Projects 1947 Plymouth P15: Rear Wheel Openings Stock or ???????

Rear Wheel Openings:

Getting to the bodywork on the Plymouth. The P15's had the rear wheels forward in the wheel wells, also the front opening is a different shape from the rear. I am trying to decide if I should modify them? Open them up to show more of the wheel/tire? Appears that Plymouth had different shaped openings over the years.

1. Leave them stock?
2. Round them out 'gasser' style?
3. Re-shape them similar to the fronts?

I am sure there are plenty of opinions out there.

 

if you do it, spend the time to make them look stock, or at least to match the character of the car. Don't radius them , unless your gonna stuff em full of rubber, or going full custom.

 

If you can find them the 42 fenders look more like the fronts.

 

here are some cut out round

 

^^^^what he said ('42 fenders)

 

Re-shape to match the front. Will create a more balanced look I think. And lower the rear to level out the car.

 

Cool coupe.. I say leave them stock...

 

I like open or meke look like the front .p _15 there cool cars .

 

I have a d-24 dodge and I have thought about this as well. If I change anything, I am going to move the rear end back to center the wheels in the openings.



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The off centered rear wheel is a common trait with the Chrysler Corp cars of this model year. The rear axle can be moved back 1.5" to center the wheel in the opening and change the look.

 

Thanks for the replays. The 4link has some adjustment so going to move the axle back, think I can go 3/4". Found a few photos of '42 fenders, going to reshape the rears to look more like the fronts.

 

I think re shaping the openings to match the front will give your car the right look.

 

Round them.

 

skip those options, add skirts. just tossing that idea out there

 

I have cut them round, they look OK on my dirt track replica.

I have also cut a section out and raised it up on the fender then filled in the edges, that looked pretty good and gave us a bit more tire clearance.

I have also left them stock. Which direction to go should be determined by what the direction of the overall concept. The only ones I have pictures of is my current car. Gene

 

I have looked at mine for the last twenty years wondering what I want to do. I think I have finally decided to keep the stock shape, but raise it about four inches so the tops of my wheels are showing the same amount as the fronts. I looked in to some '42 fenders for mine, but the opening was just too big to my eyes. I do actually have a very nice pair of '42 Dodge rear fenders that I bought up in Idaho about ten years ago thinking they were the same size as my Plymouth's... Lost that bet with myself! They are for sale though!

 

I'm gonna climb on the stock wheel well bandwagon. HRP

 

I've was tipped to this thread by my good friend 50 Fraud. Pheonix eh!? Think I've seen your car at GG.
This a subject I have explored since acquiring my P15 many years ago. Hate the fat part above the stock wheel cutout! My take is the obvious "round" cutout doesn't work at all. I planned the '42 approach but decided I'd probably end up modifying those too. The pic that follows is my modified photo done last year,....pretty much what I'll attempt this winter.

 

Kinda what I was talking about, but with a little less radius in the "flat" part. I really want someone to have to look three times to figure out what I have done.

The problem with these cars and the stock wheel well is that if you are even remotely low and even worse have your fender wells stuffed full, removing and inmstalling rear wheels and tires becomes an all day project. I have always thought the deeply shrouded stock rear wheel opening makes the back of these cars look a bit heavy, too.

 

I think they look good in the stock form. Reshaping to look more like the front would be ok too but defiantly don't round them out gasser style.

 

I can do mine in a half day. It's all in the technique. Aside from that, there is a cost to lookin cool! Ya just gotta decide if it's worth it! Kinda like louvers

 

Here's my 48 with 42 fenders.

 

I've got to jack my Dodge up about 3 feet in the air to drop the wheel down and out of the wheel well. I just hope I never have to change a tire out along the road.

 

Scotty, thanks for posting the picture with the 42 fenders. Thought I saw you car in a post but could not find it. It is -5 degrees F here so not doing much in the garage. I am running 255 wide tires and cannot get them off with the suspension down. I like the way the wheel opening flares out towards the rear. When it warms up will make a few patterns and start cutting.

 

Man, I didn't even see the nod to me in your reply! Yup, if you have been to a Good Guys in Phoenix, California or Washington state you've seen my humble beater. It's been down for a couple of years now because of a 75 year old ladies misplaced left turn in a P.T. Cruiser, but soon it will be back up and doing the long distance thing...

 

Seems there's a few old Mopar guys in this thread. Check out http://p15-d24.com/forum/4-p15-d24-forum/ A few get theirs shorts in a bunch with modifications but most are cool.

 

I change my mind, don't round them, 42 them. Awesome.