Hello - First Post for my D25

[D25_Owner]

Hello, I purchased a '48 D25 super deluxe coupe a few days ago from an estate. It appears to be rust free and It has a newly upholstered interior and lots of new chromed parts under the hood. It was in the process or restoration when the previous owner passed away. I am looking for a running engine and trans for it right now. It had a 230 with a 3sp. I'll post some pictures when I get them. Glad this forum is here, it looks like a great resource.

Edited August 17, 2014 by D25_Owner

[RobertKB]

Hi and welcome to the best forum on the WWW. It is nice to see another D25 owner on the forum. Where abouts do you live? D25's were only built in Canada so I am guessing you live there like most of the D25 owners on the forum. I have a 1948 D25 Coupe and a D25 parts car as well. See pictures. The guys on the forum are very knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge.

Your car will have the longer flathead engines (25") and not the 23" found in US Plymouths and Dodges. I have some running flatheads if you are any where close.

[D25_Owner]

Your car looks great! I live in Salt Lake City Utah. I think the previous owner shipped the car here. I wish he was still around to ask about it...... My car is a Business Coupe (I think) it only has one seat and the smaller rear quarter windows. I found the original engine and trans in a local machine shop. The previous owner died while the work was being done. The engine has a had a complete rebuild, but the shop wants more money than I can afford for all the parts (engine & accessories, trans, bell housing etc.) So I'm looking for something else. You are right, it did have the longer engine and I heard it's similar the the Desoto Spitfire.

Edited August 17, 2014 by D25_Owner

[Plymouthy Adams]

sounds like this is a first rate business...capatilizing on the misfortunes of others..I am sure we all want to wish them well...in my humble opinion we here on the forum should be very cautious on bidding on any engnine offered for sale out of Utah that has been "newly rebuilt and not installed" stuff like this is just not right..

[D25_Owner]

I don't fault the machine shop. They did a lot of work and never got paid.

They are asking $2000 for all the parts ( the amount on the invoice) I just don't

have that kind of money for it right now.

[Don Coatney]

You are right, it did have the longer engine and I heard it's similar the the Desoto Spitfire.

Desoto never had a "SPITFIRE" engine. That was a Crashler only thing. And the only difference is the engine head with the spitfire logo. If it were me I would rebuild the original engine or find a core and rebuild it myself. Only then will you know what you have. I have heard lots of horror stories about buying a "fresh" engine from an unknown machine shop.

[Plymouthy Adams]

excuse me... your post sounded like they wanted not only parts and labor but also to charge you for the engine, tranny bellhousing etc over and above..goodly chunk of change but should you buy a used set up and down the road in the not so far distant future need to service that engine..the time and trouble to pull it out, being without the car on the road etc etc...wear and tear on the nerves..not even considering what the better half may say about the newly arrived money pit...my may want to bite the bullet and get the original setup and be down with it..and if the engine number matches the frame..it would give you a number correct car...that may or may not mean anything to you but to a serious buyer down the road could make the difference of so so sale verse the good price.

Edited November 19, 2009 by Tim Adams

[D25_Owner]

Thanks Tim, sage advice I'm sure. I should just buy the original stuff, then there's that wife thing..and the money...not sure she likes the idea of money spent now or later but that's another conversation .

Don: I stand corrected about the Spitfire. Thanks.

[Plymouthy Adams]

at least try to talk with the man and get it put on a payment plan while you spend the time needed on the other parts of the car...would be bad to let the original set up get away..

[greg g]

It clear they are not going to get anything for the engine from the estate, and the market for 25 inch mopar engines is pretty small. I would call the shop or go and see them and offer them 50 cents on a dollar for the parts. At least they could recoup some of their costs and maybe pick you up as a customer to do the rebuild. then they would have cake and labor to. That price seems a bit stiff, what parts do they have. I spent about 850 on parts for mine but it was 5 years ago.

Welcome to the forum hope you can work things out at the shop and at home.

[Jerry Roberts]

I don't fault the machine shop. They did a lot of work and never got paid.

They are asking $2000 for all the parts ( the amount on the invoice) I just don't

have that kind of money for it right now.

D25 , You mentioned earlier that the engine has been rebuilt , you also mention that they want $2000 for the parts . Are they asking for more money for their labor ? if they only want the $2000 , ask around to see if they are trustworthy , if they are OK then see if you can talk them down a bit on the money and perhaps pay on a payment plan . Perhaps a discount for you to go in and clean their shop . The barter system ?

[D25_Owner]

Short story long;

The shop pulled the engine, transmission and all accessories. The shop still has possession of all those items (collateral at this point). They overhauled the engine but had not yet worked on the trans, then the owner died leaving an unpaid bill of $2000. The shop has a claim against the estate of $2000. I agree that he (machinst) will probably never see that money. But he's holding out till the estate settles (god know how long with lawyers and all) and I can't say I blame him. He has a good reputation and shop packed with vintage flatheads fords, cadillacs, hemis etc. He's in no hurry to take a low ball offer. So, I can either pay up or try to find something else that runs OK for what I can afford (not much).

[B-Watson]

The Plymouth-based Dodges from 1935 through 1959 were built in the U.S. as well as Canada. Needless to say, the U.S.-built models used the Plymouth 23" block in all years.

