Looking for info and tips for "updating" my 48 special deluxe coupe

[48p15sdccoupe]

after alot of searching to no real avail, i thought id post again here......ive got a 48 special deluxe club coupe currently all original and everything works even the am radio which i think is pretty cool. anyway here is what im wanting to do with the car and i do ask please no negative comments thanks. i already own a 96 Ford 5.0 (gt-40 non-p head) with an aod and also a ford 8.8 posi disc brake rear. im a ford guy more then anything but fell in love with this coupe. as we all know dodge doesnt make an auto transmission worth a crap and seeing as i already own the ford drivetrain that is what im going to use. i would like to lower the car (correctly) as the car had cut springs in the front when i got it, ive already installed ford aerostar springs and raised it back up but it seems to far. what im looking for is a disc brake conversion, drop spindles, upgraded steering componants. i would prefer finding a kit as i dont have the fab skills to make custom stuff. i would like to upgrade to power steering and add ac as well..... i would really like to keep the original front end and just upgrade everything if i am able to. sorry for rambling on, i appriciate any input and again i ask please no negative comments. thanks   

[knuckleharley]

You are not going to like it,but MY suggestion is to sell your all-original to someone who wants an original car to drive as is or restore,and use the money from the sale to buy a coupe with no drivetrain.

 

Not trying to be impolite,but destroying a complete original car to create a non-original car makes about as much sense as staring into the sun.

 

Chances are you will even make out financially if you follow my advise,plus you will have less work to do.

[48p15sdccoupe]

I’m not doing a crazy off the wall build, and I’m well aware the money spent will never be recovered. But all I’m wanting to do is upgrade drivetrain, suspension and brakes and creature comforts. As far as looks and interior will be left fairly original. I drive the wheels off my car and enjoy it. I would just like it to be safer to haul my kids in as they love it and to have the modern power to keep up on the highway when we go to shows further away. I knew I would get replies from people that like to keep them original. To me I’m not destroying it I’m improving it to enjoy and drive for another 60+ years. But thanks for the reply 

[Plymouthy Adams]

so Mopar does not make a tranny worth a crap but if they did not give it to Ford, who knows if and when Ford would have gotten an automatic.....sorry dude....you get no points for the post.....?

[48p15sdccoupe]

keep your smart ass comments off my post “dude”....I thought this was a place to ask about things and people actually help out or share their tricks and tips... evidently I was mistaken.

[Ajgkirkwood]

From what it sounds like the car has already been altered before he got it. Yea to some it’s a shame to cut something stock however it is his car and he’s making  it reliable and safer to drive for him and his family. Tons of ppl take others cars that are perfectly stock and mod it to suit there needs. Personally I say look at a 318 drive line as it be a lot easier to do with less modding

[48p15sdccoupe]

Thank you Aj, I know this pisses the “purists” off and even more so because Ford drivetrain but, I already own the ford drivetrain and is already built the way I want it so I’m saving a lot by not having to source another drive train. The only vehicles I would keep 100% original are those of historical or great rarity the rest I build to make me happy and to be safe and fun for the kiddos 

[plymouthcranbrook]

I agree that unless you are married to a Ford or Chevy engine that the Mopar makes more sense in addition to keeping with the history of Chrysler cars.. Reliable and good parts availability as well.  Rear end is up to you of course. Many have fitted modern rear axles for better cruising as well as 4 or 5 speed manual trans. Adapters for automatics are available also.. Higher speeds suggests a brake up grade also. 

Edited October 21, 2018 by plymouthcranbrook

[Los_Control]

Curious how long you have had the car, the condition the current running gear is in.

These flathead 6's can be very reliable, they are no hotrod, but with some minor mods you might be very pleased.

The mopar brakes if setup properly work very well, there are disk brake conversion kits available for those, sure you can source some dropped spindles also.

And installing a modern rear end is not a real chore .... you have options for the transmission, maybe a T5 behind the flatty?

 

Because these older mopars are not that popular, you will not find as many vendors supplying parts and kits like a chevy or a ford.

You will need to practice your fabrication skills to do what you want with the ford driveline.

