Have decided to upgrade my 48 Plymouth 2 door sedan (p15). Want modern reliability for daily driver and teardrop towing. Have minimum budget and would think that a single doner would be best. Ease, cost and mpg are concerns. Car has good solid frame at this time so can't see need in doing frame swap. S10 p/u or blazer or a Dakota would be best in my mind. V6 with auto. Don't want a big hp car. Any one done this ? Input please.
Do a search in the archives...I know there is a plymouth thread somewhere that has the info your looking for. I searched a little and didn't find it, but I remember readingthrough it a while back. Talked about frames and motors people had swapped into there dodge/plymouths.
Sounds like a project for a slant six, maybe with a Volare front clip. Good milage, good ride, fair power and cheap.
p15 Question :..... Possible Solution # 1--""Roadster Jeff"" here on the Hamb is "offering to sell" a 40 Plydo with a Dakota 6 cyl chassis....He had a lotta channeling going on with it (interior pics) He may be willing to tell you everything he knows about it.... Solution 2---Mayhaps U can do it with a stock Dakota frame with dropped spindles....#3---Plydo suspensions were light years O Head of the others in ride and handling (My sorry opinion ) So mayhaps a rebuild of a stock front end especially with dropped spindles and HD shocks might do U right proud....#4.Bolt in crossmembers are available....-Some fella out in Arizona, I believe it was, was using DAKOTA front ends on old vehicles...Don't remember wether it was crossmembers or grafting on the Dodge Dakota front end....Maybe someone else will be able to give U accurate Info on this particular solution G-luck Cj.
I have a 49 Dodge and have done a Dakota front subframe, it was my first and was pretty easy, followed directions from someone on the P15-D24 website, the Dakota frame actually slides into the original frame. If your frame is good, do a search, you can get disk brakes for your car, and the best change to your stock frame is a top shock mount relocation. Your suspension is good, and disc brakes and shock are all thats pretty much needed, unless you also want dropped spindles which are also available. Heres two pics of my subframe.
I know the front suspension can be upgrade but beyond my budget. A complete doner (and I will check out dimensions on the Dakota) is about the only way I can do it that would give me better brakes and rear end and auto trans that I can get parts or fixed while out on the road. I do a lot of travelling and camping. I need reliability.
keep the stock suspension and use a chevy cavalier rack and pinion. If you put a V8 in you will or may have big problems with the headers on the drivers side with the stock steering box. Did a couple early 50's swaps and that was my biggest issue!
I did the Dakota subframe for the same reasons, the brake upgrades, dropped discs, rack and pinion upgrades cost too much, I got the dakota subframe at the Piack n Pull on 1/2 price wednesday for $38, sold the scrap for $55, can't beat that. I don't believe you can use the whole frame, the Dakota kicks up in the rear behind the cab, wont fit the P15 profile. no problem with using the rear axle though.
If you can buy this issue of Speed Mechanics. It has a tech artical on how to put a early corvette 265ci engine into a 46 Plymouth(almost same as 48). Speed Mechanics Feb 1960 click on link above
Up grade your brakes to discs and keep the original front suspession and upgrade the steering box to GM Opel, Saab, Chevy Cavalier r&p steering. The cars will work verry well on the road. Like this
About 10 yrs ago a guy in Sylacauga was trying to do the S10 frame swap & last I heard, back then, he'd just about given up on it.
The pre 92 dakotas are 5 lug, and the Dakota frame is the same , slides together into the original. Don't know about the s10's, but keep it Mopar. Weigh your costs though, if you buy a subframe from a junkyard you still will have to go thru the frontend and rebuild it, same as you would the stock.
My 2 cents... upgrade to disc brakes up front (try Scarebird), rebuild the front end, and quit worrying about putting in a subframe. As for engines, go look at what shadowmtkustomz (here on the HAMB) did to his '50 Dodge - swapped in the whole drivetrain (273 V8, auto tranny, and rear end) from a '66 Valiant and it looked a heck of a lot easier than some of the other heart transplants I have seen. He got the whole car for $400 off Craigslist and did the transplant in the driveway. Check it out.... and good luck! http://shadowmtkustomz.blogspot.com/
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