New Concord owner just saying hello

[SuperGas61]

Hey, everyone...just bought a '51 Plymouth Concord fastback with a rebuilt '52 (23-inch) flattie 218 and three on the tree. I've attached a few photos. Car appears to be in very good, mostly original condition, and it runs great...picked it up from the seller and drove 550 miles home at 65-70 mph on the highway, and have been just bombing around town for the last month.  ?  It appears, to my surprise, that I have one of the non-oil-filter 218s...I assume I can just drain the pan and refill through the oil filler tube on the driver's side of the block, correct?

 

I've gone back and forth (like every hour) about what I want to do...completely new powertrain, or keep the flathead and swap in an OD or 5-speed? At the moment, I'm leaning toward keeping the 218 and just learning everything there is to know about flatheads, plus doing the usual recommended upgrades...shock relocation, discs in the front and a new rearend (if I swap the tranny for anything other than an OD). I've done a bit of land-speed racing over the last decade (mostly East Coast, Maine and Ohio), and it would be fun to take the Concord down the standing mile and see if I can get it over 100...I may want to get some seat belts in there first! ?

 

Anyway, it's nice to join such a knowledgeable group, and I'll keep everyone posted on any coming (probably in the spring) P-22 trials and tribulations!

 

Gary

[knuckleharley]

DAYUM! That is a VERY clean all-original car!

 

Do NOT modify it!  Don't even restore it.

 

Keep it as it is. After all,they ain't making them anymore.

 

If you want a modified 51 Plymouth,and there is NOTHING wrong with that,sell your all-original car to someone who will appreciate it for what it is whilDe driving and preserving it,and buy one with blown running gear or no running gear,and modify that one. There is no real shortage of stripped or rough cars to be bought,so buy one and do whatever you want with it.

Your car is a "time machine". Appreciate it for what it is,and don't make any major modifications. Make any you need to make to make it safer,but nothing eles.

 

Don't even paint it. Preserve it.

[Plymouthy Adams]

nice, hood lip screams 52 year...dash states in no uncertain term its a 51...wheels are a about 2 decade newer...but I do like the way the car represents itself...the wheels are a refreshing upgrade in my opinion and who would not want the 52 lip over the 51...

[Los_Control]

Nice car looks great, yeah I like the wheels also, had same on my 69 mustang fastback

Welcome to the forum!

[pflaming]

If it ain’t.broke, please don’t fix it! Welcome! 

[RNR1957NYer]

Very nice car - welcome!

[Booger]

dude that things is a creampuff. keep it as is. youll have plenty to stay on top of.

to rod it out means all else has failed

[Booger]

thats a concord fastback? your killing me!

[greg g]

Very nice they didn't make a lot of those and there are only very few in driveable condition.  Enjoy.

[greg g]

This forum has a couple of British guys who are in the top 5 of their class on the Penndine Sands beach speed trials for vintage cars in Wales. One P15 sedan and one P15 convertible.  Believe they were separated by a couple tcks at just under 78 mph.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendine

 

Your engine looks like it may be a rebuild, the color is usually a give away.  Lots of these motors got swaped or rebuilt at around 60k miles. There were several chains like Jasper, and Western Auto that provided engines as well as Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Wards. The swaps were a lot quicker than waiting for your engine to go through the machining and rebuilding process.  On the block above the generator, you will find a stamped number it Should start with a P.  Check it and post your number here.

Edited September 24, 2020 by greg g

[SuperGas61]

Hey, guys...thanks for the replies! And I agree with you all...cutting this up would be a sin, so I'll just work with what I've been given. One thing I would like to do, however, is to convert the front and back bench seats (through refoaming and reupholstering) into leather "bucket benches" (which might knock the back seating down from three to two) and then add carpeting and three-point belts (along with all the other safety upgrades).

 

 

 

[SuperGas61]

50 minutes ago, greg g said:

This forum has a couple of British guys who are in the top 5 of their class on the Penndine Sands beach speed trials for vintage cars in Wales. One P15 sedan and one P15 convertible.  Believe they were separated by a couple tcks at just under 78 mph.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendine

 

Your engine looks like it may be a rebuild, the color is usually a give away.  Lots of these motors got swaped or rebuilt at around 60k miles. There were several chains like Jasper, and Western Auto that provided engines as well as Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Wards. The swaps were a lot quicker than waiting for your engine to go through the machining and rebuilding process.  On the block above the generator, you will find a stamped number it Should start with a P.  Check it and post your number here.

Hey, Greg...yep, this engine was rebuilt by Jasper, although I have no idea when. And I did check the block casting tag, but half of it was corroded away. I got the first three digits, however--P23--which is how I knew the engine was a '52. If I get a chance, I'll recheck it and see what else I can decipher. And the Pendine Sands look like a blast! I highly recommend anyone interested in land-speed racing give some of the regional standing-mile events (ECTA, LTA, Texas Mile, etc.) a look--some beautiful, crazy-fast cars and bikes there, but slow cars are also welcome. Basically just timing events. I'd also recommend Bonneville, of course, but you need a cage... ?

