49 Chrysler Windsor Coupe 440 / 5 speed

[65bcoda]

Well fellas after dragging the ol'girl home last November I finally got around to getting a start on it..... now just need to finish.
The plan is to build a nice cruiser to beat around town that is not too obnoxious and comfortable enough for the wife to want to cruise in with me.
I know the route I am taking with this build may not to be to all's taste but at least it isn't rotting away next to a barn.
Surprisingly I have not been able to find much info on the web on such builds other than a few references.
I've had a freshened up 440 hanging around the shop and acquired a 5 speed OD Tremec w / hydraulic clutch as well as a 8.8 3.73 2000 Explorer rear with disc brakes.
Still haven't decided if going with rear leave set up or a triangulated 4-link, will make that decision when I pull the body, essentially the same amount of work either way.
Currently waiting on the ECI disc brake conversion and power brake / clutch pedals to arrive.

I moved the fire wall back 4" in order to retain the stock steering, exhaust clearance for the HP manifolds and room to remove the front mount oil filter without notching the K-member. I figure should have enough room left up front without having much issue fitting the radiator....cross that bridge when I get to it.
Fabricated some engine mounts and trans crossmember.
 

Edited July 30, 2023 by 65bcoda
add verbiage

[65bcoda]

[65bcoda]

Engine mounts mocked up before final welding.

[65bcoda]

Trans crossmember fabbed and mocked up for final install.

[65bcoda]

The rocker panels had some cancer going on so I opened them up and found quite a bit of Arkansas gravel inside them.
Bent up some replacement panels and replaced both sides.

[65bcoda]

As I needed to mod the trans tunnel to accept the Tremec I decided to remove the whole front pan and start fresh.
This is where I currently am with the project.

[vintage6t]

Nice job! I can appreciate all of your effort because I'm essentailly doing the same thing to a 50 Desoto convertible. Same goal of building a nice cruiser, not a race car.  Mopar 383, 727 auto, 2000 Explorer disc rearend. Four wheel disc brakes. Also keeping the original steering box and linkage.

 

The Desoto is very similar to your car so your engine compartment and so are the challenges of fitting a Mopar with much the same solutions as yours.

 

To maximize passenger room I was more conservative with the firewall and only cut pockets for the heads. I dropped the engine a little lower with a truck pan and remote oil filter.

 

One thing I did to get space for the starter was to fabricate a 1/2" steel spacer that I inserted between the the steering box and its frame mount. That moved the pitman arm over the the left, away from the starter by a 1/2". 

 

I also offset my engine to the right around 2". One limitation with a convertible is that it's an X frame with a closed steel tunnel in the center that the drive shaft goes through. That was a problem with the Explorer rearend due to the rear's pinion being offset about  3" to the right. Driveshaft hit the side of the frame tunnel. To solve this, I centered the rear's pinion, actually it's now offset about 1/2" to the left. To center I basically cut the axle tubes at a specific length and swapped them side to side. That allowed the axles to be swapped. Rearend is the same overall length but the pinion is now more centered.

 

[65bcoda]

Good day Vintage6t - I to did the truck pan and moved the engine to the passenger side 2" to accommodate the rearend pinion offset.
I thought about pockets in the firewall but figured if I was going to build a new trans tunnel might as well start with a clean pallet per-se.
The 4" move of the firewall is measured from the "peak" protrusion in the firewall thus only encroaching into the passenger compartment an additional 1.5" of which is of no consequence as it is mainly in the tunnel area and does not affect leg room much. Also allows additional room for wrenching later as needed to bell housing bolts and such, will be making a removable access panel in the top of the trans tunnel for the same reason, I hate being landlocked if it can be averted.
I have tons of room for the exhaust and starter clearance but will keep in mind the 1/2" steer box spacer if needed.

I will be adding some frame mods once the body is off on the cart, need to complete the floor / trans tunnel framing before removing the body. 
 

[DavidJose1]

On 7/29/2023 at 9:58 PM, 65bcoda said:

Trans crossmember fabbed and mocked up for final install.

