Bulletproof a 1954 Plymouth Savoy

[Adventuredude]

How can we bulletproof the 1954 Plymouth Savoy , so were not afraid to drive it everywhere . These were used as taxicabs apparently and the hearty motors used for industrial applications , so cant be that hard even though it's a 54 .

[TodFitch]

My general impression is that Mopar mechanicals had a pretty solid design from the mid-1930s on up. So to make the car a strong, reliable driver that you can take everywhere should just be a matter of putting the car back into good working order. Getting a factory service manual for the car is a good first step. I prefer to go over brakes and suspension components firsts as I really, really, really don't want a failure there while driving.

 

The only concession to modern conditions that I think is required is to replace any rubber fuel system components (flex line, fuel pump diaphragm, etc.) with parts compatible with the additives in modern gasoline. If the car has been driven significant distances in the last 20 years that may have already been done.

 

Some people will insist on changing to 12v. I find the 6v system on my old Plymouth works just fine though I did hide a 6v+ to 12v- converter under the dash and I use it to charge my cellphone, run a dash cam, etc.

 

And some people believe that you need to change the brakes to disc. My feeling is that this is not necessary: The main issue with drum brakes is fade. Unless you are going to be racing/rallying the only place that might be an issue would be on long mountain downgrades. For that you can down shift and use engine braking to keep your speed under control.

[keithb7]

A well maintained old Mopar, in my opinion is pretty bulletproof. Whether its 1934 or 1954.

 

Me? I’d likely go through everything, top to bottom. All the original wear and salvage specs are available. Put everything back to spec. Points and condenser need not be updated to solid state. 

 

A strong powertrain throughout. Top notch electrical system. Good Tires and brakes in top condition. It can look old and tired, yet be a solid reliable car. 

 

Best be sure to educate yourself and get dirty. Car owner mechanical experience, skill and confidence goes a long way here. Yes you can pay others to do everything. It’ll cost a ton. When/if the car does let you down you may find yourself stumped and waiting for a tow truck.  That’s my experience. 

Edited May 22, 2019 by keithb7

[Adam H P15 D30]

If you do any "upgrades" make sure the new "upgraded" parts are available at regular parts stores.  Specialty stuff like Pertronix or MSD are out....  I would recommend 12v so you can easily find light bulbs, headlamps, alternator....on the road if needed.

[wayfarer]

Much will depend on your intended use of the car.  If you really plan to drive it 'everywhere' then some consideration must be made to 

being able to maintain a safe drive at, presumably, freeway speeds.  This could be as simple as changing to radial tires (with newer wheels)

or changing the rear gears to a more engine friendly number.  Yeah, I certainly consider disc brakes;  keeping up to speed is only half of the equation....

There can be a long list of other 'creature comfort' items based soley on your needs/wants.

[HotRodTractor]

I purchased a P15 off of another forum member, mostly because it needed just some TLC to make it driveable and it more or less was similar to the Pilothouse pickup I am putting together in terms of drivetrain. What follows is not an exact recipe, but its what I have been driving (I did 300 miles round trip last Friday, biggest trip to date, but it took me most of the winter to get everything happy)

 

A good compression engine - in this case its a 251 Desoto rebuilt in modern times

 

Dual carbs and dual exhaust - not needed - but it adds some ponies for interstate driving - this car has modified factory manifolds to accomplish this

            (Full disclaimer - it also has dual points, camshaft, etc.... )

 

An overdrive transmission - good for interstate speeds - I can easily run 80mph down the interstate at roughly 2500rpms - T5 is in the P15, and also what I plan on for the Pilothouse

 

A "modern" rear axle - cheap way of getting better gearing - its often cheaper to get a "modern" rear axle than to get the correct gears for your OEM axle - in the P15 its out of a Dodge Charger, my Pilothouse will have an 8.8 Ford with the added benefit of it having disc brakes out back.

 

Radial tires - put a good set of radials on it.

 

Disc brakes up front - I like the reduced stopping distance and readily available over the counter parts if needed on the road.

 

Dual chamber master cylinder - having separate front and rear circuits add a bit of protection if you have an issue out on the road.

 

The P15 also has an aluminum radiator - much more efficient than the old stock unit

 

New wiring - a generic harness kit is cheap if you aren't looking for factory exact.

 

Turn signals - I have LED turns front and rear - I will probably also wire in some daytime running lights as people just don't seem to see or pay attention to anything anymore and extra lighting can't hurt.

 

12V - using a common 1 wire GM alternator makes finding one on the shelf of a parts house while on the road an almost guarantee.

 

Again - this isn't a recipe, just an outline of what I have been driving. I have nearly 800 miles on it total so far this year and will probably put 4 thousand or so miles on it before winter. I have a college class reunion coming up this summer in upstate New York that I am thinking of driving up to in the P15 - that will be an easy 1200 mile round trip before its said and done if my schedule works out.

 

Good luck - there is lots to look at and consider.

[James_Douglas]

I have been driving my 1947 Desoto for 20 years. We drive it back to San Francisco from Sandpoint Idaho. The only thing that went wrong was the speedometer cable end failed.

