That is a good looking Plymouth! I like the single bar flippers on it, good choice for an early style custom. And, lakes pipes are an easy way to lower a car 1 3/4"! Brian
Thanks Brian. Car is a 10 footer, but it is a lot of fun for not a lot of money. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Man, I sure wish there had been a HAMB when I started building my '48 coupe! I had to reinvent the wheel since most everybody was building Fords and Chevys. Nobody knew anything about MoPars in those days - and they are a creature all by themselves. Here's a little bit of advice that I learned the hard way: One: Concentrate on the stance first, then on the bling. Why? Because once you get the stance right the bling becomes irrelevant. Two: Build the car the way YOU like it. If you follow the trends you'll never be happy for long. Three: Moderation is the key to success in a street-driven hot rod. Radical changes lead to unintended consequences you may not want to deal with. Plymouth sedans do not look good slammed hard or set up like a motorboat. They look best and most slinky when they're moderately lowered with a slight rake to the front with a tire stagger (big on the rear, smaller on the front) as well as a chassis tilt. Use moderation here. Otherwise that front bumper that sticks out nine yards will catch on everything! Just ask me how I know... Good luck! If I had it to do over again I'd start with a two or four door sedan instead of my business coupe. Yup.
Listen to what Eric says above!!! For true, every word of it. Keep the stance just a hair nose down on this car and it will look sooooooooo much better than the ass dragging stuff, even if dolled up like a custom.
Changing rear tires @ normal height can be a pain getting it between the drum & fender, lowering much will only make it worse.
How right you are, George! Adding big, fat tires has the same effect. I don't know how Chip (need louvers ?) solved this problem but my car is tubbed and is set up for some really serious rubber on the rear. Ray Lund - the really talented guy who did the chassis work on this final version of my car - dealt with it in two ways. First, he set the car up with a narrow '58 Edsel 9" housing (we couldn't find a '57 - '58 Ford when the car was being built so we settled for the Edsel unit. Big mistake, but that's a whole 'nother story.) which helped. Then he welded nuts into the sheet metal of the body and made threaded male wingnut fasteners to replace the standard bolts. It's a long reach to the top ones but once they're all removed the fender just pops off. This is a very creative solution to one of the "unintended consequences" of radical modifications that I spoke of in my earlier post.
As far as how to change rear tires on this thing.... I keep a can of fix a flat at all times under the deck in the back! Also a bag of dyna beads too, 'cause one of the problems I had was spinning the wheels in side the tires and screwing up the balance when I was out "playing". In my car's new life I intend to raise the rear wheel openings just a bit, yet keep the same stock shape. I looked high and low for a pair of '42 Plymouth rear fenders to no avail. Found some '42 Dodge though... Talk about mistakes! I thought they would fit right on - WRONG! The other happy little happenstance with mine is that when I went to the rear discs under my car, it opened up just a slight bit more room to untuck the rear wheels from the back of the car when the need arises. About the only thing that particular pair of rear discs are good for! All this has little to do with the O/Ps search for some styling guides other than to prove a warning... Just don't go too low in the back on this thing, 'cause it makes life hard!
Unfortunately due to some financial changes i have to get rid of my project. I am not sure how much this style Plymouth are going for these days. Would anyone have an idea on what to ask for this car or if anyone knows a person that may be interested? Its all original, have visor, skirts and caps along with it too. new battery and carb rebuild also. Thanks
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