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48 Plymouth wanted?


Pheasantguy

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Friend of mine, has a 48 Plymouth, in great condition. My wife and I love the car, always loved that 40's style and thought about offering to buy it.But starting to have reservations.

   I know these cars only go 45mph, which is great for local runs, but wondering..will it prevent me from taking far trip, because I can't do highway speeds?..it it going to bother me to take extra few hours to get somewhere, having to take the long way? I understand that's the whole point, but still think it may keep me from using the car, as opposed to a 50's car with higher speeds...thoughts?  Thanks

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I'm not sure where you're getting 45 from. My '47 will do 60 quite smoothly and 65 and up when I choose. There are also overdrive options and axle/ gearing swaps that will make the car match our modern highway speeds. Make him an offer!

 

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I have a 48 convertible. We and the kids take it once a week or two out for ice cream or whatever and have a ball. Very relaxing and it'll do 55 comfortably. Even faster if i choose but no need really. I do have a od that i haven't got around to installing but lookimg forward to it. At any rate if you like the style you wont regret buying one.

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I think you need to be concerned about rpm. These old flatheads will run forever, but not at high rpm for long.

Think factory says 3600 tops, that is for short burst not for cruising all day.

As others suggested above, OD transmission or a gear swap in the rear end ... goal is to keep the engine rpm down to a comfortable level.

 

 

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I have driven my 46 with 4 11 rear gears at indicated 65 mph on 400 to 800 mile trips with no problems. That works out to 3250 rpms or so.  Granted these weren't built for running interstates day in and day out but they will handle 55 to 60 on state highways with no sweat.

 

I notice you are from Canada, Canadian built 48 have a different engine than those built in the states.  Engines are the longer 25 inch block like us Chrysler's and DeSotos.  You might want to contact Mark Duggan of this forum. He has a knack for finding early 40 through mid 50 mopars for sale.  Check out his website www.rdusaclassics.com to check out his US inventory.

 

Currently he has his personal early 49 P15 sedan for sale.  He also has a 1948 Dodge 4 door listed on consignment.

Edited by greg g
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My dad's first car was a 37 Dodge, and he (reportedly) had it up to around 95 MPH - downhill, racing a 49 Hudson, as I recall the story.  The next car he had (and no, he didn't blow up the 37) was a 48 Dodge, the first car I remember as a child.  I don't recall hearing how fast it would go, but he had the habit of always checking out the top speed when he got a 'new to him' car.  I WAS in the car when he checked out the family car that came after the 48, a flat-head 6 53 DeSoto.  I was only 5 or so, but I saw the speedometer hovering at around 88 or 89, and that was on the flats in western Oklahoma.  (It was pretty much screaming, though.)  He kept his 'tests' secret after that, but I think he said once (many years later) that the 62 Chrysler Newport (361 V8) topped out at 101.  (That was my first car later on, but I was never a speed demon like that, so i never had it over 85, although the speed limit was down to 55 by the time I got that car at age 20.)

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It’ll be up to you if the hiway speeds bother you or not. I’d be more concerned about stopping at 60 mph. 

 

As you eluded to, taking a “long-cut” is part of the fun in an old car. I am set up with a truck and trailer for long distance trips. If I want to take my old Chrysler.  I get thinking about something breaking down 100’s of miles from home in my’53.   I ponder powertrain wear and tear. I think about driver position. My back issues. No AC. I can make lots of excuses not to drive it  200 miles each way in the summer heat. I think the main reason is I just have not gone through absolutely everthing. The engine is using more oil lately. The diff and tranny I have yet to get into. I have no idea when everything was last rebuilt. Everything works, however do I have the confidence for a 400 mile round trip? At hiway speeds? No.  So far I’ve put about 3500 miles on the car with no major issues.  Some regional hiway trips. Upto about 100 mile loops on the hiways.  Just the one time, we ran out of gas due to the inaccurate fuel gauge reading. 

 

Recently I’m now hearing a howl in the rear end. I’ll get to it this winter. Likely a pinion bearing. This confirms I made the right choice when I trailered my car to a distant car show earlier this summer. 

