knuckleharley

VERY clever idea!

What product did you use as a sealer,and what was the process?

Hmmm,is this also true of the 2 speed Powerflite transmissions? I can't remember seeing any special linkage on one of them.

Won't work unless you get the whole steering box or at a minimum,the steering shaft and the column from the donor car. They are longer to accommodate the gear selector. An option would be to use a floor shift conversion if you can find one that could be made to work,like maybe one intended for a Powerglide or a Fordomatic.

BTW,I happen to know for a fact that the 56 DeSoto's also has similar push-button shift box for the 2 speed auto transmissions they use. I have one sitting out in my yard in the 56 DeSoto parts car I bought as a donor car for my 33 Plymouth coupe. It has the 330 hemi,and the 2 speed auto trans with push-button controls. The 55 DeSotos used a lever gear selector in the dash like the Chryslers. Since the Powerflite trans first came out in 1954,it MIGHT also be a bolt on to the 251 flat 6's. BTW,it SEEMS the 54 Mopars with automatic transmissions used a gear selector dial mounted on top of the steering column,like Ford and GM. If you were to buy one of these you might have to get the steering box also,or try to find and buy either a 2 speed dash selector and cable,or a floor shift conversion. Cars with automatic transmissions and gear selectors on the column had longer steering shafts and columns than the standard shift cars. According to All Par,Mopar used the 2 speed auto trans in different applications right up to 1961. https://www.allpar.com/mopar/powerflite.html

No,I have not. My plan is to use the original 42 230 engine if possible. It only has 30k original miles on it. If that doesn't work out,I plan on using the 55 230 unless it turns out to be cracked. The 251 is just something I happen to have handy that is another possible option. I knew it ran good,and the guy that owned the 51 DeSoto it was in decided to part the car out,knows I am a fan of flat 6's,and owes me a couple of favors,so he called me on the phone and asked me if I wanted to buy the engine for 200 bucks. How could I NOT want a good running 251 for 200 bucks? For one thing,the original flat 6 in my 33 Dodge 4dr is worn out,and the 251 DeSoto would make a fine replacement engine to get it on the road. I may very well be wrong,but I think the 54 and later auto-trans will bolt right to the 51 251 with no problems. Right now the 55 230,auto trans,shift lever,driveshaft,and auto trans geared rear end are conveniently stored securely in the 55 Plymouth body and chassis,and I can't think of a better place to store them until I need them. Not much chance of anything getting misplaced or mixed up with other stuff there.

I am guessing/hoping a 55-59 Mopar automatic transmission will work. I bought a 55 Plymouth parts car last summer than has a 230 and a two speed automatic with the shift lever in the dashboard in case I need it for my 42 Dodge coupe. I also have a good-running 251 DeSoto flat 6 that I might use if the 230 in the Plymouth turns out to be cracked or I can't use it for some other reason. I am ASSUMING the 230 auto trans will bolt to the 251 engine if I have to go that route. Also try to buy the carb with the dashpot and the linkage from the firewall to the carb from the donor car if you can. I am not sure if the 51 semi-auto uses the same final gear ratio as the later model 2 or 3 speed autos or not. Maybe someone else can chip in on this that does know for a fact. If the gear ratio is different you will need to try to buy the original rear from the donor car,or the correct ring and pinion gear to install in your car so the speedometer works correctly. I am GUESSING a EARLY 50's Chrysler or DeSoto with the flat 6 and 2 speed auto PROBABLY uses the same gear ration as your 51 Chrysler with the semi-auto,but could be wrong. Find out BEFORE you buy so you can maybe buy it all in a package deal if you need it, and save some money. It is even possible the early hemi's with auto trans used the same ratio. If you buy one,do your damnedest to buy one complete with the dashboard controls and the most especially,the shift cable. Many/most seem to have been pulled from the cars in scrap yards that just cut the cable to pull the transmissions,and the shift cables are very hard to find and expensive. Also,measure how long your driveshaft is,and find out how long the driveshaft is on any possible donor cars in case you need to buy that,too. The 55-56 transmissions use the 2 speed auto with the chrome shift lever that sticks out of the dashboard,and if you can find one chances are it will be a lot cheaper than the later 3 speed versions that have the push-button controls on the dash. Due to lesser demand,not because the 2 speed is inferior or faulty. The VA has been wanting to amputate my left leg for 10 years or more because it keeps getting infected due to a botched operation at a VA hospital that killed the circulation,and one day if I live long enough,that is an argument they are going to win. Because of this I have been trying to plan ahead. If all this seems to be too complicated or too much work for you,you might want to consider selling your 51 and just buying a early 50's version that came from the factory with the 2 speed auto. The 53 and 54's probably sell for roughly the same amount as your 51,and even the 55 and 56's aren't that much more expensive unless you go for a convertible or stationwagon. The 2dr ht's will probably be a little more pricey,but if you can live with a 4dr sedan,you can probably sell yours for enough to buy one. Maybe someone else that knows more and doesn't have to do so much guessing will chime in to help you?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Holley-1904-Glass-Bowl-1-Barrel-Carburetor-1960-61-Falcon-Comet/162939416187?epid=1583461570&hash=item25eff22e7b:g:hbIAAOSwGbhapCxH&vxp=mtr Most of the 1904's had the regular cast pot metal bowls,but a lot of them had glass bowls. Especially/maybe only the ones used on Fords.

