Technical 55 royal build, or how to build on a budget and not get put on the couch by your wife.

I just picked up a 55 Royal. Any major problems sticking a SBC or Ford motor/tranny in to get it beating pavement while I save my lunch money to rebuild this 270?

I haven't tried to start the 270 yet but the ol guy I bought it from says it's "locked up". Could be something simple. I understand these are 6 volt systems?

Thanks in advance for any help fellas .

 

Would be better with a 318 or something I'd think but I've absolutely Zero experience with a 55 Royal.
I'd try soaking the cylinders with a mixture of ATF and acetone to try and loosen it up instead of swapping something else in there

 

As a die hard mopar guy, please please ease put a mopar engine in it!!!! That being said, that's a cool car no matter what it's powered by. Good on ya for saving one.

 

My biggest deal is the 6 volt system. I talked to the ol timer I picked it up from some more and he clarified the "lock up" on the motor.
He says he put a battery in it about 5 years ago and it "clicked".
I don't even have a 6 volt battery to stick in it to test it.
Never messed with 6 volt stuff.

As far as a Mopar swap.. Any suggestion on an easy swap?
It's just gonna be a little rat cruiser so I'm not looking to build a hot rod.
I picked the car up for 400 bucks and it's in pretty good shape.
I'm gonna get it on my trailer tomorrow and explore it a little. I'd live to just get this 270 going and cruise it.

 

Are you sure its locked up?Try turning over by hand first.6 volts no different than 12

 

In not sure. I went by and paid him today and did t have time to mess with it. I'm gonna pick it up tomorrow hopefully.
Can I get 6 volt batteries at my local never have it auto parts store?

 

Just some friendly advise, we don't use the rat or rat rod term around here. Now back to the car, a six volt battery isn't that hard to come by and works just fine. I certainly would dig deeper into the engine issue before yanking it, could be a starter issue, a poor connection or possibly just a little stuck. I don't have any experience with swapping engines in one of those but would happily buy all I could find for $400!! Good luck with the build.

 

Not too bad for 4 bills huh?
Seats are in pretty good shape. Not much rust. Floor pans aren't horrible.

 

Thanks for the heads up.
Yea ofcourse I'm gonna try and get this motor running. I'd much rather get it going than the headaches of a swap.

 

I've done much much worse .. Haha

 

Check with a local company that sells tractor parts for the 6 volt battery if needed.
You don't mention where you're from, but places like Tractor Supply, Orschelns, Bomgars, even Walmart etc. would have 6 volt batteries or be able to order them.

Just noticed that Amazon has Optima Red-Top 6 volt batteries for $132 & free shipping.

 

I'll try that.
Hope i get lucky and can get her going.
I don't think I can go wrong for the price I paid.

I'll start a build thread so y'all can laugh at my "handy" work. Haha!

 

So on that 6 volt system..
Is there a way to step it up to 12 for electric fans etc?

 

google it

 

I've been looking and I see a lot on system swaps but not a step up for specific items. ie an electric fan.
Auto electrical and I aren't friendly.

 

You can use ATF/Acetone as mentioned, or Marvel Mystery Oil (available at most parts suppliers.)
Pull the plugs and pour some in each cylinder. Let it soak a few days, then try to turn the motor by hand.
Does wonders!

 

The only problem I can see with bolting a Chevy or ford drive train in one is the beating that the would be restorers are going t give you.

Someone should probably mention that it is not going to be a bolt together some pieces are going to have to be made or modified to fit.

 

type this in a google search & take your pick for what accessories you intend to run in the car;

6 volt to 12 volt converter

 

Any old Hemi you might have layin' around will fit easy............

 

Ha!
I'll just have trouble picking which one to use!

Nah, it's as easy as slapping in a couple motor mounts and a cross member and getting a drive shaft built.
I'll be done before lunch right guys??

 

Not if you don't hang up the hone and start wrenching.

I'll bet if you spend enough time looking around you can find someone who has put whatever in one that you are planning or you can do as my racing buddy calls "pioneering". You just decide what you want to do and start in that direction, of you stray off the trail you just pioneer your way back or you back up and regroup which ever one you decide will get you back on track the easiest.

 

Car looks to be in decent shape, lots of Mopar motors to use, most are not too expensive, good luck on project and welcome to the HAMB, lot of good guys here to help answer questions.

 

The old style axle is a pain to do brakes on, I'd get a modern 8 1/4 or 8". As a temp thing I'd get a 318 (is car front or rear sump? haven't played with the 270) & a SB 727. That way when you rebuild your 270 you use a 392 hemi adapter to bolt it up to the post '61 727. I like QEC's (73RR here on the Board) adaptor.

 

Regarding a 6-volt system, folks ran 6 volt systems for decades with no issues. As long as the connections are clean and in good shape and the battery cables are of the correct gauge wire, you shouldn't have any problems.

My question is, are you sure it's a 6-volt system? I thought most manufacturers had pretty much switched to 12 volts by 1955. Was that not the case with Mopar? Or maybe they switched to 12 volt in 1956? Not sure.

 

Sax
it could have been a mid year thing. using up the last of the 6V stuff before rolling out the 12V stuff. Just a conjecture. I don't recall for sure on a '55 MOPAR.

easy way to tell is to look at the voltage regulator, they are usually marked 12 or 6 V.

A word of caution to the OP, the wheels lugs should be left and right handed, look in the center of the studs before you apply much pressure to them.

 

Good tip, PNB! I learned that lesson as a teenager while trying to change a flat on a '62 Dodge. Couldn't get the damned wheel off. I was lucky that I didn't snap off any studs.

 

I learned it on a '56 Plymouth and I did snap off two studs before someone clued me.

 

I had a couple of '55 Dodges; both were 6 volt.

 

Good to know. They must have switched to 12v in '56 then.

 

Having the correct gauge battery cables is very important. With a 6 volt system the battery cables need to be much heavier than with a 12 volt system. Basically use the heaviest cables that you can get. This makes a world of difference on how well and fast the engine cranks over with a 6 volt system.