im gonna go look at a 50 dodge coronet today and would appreciate any words of wisdom on this as i dont know much about em this one has a inline 6 and missing front seats but is very solid from the description that the owner gave me its a 4 door he wants 800.00 bucks for it so the price is right also it is intact bumpers,doors,hood and so on will post pics if i buy it....should i keep the motor or swap?
If the motor runs, it's not bad at all - 20+ MPG, not a lot of HP but fair torque. What sort of transmission is in it? There were some early hydro or clutchless types that are a pain to work with - ideal would be 3 speed with overdrive, but that's not so likely. And of course, go check out the p15-d24 forum - nice folks, kind to rodders and restorers both.
The flat 6 is worth keeping if it's a runner, but probably not worth the expense of rebuilding if it's not. As mentioned, 3 speed stick is a huge bonus over the Gyromatic which in my opinion is a worthless piece of shit transmission. $800 for a '50 Dodge 4 door isn't that great of a deal unless the chrome is useable, good glass, and comes with a title. I bought my running, V8 powered '55 Dodge for $500 in Illinois and it had a title and good chrome on it when I got it. I just sold my '46 Chevy 2 door sedan for $1000, and it was parking lot-driveable, had a title, all glass, complete, ect. If you go and look, and you're not sure, take pictures and post them with a description before you buy it. There's a lot of stuff for sale right now so you want to hunt for a bargain.
Had a 51 4 DR, Plymouth, a few years back, rebuilt the 6, ran good, but if I had to do it again, I would get a doner car with a 318 a 727 and trasplant it in. keep it all Chrysler I am sure it would be a good runner. Good Luck what ever you do!
Funky lookin cars you have to put some effort into makin a chop look right on them. But with time and effort they can look like baby mercs.
It's a heresy on this list lately, but a SBC drops right in. If we are talking traditional, then a SBC swap is correct 'cuz that's what we all did back in the day. You can also bolt in an early Camaro rear end - just need new u bolt plates and shock mounts. The tranny n 50 Dodge is either a Fluid Drive or a Gyromatic. Fluid Drive is a regular three speed manual with a regular clutch mounted behind a fluid coupling (NOT a torque converter), like used on the early Hydramatic trannies. A Gyromatic is the same fluid coupling and mechanical clutch, but behind them all is a four speed transmission. First and third gears can be accessed by the shift lever. Second and fourth are shifted by a solenoid based upon throttle opening and road speed. Normal driving is to start in third and let the car shift up into fourth. Both transmissions are funky and fun to drive, unless you are on the drag strip (Gyromatic). They don't accelerate, they accumulate momentum. A circa-54 Plymouth 3 speed manual with overdrive would bolt behind the fluid coupling/clutch setup. You would just have to swap in the input shaft from the tranny you remove (needs to be longer on account of also going thru the fluid coupling (or torus) on the way to the engine). Contrary to popular prejudice, a 3 speed OD tranny behind the fluid coupling/clutch would be an excellent combination. It is impossible to stall the engine and the clutch life is infinite, since the fluid coupling slips at low rpm. At higher rpm the fluid coupling locks up, so there is no gas mileage penalty. You accelerate away from a stop in either first, second, or third, depending on how fast you want to get away/how lazy you are at the moment. People watching you drive a fluid drive car go nuts, because there are so many ways to drive them. They can't figure it out. The biggest problem with the stock six is poor higher rpm performance. These are low rpm, long stroke tractor motors. The OD solves your high speed cruise problem. If it were me, if the stock motor is OK, I would install an OD as described, keeping the fluid coupling. If the stock 6 is toast, or if you really want to move, then a later engine is called for. A Jag six would look purty in there. So would many others. Good luck - plenty to work with with a 50 Dodge!!!
I swapped the motor and tranny in mine. Motor ran good, but it had the Gyro-Matic (worthless POS). I'm putting a 305/TH350 in it becaue I had them laying around. I know heresy, but it's what I had.
double check the body mounts, braces and rockers they tend to be the first to go in the 50 cornet as like most old cars, engine wise those 6's are just fine. napa still has parts for them which is a plus.
Although not common, I have seen cracks in the frame in the area of the coil spring. Before you get carried away with engine swaps clean up the frame real good and have a look see. .
( yup mine has rust in all those places.) They are plentiful however not in high demand, but they are cool.That bieng said 800 sounds a little high unless it runs good
is that possible i have '53 w/hydrive and i have never been able to find out if i could mate a 3sp overdive to it and still keep fluid coupling/clutch. hydrive/ fluid drives are great to drive. manule when you want, but you can drive it like a auto when your stuck in traffic, or at the drive through.
everything is there good glass all the chrome. hell its even got good bias ply tires and i git for 700.00 gonna keep the flathead but gonna change the tranny as soon as i figure out what will fit
IIRC a Hydrive isd a 'real' automatic with a torque converter. The engine bolt pattern is the same so if you got all of the parts, yes you could convert to a manual. But torque converter trannies do not interchange with fluid coupling units (except to the same motor as a complete swap out).
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