Interchangable parts?

[Guest tagree01]

Hey guys, I just have a question about how interchangable MOPAR body parts are. I hear you guys talk about Canadian cars being hybrids of Dodge and Plymouths, and I hear other folks talking about how difficult it is to tell Chrysler from Dodge and Plymouth from afar.

The reason I ask is that I saw a '40 Chrysler coupe on eBay and the body looked exactly like my '40 Dodge. How close are the bodies of Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler?

Another reason I ask is because I have a '41 Chrysler Windsor I just love, but the rockers are pretty rusty and it would probably be alot cheaper if I could get replacements rather than have them repaired. Are there any sheetmetal panels for these bodies? What I love most about the car is the front clip. Could that go on a different body? Maybe even a coupe?

Thanks guys.

[Norm's Coupe]

I'm not sure about the 40 Mopars. However, for 46 through 48 most body parts are not interchangeable between the Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge and DeSoto. I think what you see us talking about when discussing interchange is mechanical parts. A lot of the engine parts are interchangeable and some chassis items like brakes, etc. between the years. For example, there were no changes in any of these cars between 1946 and early 1949, so all parts for a specific model are interchangeable for that range of model. Hope this clears it up for you.

[Guest tagree01]

I guess I was confused by the statement from the companion site:

"This homogenous design cumulated in the Canadian produced 1946-1948 Dodge D25 Model. It features a Plymouth body dressed in Dodge trim !"

I thought it meant they put a Dodge front clip on a Plymouth body (I didn't think the actual trim would fit both cars). I guess it means they just put Dodge trim pieces on a Plymouth.

I was thinking that maybe Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler started with the same exact body and just designed their own front clip, upholstery, engine and trim.