 

The car, how much confidence you have in it, it’s mechanical condition, it’s comfort and drivability, your own personal wants,  all will dictate how far, and how fast you’ll drive it. 

 

I swear, ignorance is bliss. I’ve seen folks with old cars they just bought. Barely a thought about then car’s mechanical condition. Very limited mechanial experience, driving to distant car shows. Happy as a lark. At hiway speeds with old unknown bias ply tires. One guy had a tire separate on the hiway and damage his rear fender.  Throws on a spare and carries on. No worries.  I can’t/won’t do that. The more I know,  I can manage my risks accordingly. 

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I have a 48 Plymouth - it has a larger Desoto engine installed with a dual carbs, dual exhaust, camshaft, etc.... feeding power to a T5 overdrive transmission and a newer rear axle with 3.55 gears and upgraded brakes all around to help it stop. I just had it on a 55 mile stretch of interstate over the weekend and cruised along at 80mph. That is probably the exception to the rule - but the point is, with some tweaks to the car highway speeds are not unobtainable. It just depends on what your goals for a vehicle might be.

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I have two cars - a '49 Plymouth and a '52 Merc. Neither of them will ever be driven on an interstate. I have these cars to enjoy on back roads and to enjoy a slower mode of transportation. Last week I got to drive a '49 Plymouth home on a 300+ mile trip and had no problems. I did not drive interstate and kept it 55 or under. Had the overdrive been working I would have considered a bit faster. Cars from the 1940s are my favorite style for sure. 

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I have an original ‘50 Plymouth Deluxe which I drive on the highway quite frequently at speeds  between 50 and 60 mph (it seems quite happy around 55).  It has new tires and brakes all round and gets checked for safety as well as having all fluids topped up or replaced once a year.  These cars are a lot of fun to drive and can be quite safe if driven properly.

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I drove the 48 convertible I had in 1993 from Battle Creek Michigan to Plymouth MA then to Bar Harbor Maine. We drove 65 mph most of the trip. The car ran good at that speed. I also drove that car to Rapid City SD in 2000 and Washington DC. I put 15000 miles on it in 7 years. Then I bought a 48 club coupe that I put an overdrive in. Drove that car to Killington Vermont and to Concord North Carolina. With the overdrive I got 21 mpg and it would drive 70 all day long. JohnS

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JohnS48plm,

  I was at that 1993 Meet in Plymouth MA and I remember your convertible along with other P15's. It was then that I joined the Plymouth Owners Club and am still a member.

 I am hoping that they will have another meet locally in the near future.

John R

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1 hour ago, John Reddie said:

JohnS48plm,

  I was at that 1993 Meet in Plymouth MA and I remember your convertible along with other P15's. It was then that I joined the Plymouth Owners Club and am still a member.

 I am hoping that they will have another meet locally in the near future.

John R

 

What about the P15 Picnic USA event that is starting in Southern Vermont?

 

P15 Picnic USA Link

Edited by HotRodTractor
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John, get a hold of Mark Duggan, either PM him through this site or send him an email through the site listed on the itenerary.There are a number of folks travelling from eastern MA and RI on Sat AM to meet in the municipal parking lot adjacent to the Hemmings museum.  Some of us are staying overnight on Friday.  If you want to do that you need to make your own reservation in Bennington for Fri. The room booking in Lake George is the Colonel Williams Resort and Inn.  The room block is under P 15 Picnic.  The block is being held only to Aug 24.  They may have more rooms, but don't know if our rate will apply after the block is gone. Hope to see you.  I think we may be up to 12 for sat night.and maybe a couple more on Sun at the Saratoga museum.  They are going to reserve some spots for the group at the show.

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My 48 Plymouth would do 60 on the highway with absolutely no issues before I installed the R10 overdrive. After that 75 - 80 no problem. One thing to consider with the increased speeds is braking. There are several disc brake kits available that are fairly simple to install if you have even the slightest of ability. 

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Braking at any speed is always a concern...at speed 70 and over, lower depending on suspension wear, float is very much an issue.  The tying of the upper and lower control arms with the shock controls oscillation in the coil springs....it does nothing to dampen the front suspension in relationship to the body.  At the higher speeds I recommend relocation of the shocks  LCA to chassis...

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