Tim Keith

Old cars like that can be good daily drivers if they can be driven like they would have been when it was new. Freeway driving conditions are so different today. If you talked to Mr Asche he would say that a Plymouth like that could be used every day, but it would need lots of ongoing attention to get in trustworthy shape. A fun 2nd or 3rd car. I wish I'd bought a clean P15 when I was young, but it would have been a poor choice as my only car.

The big expense on old cars is usually repairing rust, upholstery and chrome. If the Plymouth runs well there is no big mystery in the '54. When new they were common, but now you won't see another one on the road. My father told me that he traded a '53 Plymouth on a then new '55 Chevy, which initially had several problems which didn't get sorted out. He said that the Plymouth was comfortable and reliable, but only had 40,000 miles when he traded it. The Chevy needed several repairs under warranty and the Chevy dealer mechanics didn't understand the new V8.

There is a plethora of aftermarket support for the GM motors and many low budget swaps for the 5.3. The Pentastar V6 might be a good motor swap but I wouldn't know how to go about it.

What is a good resource to tackle the wiring? I'm considering swapping to a 5.3 in a Chevy truck. I don't want to spend the money for the aftermarket wiring. I wish the aftermarket for Mopar was as strong as for GM, but $800 for wiring is a lot of money for me.

Yesterday I saw a '51 Imperial in a salvage yard that had the 331 V8 with generator / power steering pump. I've never seen that early PS system.

The A904 automatic that came with the 318 is the easiest. The 904 will provide torque multiplication to allow changing the rear axle to enable lower cruising RPMs

Used parts are a good source but you could just as easily swap the transmission, if its that bad. You might give it an inspection. There are probably other suppliers but this is a name that I've heard as a source for parts for these http://www.northwesternautosupply.com/

fiberglass with some surface rust

The fender skirts are cool. I have two P15 business coupes but really like the D24

Another option could be the Chevy Cavalier power rack n pinion with the Toyota MR2 electric pump. This is the electric power steering pump from the MR2 "Spyder". This is a relatively popular upgrade that many have made to newer cars of various makes. I think it could also work for the DeSoto if the power Cavalier RNP provides proper steering geometry. The Prius also has electric power steering pumps, but I've only read about using the pump from the later series of MR2 sports cars. The gasoline motor of the MR2 is mounted behind the driver, so it was impractical to run conventional motor mounted hydraulic pumps. It is common to use this swap to clean up the engine comparement in a modified vehicle.

Most of the time the unit fits under the dash. I think that is where it is mounted on late model cars as these units may be sensitive to underhood heat. There are several units to consider. Because of fuel economy requirements these assists are widely used to avoid the need for a power steering pump. A vendor supplies a $60 device that enables the Saturn system to function in another vehicle. Other auto manufacturers may have different designs that do the same thing. Almost any steering system modification would alter the stock appearance of a S11, but this leaves the bulk of the steering stock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SgLgb2sjBo

Some have had success in adapting late model electric power assist steering to older vehicles. The units that I have become aware of attach to the steering column and act in multiplying the effort that the driver inputs to the steering wheel. There are no pumps or hydraulics. You can search street rod and off road forums for examples of this type of steering conversion. One popular unit is from a Saturn Vue. To save fuel many manufacturers are using these units, there is no power steering pump. Many units require a signal from the ECU of the vehicle, there are vendors that supply a low cost device that supplies the necessary signal. Here is an introduction to this power assist method http://preview.tinyurl.com/kbst5s9

Come visit Plymouth Illinois http://www.plymouthil.com/

I've read that others have also restricted the oil flow to the cam bearings. Motor oil is also used for cooling. How has this gone for you?

Some GL5 gear oil contains additives that prevent corrosion of brass from the sulfur compounds that are in the additives but many vendors are reluctant to state on the label that their gear oil is safe for yellow metals. Some of the synthetic gear oils will state that its okay for brass. GL4 has less of the sulfur based additives than GL5. I think GL4 and GL5 are performance specifications that may not address the specific chemical derivatives that are used as additives. I think GL5 probably does contain corrosion inhibitors but you might have to speak with a company representative to verify that. GL4 is a spec from way back, I think 1943. This is a topic that leads many to make special orders of gear oil.

