1954 Plymouth Suburban Project

[pflaming]

My new doghouse arrived yesterday so I quickly placed them to see how they look. I'm ECSTATIC! The colors are full brothers!  That fact is now a GAME CHANGER!  Rustoleum will have to wait, got to buy some more 800 / 1000 grit. Picasso is alive and well.  When the grille etc is all intact this car is going to be a head turner.

 

I swapped with a fantastic gentleman from east of Sacramento. We are very alike, would be great to be neighbors. So here's what now is. Only patina is authentic! "If the girl needs lipstick, find another girl!  

 

 

 

 

1953 hoods are slightly different then 1954. Here a '53 hood ornament and emblem are shown on a 54 hood. Look at the edges of the pieces  and you will see the differences.

 

 

 

I did a little work in this area just as a test, WOW! 

 

 

(to be continued)

[pflaming]

Question: To place the opening for the console tranny shift lever, I need to know the length of a 5 speed S 10 transmission.I will mount it behind my stock flat head.  Several of you have used this tranny.

 

ALSO seems whenever I need a special part, some forum member just happens to have one in the "attic". I need the lower tail gate for a 53 or 54 Plymouth. The Dodges of the same year will fit as well. 

 

Thank you. 

 

[ssnowden]

Looking great. You're really making progress!

Edited October 12, 2013 by ssnowden

[murfman1967]

I don't have a spare tailgate, but I do have dome nice grille pieces for a 54 if you need them.  The plastic emblem is broken into 2 pieces, but the crack is perfectly straight up and down and smooth as if it were cut.  Let me know if you need anything.  I also have 2 radios if your other deal falls through.  Murf

[Scruffy49]

Better go with Murf's radios, mine have gone AWOL. Spent 2 hours looking for them yesterday on my day off. I'm getting really sick of Shelby County TN, pickers and scrapper sneak into old farms at night and stuff goes missing. Or fuel is stolen.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Caution....snake handlers live here...our snakes are allowed free rein of premises...enter at own risk..

[Old Ray]

I need the lower tail gate for a 53 or 54 Plymouth. The Dodges of the same year will fit as well. Thank you. 

 

I’m surfing the classifieds looking for a windshield and find this, being a know nothing rookie newbie I have no idea if this is any help to you (and therefore not responsible   ) Truck?

 

 

http://p15-d24.com/classifieds/item/308-54-low-side-tailgate/

[murfman1967]

I’m surfing the classifieds looking for a windshield and find this, being a know nothing rookie newbie I have no idea if this is any help to you (and therefore not responsible   ) Truck?

 

 

http://p15-d24.com/classifieds/item/308-54-low-side-tailgate/

If I'm not mistaken that is a tailgate for a pickup truck with the low bedsides.

[pflaming]

The old floor boards are out and new pieces are cut and trimmed to replace and rebuild. I will bead blast the pieces on Monday then weld them in. So now I have to decide how to use a forming tool a forum member has loaned to me for I may well need it for some pieces.;  This is tedious work, it may not be 'pretty' but it will be solid. I am prone to function over fancy. Something that doesn't break is never ugly, maybe unsightly but not ugly. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

PP...ok..now I am getting very concerned...you write....IF I had  A Hammer

 

and not 6 inches away lays one....Have Mrs. PP call me....its time for some sort of intervention here...

 

[pflaming]

In studying the rocker channels I noted that they are straight U channels. So instead of trying to fix them, I'm going to get me a pair of them fabricated, then cut out the originals and replace. So, got to dust off my drawing board and make a drawing.

 

One leg of the U is 90 degrees to the bottom the other is not. Question: What gauge is this metal, 18? 

 

So then once I have the floor pieces welded in, I will attack the engine while I waiting for the channels. Don't want to attack the quarter panels til the rocker channels are in. Body work is a totally different challenge than chassis work. I'll do this body, but it may be my last one. 

 

 

[Dave72dt]

Probably 19 gauge which is difficult to find.  However the spec tolerances for 18 and 19 overlap a bit and 18 is readily available so  I'd go with the 18.  Be sure to treat the insides of the rockers before covering everything up.

[DJ194950]

What condition is the door jam top portion in? How about the curved area just outside and below that (on top of the "u" shaped rocker portion?). One more-how is the inner flat, vertical inner rocker panel?

If those are solid you are living right! 

