splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Hey Guys & Gals.. Just wanted to intoduce myself...I'm new to the forum, live in Pollock Pines, Calif...just below Tahoe. Any NorCal guys here? Anyway, been a GM guy for the last 34 years....and just bought my first Dodge...well, not my first...I had a 440 Coronet in the mid '70s...and a '70 Charger in the early '80s....but only had those for a minute. Anyway, I bought a '48 Dodge 4 dr sedan on Thursday while I was in Reno with the wife....had it delivered to me on Saturday, bought a battery for it on Sunday morning and driving it before noon! Man, I wish I'd developed and interest for these vehicles years ago! I went to Reno originally to find a good start for a hot rod (actually, I took my wife and told her it would be a good time to get away for a couple of days without the kid cause my mom is visiting from Phoenix....I let her in on the hot rod thing about half way to reno). I'd already looked at about 30 cars in the area, but wanted a '40 chevy...but saw a '40 stude and had my heart set on that...that was on Wed, the day we got to Reno. I had scheduled to see this guys Dodge on Thursday morning.....and man, I am glad I waited. And fortunately when I got to see the car, the battery was dead...but the guy said he had driven it out of his garage the day before but it had been hard to start. That gave me a ton of bargaining power. Anyway, we cut a deal. It was his Dads for the last 4 or 5 years.....but his dad had passed away in '05... The son, who was the seller, wasn't ever going to do anything with it so he decided to sell it. It came with registration documentation all the way back to '63, origianl owners manual...well rather than go on and on....it's really sweet. Oh, and it turns out it was always registered in Calif and originally came from Calif. Anyway, just a " hey " to all you out there and be prepared, I'm going to have questions.....But if any of you have questions about '67 though '71 Jeepster Commandos, feel free to ask me. My 11 year old daughter and I sold ours a little over a month ago after 4 years of driving and restoring it.....We got it running the day we pulled it out of the weeds and drove it till we sold it....but it was finished and time to move on. And that's why we now have the Dodge.....Except, we are thinking of selling it cause we've now run across a coupe not far from us that we want as well....and I don't think the wife is going to go for 2 new cars around. So we have a pic in our profile and will be listing it here as well and can send out pics if you email us. Take a look at the post to find out more about this Dodge. Hope to talk to you guys as we go though our new addiction. Oh, btw, if anyone can help identify our car as to whether it's a custom, deluxe...or what ever it really is, we'd appreciate it....Oh, and sorry about the " not so quick " introduction............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normspeed Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Welcome to the forum. Glad you got the posting problem sorted out. The Dodge looks pretty clean, hope you and your daughter have a great time with it. Take a look through the members list some time, lots of great cars, and you'll find a few other folks in Northern CA and vicinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Welcome to the forum. Glad you got the posting problem sorted out. The Dodge looks pretty clean, hope you and your daughter have a great time with it. Take a look through the members list some time, lots of great cars, and you'll find a few other folks in Northern CA and vicinity. Hey, thanks Norm........I'll hate to say it, but we may sell the car....but only cause we found the other....but this one is as straight as they come, I'm sure. I'm trying to figure a way to keep this one and still get the other. Mentioned it last night to the wife....and even with the best schmooozing I could come up with, it was " well, if you want the other one, why did we drive all the way to Reno to get this one"......She'd had a good point if I'd seen this one for sale before we went to Reno...but alas....I didn't. But that's not keeping me from sitting here and trying to come up with some " creative " financing.....Anyway, Hope to hear from some of the NoCal guys up here cause if I keep the car, I've gotta get some bumpers. Thanks for all the help too thus far Norm...I appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff.P_46 Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Hey Splat, What is the coupe you're lookin at getting? Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob westphal Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Hey Guy, Welcome to the forum! Great looking car! Good luck on the coupe. By the way why is the coupe so intriging? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Hey Splat, What is the coupe you're lookin at getting? Jeff Hey Jeff.........Ya know, I really don't know that much about them to know what it is.....right now, it's just a coupe....I haven't actually seen the car in person, just talked to the owner by phone.....trying to set something up that will work for both of us to view it as he lives about 50 miles away and we both have pretty demanding schedules....Is there any thing I should know or be looking for as far as coupes go? Any thing that might make this coupe stand apart from others? Any input is appreciated. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Hey Guy, Welcome to the forum! Great looking car! Good luck on the coupe. By the way why is the coupe so intriging? Hi Bob, Hey, thanks for the " welcome". As far as the coupe being intriging, I'm not really sure why, except I think it would look a little better as a hot rod, although I really like the look and usefulness of the 4 door, but the 4 door I have now is just too clean to tear up to make a hot rod....the couple isn't quite as nice...at least from the pics the owner has sent me...Although, it could be nicer than the pics reveal, and then I'd have to think twice about tearing it down and hot rodding it....I just want to find something that is not so nice that I'll feel guilty tearing something apart that is so clean and stock and then stuffing a small block, trans, diff, disk brakes, etc....I really think it's important to keep some of the cleanest cars, no matter the make, in as original condition as possible.......but that's just me. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Custom...by note of the rear fender spear... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 stuffing a small block, trans, diff, disk brakes, etc.... I have done all the above (with the exception of the small block) to my more door Plymouth. I am very happy with the power and dependability of the Desoto flathead 6 I installed in my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm's Coupe Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Brain, That is a nice looking Dodge. I can understand why you now want the coupe too. I like coupes better myself, doesn't matter if it's rodded, custom or original, I've always been a coupe person. Bottom line is, what we are happy with. So.....go for the coupe and you'll probably like it and keep it even if you don't custom it. All that said, you can still see a lot of nice looking 4 door cars that are rodded and built into customs. Don has a nice mild looking 4 door custom look to it with a bigger engine in it. Looks better in person than his pictures. He really hasn't touched the original look of the car to accomplish that. All he did was change the wheels to get the look. The way I look at it, the Dodge is your car now. Regardless of what I wanted to do with it, I wouldn't feel guilty about doing it my way, if I wanted to keep the car. I would only feel guilty if I didn't do it my way. And, remember, anything you do can usually be reversed by someone else if they want, as long as you don't chop the top, etc. But.........if you really want a coupe, you'll probably never really be happy with the 4 door no matter what you do to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Custom...by note of the rear fender spear... Hey, Okay...now remember, I'm new to this whole species of cars....but by the fender spear, do you mean the piece of stainless on the side of the rear fender? I've got them, and on the side of the front fenders as well....Does that make it a custom? Also, what is the diff between the custom and deluxe. I'm trying to learn anything I can about these cars so as I find them, I'll know what I'm looking at. Thanks. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I have done all the above (with the exception of the small block) to my more door Plymouth. I am very happy with the power and dependability of the Desoto flathead 6 I installed in my car.Hey Don....that's a sweet ride! I like the fact that it is still very stock looking. But I bet having a set of disks up front makes for a more comfortable feel when ya gotta tap that center pedal quicker and harder. Yeah, that is along the lines of what I'd like to do. Oh, and I like the name, more door! Gotta remember that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 The old forum site before this new format host the original spotters quide and lots of other reference material..go to the dark gray banner above and click on RETURN TO P15-D24.COM and check out all the link..this will get you to the spotters guide..quick way to help define years, models and see the differences between the D24 Dodge and sister car the P15 Plymouth. http://www40.addr.com/~merc583/mopar/framesets/spotterframeset.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Brain' date='That is a nice looking Dodge. I can understand why you now want the coupe too. I like coupes better myself, doesn't matter if it's rodded, custom or original, I've always been a coupe person. Bottom line is, what we are happy with. So.....go for the coupe and you'll probably like it and keep it even if you don't custom it. All that said, you can still see a lot of nice looking 4 door cars that are rodded and built into customs. Don has a nice mild looking 4 door custom look to it with a bigger engine in it. Looks better in person than his pictures. He really hasn't touched the original look of the car to accomplish that. All he did was change the wheels to get the look. The way I look at it, the Dodge is your car now. Regardless of what I wanted to do with it, I wouldn't feel guilty about doing it my way, if I wanted to keep the car. I would only feel guilty if I didn't do it my way. And, remember, anything you do can usually be reversed by someone else if they want, as long as you don't chop the top, etc. But.........if you really want a coupe, you'll probably never really be happy with the 4 door no matter what you do to it.[/quote'] All good points of view Norm.....Man, I really want to keep the 4 door and purchase the coupe and keep both....and am still working on that but I have a feeling it's not going to happen...and I'd sure hate to find out a few months down the road that I could have kept the 4 door and still purchased the coupe. But, right now we are building a new home just a couple miles from the home we live in now and as much as I'd like to tell my wife...." sure we can afford it"....I don't want to dig a whole I can't get out of. I've got a couple of other " irons in the fire"....that may help me swing the coupe, but I've only got a couple of weeks to purchase it cause the folks are moving.....they really don't want to take the coupe with them, but they will if it's not sold real quick. I love the 4 door, and I've hot rodded a ton of 4 doors in the past 35 years....a couple of '55 chevs and a '57 chev....and they felt good and you got the luxury of those 2 extra door for the kids to get in. But the dodge, man, it kind of feels like a limo...I don't know why, but I just gotta get that limo thing out of my head...and for some reason, my car looks longer than Don's in the photo here....but I did a WB measurement and came up with 119....Are they the same length? I think another thing that will help with the look and feel for me is if I was able to drop the front a little, maybe an inch or two. I haven't been under the front end yet to look at the suspension style and don't have any literature on these cars yet, but is there any quick but safe way to drop the fronts on these a little. Man.....I am going to be asking a lot of questions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 The old forum site before this new format host the original spotters quide and lots of other reference material..go to the dark gray banner above and click on RETURN TO P15-D24.COM and check out all the link..this will get you to the spotters guide..quick way to help define years, models and see the differences between the D24 Dodge and sister car the P15 Plymouth.http://www40.addr.com/~merc583/mopar/framesets/spotterframeset.html Okay....now I've got it. The spear on the rear fenders help designate it being a " custom " as opposed to it being a " deluxe". And I do have the stainless trim around all the windows...I read that page yesterday, but now it's making more sense to me. I'm particularily fond of this..Owners seeking parts were advised "There is no way to positively identify type of body ". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Okay, I'm a little slower than most.....but I didn't even really start rummaging through the trunk until yesterday.....yup, and I've had the car in my driveway since Saturday!! That would have never happened 15 years ago. Anyway, I'd seen " stuff " in the trunk when I was looking the car over in Reno.....and finally went through the stuff yesterday....my 11 year old daughter and I decided it was time to see what was there. Here's what I found....A used water pump, used headlight, New in the box Fuel Pump, old points, rotor and condensor, what I think are bumper bracket to frame bolts all taped together, a whole slew of body bolts and misc screws and such. I also found the one " spear " that goes on the drivers side front fender in nearly perfect shape ( seller told me it was somewhere in the car), the chrome " V " shaped " Dodge" script that goes on the nose ( My car already has one ), a chrome flat script " Dodge " ( not sure what year or model this is for although the lettering style & size are exactly the same as the " V" piece), a 6V coil, 2 brand new in the box 6V Tung Sol signal flashers(my car seems to have not come with turn signals) and 2 new pedal pads for the clutch and brakes. Here's the question.....there are a few things I can't identify...there are 4 pieces of one type of trim....and I don't think they came on my car at all, although after looking at the pics here of some p-15's, it could be Plymouth trim, there is 1 piece of another trim....also don't think it came off my Dodge as I've looked all over the car for any place it could go, inside and out. Then there are 2 long and fairly thick rubber pieces....I've got no clue on those. Is there anyone out there that might help me identify these pieces if I took some pics of them? There are actually a couple more parts that I can't identify. I did find a couple of knobs also...one in not so great shape and another....maybe a heater knob, can't remember, that is in pretty good shape. I think the guy that had the car for 45 years prior to the guy I got it from was changing parts out and saving the old as he restored it. Oh yeah, there is a switch assy as well...not sure which one....but it pulls out and has 3 positions when pulled....I think my light switch only has 2 positions when pulled....so I have no clue on that either at the moment. How about a bumper question to break things up.....I was emailed about a pair of bumpers...they are pretty straight, but are on a '48 P-15...and look a little different than some pictures I've seen of '48 Dodge bumpers.....Is there a difference.? One other question....I've got that stainless spear for the front drivers side fender, but don't have a clue what the retainers look like that hold it to the body....Can anyone help there as well? Thanks Guys...man, I'm glad I got turned on to your site and forum!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I have done all the above (with the exception of the small block) to my more door Plymouth. I am very happy with the power and dependability of the Desoto flathead 6 I installed in my car.Hey Don....that's a sweet ride! I like the fact that it is still very stock looking. But I bet having a set of disks up front makes for a more comfortable feel when ya gotta tap that center pedal quicker and harder. Yeah, that is along the lines of what I'd like to do. Oh, and I like the name, more door! Gotta remember that. I have disc brakes up front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I have disc brakes up front. Yeah, that's what I was saying.....that your ride with the disc is probably a lot nicer when it's time to slow it down in a hurry.....I put some on the front of a '69 Jeepster Commando 4X4. They all came terribly under braked from the factory....with 10" drums & shoes....you almost had to stand up on the brakes to slow the thing down if you were going down hill at any speed...and man, if they were wet....look out!. Went to a D27 that had a disc conversion kit already on it, threw a D44 with 11" drums in the rear and a Corvette Booster & Master Cylinder on the firewall and man, braking went from none to a ton! I can see that being a real plus on these cars as well although I must admit, my Dodge