[greg g]

Too bad you just popped up, we would have invited you on out tour in the Berkshires.  Your car would have made a nice addition to this group.

[greg g]

As has always been the case, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast, than driving a fast car slow.  I raced Honda Civics and VW on the ice for many years. 92 on ice is pretty thrilling.

[SuperGas61]

4 minutes ago, greg g said:

Too bad you just popped up, we would have invited you on out tour in the Berkshires.  Your car would have made a nice addition to this group.

That's awesome! So you're from Manlius? I actually bought the car from a guy in Lyons, NY, out between Syracuse and Rochester. Drove by both your town AND the Berkshires on the way home to Maine (I'm originally from the Albany area)...

[SuperGas61]

4 minutes ago, greg g said:

As has always been the case, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast, than driving a fast car slow.  I raced Honda Civics and VW on the ice for many years. 92 on ice is pretty thrilling.

LOL...you are a true Upstater... ?

[JerseyHarold]

Welcome to the forum. Great looking car. 

 

Did your car come from the northern New Jersey area?  I saw a fastback in your color up there a few years ago.

 

Oil filters were optional on the Concord, being an entry-level model.

 

I have a '51 business coupe and a '52 Cambridge (both in not-so-great condition) and you might say I'm partial to these cars.

[SuperGas61]

I'll also have you know that I've already driven the car with the e-brake on three times... ?  Might need to order a new e-brake band soon...

[SuperGas61]

2 minutes ago, JerseyHarold said:

Welcome to the forum. Great looking car. 

 

Did your car come from the northern New Jersey area?  I saw a fastback in your color up there a few years ago.

 

Oil filters were optional on the Concord, being an entry-level model.

 

I have a '51 business coupe and a '52 Cambridge (both in not-so-great condition) and you might say I'm partial to these cars.

Hey, Harold...you know, I believe it WAS in NJ before the guy I picked it up from bought it at the Carlisle show. I found a photo online of what I'm positive is the car, and it had Jersey plates in the photo...

[JerseyHarold]

Just now, SuperGas61 said:

Hey, Harold...you know, I believe it WAS in NJ before the guy I picked it up from bought it at the Carlisle show. I found a photo online of what I'm positive is the car, and it had Jersey plates in the photo...

I'd be willing to bet it is the same car.  It's hard to believe there are two shiny New Brunswick Blue fastbacks relatively close together in the northeast.  I saw it in the Flemington area and was behind it on the highway for a few miles.   

[greg g]

Watch your high speed stuff.  These are long stroke engines that don't do well at high rpm for extended periods. Factory HP was taken at 3600.   My machine shop guy suggested 80 percent of that is sustainable as a cruising speed so around 62 depending on rear end and tires. 70 is best used in short bursts. We went out to Ma. on RT 20, and home on 5 so 60 was probably our top speed.

[Young Ed]

36 minutes ago, SuperGas61 said:

Hey, Greg...yep, this engine was rebuilt by Jasper, although I have no idea when. And I did check the block casting tag, but half of it was corroded away. I got the first three digits, however--P23--which is how I knew the engine was a '52. If I get a chance, I'll recheck it and see what else I can decipher. And the Pendine Sands look like a blast! I highly recommend anyone interested in land-speed racing give some of the regional standing-mile events (ECTA, LTA, Texas Mile, etc.) a look--some beautiful, crazy-fast cars and bikes there, but slow cars are also welcome. Basically just timing events. I'd also recommend Bonneville, of course, but you need a cage... ?

FYI p23 engines were used in both 51 and 52 model year cars. And all 51-52s got a p23 engine even if the car was a p22.

[Sniper]

42 minutes ago, SuperGas61 said:

I'll also have you know that I've already driven the car with the e-brake on three times... ?  Might need to order a new e-brake band soon...

 

Been there, done that.

[grea235]

I have a 52 Concord Fastback.  You can tell by the hood ornament too, a 52 is round, not a crest.  If mine were closer to stock I would have absolutely left it alone, but it had a lot of work done to it, so I added to it.  Motor (p23) is in the shop for a rebore.  All the top rings were broken and the #6 was scored.  I just put in a double din radio and a backup cam. The radio plate was already botched up.  I have an original if I ever take it out.  Transmission had a plug in the backup switch location so it was as easy as finding a backup switch.  I messed around with lowering it but it rode terrible in the front, so I put it all back to stock except for a F1 shock relocation kit. Rides very well.  Made my own fiberglass fender skirts.  The middle bar and teeth on the grill were pretty pitted so I took them out and put in a plastic mesh grill.  I think it matches the dechromed look.   Still cleaning up wiring as you can tell.  I put in new three point belts from Julianos.  The retractor sits on the floor in front of the back seat.  Putting the pivot into the pillar was pretty easy; I just had to modify the mount they had in the kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Worden18]

Looks great!  I'd leave the flathead in there ?