Hello, Anyone here ever convert a 47 Plymouth Coupe to V8? What engine and transmission is best? Any other good advice you may share. Thanks,
I've had a 318 Poly in my 1940 Dodge since 1973.......LA series 318 would have been an easier fit and a 392 Hemi is what I originally wanted...........so....whats the best engine?............whatever you decide to fit using your coin, skills and experience.......anything can be made to fit if you want it bad enough and have the desire.....small block Chev & Fords would also be a tidy install although the though police may get upset but as I said.....your car, your choice.......check out a few cars at runs & shows then decide.........oh....and I've yet to see ANY frame swap that looks as tho' it actually works.........front clips can be made to be o/k but honestly there are good disc brake and steering adaptions available and the original front ends can be made to work o/k.........my 2 oz cents worth........Andy Douglas
My 47 Dodge business coupe has a......350 Chevy in it.. (bought it that way..). Fits like a glove.. I have a 440 with 727 trans for it. Trying to keep MoPar all MoPar.. But life is screwing with me at the moment..
really you can put anything you want in it. Depends what your budget is and overall goal with the car is. Butch's Cool Stuff sells engine/tranny mounting kits, rear end kits and brake kits. SRPM also sells kits for old mopars. Eaton spring and posie sell new leaf springs/coil springs if you need them. You can buy front end rebuild kits (don't remember who sells them but have seen them on ebay and i think amazon). Fatman i think sells mustang II kits and rack and pinion steering kits i think. Good luck with your project!
What He Said ^^^^^Butches has everything you need. When you mount a small block you will have to work around the steering gear box so you will usually wind up off setting the engine to the passenger side. I run a SBC and a 350 TH trans. The trans tunnel had to be pie cut and raised to clear the trans. There is only one set of SBC manifolds that fit, and I've heard the same about the 318/360 motors.
I had a 47 Plymouth business coupe years ago. Had a 273 HP and 3 speed. Good cars. Put a 318 or 360 in it and be a MOPAR man. In my opinion there is no good excuse for a 350/350 in this day and age. BTW MOPAR V/8 engines set to the side in their original homes anyway!
LA engine offset 1½" to pass side and an A-body driver side exhaust manifold. You may find that a Dodge van is a good donor for many small parts beside the engine/trans. ...but if you want a Hemi........ .
318 from a Van or Pick Up comes with the rear sump set up so it drops in nicely with only some cutting of the inner fenders for clearance in the front corner & a dent in the pass side firewall for valve cover clearance.
The big problem with Plymouth before 1955 is they only came with a straight six and were never designed for a V8. This means a narrow engine compartment and the steering box gets in the road. The Chrysler 318 and 360 are popular swaps but you have to offset them to the right. Chev 305 or 350 actually fits easier with less interference. The exhaust and starter just miss the steering box. You pretty well have to use the trans that matches whatever engine you use. This means replacing the rear axle because they don't have an emergency brake (it is on the transmission). So, a lot of guys prefer to keep the flathead six and rebuild it. They are a good engine and work well. The developed horsepower is low but the long stroke, high torque design means that for ordinary driving they have plenty of power. Stock suspension and brakes were state of the art for the times and work well. There are disc brake conversions available. They come with tubular shocks but it helps to add an upper shock mount on the frame and use a longer shock absorber. Other than that you can repair and replace worn parts, get an alignment and you are good to go.
I've put a small block Mopar in about 6 of them now. If you offset the motor 1 1/2", most factory exhaust manifolds clear the steering column. My current coupe has a Dakota frame, but this car was a rusted pile when I got it, the frame had rust holes from the top, all the way through the frame. Gene
In '58, we stuck a 55 Plymouth "HI-Fire" V-8 ( with the scalloped valve covers) with the 55 3 speed in a 48 2 door. We did not off set the engine, we used a right side exhaust manifold on the left side and had no clearance issues / steering interference. Ran like a bat from hell. Wish I had it now. ( Oh yeah, total cost was $300.00.
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