Wow you are amazing at fanning 

[65bcoda]

3 hours ago, DavidJose1 said:

Wow you are amazing at fanning 

If by fanning you mean fabbing, I will take it as a compliment .......  but I am far from being a fabricator, I just connect point A to point B with my limited skills and tooling.
I learn a lot of things by trial and error.......

[DavidJose1]

10 hours ago, 65bcoda said:

If by fanning you mean fabbing, I will take it as a compliment .......  but I am far from being a fabricator, I just connect point A to point B with my limited skills and tooling.
I learn a lot of things by trial and error.......

Yea it was autocorrected as I def said “fabbing” and I wish I knew how to do the angles and lines you do

[QEC]

Two great projects. Looking forward to updates!

[65bcoda]

Well fellas,
  I finally got back to the house for a week and after taking care of "have to do's" I had a day to work on the '49 before needing to head back out.
Got the trans tunnel and floor framing fleshed out in order to remove the body from the frame. Before anyone warns me about the engineering of the wooden rack, know that I will be making a few mods before crawling under it or rolling it anywhere. I wasn't really expecting to get this far on such short time and just slapped it together with what was readily available at hand. Whole idea was to only keep one bay populated with the '49, be able to roll the frame in and out under the body for cleaning, a few mods, access to set up the 8.8 rear and rebuild the stock front end. At the same time have access under the body to complete the weld up of the trans / floor framing and complete the inner rocker panel repairs.
 

Received a few goodies from ECI while I was gone, their front disc brake conversion / hubs and new brake / hydraulic clutch pedals.
 

More to come after the 30th, will have 10 days back at the home front and hoping to have the sheet metal back into the floor and maybe have time to get some sandblasting done on the frame.........

[DavidJose1]

25 minutes ago, 65bcoda said:

Well fellas,
  I finally got back to the house for a week and after taking care of "have to do's" I had a day to work on the '49 before needing to head back out.
Got the trans tunnel and floor framing fleshed out in order to remove the body from the frame. Before anyone warns me about the engineering of the wooden rack, know that I will be making a few mods before crawling under it or rolling it anywhere. I wasn't really expecting to get this far on such short time and just slapped it together with what was readily available at hand. Whole idea was to only keep one bay populated with the '49, be able to roll the frame in and out under the body for cleaning, a few mods, access to set up the 8.8 rear and rebuild the stock front end. At the same time have access under the body to complete the weld up of the trans / floor framing and complete the inner rocker panel repairs.
 

Received a few goodies from ECI while I was gone, their front disc brake conversion / hubs and new brake / hydraulic clutch pedals.
 

More to come after the 30th, will have 10 days back at the home front and hoping to have the sheet metal back into the floor and maybe have time to get some sandblasting done on the frame.........

Killer work boss. How’d you bend that square tube like that to make those sharp angles?

[65bcoda]

25 minutes ago, DavidJose1 said:

Killer work boss. How’d you bend that square tube like that to make those sharp angles?

MAGIC......!!

 

Seriously tho, layout the desired curve on the welding table, its just some small slices with the cut-off wheel, clamp in place to the layout / welding and flap disc grinding smooth.

Edited September 27, 2023 by 65bcoda

[Ivan_B]

The same way you "bend" a regular tube without a mandrel ?

[65bcoda]

Good evening, Gentlemen,
 

Found myself back home a few days ago and completed the trans tunnel and floor pan framing (a bit more work than I anticipated).
Burned the Ol' Midnight oil a few times but got the trans tunnel sheet metal completed and the driver's side pan burned in.
Hopefully find time this week to flip the pattern over and cut sheet metal for the passenger's side and get installed before Christmas, as I need to leave back out the day after...........Leaving the top of the tunnel open for install of access panels later.
 

Yes, due to the trans tunnel mod I have fabbed up some seat brackets that will allow the original bench seat be utilized.
Will still need to fabricate an access panel for the driver's footboard to allow servicing the steering gear box later if needed.

