1953 Plymouth Convertible Rebuild Part 1

[falconvan]

I was reviewing Mordor's build thread and drooled over his 54 Savoy dash find. Mine will take a bit of work. Question to Mordor: How does that horizontal chrome decor piece come loose. Is it held on by clips?

Yes, there's small clips hold them on. By the looks of your dash I would just pull it in one piece and then disassemble. There's probably rust on the backside of it you're going to want to deal with.

[pflaming]

My thoughts exactly, disassemble it, then sand blast the shell and rebuild like new while on the bench.

[54Illinois]

My biggest beef when i was removing the dash from my parts car was trying not to rip or tear any wires, linkage etc. Everything was so brittle.

Edited December 25, 2012 by 54Illinois
Had to correct a mistake!!!

[pflaming]

My salvage man took me to his other yard to look for parts on plymouth. It turned out to be a 54 Savoy four door. Two finds: first a tranny with an overdrive, I bought it, second a deluxe steering wheel, I bought it also. I took the button home will have to go back to pull the tranny, overdrive, and steering wheel. The buttom polished up really nice.

Question; it will need some reconstruction, how do I make it look the one in the attachment?

Edited June 24, 2018 by pflaming

[Young Ed]

I'd say those are some great finds! Also I don't believe that you can plunk a hy-drive behind any 218-230. Earlier this summer Mark on the truck side was swapping oil pans and discovered an extra tube in his block. I compared to a bare 218 block I had and I didn't even have that hole. Posting here determined that it was a tube into the oil pan for the hydrive setup.

[pflaming]

Now I need a rear axle. Disc brakes are optional. I used a Cherokee axle on the truck but it is too wide / long for the car. Suggestions are most welcome.

[falconvan]

I used an 87 Dakota 8.25 on my 48 and a 2000 Explorer 8.8 on my 51. Both were the right width although I had to move the spring perches.

[54Illinois]

Also I don't believe that you can plunk a hy-drive behind any 218-230. Earlier this summer Mark on the truck side was swapping oil pans and discovered an extra tube in his block. I compared to a bare 218 block I had and I didn't even have that hole. Posting here determined that it was a tube into the oil pan for the hydrive setup.

Forgot about that. Sure there is not a screwed in plug on yours where the pipe goes? Did you get that steering wheel out of that actual vehicle pictured? Or is that just an example photo?

[pflaming]

The steering wheel pictured is from the 54 Dodge from Denver. Mine has deterioated to the steel rim but it is not bent and the chrome ring, et al, is very nice. I will have to rebuild it. Someone on the P-H side did so I will study his thread. Just realized that the wheel in my vert may work. . . H,m,m,m, put the ring on my wheel and . . . .

Thanks for the axle examples, but one can't use just any ratio behind a hy-drive. Are those ratios correct?

[Young Ed]

Forgot about that. Sure there is not a screwed in plug on yours where the pipe goes? QUOTE]

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=33291&highlight=drive

There is certainly not a plug in this spot on the block I was looking at. I suppose you could drill and tap it but I wouldnt want to do that on an assembled engine and risk those metal flakes getting somewhere.

[RobertKB]

Why chang the rear axle when you picked up a tranny with overdrive unless you are desperate to keep the HyDrive. I know you put an axle under the car with a ratio you didn't like but that is easily switched by changing the pumpkin. A 3.73 with overdrive would give you good highway speed at low RPM.

[pflaming]

Doing little things in 'cracks of time'. Cleaned up the knobs, no way perfect but better. This will be my plan of action. Clean, clean, clean. Once I'm done with that, then I'll decide on chromeing etc.

Oh yes, ordered service manuals off the bay.

Edited June 24, 2018 by pflaming

[B-Watson]

Forgot about that. Sure there is not a screwed in plug on yours where the pipe goes? Did you get that steering wheel out of that actual vehicle pictured? Or is that just an example photo?

The Hy-Drive torque converter gets its fluid from the engine oil, which is why a complete oil change takes so much oil. The TC does not have a pump instead using the engine oil supply pressure.

So, you need a supply line from the engine block and a return line. If you check the Hy-Drive bellhousing where it attaches to the block, you will find two tubes cast into the housing. And there will be two openings on the block to match.

The Powerflite TC has its own pump and thus there is no need for oil from the engine.

[pflaming]

The dash board is loose, now to disconnect a couple of wires: amp and fuel and I think it will come out. This harness appears to be much more complicated than the truck harness. There isn't much room behind that dash.

If someone has a picture of the schematic I'd appreciate it. I have a service manual on order, I hope it has one.

The mirror and the seat adjustment handle. Just pictures.

Merry Christmas to all.

Edited February 2, 2018 by pflaming

[pflaming]

I have it out. :)There is nothing to prewire in the dash, the harness goes in first, then the dash. There's got to be an easier trick to installing then taking it out. Maybe the dash came in before the windshield. . . .

The 52 gauge case is different than the '53. The gauges themselves are the same. I may just buy a professional harness, any suggested sources. Eazy Wiring is one, . . .

There is a massive wire from the battery to the dash to the motordrive that raises and drops the top. It winds it's way through the A pillor along floor back to that motor. I may not have to replace that.

They only made 6.301 1953 convertibles!! We were at war with Korea and the automobile industry was limited on how many cars they could make to conserve on steel.

Edited February 2, 2018 by pflaming
Corrected the production number. Thanks B. Watson

[Mark Haymond]

Pre wire the dash on the comfort of your workbench! Then push the wire loom through the hole in the firewall to the engine compartment. Then snap the tail light and brake light connections together.

[Young Ed]

Paul I made my own harness for the p15 while I also had my dash out. I hooked everything up the dash and installed it. Then put the wires out to where they went and installed the other ends.

