Another Canadian winter is setting in and I'm hunkering down with a different type of project. Ive stepping into the MoPar realm for the first time in my 30 years of car building. A customer ( read friend of 35 years) sent me out on a quest to build him a 38-39 ford in a unique fashion. When we couldnt find a nice donor car we looked outside the fomoco group for a good car to build our concept on. After getting his approval to buy this Dodge, he turned on me and bought a 38 Ford, leaving me with this great car. His project has now been pushed back while I build the concept for myself. I want to build something kind of different that I call simply a " Chrysler Prototype tribute" car. On the left, the original car, on the right a mock up of the slope back Sedan Delivery. My thinking at this point is to keep it pretty close to stock but lower it old school. Drop some whites on it and keep it real simple. The trunk lid will be hinged to swing sidewys rather than up. The drive train is intact and so is the original flat 6. I was wondering if there was such thing as any hop up parts for that engine or if not, what was the motor of choice for a late 40's engine swap. The end result will be a car that looks like it was a factory prototype stuffed away in a barn for the last 50 years. I may do a full paint, I dont know for sure, I kind of like it looking in its "found" condition.
Cool idea, that'll make a neat panel with the sweeping roofline. Are longer 2D doors part of the plan? Some little fins (ala 53ish caddy) on the rear fender tops would really swoop the sides to match what's going on with the roof definitely keep us posted
I'd like to see how this turns out as I have a '40 Plymouth in the shop...basically the same car with a different grill. That Ram hood ornament is sweet!
looking at original 38-39 fords, they used a 4 foor door for their sedans and lengthened/ flattened the roof... heres a picture of a mock up I looked at doing while looking a for a 38 ford. I do plan on sticking with the stock 4 foor doors.
So often in prototypes function over form gets mixed... function might suggest short doors for ease of production, form might suggest long doors for form or visa versa. end result I'm sure will be a car that might offend some old time Mopar guys, make others wonder if it was a factory prototype and others wondering why it was built in the first place.
I like that idea and am anxious to watch your build...I am doing a 54 plymouth wagon which is now a sedan delivery and utilized a desoto hood scoop...you would be surprised how many guys Dad's or neighbors used to have one of these nonexistent cars...as soon as yours sees the light of day people will come out of the wood work whose dad or uncle used to have one...just smile and listen to their story...
It kinda reminds me of a car and a teardrop trailer being mated...wouldn't that be a killer little rv to cruise to the out of town shows and swaps in
Here's mine I picked it up last year at a local swap meet (and it's yet to see to the pavement). It now has a mopar 318ci w/727, a '97 Tahoe rearend (just wanted a beefier rearend, it fit with very minimal fab, and the price was right). I've put the brake master, and pedal on the firewall, and yet kept the OE front suspension (it was purportedly in storage for over 30 years, so it was in very good conditon). I too am looking at changing up the lines on this "more door" boat. Scratch paper all over my work benches attest to weekly ideas ranging from a 4" chop, to just taking the bubble out of the roofline, to squaring up the trunk area from the rear window down (with little or no aft frame reduction). I'm pretty much sold on keeping the front fenders off, but if I can mathematically work up squaring up the trunk, I'll look at channeling the body and also removing the rear fenders (I've already lowered the frame suspension by almost 3"). The removal of the rear opera windows are in my sights too.
"I was wondering if there was such thing as any hop up parts for that engine or if not, what was the motor of choice for a late 40's engine swap." Yes there are hop up parts for the Mopar flathead. I got my stuff from Langdons Stovebolts. Offenhauser dual intake, Carter/Webber carbs, cast iron headers, and HEI distributor. Here is a link to a short video of it running through 2 inch exhaust with a balance tube and 14 inch turbo mufflers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxfKQ4KMM9s
thank you for the lead. Did you do anything inside to beef it up? Nice looking set up for sure, wonder what kind of Hp it puts out.
I've seen the four door into sedan delivery swap before and what kills it for me is the trunklid. If you made the trunk opening extend all the way up into the roof in one big hatch, or the trunklid opened down and the rear window up like a station wagon, then I could see it. Otherwise it looks too much like a smoothed off four door.