For the D25 models, only the coupes (3 & 5 pass) and sedans (2 dr & 4 dr) were built in Canada. Woodie wagons and convertibles were built in U.S. as well as the coupes and sedans.

Although the 'Plodges' were not sold within the main 48 states, they were sold in Hawaii when it was a territory and thus considered an export market.

Production by model year :

1946 -

Windsor : 6,344

Detroit : 2,759

1947 -

Windsor : 16,838

Detroit : 7,171

1948 -

Windsor : 17,340

Detroit : 8,962

Although Chrysler of Canada never sold any of the 1946-48 models as 1949 models, as was done in the U.S., some areas did sell them as 1949. Do not know if that was done in Hawaii, but in Australia any D25 with a serial number higher than 9750956 was considered a 1949 model.

You can tell by the first digit in the serial number where a D25 was built. A "3" or "4" meant Detroit while "9" meant Windsor. Chassis units were shipped to Australia where bodies built by T.J.Richards were attached to the chassis.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[rockerbillykat]

Hey Bill!

Just jumping in on the serial numbers on this post!

The serial number i found on my D-25 is located on the front

left hand chassis rail,just before it rises at the cross member!

It reads 9352277,so does the "9" represent the "Windsor" plant where

this chassis was built?

So what year would 9352277 represent?

As ive been led to believe my D-25 is an 1948 model Richards Bodied Sedan.

Would this be correct?

Thanks,Brad.

[Young Ed]

Settling the estate usually takes a year. Can take longer of course. Must be somewhat in order if they were already allowed to sell an asset(your D25) off. If you can get a rebuilt engine for 2K its probably not that bad a deal. I paid 1500 about 5 years ago.

[1949P17BC]

I would offer them the $2000 and they re install everything. You will spend more than 2M to buying up "old" stuff and trying to make it work. Been there done that. Or offer to make payments on the stuff over the winter and get ready for next spring. Eat the elephant a bite at a time

[BeBop138]

Thanks Tim, sage advice I'm sure. I should just buy the original stuff, then there's that wife thing..and the money...not sure she likes the idea of money spent now or later but that's another conversation .

Don: I stand corrected about the Spitfire. Thanks.

It`s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.........

[B-Watson]

Hey Bill!

Just jumping in on the serial numbers on this post!

The serial number i found on my D-25 is located on the front

left hand chassis rail,just before it rises at the cross member!

It reads 9352277,so does the "9" represent the "Windsor" plant where

this chassis was built?

So what year would 9352277 represent?

As ive been led to believe my D-25 is an 1948 model Richards Bodied Sedan.

Would this be correct?

Thanks,Brad.

After WW II until the last of the sequential serial numbers in 1957, the first digit stood for -

1 - Plymouths and "PlySotos" built at Lynch Road, Detroit.

2 - Plymouths built at Evansville, LosAngeles or San Leandro

3 - Dodges built at Hamtramck, Detroit, and "Plodges" built at Lynch Road

4 - Dodges built at LosAngeles or SanLeandro, and "Plodges" built at Lynch Road

5 - DeSotos built at Wyoming Avenue or Hamtramck (1957), Detroit

6 - DeSotos and Chryslers built at LosAngeles (also 1946-1950 Saratoga at Jefferson Ave)

7 - Chryslers built at Jefferson Avenue, Detroit

8 - Dodge, Fargo and DeSoto trucks built in Detroit

9 - Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler cars built at Windsor plus Dodge, Fargo and DeSoto trucks built at Tecumseh Avenue, Windsor.

Prior to WW II Canadian-built trucks started with "89" while "9" was used for Windsor-built cars, some LosAngeles-built trucks, Evansville-built Plymouth and Dodge cars.

Serial number spans for Canadian-built D25 models, for Canadian model years :

1946 : 9720361 to 9726704

1947 : 9726705 to 9743542

1948 : 9743543 to 9752791 and 9850446 to 9858536

The above mentioned numbers included complete cars and chassis built for Canada and export, plus CKD units for export.

Chassis shipped to Australia fell anywhere in the spans mentioned above. The beginning numbers used in Australia were as follows, but note that not all subsequent numbers were used in Australia.

1946 : start at 9720361

1947 : (start unknown)

1948 : start at 9750855

1949 : start at 9750956

The early 1949 model year in Australia would be due to the late end of 1948 production in Canada (December, 1948), the late beginning of the true 1949 models (February, 1949) and the time to ship the chassis by train to Montreal or Halifax then boat from the east coast of Canada to Australia. Or by train from Windsor to Vancouver then by boat to Australia.

D25 chassis shipped to Australia were sent to the Chrysler plant where bodies by T.J. Richards were mounted on to the Canadian chassis. The serial number was also stamped on a plate attached on the right side of the firewall under the hood, at least from 1948.

Your serial number, 9352277, falls into the span 9349566 to 9358622 which was for the Canadian-built 1938 Plymouth P6. You sure the "3" is not an "8"? That would make it a late 1948 model in the Canadian market but an early 1949 model in Australia.

Before WW II Detroit was the main source of chassis units for Australia, although Windsor did ship some PD, CO, CT, SE, SG, S1, DQ, DR, DU, DV, D2 and D3 units.

Hope this make sense.

Bill

Vancouver, BC