[48p15sdccoupe]

Los, I’ve not had it to long, the flatty seems to run out good I just put a new fuel pump on it, it still has a slight carb issue but over all runs out good holds 40+ oil pressure. The car was restored in the 80s I’m guessing judging by the blue velvet interior lol but I’m not a fan of drum brakes especially with my kids in the car.....and as far as married to the motor I’ve already got it and everything to drop it in minus mounts and such as I had it built for my 50 ford but never stuck it in I kept it flathead v8 powered

[allbizz49]

There are no kits, that's the beauty of building an old mopar, you HAVE to build it. It's not a cookie cutter shoebox.......I have no problem with cutting and modifying any car. Free country and it's your car to do what you want to it. The biggest issue I see with your build is that you have no fab skills. You are at the mercy of a shop. Front disc brakes are easy, swap in a Cherokee rear. Pretty much looking at dropping it off at a shop and leaving a blank check. If I couldn't personally build my cars and bikes, I'd quit and take up golf. That's 80% of the fun. 

[mrwrstory]

Well 48p, so much for the "no negative comments please".  Hardly any you could even call neutral.

So,....here's a little support.  I have a Hot Rodded P15 coupe. Spent waaaay too much money but I'm damn proud of it.  It happens to be all Mopar but I still get crap from the so-called purists who have only modified their cars "just a little bit!"

Great that you have an engine and drive train, money in the bank.  However to do what you're proposing, you are not excused from doing some fabrication or paying someone to do so..  A different engine/trans/rearend will require some cuttin and pastin.  Ford engines are a bit narrower than the other small blocks but,.....they are also a bit longer,....in any case meaning some modification of the firewall and/or core support is certain.  I still had to do that with a Mopar engine. 

Bolt on front disk brake kits are available from vendors listed on this forum.  Dropped spindles and shock mounts are also readily available.  Drove my car with this setup for years.  There is also a Cavalier rack and pinion kit available and which many folks have installed,; however, you still have a steering column and shift linkage issue to address.  I could not bring myself to use it.  Seemed like a real cobble job to me and I ultimately went with a new front clip.

My P15 modification was not without it's challenges.  It was the first time I attempted such an extensive project.  But I learned a lot.  Approach it like eating an elephant,...one bite at a time. ?

Good luck! 

[48p15sdccoupe]

Cookie cutter shoebox ?!? Lol nothing cookie cutter about a shoebox....as far as my fab skills I can do quite a bit actually but choose not to do the main welding as I would rather someone that does it daily or has for a while do that for me. 

 

And thanks mr story, great looking car man....I can see I’ve ruffled feathers already seeing as ppl taking stabs lol but hey that’s part of the fun pissing other ppl off huh....one of the reasons mine will be ford powered!! It’s a shame though that people can’t simply keep their negative ************** to themselves. Oh well...here’s my coupe...was cut springs but I’ve replaced them with Aerostar springs and raised the rear up 2” couldn’t drive it that low. 

[PT81Jan]

19 minutes ago, mrwrstory said:

 ... but I'm damn proud of it.  It happens to be all Mopar but I still get crap from the so-called purists ....

 

 

Super nice car !!! I purely like your design !

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I have no intention to start a discussion what is right or wrong regarding pure or what is allowed and what not, so which may help the various views is: If someone today modifies anything you just have to wait a couple of years (or decades), then it is a contemporary 2018 modification and most likely accepted then ... ?

[allbizz49]

I like shoeboxes, don't get me wrong, but around here, dime a dozen. 

[SteveR]

Nice looking car! One thing you might have overlooked is resale value. I realize you said you do not have any concerns about this but at some point, you may have to or may want to sell the car and you may be limiting your potential market by having a Ford drivetrain in a Plymouth.  Myself my stock 37 Plymouth is just fine. I do not need to go 90 mph, 60 is fine. But to each his own. Good luck to you. Give us some pics when it's finished.

[48p15sdccoupe]

Thank you Steve, I’m not looking for a speed demon either but I’d like to be able to comfortably keep up with my grandfathers 48 Ford and several friends cars as well 46 Ford, 37 Lincoln zephyr and some others. All are Modern drive train.....now if I was to come across a vintage hemi I would definitely rather go that route haha, but seeing as the majority of hot rods these days are gm powered I figured I would go a different route. 

[SteveR]

48p15sdccoupe It may just be me but it always seemed that there was always friction between Ford and Chrysler owners. Myself I would never drop a Ford Drivetrain in anything except the ocean. lol My point earlier is you may be limiting you resale market with that Ford drivetrain. Also Torqueflight transmissions from what others have said and from personal experience are bulletproof. (If only my Dad knew what I use to do to his 65 New Yorker with a 413 cu in engine and Torqueflight tranny.) It's just something to think about.

