falconvan Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 I found this on the local CL and couldnt say no; 51 Plymouth Cambridge with a great solid body and decent paint. It had been in a garage the last 15 years and preserved nicely. It needs some floor work and interior but overall it's in great shape. I think Im going to change directions on the 49 and swith all my parts over to this one. I had gathered up parts to do a 5-speed conversion and four wheel disc brakes so that'll all go on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1940plymouth Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Looks like a good solid car, good luck with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobT-47P15 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Looks pretty nice. Is that a spotlight on the driver's door? Has the "accessory rear antenna" too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyHarold Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Nice looking Plymouth. Enjoy it. Was this car ever a fleet vehicle? The spotlight and extra antenna, along with the car being a Cambridge, make me wonder if it was ever a taxi cab or patrol car. Are there any filled light holes in the roof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Nice looking Plymouth. Enjoy it.Was this car ever a fleet vehicle? The spotlight and extra antenna, along with the car being a Cambridge, make me wonder if it was ever a taxi cab or patrol car. Are there any filled light holes in the roof? It doesn't look like it, Harold. It's been painted; was originally tan. I dont see any evidence of a filled hole in the roof. The spotlight is a dummy, i'm not sure if I'm going to keep it or not. It's pretty ragged looking. I I have one I'd rather have a functioning one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemo Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Is your next project a larger "parking" lot ??? lol.. Cass, alias littlemo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Hah! It should be, Cass. I had to do some pretty undignified begging to get this one so I better cool it for a while. [ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Time for the tear down! Im really happy with how solid this thing is. All the fenderwells and hidden spots where my green car is rusted look great on here. Most of the factory undercoating is even still there. I pulled apart everything under the hood and got the motor ready to pull. Also pulled all the shift, accelerator, and clutch linkage, driveshaft and trans, all the exhaust and the fuel tank. My replacement rockers came in and I decided to go ahead and make the tunnel cover removeable like the earlier models to ease in the five speed swap. Floors and rockers are the worst spots but it shouldnt be too bad to fix. Im just going to use flat 16ga like I did on the other car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I made a killer Craigslist score tonight; a complete 54 Plymouth Savoy dash for $50! The original dash looks really rough so this should be a big improvement; I like the styling much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Other than color those are the same gauges as your 51 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I noticed that, Ed. It looks like the whole thing will bolt right in without any mods if I'm measuring right. If not, I got a welder so it's going to fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted July 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Ok, the 49 has been dismantled and disposed of other than several parts I sold, saved to sell, or saved for this project. The only bummer is I'm letting a friend use my spare garage bay for another month so my car is stuck outside in the 100 degree heat for now. So I figured I might as well start on it where it's at for now. I pulled the rearend and springs tonight. The springs are headed to St Louis spring for freshening up and I'm going to start getting the Explorer 8.8 ready for transplant. I think I'll hit the underside with the powerwasher and some POR-15 while I've got access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBop138 Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Do you ever sleep? Always on the go---if I lived next door we could crack a car out a week--LOL:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 the 54 dash are very nice with the centered glovebox and you want to be careful on the clean up and respray as the top is simulated vinyl textured..be nice to retain this look.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted July 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Yeah, I like to keep my projects moving. My brother in law is just the opposite; he'll buy a project, work on it sporatically for a few months, then sell it off, buy something else and start over. I've known him 8 years and he's yet to get one on the road; it drives me crazy. Each to his own, I guess. Tim, I guess someone already repainted this as it is glossy paint on top. After further investigation it looks like It's going to require some metal surgery to make it fit anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemo Posted July 19, 2012 Report Share Posted July 19, 2012 Glad to see your back from vacation and working again. So , want to sell the green one ??? lol, Cass, alias littlemo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted July 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 The green one is gone, Cass. I sold several parts off of it, saved a bunch for this car, and had the carcass hauled off last night. The motor I got from you is going in this one. Are you ready to road test that 48 yet? It looks like you're coming along pretty nicely on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted July 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Yesterday I cleaned up the rear of the frame from in front of the spring perches all the way to the back with an air grinder and hit it with a coat of POR-15. Access was easy at this point so I figured I'd do it for future rust prevention. Today I spent most of the day cutting off the old spring, sway bar, and upper control arm mounts from the Explorer rear; and cleaning it up for a test fit. I dont have my springs back from the spring shop yet but from mocking it up on a floor jack, centering it, and taking a few measurments; it looks like it'll be a pretty good fit. Once I have my springs back and get it set up permanantly, I'll paint the whole works before it goes back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemo Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Looks like that new rearend will fit great and do the job !!! Keep us posted with progress pics. Cass alias littlemo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 I got the rearend temporarily mounted with my rebuilt springs, new bushings, and 2" lowering blocks. It's got a nice squat in the rear now; I'm planning on dropping the front to match. Next step is to get the floors in shape; I cut out the old inner and outer rockers along with one side of the floor. First is to build new inner rockers with 16 ga and repair the floor braces. Once I've got both sides done, I'll go back and put in the floorpans and the outer rockers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyHarold Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Did you brace the door opening when you cut out the rocker panel? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Did you brace the door opening when you cut out the rocker panel? No, it's pretty easy to line up before you weld the bottom of the center post down. Just hold the bottom of the post down tight with a good welding clamp, open and close the doors a few times to make sure you'rer straight and tack it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 I got the front part of the passenger side mostly done today. The braces looked really rusted but one you hit them with a big wire wheel, they still are solid. I got the inner rocker made, a little patching done and repaired one brace so Im about 3/4 of the way there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted August 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Im a happy camper now; my buddy finished his Camaro and moved it out so I've got my garage space back! I pulled the 51 in last night after some cleaning and spent a few hours tonight cutting out the last of the old rocker and floor, cleaning up the braces, and starting to trim where the replacement floorpan is going in. Still 100 degrees today but a lot nicer working out of the direct sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemo Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 falconvan, what gauge sheet metal are you making your new floor pans out of ??? I understood you to say you are using 16 ga for the "rockers" and braces". Will you use the same or 18 ga. for the pans?? Cass.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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