stock stops better than my Jeepster did stock........a lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendan D25 Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Welcome, your Dodge looks good. The Plymouth P15 bumpers are different than your D24. Your body is shared with DeSoto and Chrysler. I have a 48 Dodge sedan which is a D25 model which is Canadian built and shares body parts with P15. Confused yet? To compare the D24 and D25, look at my profile and Brad Lustig's, both are together. Why not enjoy the sedan for now and if you would like a coupe later, there will be others. Have fun, Brendan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Hi Brenden, Thanks for the facts.....Me? Confused? Yeah, for many years...... But Okay, so, let me make sure I understand cause this was a question I was going to ask....the D25....that just means it was built in Canada? But rather than having common parts with the D24, it has more common parts with the P-15? Have I got that much right? And yeah, browsing through the pics in the gallery, I see the Plymouth and Dodge bumpers are pretty different...Looks like the Dodge bumper has an accent that matches the accent on the stainless spears on the fenders....interesting. Where as the Plymouth bumper don't. Is that correct as well? Oh and believe me, I am enjoying the Sedan.....and may hold on to it for a while.....even got it tagged and legal to drive on the streets today. Now, I've just got to get up the nerve to drive it to town...about 9 miles. Not worried that she will break down....but it's got about 20 or 30 year old recaps on it....good tread....dried out and cracked sidewalls....and the matching tire in the trunk, well, it's missing about 1/3 of it's tread....and I mean, it's gone...steel wire hanging out of the core..I could probably slap some paper, magnets and solder the thing up and make a speaker out of it!! The 4 tires that are running on the car don't feel funny or anything, but after looking at the spare, it's gonna make that trip to town a whole new adventure!! Stress Level up.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crosleykook Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Wow-- that car looks great! I'm in Sacto, so right down the hill from you. I've got a '52 wagon, but I found it while i was looking for a '46-48 four door.. I love those cars. Good luck with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Wow-- that car looks great! I'm in Sacto, so right down the hill from you.I've got a '52 wagon, but I found it while i was looking for a '46-48 four door.. I love those cars. Good luck with it! Hey Man, How's it goin? Norm told me there were some northern Calif guys here....It's good to know there are going to be some local guys to touch base with. Hey, are you still looking for a 4 dr cause this one can be had. I'm looking at another one, but the wife says only one at a time....I've never understood her reasoning behind that....I've been doing GMs for over 30 years, and she never had a problem with me having 2 of a kind...I mean, you almost have to always have a spare or a parts car.....Then we move up here from Santa Barbara and all of a sudden things change.....Anyway, I may need to sell it if I want to get the other...If you know anyone that might be interested, let me know. And again, good to hear from someone in the neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney Bullock Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Hi, welcome to the forum, I looked at your sedan and it's boss. I think having a 4dr is payback to the hobby. In the old days I thought 4drs where parts cars for 2dr hardtops, I don't think that way anymore. The coupe is so sinister everyone should have one, in the old movies all the bad bad bad guys had coupes. I drove behind mine once and could not believe how great it looks from the back. I read that you where looking at a 1940 stude, that is a very nice car. I guess Cali has a lot to offer when it comes to cars. I own a couple of 50's and 60's customs however I adore my plymouth coupe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 (edited) On another note..you have the 4 door sedan in custom trim...this is the the 4 door Town Sedan and it came in custom trim only.... Edited May 20, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Hi, welcome to the forum, I looked at your sedan and it's boss. I think having a 4dr is payback to the hobby. In the old days I thought 4drs where parts cars for 2dr hardtops, I don't think that way anymore. The coupe is so sinister everyone should have one, in the old movies all the bad bad bad guys had coupes. I drove behind mine once and could not believe how great it looks from the back. I read that you where looking at a 1940 stude, that is a very nice car. I guess Cali has a lot to offer when it comes to cars. I own a couple of 50's and 60's customs however I adore my plymouth coupe. Hey Rodney, thanks for the welcome.....I used to think the same way...about the 4dr being parts cars.....but anymore, depending on the car....your lucky to find a 4dr....I really think, with the right stance....most 4 drs can look pretty sinister also. Yeah, the 40 stude is a pretty cool car...man, I love the nose on 'em. That one I was looking at is up in the mountains and I saw it on the way to Reno last Wed. That was the car I was really going to look at and wanted to get....but didn't want to commit until I'd gotten to Reno and looked at a couple more.....a 50 Pontiac..man, what an awesome dash in that one!!......and the Dodge. The Dodge was in way better condition though.....but more money. But one of these days, I'm gonna go back and see if the Stude is still there stuck in the weeds. Again, thanks for the welcome....looking forward to learning more about these cars from you guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.