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Customs 49 years ago today

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by goldmountain, Jan 1, 2020.

  1. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    On New Year's Day 49 years ago, I got my '47 Plymouth, my first car. I bought it sort of sight unseen, having been told about a late 40's era black Plymouth that was for sale. Hoped that the car wasn't one of those ugly 3 window things. Was told that it had a slant six swap so that made it a hot rod of sorts. I remembered seeing an old black Plymouth with chrome reverse wheels in front and 5 spoke mags cruising the high school, and sure enough, this was it. It belonged to the brother of a friend of my brother's. Can't remember his name but I can clearly remember his girlfriend Myrna who was sitting beside him when he delivered it. It came delivered in front of the house at the end of a rope since it was not in running condition. I had been reading car magazines since I was 11 and here now was the real thing. Totally clueless as to what to do, didn't even know how I was going to get it around the block and into the little garage. Still have it and it has gone through all kinds of butchery at my hands. Engine swaps, different transmissions, suspensions, shifters, and just about every mistake possible. I really need to take the whole thing apart to do it up right but newer projects keep getting in the way. Scan-200101-0001.jpg
     
  2. AVater
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 3,148

    AVater
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Connecticut HAMB'ers

    Very cool. Thank you for sharing the story and your stewardship of the car. Had to chuckle about how you remembered the girl’s name but not the owner. She must have made an impression..........
     
  3. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    There's something eerie about '46 - '48 Plymouths … hearing a black 4 door with a split manifold when I was 8 is why I'm here today.
     
    Deuces and GreenMonster48 like this.
  4. Uncle Ronn
    Joined: Mar 23, 2015
    Posts: 99

    Uncle Ronn
    Member
    from Modesto CA

    I have always liked these cars.
    I'm going to inherit a 48 Club Coupe and build plans are shaved emblems,bull nosed hood and steel wheels,very much as your 1st car appears.
     

  5. King ford
    Joined: Mar 18, 2013
    Posts: 1,477

    King ford
    Member
    from 08302

    Cool car and all HAMB brother....now tell us about Myrna!
     
    Deuces likes this.
  6. arkiehotrods
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 6,803

    arkiehotrods
    Member

    49 years, congratulations! Very cool car, very cool story!
     
    Deuces likes this.
  7. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,711

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    Those are a good looking overlooked body style. The only thing I dislike about them are the rear wheel well openings, if they are modified to match the fronts they look so much more better IMHO.
     
  8. Rusty Heaps
    Joined: May 19, 2011
    Posts: 949

    Rusty Heaps
    Member

    49 Years! Wow, you've got me beat. I've only had my first hotrod for 35 years. Give us some more details, like photos of past incarnations, and where your going with it now.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  9. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    Thanks everyone for the positive comments. My avatar is an oil painting I did of the car back in 1988 but sadly, it still isn't done. Back in about 1980 or so, I was chumming along with the leadsled guys with their chopped Mercs and shoebox cars at a rod run and after I came home, I cut the roof off. Took out about 4" at the windshield and lowered the back until it felt good. This was way before the Hamb, internet, and readily available English wheels and such. There was a December 1978 article in Street Rodder on a Plymouth chop and that was it. I wasn't quite happy with the fit of my doors so I asked a bodyman friend for advice. He said I could stuff a portapower in the door opening and crank on it until something moved. Put a nice dent in my A pillar, but that was all it did. After this, I measured my doors and the door opening and discovered that they fit nice around the window openings but the door gap went down to nothing at the bottom. Finally got that Eureka moment. Suddenly I remembered that the doors had never fit good before the chop but they only latched good due to the bearclaw latches. I had replaced the hood with a really nice hood that I had a gazillion louvers punched but it had a nasty case of overbite and as I sighted down the fender, I noticed that the top edge was rather swaybacked. My car had been hit squarely in the front way back in its past and had never been fixed properly. To do a proper fix, I think that I should pull it back in place down at the floor level, get all my gaps good and start over. That isn't going to happen until I finish the T coupe and the Austin which seems to have snuck in there somehow. Something to do with available garage space and money. The Plymouth will sit neglected for a bit longer.
     
  10. ...pics of Myrna please.
     
    Okie Pete likes this.
  11. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

  12. Tall t 26
    Joined: Oct 6, 2017
    Posts: 242

    Tall t 26
    Member

    Had a 48 Plymouth coupe but it had a 68 Camaro sub frame and a 396 chevy with vintage air.
    Really like that body style. Don't see them as much as other couples in this area.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  13. Keep at it and good luck !
     
  14. ssracer
    Joined: May 2, 2011
    Posts: 107

    ssracer
    Member
    from oklahoma

    My first car was a 51 Plymouth. Always wanted another one, found a nice one on here from a fellow hamber. Over the last couple of years, built the engine, new interior, cleaned up the patina paint and created and old school hot rod.
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Ebbsspeed
    Joined: Nov 11, 2005
    Posts: 6,250

    Ebbsspeed
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    They didn't pull it up any hills with that shoestring hanging on the front bumper, did they?

    This isn't a photo of your Myrna, but another Myrna that was pretty hot. Myrna Loy was an actress way back when, but she'd have been about 65 years old back when you got the car. Probably not as hot at 65 as she was in her prime.....
    Myrna.JPG
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2020
    Okie Pete, BigO and chryslerfan55 like this.
  16. Great looking car and story. Thanks, BigO
     
  17. jroberts
    Joined: Oct 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,658

    jroberts
    Member

    The car I really learned to drive in was a Plymouth like this but it was a four door. One day my dad called me to go for a ride with him. We ended up on a sandy unpaved road, or maybe trail would better describe it. He stopped the car and told me to get in the driver's seat and drive. My job had for quite awhile to check the oil every day when he got home from work. It burned so much oil that Dad would by "new" oil but glass bottles of what Sears called "reconstituted" oil. One day I remember having to put 4 quarts in that old engine to fill it up. We looked through junk yards looking for a replacement engine, but as I remember they all were as bad as the one in the car. I remember him selling that car and got a '58 Dodge station wagon. Ugliest thing ever in my young opinion. I think I cried when the old Plymouth was gone.
     
    BigO likes this.

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