1949 Dodge 2 door Coupe

[Guest lil79red]

Hi All,

I'am new to this forum but have been told that it is the best source for the info I seek.

I have just recently bought a 1949 Dodge 2 door Fastback car.

SN 97000570 I have been unsucsessfull in finding much info on this car let alone any good pictures.

Can anyone provide me any information on this car...ie what is it.

PS it is a Canadian Car

Thanks,

Rob

lil79red

[greg g]

Canadian Dodges were US plymouth bodies with Dodge front sheetmetal and badging. Take a look at Howdy from texas thread above to see what a whole one looks like. All Can manufactured MOPARS used the 25 inch block engine. so ye need to know that for engine parts. If it is the original engine it is probably a 230 Cu in. But the engine sompartment seems a bit breezy so maybe that is a moot point. If thee is an engine some where, the number should be on a flat boss o the block just above the genny If you post that number, thee should be a bit of information available. Check the pics in the members list, I thinkg there might be one or two more for reference. These fast backs seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately. Good luck and Welcome to the forum.

[49roadster]

If this a Canadian car I believe it will be the same as a 1949 Plymouth Deluxe 2dr. sedan with a dodge like grill.

In the states both Dodge and Plymouth had a fast back. The Dodge had a 115" wheelbase and was in the Wayfarer line. The Plymouth had 111" wheelbase and was in the Deluxe line.

[tragic59]

Just curious, does this mean that American Dodge front sheetmetal will swap onto an American Plymouth and vice versa?

[greg g]

They probably retain the Plymouth fenders on the P15 bodies on the 46-E49's as they don't have the fenders flairling into the door like the Dodge. Don;t know about the 50's stuff as they widened the body to the fender width.

[HalfdollarMayflower]

Sweet project...I'm not so sure the wheelbase is any longer than the p17/p19 Plymouths...the distance between the door and the rear fender looks about the same.

Gary

[PatS....]

Hi All,

I'am new to this forum but have been told that it is the best source for the info I seek.

I have just recently bought a 1949 Dodge 2 door Fastback car.

SN 97000570 I have been unsucsessfull in finding much info on this car let alone any good pictures.

Can anyone provide me any information on this car...ie what is it.

PS it is a Canadian Car

Thanks,

Rob

lil79red

Rob, according to my Canadian Parts Book, your car is a P31 DeLuxe. The serial number sequence for the P31 DeLuxe starts at 97,000,001 to 97,001,300

The original engine would have been a 218 with a bore of 3 3/8 and a stroke of 4 1/6. All Canadian cars used the 25 inch block, so you could find a 251 for a bolt in upgrade.

Pat (the guy who told you about this place)

More info on the differences between US and Canadian cars:

scroll down to "Who Says 1949 to 1952's Are All The Same?"

http://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/plymouths-1949-1952.html

[55 Fargo]

If it was a factory 3 spd standard and dry clutch, could also be a 218, 98 hp. But being it is a 25 inch block, could also go with a 251 or 265, direct swap, most if not all the Canadian engines had an 8 bolt crank............Rockwood

[B-Watson]

Canadian Dodges were US plymouth bodies with Dodge front sheetmetal and badging. Take a look at Howdy from texas thread above to see what a whole one looks like. All Can manufactured MOPARS used the 25 inch block engine. so ye need to know that for engine parts. If it is the original engine it is probably a 230 Cu in. But the engine sompartment seems a bit breezy so maybe that is a moot point. If thee is an engine some where, the number should be on a flat boss o the block just above the genny If you post that number, thee should be a bit of information available. Check the pics in the members list, I thinkg there might be one or two more for reference. These fast backs seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately. Good luck and Welcome to the forum.

The 230-cid engine was the 23" block. The 25" block equivalent was the 228-cid engine.

However, the American Plymouth from 1942 to mid-1954 used the 217.6-cid engine (23") while the Canadian Plymouth and Dodge equivalent used the 218.0-cid engine (25") from 1940 through mid-1953.

Chrysler of Canada built the business coupe, 2-door fastback sedan and Suburban (111" wheelbase) in the DeLuxe line plus the club coupe and 4-door sedan (118.5" wheelbase) in the DeLuxe and Special DeLuxe series. Chrysler of Canada also built the larger Dodge in Canada, calling it the Custom, in club coupe and 4-door sedan on the 123.5" wheelbase and 7-passenger sedan on the 137.5" wheelbase. The Custom used the 228-cid engine.

All convertibles and woodie wagons were not built in Canada, but were imported from Detroit.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[B-Watson]

Just curious, does this mean that American Dodge front sheetmetal will swap onto an American Plymouth and vice versa?

No, the big American Dodge did not use the Plymouth body from 1941 through 1952, instead sharing the longer and wider DeSoto/Chrysler body.

For the Canadian/export (Kingsway) Dodge, the front sheet metal was basically the Plymouth with different holes in the front to fit the Dodge-style grille. The 1941-52 grilles used on the Plymouth-sized Dodges are not the same as the larger Dodges and will not interchange.

For 1953 the Dodge Meadowbrook and Coronet used the Plymouth body extended five inches for the club coupe and sedan. The hardtops, convertibles and wagons used the Plymouth body with a unique front clip and modified rear quarter panels. The windshield and roof of the club coupe and sedan were unique to the Dodge. The smaller Canadian/export Dodge used the convertible/hardtop front clip.

The 1954 Coronet 4-door wagon used an extended 2-door wagon body. Mitchell-Bentley of Iona, Michigan, took the 2-door wagon, extended it five inches, used the sedan doors for the front and created new doors for the rear set.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[55 Fargo]

Good Info Bill, good to see you on this forum also, welcome............Fred

[Guest lil79red]

Thanks for the information Pat. Its great to know a local guy that I can pester along the way. And a big thanks again to Big Haul Paul.

The original engine is still awaiting me to pick it up as is the original rotted seats.

The frame on the car has been redone but we are still unsure as to what direction to take with the car...do we "rod it" or build it back to original.

Either way it is one heck of a puzzle to put back together.

Has anyone put a V8 in one of these utilizing the original frame.

Thanks to everyone for their information and rest assured I will be asking questions often.

Should I decide to customize the car I will be sure to offer up any of the original parts/peices to the members of this forum.

Rob

1979 Lil Red Express X 2

and now 1949 Dodge x 1

Rob, according to my Canadian Parts Book, your car is a P31 DeLuxe. The serial number sequence for the P31 DeLuxe starts at 97,000,001 to 97,001,300

The original engine would have been a 218 with a bore of 3 3/8 and a stroke of 4 1/6. All Canadian cars used the 25 inch block, so you could find a 251 for a bolt in upgrade.

Pat (the guy who told you about this place)

More info on the differences between US and Canadian cars:

scroll down to "Who Says 1949 to 1952's Are All The Same?"

http://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/plymouths-1949-1952.html

[greg g]

Mopar v8's will go in but need to be offset to the pass side so the dr side exhaust manifold will clear the steering box. May need to do a little massaging on the fire wall.

Do a search for Dakota. Some good stuff about swaping a Dakota pickup front frame clip. then you get multiple motor mounts possibilities from 2.5 4 banger to 440, you also get r and p steering, disc brakes. Fairly easy if you have good measuring, cutting and welding skills. You will need to make up some sheet metal mounting points for the front.