Agreed, the hatch probably being the better option as that would be a lot of decklid to reach over for loading and the curved surface would serve no useful function as a tailgate. In my thinking (often confused), a commercial prototype or styling exercise would have had to exhibit a useful function which would have meant ready access to the 'cargo' area. I like the looks of the 'sloper panel' but in this case the form should follow the function... JMHO CC
I agree that the over the window hinge for the rear would go a long way in selling the concept. Lots of metal work though. I'd really consider the relief shown in your Ford prototypes, too. A flat panel welded in is going to look bad. Take into account the curve from the wide middle to the narrower rear. Form that first, then do the relief. Or you could weld in the door, cut the pillars (keep those sections for the flat sections) then fit the panel into the window area. It would be deeper and easier to finish.
Mine is a 48 model 218 which is factory rated at 95 hp @ 3600 rpm and 172 ft lbs torque at 1200 rpm with a 6.6 to 1 compression ratio. What has been done to mine internally is just a 60 thousands overbore which takes it to a 226 cubic inches. I also used a 53 model head as the compression ratio jumped to 7.1 to 1 in 53 with an increase to 100 hp and 177 ft lbs torque. Milling the head 50 thousands will bump the compression up to about 7.7 to 1 and should be pretty cheap. There are vintage finned aluminum heads from Fenton and Edmundson that show up on Ebay once in a while although they go for over $1000. Earl Edgerton also makes a new finned aluminum head that the last I checked was going for around $700. You could also have your cam reground. Also check out www.50plymouth.com to see Blueskies build he has a great setup and well documented build. You might also want to look into the P15-D24 site http://www.merc583.addr.com/mopar/framesets/referenceframeset.html lots of flathead Mopar knowledge there.
That's what I would do, I'd make the full length recessed panel by removing the door pillar where the back door is welded in. But I wouldn't make my insert the full depth of the original glass, maybe only half. Also, I would keep the beltline moulding but I would cut and weld it where it was split so it's all one piece. Would look more convincing that way. As for the rear hatch door, if you were going to split it top and bottom, you'd have to make the existing trunklid shorter, otherwise the lid opening from the bottom would be way too long. A full length hatch that included the rear window would look more "real", and it could hinge from the side like a door instead of at the top if necessary.
Hey Lono! Great to see a proper build thread, instead of it just lurking in the photoshop thread! As I've followed in the photoshop thread I'll follow here, so keep us up to speed and don't be a stranger! Andy
I did a thread on my A build too, that was a great way to meet a few of the locals and get to know a few folk. Been away from the shop for the last week and wont be back until the 20th so the project has stalled for a very short time. It has give nme a chance to read up some of the suggestions here too. About the rear door/ gate, whatever its going to be... About putting in a Dutch door trunk lid ( top flips up, bottom down) That would look kick ass and be period correct for wagons of that time... but more work than I'm willing to do*. * but I haven't ruled it out. A side swing door - also period correct for Sedan deliveries, but I recoil at messing with the roofline to add the full door, I like the smooth look. That leaves hanging the trunk lid so it opens to the side ( like a sedan delivery) but not hacking into the roofline. I might look at bringing the trunk lid closer to the rear window by cutting and grafting but I have to be standing in behind the car to get a real grasp of space. - on drivetrain: the Car is a Canadian car and as I understand the block is a long block so finding hop up parts that fit that block may be a drag. First thing I need to do when I get home is get some ATF in the top end to see if I can loosen the valves an then see what I've got for a motor... anyone got any suggestions for loosening stuck valves?
A bump and an interesting set of pictures. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1946...oryZ6882QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Take a look at the rear of this body.
That is a perfect example of a full upswinging door on a converted sedan. I like the way the door is made, and it could swing sideways and be just as functional.
Lono, could you get me a close up shot of where the bodyline ends at the back of the car? I'm working on a 40 dodge tudor sedan and the stateside 40's have a bodyline that wraps around the trunklid which I don't like. I'm using a 40 plymouth trunk lid(cause my lid was missing) and I like the smooth transition from the roof down. I wanted to see if the bodyline terminated at the trunk edge or if it fades before the edge. Your car seems to be in pretty good shape for it's age. I'd like to see how this build turns out. Good luck, later shawn
hope this helps. I've got a buch of pictures posted here: http://izitreality.com/40dodge.htm if you need more. I've been away from the shop for too long working on retraining to stay alive during the next "great depression" so I haven't even turned the light on in the shop. I did decide to drop the deco delivery idea in exchange for turning it into a Rat-Woodie... I will get around to it one day when the cash is a little looser. In case anyone wants a great solid car and has the cash to play... $2500.00 takes it home.
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