I don't know if this helps you or not,but they were also used on 215 and 223 cube 6 cylinder Fords from 1952 to the early 60's. BTW,got a spare float bowl you would care to sell? I have one with a chipped bowl.

You really have to wonder how the body came off the chassis,don't you? I have never trusted those lifts. My buddy has them in his commercial garage,and I can see cars and trucks on it rocking all the time when they are torquing on various parts. I saw on modern Chevrolet pu that ran on the beach often just break in half one day when they picked it up due to the chassis being so rusty. That's the big reason I bought a old-fashioned ramp lift when I bought mine. That,and the fact I would always have a place to sit tools and parts down while working under it.

I am not Ricky Ricardo,and I will NOT live with Lucy. When life gets to the point where I don't want to come home after work,changes WILL be made.

Thanks,Ed.

Don,maybe it's just my bad luck,but every woman I have ever lived with came to the conclusion that there were two types of money in the house. "Our money" and "HER money".

Thanks. What is the 55 auto trans called,and how long was it used? It still has the shift handle sticking out of the dashboard. I now have a auto trans option for my 42 Dodge coupe if the VA ever amputates my left leg. So far I have been winning that argument,but the day might come when they win,and I want options. This was a rusted out 4 dr that had supposedly ran good before the owner gave up on restoring it and started parting it out. Guy in his 20's with a couple of kids,so there was no way he was going to be able to afford to restore a old car for another 15-20 years. I spotted it about 40 miles from my home sitting in his yard,and stopped to ask about it. When he told me $250 for the whole car,I just paid the man. The engine was stuck,but I spraying some Kroil in each cylinder after I got it home,drank a cup of coffee,and went back out in the yard and turned it over using a wrench. Trans condition is unknown other than the guy told me it was good. For $250,I'm happy either way. Sold the front bumper to a P-15-D-24 guy that lives locally,so I don't even have that much in it anymore. The carb and engine side covers were missing,but I have since bought replacements.

I don't worry about not being able to buy parts,either. Not in the cellphone and email world of today,where you can order pretty much anything you want over the phone and have it delivered the next day. On top of that,I just made it a habit to carry a spare fuel pump,water pump,coil,points,condenser,and distributor cap in my truck for years. Granted,this used to be cheaper to do 20+ years ago than today,but when you compare the expense of carrying ALL those spare parts and a tool box to the expense of just ONE rollback ride of more than a few miles,it's nothing. AND...,a huge part of the charm of these old engines to me is the fact that I CAN make roadside repairs with a minimum of tools. No way in hell can I do that with my 06 Duramax diesel pu. The whole front clip has to be pulled to replace a water pump. Labor alone was $1,000 5 years ago. Then add the tow bill,parts,and labor to that.

Ok,I can see the actual metal fab isn't going to be a problem for you. Are you also going for the "racing seat and rollbar" look,or going to keep it 6 passenger? BTW,if you decide to use different bumpers,I'm calling dibs on you old ones!

Ok,that sounds like the 55 Plymouths didn't come with Hy-Drive?

Hmmm,what about the engine and trans in the 55 parts car I picked up last summer? AFAIK,it is a two-speed automatic. Is this Hy-Drive,or something else?

More importantly,has ANYONE ever made a swap and came in under budget? I have a hard time rebuilding stock stuff and staying on budget. Every damn thing I try to do costs me more money than I was planning on spending.

I personally would prefer the 318 over the 350,but screw me and everybody else. YOUR opinion is the only one that matters because it is your car,your money,and your time that is going to get spent on the car.

Not everybody has the skills,knowledge,and the tools to do a frame clip. If you don't have all three,don't even try it.

Yup,there ain't no patching that one. Send out some emails to the big junk yards out west that advertise antique car parts and ask them for a good front crossmember. The price shouldn't be high because who else is trying to buy one? Ask for the sheet metal deflector piece that pushes air to your radiator while you are at it.

Jim,why not try to paint them with the new chrome paints you can get in rattle cans? To the best of my knowledge I have never seen bumpers painted with the chrome paint,but I have seen smaller pieces of chrome trim painted with it,and it looked pretty good even up close.

OK.

Nothing could be cheaper or late-40's=early 50's that individual pipes bolted right to each exhaust port,