 

!8 ga. Cold rolled sheet metal is what 99.9 % of car shops use as it is readily avail.  In one story in a rod mag. a speciality metal former stated that he found 1 place in the L.A., Ca. that usually stocked 19 ga. cold rolled. Doubt you would want to pay the shipping for a sheet-4'x8' !

 

Great planning Paul. 

 

Doug

[pflaming]

Well, I'm still at it. I bead blasted the replacement floor panels. Will now start trimming and fitting. Looks a bit rough now but I think I can dress it up.

 

Pieces laid out ready for blasting

 

 

Pieces cleaned up

 

 

Driver's side laid in

 

[48Dodger]

Paul...when you get the hull soild....bring it up to my shop and we'll paint it for the cost of materials only.

 

Well.....maybe buy me a pizza and a 6 pack of diet pepsi. lol. 

 

 

48D

[pflaming]

Tim, I accept. Do I bring 3" or 6" rollers. Will be in touch. I'm going to keep this car for me.  My daughter in Indianapolis wants the truck so I will drive it out to her some spring. But I like this car. I remember driving a friends 53 in high school and still remember how nice it handled. With good radial tires,  disc brakes, and the front shocks remounted for better control, this will be a fun car and a very practical one also. I think eventually I will also put a 5 speed tranny in it and then it will really cruise nice. 

 

WOW, will have some air brush artist put "Painted by 48Dodger" on the dash under a chicken hawk in a dive .

[pflaming]

The driver's side pieces are in, held by metal screws. I think the next step is to draw lines where cuts via a sawzall, can be made but missing the screws. Then butt weld those cuts after which the screws can be removed, cuts made there and the welding completed.

Am I making any sense. I've never done something even close to this before so I'm flying blind.

 

Edited October 15, 2013 by pflaming

[48Dodger]

I know how hard you've worked on your skills Paul...seems like only a few years ago you almost knew nothing (cars stuff that is)....you're monster now.

 

Trust me...I'll let you try spraying some hue on your on ride. lol.

 

48D

Edited October 15, 2013 by 48dodger

[Desotodav]

I think that you're doing great Paul. I'm a bit surprised that your old blue truck is heading to the Daughter though.

[pflaming]

The truck was promised a while ago. The floor boards are taking shape. Tomorrow the rocker channels. It would be much easier to get a new sheet of 18 gauge metal and make one large piece. Make a pattern from good cardboard and cut triangles where needed so it will bend and form, then transfer to the metal. That would be faster, easier, and would be a MUCH nicer end product. This will serve as well, it's just a lot of work.

 

Passenger side floor. 

 

 

A very poor shot from the back door. 

 

[pflaming]

Of all the tools I've added in the last 18 months, these four dollies and this 3 Ton jack are the most helpful. I can lift one side of the car to a height that is reasonably comfortable for my old arthiritic body and work top and bottom side. I ALWAYS have floor jacks if I'm working under the car. This combo has really helped me in replacing the floor panels. That project is nearing completion, what remains is to weld it together. 

 

Will be at a fabricator today about the rocker panels. 

 

This picture was taken for records only, otherwise jack stands would be under the car. Just thought I would add that. 

 

Edited October 16, 2013 by pflaming

[Dave72dt]

I know safety stands has been hashed over just recently but please put something under that car as a secondary safety measure before getting under it.

[Old Ray]

I ALWAYS have floor jacks if I'm working under the car.

 

Do you mean what I would call jack stands? …………………must be a poor picture and my old eyes, ......I can’t see them!    

[pflaming]

I took today off, well sort of: FIrst I worked on a way to mount my modern radio in the glove compartment, the drove the Mrs. to shopping and I went to B&N and perused the car mags, back home I went to a local old car yard and bought a LARGE old hood so I now have better material for body work.

 

In one of the magazines I saw a Cady and I like the muted colors. In Car and Craft there was a 58 Pontiac in a soft modern green. So, if you see a picture of any 50's / 60's station wagons in a modern color, I would appreciate seeing it. Will be back on the car tomorrow. 

 

After reading further, it was noted that this was Alvis Prestley's car. 

 

 

WIth Tim's generous offer this suburban will NOT be a surfer's car, it will be MINE!

 

I've never been a fan of spoke wheels so that choice is out. 

Edited October 18, 2013 by pflaming

[Scruffy49]

You need a set of wheels like that Caddy wagon is sporting...