 30% rpm reduction. The flat heads have plenty of torque so unless your friend lives in Mountain country the rear end swaps are quick and easy.

Also some searching may turn up an OD trans from early 50'd Dodges ad Plymouths. 54/55 era. They are a bolt on and give the option of 5 speed shifting. I have a 46 with the three speed and a 4.11 rear. I am running 225, and it will run 65 all day long. (about 3000 rpm)

 

Wilcap makes adapters to bolt up a chevy ******.



http://www.wilcap.com/chryslerfh.html

If he wants to upgrade to 12 volt, Langdon's sells a really trick mini hei distributor for the flat 6.



http://www.stoveboltengineco.com/acartpro/product.asp?productid=126

The absolute BEST place to send your friend to, though, is http://50plymouth.com/ Go there, read, and learn. A wealth of information and knowledge at your fingerprints. Seriously.

 

I got a od out of a 52 Plymouth. Just made it to Indy and back (500miles) and went 75 to sometimes 80mph the whole way. It still was well below 3000rpm. Truly the best thing I have ever done to my car.

 

awesome, we went to a-1 hotrods today...I am forwarding this link to him...hopefully I can get him on the HAMB

 

Here's a couple pics of some cool four door Mopars.





My Buddy Gary's 1950 Dodge Coronet before:


and After (so far):


More inspirational 1949-1951 Mopar pics can be found here: http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=4507112&page=0&vc=1&PHPSESSID=#Post4507112