47 Plymouth Special Deluxe Build Thread

Hey guys here is my first attemp at a build thread. I picked up this Special Deluxe a couple weeks ago. It has a Buick oddfire with a th350. That will all change soon. I put a deposit down on a sbc 350 with trans out of a 71 chevelle. I started on the body work there is a lot more to do before paint. I stripped all the chrome to be re-polished. Pulled out all the interior and got it to the upholstery shop last week. Delivering the car to them on Monday for installation. Glass man is coming to upholstery shop for fitment. I put some Monroe air shocks in the back because it was riding in the frame. I plan to notch rear end and air bag at least the back. But the air shocks work great for now and were only 60 bucks!! My plan is to finish the body work, then upholstery and glass followed by paint. I'm going to go with trim black. A little more gloss then flat. And some white and brown pin striping. After I'm done with that stuff in a couple weeks I will be moving into the engine and dropping in the 350 350 set up. ATTACH]


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Is that a Ford back window? It looks great here!
I'll be watching.

 

Nice!


BloodyKnuckles

 

It's actually a 40 zephyr window 'Mo


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Made it to the paint shop. Handling some final body work then a fresh coat tomorrow.


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Nice but I don't believe you taped the tail lights instead of removing them.

I'm really jazzed about how many of these P15s are showing up on the HAMB. I've only seen a few in person.

 

Ulu
The body work under the tail lights was completed already I'm going to take them off for paint.


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Are there any photos of the chop job? I've been thinking about chopping mine, but I think I'd really like to channel it 4"

 

Ulu
I bought it chopped sorry. Whoever did it did a great job. It was someone in riverside county.


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Well the kidney-bean window is very nice. Several folks have said that these cars are tough to chop, and I've been thinking about a lowered Carson top instead.

 

Right on! Subscribed. Another old Mopar coming back to life!! Great to see!

 

Another car with bellybutton power.....

 

I don't understand the hatred of the SBC myself. This was the engine that stole NASCAR from the Hornets. There's a real chunk of American history there.

Of course it prejudices me that when I was a little kid Dad's favorite car was a 283 powered '56 Belaire. Yet Dad became a Ford lover when the much lighter 289 came out about 10 years later.

I've owned both engines and loved both & would put either in my P15, regardless of having the MoMoMopar clan stroke out over the abomination of it all. There are other engines I'd rather have, but I'm not ready to raid the 401k just yet.

 

Oh, probably having 90% of rods powered by them has something to do with it. Not to mention "general interest' magazines are mostly Chevy, The NASCAR TV guys might mention a Ford guys losing streak but they agonize over a long winless streak by the chevy guys. Enough already, yeah they're cheap to build but I'm just sick to death of seeing the damn things in everything.

 

Yeah I get that. It's why I don't drive a Toyota.

Oh...wait..I do drive a Toyota...

 

Hit a big road block today. Paint looked ok wet then started drying and the roof looked like a zebra. Then we put it out in the sun and a couple spots started to bubble, jacked up my schedule but we are going to scuff it down and try it again. They used hot rod black not very happy with the orange peal but could have been user error. Yet to be determined. Also that stuff seems to highlight every imperfection in body work!! Not what I need hahaha. The joys/headaches of a build. $2280 in paint and body work and it looks like shit. Hopefully they can get it right on Monday or I'm going to have to become the bad guy.



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Yes, black shows every speck and scratch.

 

New paint tends to show problems you didn't know you had, even if done right.

 

LOL

And when it's done wrong......ooof!

I shot some paint on a big tool cabinet last night. Not nearly enough light & this AM I got a good look at it. It definitely needs sanding and another coat.

Shot in the daylight.

 

Does anyone know how sturdy the stock rear end is on the 47 plymouth? And if it will hold up to a small block?


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I believe that they are fairly stout....but if you plan to beat on it with burnouts, etc., then I'd start looking for a suitable replacement. If you plan to just cruise and be fairly gentle on it, it should be fine. That thing is 67 years old!

 

Man that car is neat !!!
The chop did wonders for it.

Might be too late -but swap your engine before the paintwork. Yeah, black shows everything and it sounds like you have an excellent guide coat on it now to get it really nice.


Back in the early 60s my Dad, my uncle ( Dad's brother) and my Mom's brother ( also an uncle) built a 47 Plymouth coupe with a souped up 389 Pontiac engine. I've heard the same stories from a few different sources and It was a real terror around these parts.

 

What tranny? It might with an A/T, not likely with a stick. It was designed for, what?, 90 HP?

 

Is the rear end stock? Just wondering because if it has the Buick motor & TH350 trans, what were you using for an e-brake? The stock trans would have had the e-brake, so maybe it has a non-stock rear end with an e-brake.

 

I currently have a 231 oddfire with a th350 and it seems to work very well but I am going to put a sbc 350 in it in a couple weeks.


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The stock rear will last a while if you run skinny tires. Any modern traction-able tires and you'll be trashing it with a healthy small block unless you drive like my mother.

(That wasn't a fair comparison actually. My mother ran down some blind woman at the rest home with her electric scooter...she drives like a maniac.)

But the real reason to change the axle is the brakes are tiny. You want much larger brakes than stock, believe me.

 

90 HP with 1/2 the traction of modern tires. Of course it's the torque available, but above that any shock load trumps everything.

Pop the clutch hard in low with a V8 engine and you'll shear something for sure.

You can do that with the stock engine.

 

Looking great


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Looking cool! My 48 came with a Buick 231 in it too. I wonder if that was a common swap back in he day. It runs nice but it's not very fast. I've been debating on either just hopping up the 231 or swapping in a 350.


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Ok, it's been 10 days or so- what is the status