hi everyone , I posted my thread wrong so here it is corrected . I'm interested in converting a 39 Dodge 4 door to a coupe . I was wondering if it is worth doing . I'm more interested in doing a custom not stock looking conversion . I have way too many projects but this is a good buy and seems like it might not be all that difficult . Thanks , richard
As the other guys said in the other thread: if you have to ask it's too hard for you. Searcha thread by Skoty Chops on his conversion of a LZ fordor to a convert. You will see all the custom panels he has made. If you can't make the same thing, I'd say pass on the Dodge.
6 of one,1/2 dozen of the other,it makes no difference in the make of automobile,even a skilled metal worker would be hesitant to tackle a project like this. HRP
Thanks for posting the scoty chops thread , puts it in perspective . I'm not sure my skill level ( or anyone trying to learn ) comes into play . This would be a perfect project for someone . The price is good , being a 4 door it's not something that most would restore and will probably go to the boneyard if someone doesn't buy it . Sadly I have a pile of projects ( with not much room left to put another , well maybe 1 more ) and I have a house and wife with another pile of projects . I guess my post was more to convince myself that I should pass on it . That being said I think I'll go check it out and see if it screams buy me . Thanks everyone
Just buy a coupe. No matter how much it costs it will be quicker easier cheaper and better than modifying a sedan. How much difference is there in the price of a coupe vs sedan if you sold yours and bought a coupe? The only exception would be if you were a very experienced bodyman and metal worker, and wanted to build something that the factory never built, a custom or phantom. You say it doesn't seem all that difficult. That statement could only be made by someone with 20 years experience in the trade, a fully equipped shop who does custom bodywork all the time. Or else someone with no experience at all. Which are you?
I'm not trying to be a buzz kill. Just trying to save you from the kind of mistake I have made over and over. In this case you say the car is headed for the scrap pile anyway. So what is there to lose? You could buy it and see what you can do. If it ends up in a big mess you have gained some experience at very little cost. If it works wow what a genius. Not much of a down side if the price is right.
Question was was the conversion worth doing , so to clarify . Realizing anything can ba done , can it be done without purchasing a rear clip or whole car ( which would be senseless ) , using mostly what's there and some fabrication . Yes it would be a custom . I have about 50 years experience in trying anything ,succeeding in most all I've tried ( added most so not to seem like an a$$ ) . i thought the " if you have to ask it's too hard for you "was egging me on to go for the challenge
Yeah but are you doing this to resell or to keep for yourself? Don't think you will be recouping your time spent on that. Someone buying or looking for a Coupe, will just spend the money on a nice original coupe. How about just finishing up one of your other projects? It its a nice original 4 door car, that runs, just buy it and drive it around a while, then pass it onto the new user. This story or style of post repeats itself on the HAMB, day after day, month after month, year after year.
This puts a different light on the matter. The OP is an experienced builder with presumably a shop and tools. The cost of the project is low. The car is not valuable. The goal is to create a car that never existed and therefore cannot be bought. Looking at some pictures of 39 Dodge sedans I believe it could be done but it would be a lot of work. Whether it would be worth doing, certainly not from a monetary standpoint. It would only make sense if you really wanted such a car and were willing to do the work and spend the money knowing it was purely for your own satisfaction.
Well, lets see, you can use the front clip. you can use the cowl, windshield, and maybe the front 1/4 or 1/2 of the roof. You can probably use the rear fenders & bumper. You may be able to use a lot of the floor pan, and the frame/chassis. Everything else is going to be modified. If you don't use another body or at least parts of another body, you have a lot of sheet metal forming ahead of you. Can it be done, yes, there are people that can do the job. Is it worth it? Resale wise, probably not. Saying you did it, maybe. For the challenge of doing it, yea, probably. The real questions are: If it doesn't work out like you picture it will, will you be upset with the time you have invested in something you will probably never get any return on? What are you going to do with it when you get it done? Is it more important to you then your other projects? Those are questions only you can answer. Gene
Just came back from seeing the car , a little rougher than described ( punky in a lot of areas ) . First time seeing one , I love the front , and the rear is another story being the 4 door . Most looked like it could be made to work with the major piece being a deck that would have to be fabbed . Doors could work and the deck lines were already there from the factory . It's a pass for me as I have too much on my plate and it didn't say take me home . Would make someone a nice hotrod , thanks everyone , richard
5 minute quick and dirty. Had to stretch the door out to get the proportions right, slid the roof forward and just rounded off the back where the old body line was. Could do better with a bit more time. It's not bad looking, if you had the trunk and tops of the quarters of some kind of late 30's or early 40's coupe I don't think it'd be impossible. If it was seriously headed for the junkyard, I'd at least grab it and strip it for parts, better than seeing it scrapped.
Just going back and reading all the new posts ( wrote my last a while ago but just posting it ) . Part of it is the challenge the biggest part is that it and others can be had cheap being 4doors . You would spend 3-4 thousand more for the coupe which for some people puts you right out of the hobby to start . With a little labor and the saved money on the spent on parts mechanics you could be in the hobby . I see a thread here I think low budget coupe where a roadster is modified using a truck roof . That's where I was heading with this post . Someone suggested I work on the projects I already have , he is absolutely right ( my mind wanders in my old age ) .thanks , richard
Nice work on that 4door , that's what I had in mind . He won't scrap it so that's a good thing , turns out he loves to trade , he also has a spot in his heart for 66 skylarks ( I just happen to have on of those ) so maybe I'll keep the same quantity of projects just have one I desire more , I'll check other him tomorrow to see if we can make a deal
I like Coupes as much as the next guy but that sedan is not a bad looking car. I really like it and personally I would rather have it like it is than a homemade Coupe. Any car from the late 30s is deserving of attention.
That is the Luxury Liner. A special model with a bigger more streamlined body than the regular Dodge. It looks pretty good for a sedan all by itself. Would make a cool low rider with fender skirts and a cool paint job. If someone was looking for a cheap build the whole family can enjoy you could do a lot worse.
I went looking for pics of the Luxury Liner and stumbled on what may be an ad for this car. Price $5495 way too high for a car like this in such poor condition. If you could buy it for under $1000 it might be a fun project if you have the time for it.
under $1000 is what he's asking . Fair price . No drivetrain , wheels , missing and broken glass . Parts are piled in the car . Headlight buckets are punky and one lens is missing . Steering wheel there but in the pile . Sitting on 4 doughnuts . A started project . On my way back I stopped in at a friends hotrod shop and was talking about the car . He has a customer with a 38 packard business coupe he was going to restore . He's had it in his garage for years waiting for the guy to say go . Last word was he might just buy one done and I might have a chance at buying that . Still will check tomorrow for a swap deal on this one . Yes it's a D11
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