[Frank Elder]

Don't forget to paint the underside of your dash a nice gloss white before you install it!

[B-Watson]

Restrictions on auto production ended at the beginning of the 1953 model year. Sales were good at the beginning of the model year and total production of Plymouth came to 650,451 for the 1953 model year, which was better than 1950's 610,954. Sadly, sales dropped by the spring of 1953 and would really take a nose dive in 1954.

Total production of the 1953 Cranbrook convertible came to 6,301.

The lowest production models were two Canada-only models - Cambridge (P24-1) club coupe (1,050) and Belvedere (P24-3) hardtop (760). The Belvedere sedan (P24-3) came to 2,240.

For 1953 Plymouth production, US and Canada combined -

P24-1 : Cambridge -

Business Coupe (US only) - 6,975

Club Coupe (Canada only) - 1,050

2-door Sedan (US only) - 56,800

4-door Sedan - 93,585

2-door Suburban - 43,545

TOTAL - 201,955

P24-2 : Cranbrook -

Club Coupe - 92,102

4-door Sedan - 298,976

2-door Belvedere Hardtop (A) - 35,185

2-door Convertible (US only) - 6,301

2-door Suburban - 12,089

Chassis - 843

TOTAL - 445,496

P24-3 : Belvedere (Canada only) -

4-door Sedan (A) - 2,240

2-door Hardtop (A) - 760

TOTAL - 3,000

(A) - The P24-3 models went into production at the beginning of April, 1953, at which point the Cranbrook Belvedere hardtop was dropped in Canada.

1954 production plunged to 468,148 for the model year, but convertible production increased to 6,900.

[pflaming]

First a thankyou to B Watson on the correct production information. I'm in the second stage of the dash/wiring project. The key is DOCUMENTATION, there is just TOO much to remember. I will remove the old harness next so in preparation for that I am color coding all connections PRIOR to removal. I shoot a little paint into the cap and with a painter's brush can easily color very small areas.

Once out, I then will know what belonged to what and can then make my own harness.

Edited February 2, 2018 by pflaming

[Thumbtack]

Now I need a rear axle. Disk brakes are optional. I used a Cherokee axle on the truck but it is too wide / long for the car. Suggestions are most welcome.

I used an '96 Explorer rear in my '51 Meadowbrook. 3.73 gr limited slip factory disk. Rangers use the same rear but the perches are on the top of the housing as opposed to under. which doesn't matter they have to be moved anyway. Ranger diffs have a 29 spline axle and the (IIRC) '96-up uses a 31 spline and are disk. The 31 spl has slightly thicker tube material too. The width is perfect! The Explorer rear diff is offset to the pass side about 2.5". Which worked out great! Lined up perfect with the floor tunnel. I cut my perches off with a cut-off wheel on my 4" side grinder. The down side is the perches are for 2.5" wide springs. The way I see it you can slit the factory FoMoCo perches and weld then back together. (low buck) Or you can call this guy and order an entire kit.

http://www.butchscoolstuff.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=62

The only reason I changed mine was the aggravation factor of the rear drums serviceability. I got the donor rear for a song as well as the limited slip was a great plus. Just my 1/2 cent suggestion. Not sure of the width on the springs of the '53 you might get lucky there.

Edited December 29, 2012 by Thumbtack
add year of my model.

[Dodgeb4ya]

It's going to look great when you finish it Paul!

Bob

[pflaming]

I can swap straight across my 22" 116 cu.in. engine for a complete 51/52 Chrysler 250 or 264 cu. in. engine. I think the condition of one over the other is the same. I will do a compression check on both before I decide. The chrysler has a fluid drive. To do this I would have to move the radiator forward 3" and probably fab a new forward motor mount.

Question: (1) Will this engine mate with my hy-drive, (2) would this be an improvement to the value of my car? I know the larger engine has some 20 more HP which would be nice.

Tim, I received my1946 - 1954 Service manual today.

[55 Fargo]

I can swap straight across my 22" 116 cu.in. engine for a complete 51/52 Chrysler 250 or 264 cu. in. engine. I think the condition of one over the other is the same. I will do a compression check on both before I decide. The chrysler has a fluid drive. To do this I would have to move the radiator forward 3" and probably fab a new forward motor mount.

Question: (1) Will this engine mate with my hy-drive, (2) would this be an improvement to the value of my car? I know the larger engine has some 20 more HP which would be nice.

Tim, I received my1946 - 1954 Service manual today.

Yes the swap to long block 251 can be done, as this very car in Canada all had long block 6s. You could get some parts from a Canadian built car to make the swap.

The Hy-line trans might not work, on the 251/265 engine, no oil ports for the trans lube, not sure though possible if that trans was available for 51/52 Chryslers, if it is a fluid drive suspect not the engine you are entertaining.

You could always go with fluid drive and 3 spd trans, from a Dodge donor, or a dry clutch and T5 trans or the R10 3sp OD trans.

The fluid drive clutch house is much bigger than a regular dry clutch housing, so your rear mount would need to be fabbed or moved to the rear of the car.

Whats your goal, fix up car, or OEM stock resto, by making big change like adding a 251 and fluid drive, not sure you will be adding value.

I build things for my own use, and for my likes and expense, do what you want, but no what it is you want, befor plunging in and buying and making big changes.

Hey how about a SBC and turbo 350, (only joking)......LOL:p

Edited January 3, 2013 by Rockwood

[pflaming]

by making big change like adding a 251 and fluid drive, not sure you will be adding value.

I'm not going to make the switch.

Edit: Thanks guys, with the exception of front disc brakes, add the overdrive and get a proper rear axle, all will remain stock. I quickly perused the manual and it has a great deal of information, and lots of illiustrations. I also got a manual on the Hy-drive.

Edited January 3, 2013 by pflaming