1950 Plymouth Business Coupe Electro-Mod Build

[Veemoney]

Looking better all the time.

 

Not sure if closing fitment gaps body to frame are driving the further lowering you mentioned or if you're looking for a lower stance. I imagine you have plenty of weight left to hang on the front with the fenders, hood and bumper and some yet for the rear just to consider if you haven't yet in the overall plan.

[jclars]

Thanks Veemoney,

 

I was hoping that the body would bring it down more, at least in the back, but it pretty much settled to where I had mocked it up at the rear fender, and didn't close the gap like I had hoped.  But then I moved the bumpers today and remembered how heavy they were!

 

The dimensions I mentioned are the minimums I desire and it will be okay if it drops a bit further.  I'm a low rider kinda guy.

 

Plus, I need to get the front windshield in line with my vision.  Even with that, I will probably have to raise the seats 2" to make it work!  

 

[jclars]

After temporary mounting of the front fenders, let's make it 2" more drop in the front, and I will leave the rear as-is for now.  Further lowering may have to come from a Lexus specific lowering kit.

 

The ride as it sits right now looks fairly level for a stock stance.  But I still have the issue of the elevated front windshield.  Another 2" drop in front will give it a rake and close the seat elevating that is needed.

 

Also liked how the front track is falling within the fender edge!

 

John

[jclars]

Plastic outer rocker anyone?

[RNR1957NYer]

OMG - that looks like it could work!  (the rare transition model after the P15's hidden running boards)

[jclars]

I am now certain it will work! But some friends visited today, including one young guy who had not seen the project previously and had fresh eyes to see what we could not.  He's convinced I can get the body closer (lower), and I will endeavor to do just that!  

 

I had gotten it close enough to be acceptable, even though it looked like I needed to raise my seat height about 3".  I notched the rear Lexus frame to lower the Plymouth rear mount in the trunk, as well as to allow it to slide backwards by 1" which centered the rear wheel (and therefore the front).  That worked out well as shown in the latest pics.  I also would like to make the Lexus plastic outer rocker cover work.  It helps to visually lower the car by about 1.5", and the chrome trim provides continuity between the fender trim.   The only issue is I will have to succumb to altering the original lower fenders - something I was trying to avoid doing to the original body.  Is it worth it?

 

The rake I ended up with was less than 1 degree, but the rear wheels were sitting nicely.  Also the front fenders mounted high enough to access fuse panels and air filter in the engine bay.  So the remaining front lowering will have to be by a spring lowering kit to get another 2".

 

All in all, I am happy with the result and progress, but will now get into aligning doors and other details that won't be quite as impressive, but every bit as necessary.  Not to mention spring outdoor duties!  And a little blue MGB that I need to get ready for sale.  Oh, and fishing! 

 

Expect some gaps in my postings!

[Sniper]

Looking good but what did the youngster see?

[Veemoney]

I like the stance, rockers and as it's sits now but that's just me. I'm thinking about my old bones getting in and out of the car and wondering if the wheels are going to rub if a hit a corner hard and aggressive. 

 

 

10 hours ago, jclars said:

Not to mention spring outdoor duties!  And a little blue MGB that I need to get ready for sale.  Oh, and fishing! 

 

The weather here allowed me to get yard work done early and I got out fishing for my first 2 spring coho attempts this year on Wednesday and Thursday. 

 

[jclars]

The youngster, who really knew his Japanese cars, felt I could chop more of the Lexus outer sill away and rebuild with new sheet metal welded deeper into the actual frame core below the outer sill.  I was going to rebuild the Plymouth sill on top of it anyway, so why not get another 1/2"?  Ugh.  More cutting.  The attached pic shows the outer skin of the Lexus sill and the Plymouth outer rocker since removed.  Some of that rocker was solid bondo!  Oddly, they had spanned rust out areas with tin foil and filled it up!

 

There is more space at the wheels than the pix reveal.  The circumference of the Lexus tires is actually quite a bit less than the old Plymouth treads.  Plus, the PO had fitted extra wide racing wheels in the rear that could not even be removed without jacking the body up to expose the top of the fender opening.  None the less, I will see how she rolls before too much more lowering.

 

The stance, especially the second pic, is deceptive because I could not get very far away within the shop.  So it appears like it has more rake than it actually does.  That 1/2 degree translates to about 1/2" over the length of the car.  An old hot rod rule of thumb was somewhere around 1 degree.

 

Yes, I have a fishing trip planned for Northern Idaho, but I will have to earn it by completing my yard work before I go!

 

Thanks for your comments guys!

[jclars]

Shown is the rest of the Lexus sill I cut away, which might allow another 1/2" lowering.  However, I will replace it with a new sill piece attached to the Plymouth pillars while aligning and anchoring the to the Lx frame.  I anticipate using through bolts which would allow future lift off from the frame.

 

As I cleaned up my metal scraps, I realized I already had plastic rocker covers.  You can see the foil backing the PO used to plaster a thick layer of bondo over the rotted areas, in lieu of patching properly with patch panels.  For smaller holes, he simply pushed bondo through until it oozed out the back side.