Ok, here we go... I am the proud owner of the infamous 1946 plymouth coupe, it has been My Daily driver, intill now..... The engine (original) Said goodbye and has luft the building, total engine breakdown. I am not going to try to fix the old flathead agan, parts and service are insainly hard to comeback by here i Sweden, so here goes... Iam wondering if there are kind souls walking this earth who knows Were i can get my dirty hands on engine mounts for a smallblock engine, that actually fits My car. Planning on putting a manual trans, tremec and something new in the rear... So what do you guys say ? And NO iam not going to keep the old flathead, so save it... Ride on.
Have you tried http://www.chassisengineeringinc.com/ ? They have universal mounts for chevys.Some welding would probably be required. also, http://www.butchscoolstuff.com/ is another good place to check out.
I could be wrong, but I don't think there are a lot of engine swap parts for those model Plymouths. If that is the case, it is going to simply be a matter of removing the old engine/trans and putting the new one down into the hole and seeing what is in the way and what needs to be built in the way of engine/trans mounts to put it in there. Length should not be a problem but as I recall the steering box on these is in the way, so some creative manifold or header work will be required. Maybe someone on here has already done this swap and they can give you the ins and outs of what it entails. Don
If it's going to be a lot of fabrication anyway, perhaps look at classic European engines? There are a lot of in-line sixes to choose from in the 3-3½-litre range, if you stick to the size and configuration rather than the provenance of the engine. There is obviously less engine there than a 340 or 360 but the 180-odd bhp of a Mercedes/BMW/Opel/Volvo/Austin/Triumph/Rover six is almost twice the output of a stock 218; a Jag 4.2 is nearer three times.
@Circus Bear has a big block 383 in his '47. Not a SBC, but he might be able to give you some insight into how much fabrication is involved.
Well, the avatar has an aluminum headed 360 and a Tremec! But it also has a Mustang II front end and such, so EVERYTHING is fabricated. It has served as my daily driver for twenty years until a gal in a P.T. Cruiser hit it a couple of years ago. It's on the mend now, so I have the front sheetmetal off and can help with more specific pictures if you want them. Small block Chrysler and Chevys will fit these cars nicely as long as you off set the works to the passenger side by an 1" - 1 1/2".
Yeah, what Chip said ^^^^^. My '48 Businessman's Coupe currently runs a MoPar Performance 360 pallet motor with an A500 AOD with lockup converter and a 4.11 9-inch. The frame from the firewall forward was fabricated. It's been mini-tubbed so's I can run serious rubber if I ever want to. But previously it was fitted with an early '70s Dart 318 / automatic power train that fit nicely when offset an inch or so to the right and fitted with a Dodge truck oil pan and pickup. The stock steering was retained. A Dodge Dart left exhaust manifold swept around the steering box like it was made for it. I put a ton of miles on the car in this configuration and would do it again in a heartbeat. PS: Yes, those are primer spots and yes, that's road rash. This car has been in it's latest incarnation for almost 25 years...and looks it.
I like the idea of a European straight six. The car was built for a straight six so one should fit easier than a V8. The main concern is length. Do you have junkyards in Sweden? You could try measuring some engines to see if they would fit. A BMW engine with 5 speed would be nice. Or use a Mercedes, they are related by divorce.
A buddy of mine has a 41' Chrysler w/ a SBC 350..stock frame..not sure about engine mounts but its a tight fit..
good luck with it.....the left side Abody Dart V8 manifolds are pretty common....stay Mopar if you can......
This is going to cause some flack but you definitely don't want to use a Volare clip, did it once on a '49 Wayfairer, cut it back off and subbed in a Dakota pickup stub. The reasons for not using a Volare are (1) The steering box is in the way. (2) Yes, the Volari is adjustable for ride height but there's nothing you can do to change the spring rate. (3) The torsion bars end up right in the middle of where the radiator needs to be, not to mention the front splash pan, and the bumper mounts.
iI put a 350SBC in it with simple mount bought from speedway. the trans member i made outta round tube. stock radiator has kept it cool just mounted to the forward side of the core support. I used the ram headers on it and the motor is shifted to pass. side 1.5 inches butches cool stuff has the bolt in mounts. i didnt cut inner fenders either or fire wall. i got some pics in my profile if you need anymore just pm me. Scotty T has alot of good pics to on his thread.
A friend of mine did the Volare' front clip on his 1947 Dodge 3-window coupe and never mentioned the problems. Sorry to cause a stir.
As Big A mentioned I put a 383 / 727 in my 47 Dodge. I would keep it Mopar. A nice smallblock with a A518 overdrive would make a nice cruiser. I like big blocks myself. I did need to fab up motor and trans mounts along with a firewall recess. I also had to mount the radiator in front of the core support. As far the suspension goes I kept it stock. the car came with a valare clip that I tossed after reading how well the front suspension works once your relocate the front shock mounts. I rebuilt it with a kanter kit and It's nice and tight. I cannot say if it's the same with a smallblock but i had to convert it over to rack and pinion. I used a cavalier R&P just like the fatman kit but fabbed my own mounts. Check out the pics in my photo album and feel free to ping me with questions.
The Jalopy Journal
