New here with 41 Dodge Business Coupe

[GTfastbacker]

Okay. the devil in my head told me to do but the angel whispered „NO“. so finally i got me a 41 Dodge Business Coupe since i am hard of hearing.
Desotos and Chryslers are not available in my budget so a Dodge is the best i can do.

so, a flat6 in a nice uncustomized Hoover Sale Representative Car… hmm. When i read the specs it’s a dog. But it’s very original and i love it. Normally i am in Ford 7L FEs, total different numbers.

So what are your suggestions to find some hp here and there to keep it in nice survivor look and don’t make a threefifdy HodRod from?

For the beginning i am looking for some Longdons Split Headers and Fender Skirts.

 

All ideas are very appreciated!

Thanks
Joe

Edited August 25, 2023 by GTfastbacker

[Sam Buchanan]

Maybe first just get it into solid driver status with the stock engine? You might like it as is. 

 

Congratulations on your new ride! 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I'm with Sam on this if your intentions are to keep the flathead and stock suspension.  Get it road worthy and then take stock of what you have and compare to what you want, draw up a basic outline for how you plan to get there.  As for specs...most cars built in 1941 would be barking today.  The 41 Dodge bz cpe is a very sharp car be it stock or modified....

[Ivan_B]

If the car is truly all stock, I would seriously advise to keep it that way. Isn't it funny how mostly everyone is looking for a stock un-customized car, and then wants to customize it? Nothing brings the value of a classic car down like a poor custom mode ?

[Plymouthy Adams]

8 minutes ago, Ivan_B said:

If the car is truly all stock, I would seriously advise to keep it that way. Isn't it funny how mostly everyone is looking for a stock un-customized car, and then wants to customize it? Nothing brings the value of a classic car down like a poor custom mode ?

 

The very same can be said of a stock car done in a botch corner cutting build....the coin rarely stands on its edge.  Stock or mod....both can be nice....both can be horrible and most are average on both accounts.  

[Ivan_B]

That is true, however, for "stock" I actually meant not restored. Sorry, should've been more clear

[andyd]

Thats a very nice looking car mate...........Welcome aboard from Oz........I had a 41 Plymouth Coupe I intended to slightly hotrod........230 cube six with finned head, twin carbs, split headers & twin exhaust, beehive oil filter, HEI dissy & 5speed gearbox & go hunt me some fathead Frods........lol...........ended up selling car & engine like a dope.........lol... but heres a pic of both, you are halfway there with the whitewalls already so I'd drop it an inch or two & find another flathead 6 to build and then swap over......will get more looks than any 350 Chev...........lol..........regards andyd

[Sniper]

14 hours ago, Ivan_B said:

If the car is truly all stock, I would seriously advise to keep it that way. Isn't it funny how mostly everyone is looking for a stock un-customized car, and then wants to customize it? Nothing brings the value of a classic car down like a poor custom mode ?

 

I really hate this thinking.

 

It's his car to do with as he see fit.  If that bothers someone then they can try to make an offer the owner can't refuse to save it or they can shut up.  It is a binary choice.

 

Of course when your mindset is "how much can I get for it" rather than how much can I enjoy tinker with it and driving it, well you are probably in the wrong place.

 

 

[GTfastbacker]

43 minutes ago, Sniper said:

 

I really hate this thinking.

 

It's his car to do with as he see fit.  If that bothers someone then they can try to make an offer the owner can't refuse to save it or they can shut up.  It is a binary choice.

 

Of course when your mindset is "how much can I get for it" rather than how much can I enjoy tinker with it and driving it, well you are probably in the wrong place.

 

 

 

i thank it’s not bad do get a wake up call from someone with a neutral view.

For myself that’s the point why i ask for advice. I collect all and then i can make a decision. Since i very love these old cars and know, they are rare in such a nice original condition i will take car to keep the car as nice as possible and don’t make a fair carousel from.

