Hey guys i am curious what you think about this, i have a 53 plymouth cranbrook that's pretty much all original and needs a lot of work interior, body and possibly motor wise, and i am getting the point where i think i might be over my head. my balencer/damper has gone out and i am crossing my fingers it's just that and not the crank or an internal problem in the motor, and worst case if there is an internal problem then i will more than likely swap motors and as much as i hate to admit it swap in a sb 350 cause of price and parts availability eventhough i am a fan of keeping brand with brand, but with that said i dunno if this car will be worth the investment
Eh, old Mopars aren't worth much. I have had a few, solid cars just not very popular. If you do it low buck (cheap donor car) and really like the car I'd do it. But if you think putting in a SBC will up the value much it won't and possibly make the car harder to sell. If the car isn't what you really want dump it and find something that really lights your fire.
ya, look for the ride that really turns your crank - nothing worse than pouring money and time into something that you do not have true interest in. like that with chopped '51 Ford project I have now-two years and still not on the road.
Got a 1950 Dodge Coronet I'm having a heck of a time getting on the road.......... but it's OUR (mine and the wife's) first car!!
Sounds like you'll have more into it than it will be worth. If you are fine with that, don't plan to sell it after finshing, and it's the cat for you, then go for it.
if you bought it just because its old,let it be gone. if you bought it because you love it keep it. but if you loved it you wouldnt be here askin us.so kiss it goodbye.
If you have a potential buyer get your money while you can. As said earlier, no matter, original engine or SB the value has never been really high on early 50s Plymouths. Find something you really want.
I saw this Bad Boy at Beatnik Blowout and fell in love. Very nice change of pace and very well executed mopar. Don't know what motor it had but hopefully it was mopar too.
pretty much what's been said. If you go forward you can usually find a cheap Pick up or Van as a donor, these have the needed rear sump set up.
Finally found a car that lights MY fire that I may be able to get tomorrow! One I've been waiting on for 28 years....so definitely, the '62 Olds is up for sale! This is a '55 Chevy. If it were a '57 Chevy, the '60 Olds I've had for 17 years would be shown the door too!
Dude, much as I love my MoPars, I'd proceed with caution. VERY easy to get upside down with them. Go to eBay and check out "Plymouth" inside the "collector car" category. There were 2 pages today that show you a wide range from an $80,000 Show Car that will never draw that kind of money, down to parts cars. Anyway, I'd look at some of the "drivers" in there and compare them to your dreams.
You've already said in essence that you want a Chevy since they are allegedly "cheaper". Sell that Mopar and get your Chevy.
hmm well i have gotten a lot of good responces and the deal with the car is parts are a pain in my ass to find and it's my first classic project and the biggest problem is there is almost no value to the car and i could make a bad ass custom out of it i just dunno if it would be worth the blood, sweat and tears and part of the problem is i am not sure what i would rather have, if anything a 54 crown vic or a 40' ford would suit my fancy but those are hard to find and way out of any price range i could even consider affording
if its done right; youll get your money back. OUr '50 started as a solid car, alloriginal with 21K onit.the interior is all there but it could use new seat covers and a new headliner.the rest is factory original and in nice shape. we stripped the car and did it in over the 4 month winter. we made sure to cover our bases and put a great paint job on it and professional body work to fix any issues. with that being said welove the car and enjoy driving it and it gets a LOT of attention. why? because you NEVER see them out and about. we've had people eyeballing 13k for our PLym and they drool over it. It really depends. if you build it and keepitmostly stock, maybe change the motor if you want, and put a nice, not obnoxious, paint job on it then it will re-sell easy.if you can do all this yourself then you will easily make your money back with the right buyer. if you need to pay everyone to do all the work then youre down and out. youll never make it back.
you need to remember that when your building old cars as a hobby; you will hardly EVER make your money back. if youre going to build it to your tastes and build it for you; then what its worth and what you put into it shouldnt matter. if you want to enjoy it for awhile and then re-sell then keep it mostly traditional to what it was and put a nice color on it; you will be able to re-sell it for decent money despite what people will say about the mopars being worth nothing. ours attracts a lot of attention from the car crowd and like i said; we've had a few willing to dump some change on it...but we havent gotten our fun out of it yet
putting the 350 in is easier said than done. plydo has the mount kit and technically it fits, but be forewarned it's AMAZINGLY tight.
oh trust me i understand about old mopars getting a lot of attention, most people stop when they see my car cause they have no idea what it is or never see 53s and since the 53/54 plymouths were pretty limited cause of all the body changes, even the fact a 53 only looks like a 53 because of the grill or trim options, i really do love the car i just need to make a plan and stick with it and in the end the value of the car isn't a huge deal cause i don't see selling it once it's done...but then again you never know if the price is right. and with that said what are my options? if i find out the flathead needs a re-build and i want to swap in a small block mopar or worst case chevy motor does anyone know if i have to get a whole new front assembly (crossmemeber, suspension etc..) or if i could just make or modify some motor mouths to keep as much of the car as original as possible?
OK, I'll be blunt. It appears that you are in over your head. Have you even tried searching for similar topics? There are many threads, several that are current, dealing with early Mopars and the issues of installing a v-8. It is not for the faint of heart. Inexpensive? Not in the least. Alot of associated parts to be changed? Absoultely! Yes, there are threads dealing with front clips. Not a requirement for these cars but many have been done. Expensive? Not terrible. Technically challenging and labour intensive? You betcha. Even if the 218 is dead, there are plenty of donors to be had and this will be the least cost option. If you are not in love with this car, get it running and send it down the road. Otherwise you will be forever damning the project as a waste of money and effort. my 2¢ .
honestly i think you put it the best, i have options with this car they just might not be worth the effort...i guess i can put a little more into it to try to get her running right and if it turns out the motor is to tired or has internal problems it might not be worth sinking more money into
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