 

I would do the following as a minimum:

1. Remove the master cylinder and all the wheel cylinders and rebuild them. Have them sleeved with stainless. Also personally inspect all the rubber cups and seals before they are reassembled.  I have a new one, not NOS new production from NAPA, fail. The seal cup when made hade some crap in the mold and the lip of the seal was not correct. I lost the brakes on a Sunday morning on a hill here in SF. The only time in 45 years of driving old single master cylinder cars exclusively that I have had a hydraulic system failure on the road.

2. Have the drums checked to make sure that they are not turned out beyond oversize. If they are, contact me directly to discuss :-)

3. Replace every thing that is rubber, including the brake hoses. On the brake hoses, I also had a new NAPA hose develop a bubble in less than six months.  Since then I get Russell Racing DOT compliant stainless braded lines. You do have to get a set of inverted flare to AN adaptors.

4. Check all ground points and add a some extra. Firewall to engine block. Engine block to frame. Body to frame near trunk.

 

As a plus, I would do the following:

6. Remove and have the gas tank cleaned.

7. Have the car put on a lift. Remove the pitman arm and have someone who knows that they are doing check the tie rods and king pins to see if they have too much play. The control arms, if unloaded by the spring will move a lot, this is NOT wear it is how they are designed.

9. Check the rear spring shackles and silent block for wear.

10. Follow the service manual instructions and adjust the steering box while the pitman are above is off.

 

Then finally, drive the car across the USA and visit P15-D24 members for lunch.

 

James

 

PS. I do not totally agree with Tod on the brake thing and here is why. Depending on how you use the car, traditionally when going down a hill you put it in low gear and go down slow so as to not heat up the drum brakes. With todays people not willing to wait, and the danger of them trying to pass you on a mountain over a double yellow line, when there is no place to pull over,  I think the benefit of being able to go down hill at near posted speed and ride the disc's is better for safety.  Also, we tend to drive these cars at modern freeway speeds. If you have to stop at 70 MPH in a hurry a front disc set up will provide much more directional stability.  Now if it is a weekend or special event only car then no, keep the drums, but if you are planning on traveling with it, I would change the front to discs.  I did that on the 47' as it has a GVW of 6000 pounds if loaded up all the way. I also did a 4 wheel disc on the restored 1949 Convertible. I also used an old midland ross remote power brake booster, although it is still a stock master cylinder.  The thing stops too good like my early 1960's Chrysler 300's did.

 

Six volt is fine if not making a lot of alterations requiring a computer for ignition, engine, or other. 

[Don Coatney]

16 minutes ago, HotRodTractor said:

 

 

A good compression engine - in this case its a 253 Desoto rebuilt in modern times

 

 

 

[Adventuredude]

Thanks for the responses , these all make sense for taking it on trips. Right now the temp gauge isnt working so that's first on the list , any tips on how to get the original working or should I install a never gauge ?

[Jerry Roberts]

The original gauge can usually be repaired . There is a link to the instructions somewhere in this forum , but i can't find it right now . A utube search might turn it up . 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Jerry Roberts

[Adam H P15 D30]

Near the bottom of the page

http://p15-d24.com/page/p15d24/tech/tech_tips.html/

 

[9 foot box]

   Heat the fitting and head at the left rear on the head, and check the gauge, for any response. If it works, there is a build-up of rust preventing coolant reaching the capillary bulb. I wouldn't try to take the fittings off the head, you could twist the line and ruin it. I'd pull the core plug above the fitting on the head, and use pick's to clean it up at the gland nut. If the gauge doesn't register, go for it. Apply thread release often, it might come out without damage. Good reminder of what is here on site, Adam.

[TodFitch]

3 hours ago, Jerry Roberts said:

The original gauge can usually be repaired . There is a link to the instructions somewhere in this forum , but i can't find it right now . A utube search might turn it up . 

 

https://www.ply33.com/Repair/tempgauge

[pflaming]

Repair, rebuild, or restore then get AAA tow insurance, and put a list of forum members in your glove box and hit the road, fully relaxed. Don Coatney and a friend totally rebuilt the engine to a 48. dodge. They did it in three days then drove cross country from central Indiana to Yosemite. Great story. My apologies in advance if I have anything incorrect, in that story. 

[Bob Riding]

Here's how you literally bulletproof a Plymouth:

This is from Jim Benjaminson’s great photo archive book “Plymouth Commercial Vehicles“ from 1999. He says “With the depression era crime wave of the 1930s, Plymouth found a ready market for armor plated cars for police work. Like the wood-bodied station wagon, Plymouth delivered the car to an outside supplier for the conversion. The Perfection Windshield Company offered several different packages for partial or complete armor plating. Although most of the conversion was under the sheetmetal and not seen, visible equipment included radiator, tire guards and a gun port through the bulletproof windshield. This 1935 PJ "Perfection" Plymouth was delivered to the Sioux Falls South Dakota police department following a raid on the local bank by the John Dillinger gang.