 

Cheers 

Joe

[GTfastbacker]

8 hours ago, andyd said:

Thats a very nice looking car mate...........Welcome aboard from Oz........I had a 41 Plymouth Coupe I intended to slightly hotrod........230 cube six with finned head, twin carbs, split headers & twin exhaust, beehive oil filter, HEI dissy & 5speed gearbox & go hunt me some fathead Frods........lol...........ended up selling car & engine like a dope.........lol... but heres a pic of both, you are halfway there with the whitewalls already so I'd drop it an inch or two & find another flathead 6 to build and then swap over......will get more looks than any 350 Chev...........lol..........regards andyd

 

such a nice car mate. I have no idea what state OZ is but i assume it’s down under since you are parking on the „wrong“ side?

 

What type of carburetors you installed?

Are these langdon headers?

 

Cheers 
Joe

[andyd]

Joe,Joe......lol....Oz........Oztralia.....my poor Oz humour......lol.........I am in the Oz state of New South Wales, South Grafton, 1/2way up between Sydney and Brisbane on the east coast, 15hrs ahead of New York time, nice sunny Sunday morning here at present......lol..........those carbys are OZ GM Holden single barrel Strombergs, used on Holden 6 engines from 138 to 202 cubes in the 1960's & much easier to find & rebuild here in Oz and are a bolt onto the stock Plymouth intakes(see pic of the one on the 41 Plymouth 201 engine) or twin carb manifolds.....

........re the headers.......I have found that there were 3 different 23" stock exhaust manifolds used, one that dumped between # 2 & 3 cylinders, another that dumped between # 5 & 6 cylinders and a third which dumped at # 7 cylinder........so as being a RHD car the Langdon and Fenton headers both cast iron & tube have a front pipe that exits where the RHD steering box lives so I had to come up with a different solution.........so I got one each of the first two types of exhaust manifolds, cut them in half, discarded a front & back piece and had a local blacksmith forge weld the ends and dah ,dah.........a pair of twin outlet cast iron headers that clear the RHD steering box which lives in the space between the front manifold and fuel pump.....see pic....

..........also that water pump is a Holden 6 water pump with an adaptor to fit onto the mopar block

........pic of the interior shows it was  an older resto, I added the tacho & 1940 Ford inside handle which suit the car better than those the it had....I lowered the car 2" all round, added the wheels & tyres and the Fulton visor.......plans were also for a T5 gearbox behind the 230 but things change & I sold the car & engine.................andyd     

[Bryan G]

Though some would argue, in many ways you have a better engine than a flathead V8. Just a lot fewer options for extracting maximum potential. I've heard of racers who gave early SBC's a run for their money with a flathead six. Follow their lead.

[greg g]

Go to carnut.com car specs section.  Look up Dodge in the 40's.  Study the compression ratio, and horsepower numbers.  As fuel got better, compression ratios went up and horsepower followed.  Without changing much else, milling the head is still the best bang for your buck.  This assumes that the engine is in good condition with good rings and pistons.  How much to mill, well that depends.  If you know the current head is unmolested, some have said .080 is doable.  I have a 56 230, when I did my rebuild, the head was milled .040, and the block was decked .010.  The machinist calculated my compression ratio at just below 9.0 to 1.  Runs great on 87 octane.  Has good throttle response, and fuel mileage went up 30 miles on a full tank.  If you don't know the history of you engine and any previous work, you need to be conservative on how much you can do.   A compression test, and a check with a vacuum gauge is a good way to assess the engine's internal condition.  

 

If you need eye candy, dual carbs, headers, aluminum heads are out there if you have deep pockets.

[oldodge41]

I am partial to 1941 Dodge Coupes. Yours looks very nice. I hope you enjoy it, whatever direction you go. Her is a picture of mine.

[andyd]

Isn't it funny that for years these 41-48 Dodge, DeSoto & Chrysler 3 window coupes were the unknown cars that only a select few ever lusted for.........

.............my take on it all was that when 40/41 Willys 3Window Coupes became the flavour of the month & so wanted that it spawned a huge fibreglass body market people went looking for other 3window coupes, eg, the Lincoln Zephyr & when they too priced themselves out of most peoples reach the cry went out.........!!!!!!!!.....

.............Who else did/does 3 window Coupes........why Mother Mopar did............rats, the market for the best looking 3 window coupe is now becoming hot.........and deservedly so........both those Coupes look like they were poured from a cup of jelly.......so smooth and unified, fenders uncluttered with extraneous stampings, moldings or extra do-dads....................just beautiful clean design.........yum................andyd