I prefer to stick with a flathead but... If you mostly want a dependable motor the Jeep 2.5 four from a Dakota might be okay. Its basically a four cylinder version of the Jeep 4.0 six. These have good torque for their size, but definitely are not a performance motor. The Jeep 4.0 is a good motor but the inline six is a bit lengthy to easily replace the flathead. I know that few consider a four cylinder motor, but I have wondered how that might work in a relatively light car. The four option wouldn't get positive attention on cruise night, but the 2.5 Jeep should not have steering or exhaust clearance concerns. The Jeep 2.5 uses a General Motors bell housing pattern, basically a replacement for the "Iron Duke" GM four, so that there are various transmissions options. Some V6s might be a good option as well, if you find a wrecked donor vehicle you won't need much beyond a custom driveshaft and homemade mounts. The 60 degree V6s should have less issues with clearance than a GM 4.3 or GM 3800.

The Route Van I came across locally was listed on C/L as an ice cream truck with no mention of the model

If the grill is in good shape then you've got a good start. Lots of chrome up front. I've also got a '47 S11 De Soto club coupe. Its much like a Chrysler Windsor, different trim, dash and the 236 motor. I might update the motor with a 265 crankshaft. I wouldn't say that a '47 De Soto was rare but you probably won't see another S11 at a local show. Its unique enough that I prefer to see them kept stock looking.

Do you have a Route Van? I've seen them now and then, pretty hard to find.

The SHO engine looks good too!

I think 323:1 would work better with a 251 or 265. If you mostly deal with flat terrain and have light loads I think a 218 could work. Depends upon your expections of driveability. I'd not take out an O/D if I had good working one. I don't think you would overload the 218 without it first giving some complaints - you'd have to keep hunting for the right gear. I think the 200-R4 auto might adapt well to this scenario using a higher numerical ratio - but I don't really know about the 200R4 other than its a relatively efficient auto. Many slant six cars had a 323:1 and the torque output at lower RPM isn't that different from a 230. Quite a few of those slant six cars had 2:91 or even lower. I'd only hash this over if you plan to do a lot of highway cruising. You can't have it all with a flathead, you have to make some tradeoffs somewhere.

Dodge Dakota has rack and pinion steering. The weight of the truck is in the ball park but I guess this RNP doesn't fit the S11. If I went to power steering I'd probably replace the entire front suspension, which is to say I'm sticking with what I got.

A good non traditional swap might be a Toyota 7MGE. This is an inline six of 184 cubic inches that makes about 200 HP stock. The dimensions of the block are similar to the 218 flathead. I've laid the Plymouth flathead head gasket over the Toyota block finding very similar dimensions. The bore spacing is similar to the 218, the 7MGE with a 2-thou larger bore. The five speed has a hydraulic clutch and ought to be relatively easy to adapt. The 7MGE is wide on the top with its DOHC but narrow down low on the block. Should be no issues with the steering box clearance. The 7MGE is the motor in Toyota Supra and Cresida. The stroke is relatively long for a modern engine(same as a Dodge 360 V8), but this inline six can rev to 7,000 RPM. The healthy stroke produces relative strong torque. The Supra weighs more than a P15. The inline motor is not a hot rod, but a cruiser motor that makes smooth torque. The turbo charged version 7MGTE is similar, making 230 HP, but with much improved mid-range torque. During its production years the Supra with the turbo motor had the quickest 50 to 70 MPH acceleration of any vehicle sold in the US. There are still some of these motors available from the JDM suppliers. Although it is foreign made, it is an inline six and it ought to work very well. Smooth, good torque and economy. The only issues with this motor is it is a good idea to replace the head bolts with ARP fasteners, or retorque the head bolts periodically. Its only 184 cubic inches but it is an excellent cruiser motor that will go 300,000 with regular maintenance. I think it would drop right in a P15.

I wish that one of my business coupes looked at good as that

When you have removed the body from the frame you probably will continue to work on cleaning and painting the body. Your present intention may not be preserving the car for another 70 years, but you won't stop at addressing just the frame. My '47 DeSoto body looks solid, but I know that I'd I find problems with the body lifted off the frame. Bolts and fittings will get replaced, all fuel and brake lines replaced. I removed the box from a pretty solid pickup '70s truck that I'm working on. That was not difficult. Hmmm... some bed liner might be good inside the wheel wells. Where do you stop? Now I see that it is not so tough to address the cab. Its like the old Lays potato chips commerical, you can't stop at just one. If you get at this task, its not as much work as you might think to take the body off these old cars. Its not like a jigsaw puzzle that you can't put back together if you get halfway done and get tired of it.