A few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Edited December 20, 2023 by 65bcoda

[Митя]

Please forgive me if this is inappropriate.
This is how I installed the 350 Oldsmobile engine.

Dodge Coronet 1949

 

[QEC]

Amazing how the hot-rod hobby crosses international boundaries in a single leap..... Welcome aboard.

[65bcoda]

Worked on the frame a little bit these past two weeks, pulled the front suspension and worked a 4-in cupped wire wheel a few evenings. Only one mishap where I got into the "white meat" of the backside of my left hand....should of been wearing gloves and not hanging with Mr. Daniels so much.
I was impressed how clean this frame came out after 75 years of crust. After addressing most with the wire wheel broke out the sand blaster and got into the nooks and crannies. Applied Osho and let that sit for a couple days before applying some red-oxide primer then some low gloss Tractor Supply Implement paint.
While I had the sand blaster out I went ahead and cleaned up the spindles and A-arms a bit before finishing the disassembly in preparation for paint.

Edited March 5 by 65bcoda

[65bcoda]

As a side note, I recently seen on this forum where another member was referencing a "Grease Joint Rejuvenator" I figured to try it out on my spindle king-pins.
Before using it the spindles took some effort to swing side to side, now a slight breeze from the skeeters flying by moves them......... I flushed them first with WD40 followed by some PB Blaster then some compressor oil that had been sitting on the shelf a lil too long. The king-pins are the only part of the front suspension I am attempting to get away with not replacing as they did not show any excessive movement. Once reassembled will give a thorough greasing. 
 

Used the grease joint rejuvenator on a few grease joints on my tractor that hasn't taken grease in some time and works wonders..........well worth the $37 on Amazon.

 

[QEC]

Looking good. What type/style of sand blaster are you using?

Edited March 6 by QEC

[65bcoda]

56 minutes ago, QEC said:

Looking good. What type/style of sand blaster are you using?

A modified Harbor Freight pressure pot, works pretty good with some modifications such as different plumbing connections at the base of the pressure pot, threw away the dead-man nozzle that came with it and added a ceramic nozzle and ball gate valve sourced off of Amazon. I try not to use it much for large projects thus the use of the wire wheel cup then the blaster for the nooks / crannies........

[65bcoda]

Good day Gentlemen,

 

 I have been poking about in the shop here of late and completed the front suspension rebuild amongst a few other items.
I purchased the kit from Kanter and everything went together fairly well, the only thing I do not like about their kit are the rubber grease cups that are supplied, they are more like a rubber washer than a grease cup. I purchased additional rubber cups / bushings from Roberts that reflected the original equipment. A bit tougher going back in than coming out but with a little persistence they all went back in nicely.
Did some sandblasting of parts, self-etching primer and utilized some high heat cast iron paint I had on hand.
Replaced the rubber bushings on the sway bar as well.

One item of note is I had purchased the Aerostar CC850 coil springs that everyone seems to use for front coil replacement to achieve slight lowering of the front end. My original spring pockets in stock condition are on the bottom side of the lower control arm vs the top so the CC850 springs seemed too loose installed so I cut 1 ½ coils off the original and installed……… we will see how this works out at a future date ride quality wise….. at least they are not bouncing around inside the pockets.
 

Installed the ECI disc brake conversion, very nice product, only issue was needed to slightly clearance the caliper bracket around the spindle / hub area, was a little close for my comfort so a small amount of flap disc on the grinder was applied.
 

BTW.....I do realize the upper bump stop on the upper control arm is on upside down, I placed them there as place keepers as I did not have room to install them properly until I loaded the suspension on the ground........they have since been flipped.

Edited May 28 by 65bcoda

[65bcoda]

I got my hands on some old vintage ET/X Competiton wheels that were pretty far gone. Started with 220 grit working my way up 320,400,600,1000,1500 & 2000 then a final Show & Shine polish. Needless to say, I have no fingerprints left and the fingernails are worn to the nub.......
 

Pics below are as found / after sanding / polish