[John Reddie]

8 minutes ago, SteveR said:

48p15sdccoupe It may just be me but it always seemed that there was always friction between Ford and Chrysler owners. Myself I would never drop a Ford Drivetrain in anything except the ocean. lol My point earlier is you may be limiting you resale market with that Ford drivetrain. Also Torqueflight transmissions from what others have said and from personal experience are bulletproof. (If only my Dad knew what I use to do to his 65 New Yorker with a 413 cu in engine and Torqueflight tranny.) It's just something to think about.

I must agree here about the torqueflight transmissions. I'll probable jinx myself for admitting this but one of my "67 Plymouth Fury's has a 727 torqueflight transmission that other than several fluid and filter changes and a shift seal replacement has gone over 500,000 thousand miles. I drive it sensibly; no burn outs?

[mrwrstory]

Glad to see the support for 48p.

BTW,....I put a 5.0l and AOD in another project and the only problem was identifying the correct accessories since I did not start out with a 5.0 in the car.

[Andydodge]

48P15...........welcome aboard......lol...........I'm a hotrodder so you'll get some support from me although you have ruffled a few feathers re the dodge gearbox statement....lol.........Torqueflites were'nt and aren't too bad..........lol............you have the Frod engine/trans/rear end so yep it makes sense to me to use what you have, why, I've even got an Oz Frod 1991 Falcon wagon rear axle, it bolted straight in replacing a 1962 Oz Chrysler rear end that had been there since 1973 when I installed the 318 Poly & Torqueflite, 4 wheel discs, rack & pinion, 2" widened rear fenders, etc.........your car looks to be a nice car, actually I like the wheel tyre combo........my car has been a hotrod since 1973 so I've seen it all and heard just about every comment whether good intentioned or smartarsed over the years, all I'd suggest is not too worry, its YOUR car, YOUR money and yeh a few of us may and will make suggestions that may seem that we don't understand..........lol........ its probably just that we've been around the traps a bit.........lol........err....does it show?......lol.............anyway heres a pic of my 1940 Oz Dodge.............welcome aboard.......Andy Douglas, 

[Los_Control]

op has a decision to make, and it really is his decision and I support him.

His car is a extremely nice example of that particular model. I think it looks very good.

 

My neighbour bought a 54 ford shoe box a couple months ago, I would venture to say the fit and finish is every bit as nice as the p15 listed in this thread.

It has the 5.0/aod with a modern rear end, He picked it up for $7k.

 

This car is beautiful to look at, new white interior,  new paint is flawless the mechanical work seems to be of good quality, neighbour loves to drive it.

But nobody wanted to buy it, and eventually sold it for $7k

I would say the op car is worth more then $7k the way it sits, and the mods will bring the value down .... is op choice, I only ask the op not scrap the original drive train and sell it to someone else restoring one.

[knuckleharley]

4 hours ago, 48p15sdccoupe said:

Cookie cutter shoebox ?!? Lol nothing cookie cutter about a shoebox....as far as my fab skills I can do quite a bit actually but choose not to do the main welding as I would rather someone that does it daily or has for a while do that for me. 

 

And thanks mr story, great looking car man....I can see I’ve ruffled feathers already seeing as ppl taking stabs lol but hey that’s part of the fun pissing other ppl off huh....one of the reasons mine will be ford powered!! It’s a shame though that people can’t simply keep their negative ************** to themselves. Oh well...here’s my coupe...was cut springs but I’ve replaced them with Aerostar springs and raised the rear up 2” couldn’t drive it that low. 

" It’s a shame though that people can’t simply keep their negative ************** to themselves. "

 

The same applies to you,bubba. I was just trying to be helpful,but you are obviously wiser than me,so go for it. Spend money and months of time to do something that COULD have been done to a cheap core coupe you could have bought and had the work done on as you had the time and money,and you would have still had this coupe to drive while doing it,and to sell and get your money back afterwards.

Also,a stock P-15 has no trouble cruising down the highway at 60 mph,and with properly adjusted stock brakes on disc brakes up front and a dual outlet master cylinder and seatbelts,your kids would have been just as safe as after you get through building/having built the car you want.

 

BTW,I also have a P-15 coupe with a Camaro frame clip,engine,transmission,rear end,and master cylinder. It was like that when I bought it,and I bought it cheaper than I could have cut up an original car and made the swap,and didn't have to wait months or years to drive it, It is currently off the road while I completely redo it with a balanced and blueprinted 412 SBC with Dart 2 heads,350 rods,10 to 1 Keith Black pistons,gapless rings,7,000 RPM cam,and gear drive. The block was assembled and balanced by a NASCAR speed shop. It's getting a turbo 400 with a shift kit and high stall torque converter.

 

My 42 Dodge coupe is getting a 55 Plymouth 230 with a Edgy head,3x1 intake,split exhaust or cast iron headers if I can find them,and a old-timey lumpy cam.

 

My 33 Dodge 4dr is getting a 251 inline 6 DeSoto engine with 3x1's and a Edgy head. Otherwise remaining as I found it.

 

My 33 Plymouth coupe that was stripped with no drive train when I got it and a total rust bucket is getting a 6 carb DeSoto 330 hemi with a push button 727 and 8-3/4 rear. Body is going to remain stock except for the 41 Plymouth taillights. Every major part in it will be Mopar,and none of it newer than 1962 or so.

 

But what the hell do I know? After all,I am a stick in the mud restorer,right?

 

BTW,correct if I am wrong,but you DID write that you were ASKING FOR TIPS,right?

Edited October 21, 2018 by knuckleharley

[48p15sdccoupe]

thank you Andy ! And very nice ride sir !!! Los I can assure you any and all original parts will not be scrapped...I kept the 8ba flatty out of a 49 F1 I had for years in the garage until I sold the truck it went with it. The original drivetrain will be preserved as best as I can to keep it with the car as with everything original that comes off it. And only the 49-51 Fords are shoeboxes the 52+ aren’t. I just sold a 50 Ford myself still flathead powered and all....

[48p15sdccoupe]

3 minutes ago, knuckleharley said:

" It’s a shame though that people can’t simply keep their negative ************** to themselves. "

 

The same applies to you,bubba. I was just trying to be helpful,but you are obviously wiser than me,so go for it. Spend money and months of time to do something that COULD have been done to a cheap core coupe you could have bought and had the work done on as you had the time and money,and you would have still had this coupe to drive while doing it,and to sell and get your money back afterwards.

Also,a stock P-15 has no trouble cruising down the highway at 60 mph,and with properly adjusted stock brakes on disc brakes up front and a dual outlet master cylinder and seatbelts,your kids would have been just as safe as after you get through building/having built the car you want.

 

BTW,I also have a P-15 coupe with a Camaro frame clip,engine,transmission,rear end,and master cylinder. It was like that when I bought it,and I bought it cheaper than I could have cut up an original car and made the swap,and didn't have to wait months or years to drive it, It is currently off the road while I completely redo it with a balanced and blueprinted 412 SBC with Dart 2 heads,350 rods,10 to 1 Keith Black pistons,gapless rings,7,000 RPM cam,and gear drive. The block was assembled and balanced by a NASCAR speed shop. It's getting a turbo 400 with a shift kit and high stall torque converter.

 

My 42 Dodge coupe is getting a 55 Plymouth 230 with a Edgy head,3x1 intake,split exhaust or cast iron headers if I can find them,and a old-timey lumpy cam.

 

My 33 Desoto is getting a 251 inline 6 DeSoto engine with 3x1's and a Edgy head. Otherwise remaining as I found it.

 

My 33 Plymouth coupe that was stripped with no drive train when I got it and a total rust bucket is getting a 6 carb DeSoto 330 hemi with a push button 727 and 8-3/4 rear. Body is going to remain stock except for the 41 Plymouth taillights. Every major part in it will be Mopar,and none of it newer than 1962 or so.

 

But what the hell do I know? After all,I am a stick in the mud restorer,right?

Knuckle, this is the car I chose to build. Why start with a rusted out pile when I have a very nice cherry to start with ? So I’m not keeping it original that’s part of hot rodding is it not ?!? As far as cutting it up as I stated before I am looking for upgraded suspension to retain the original kingpin ifs I’m not sub framing it with a mustang 2. The car will run 70mph now but in short bursts, it runs out great but as I said I want to be able to drive it long distances at highway speed if necessary. (Driving the entire length of Route 66 is on bucket list while my grandfather is still kickin good and his 48 Ford is still able also late model running gear) the Ford drivetrain swap is simply because I already have everything that’s ready to go and built the way I want it. The car will be just as it is but with fresh re-paint, better running gear (? sorry couldn’t resist taking that stab) and overall safer brakes.....now I could understand if I was going to chop top and other radical stuff but that’s no where near what I wanna do...as far as knowing more then you I highly doubt it if I did I wouldn’t of posted asking questions. Now ask me if I enjoy seeing the mopar feather ruffled with the idea of a Ford drivetrain yes I enjoy that just as much as you guys love seeing a mopar drivetrain in everything. At the end of the day like others and myself have said it’s my car and I’ll do what I please with it.