Some of you know I've recently bought a 47 Dodge 4 door sedan that the plan is to street rod it. I guess even though this is an A Body forum I wouldn't get too much flacks if I posted a thread about the 47 here on FABO. I plan on keeping it as much Mopar as possibly - no 350 Chevy in this baby!
Anyway, this saga started when a Facebook friend posted asked if anyone had a trailer to help move his 47 Dodge and a Brand X from his buddies house as the county was getting snotty about the number of cars on the property. Or better yet, would anyone be interested in either one. Being a Mopar diehard and have always wanted a pre-48, I replied I'd be interested in the 47 - send me some pics and we'll go from there. So, a couple of weeks later he sent me a couple of pics.
What's with those wheels - they'd have to go if I got it!
Hmmm, 4 door sedan! Not a coupe but a 4 door is OK too. And it didn't look too hateful from the pics. A couple of front end shots and one of the rear.
Hmmmm! A butterfly hood just like the 56 Dodge truck I had and so many times regretted getting rid of it.
Come to find out the pics were taken by the PO before the guy who currently owned it.
We were finally able to schedule a day where I could personally take a look as he works 2 jobs. So this past Saturday the wife and I head out and I can take a look at the car in person. Pics from last Saturday before the battery in my phone died.
I told Mike (who I will call Owner #2) I'd take it and he advises me that the title is not in his name but the in the previous owner's name (who I will call Owner #1) - Kind of important to tell the owners apart for later in the story. Anyway Mike - owner 2 - says it will be no problem transferring the title over but if I want, he would get it in his name so there would be no problem. We agreed on that and so I gave him a small deposit with the balance due upon me receiving a good title. #2 gives me a photo album that #1 had started back in 2002 as well as a set of the original keys.
Fast forward to Tuesday when I receive a text from #2 who says he has a good title ready to transfer to my/our name. We meet - I now have the title he has the money and everyone is happy. I still need to make arrangements to get it home - no trailer so I gotta use a commercial rollback. #2 says give so and so a call as they've done hauling for him. Wife and I stop by and - Yes we can go get it right now - they had 4 drivers sitting there waiting for a call. So, driver and I head out and pick this beast up.
Owner #2 had a bunch of personal stuff stored inside so I'll need to clean it out before I can do a better evaluation. There's some trim missing and extra stuff in the trunk so hopefully they're inside somewhere.
So it's home and I got the inside cleaned out yesterday. The photo album I got from #2 showed #1 had done some floor work back in 2002 and put new carpet in - well, I guess it was new to them - regular house carpet with some kind of underlay under it. #1 also had the seats reupholstered during his ownership but by the time #2 acquired ownership, the seats were long gone (less I have to do to put whatever seats I decide to use in)! #1 also had done the door panels and look pretty good! I'll make a decision on them later.
I didn't have high hopes for the condition of the floor with house carpet and underlay/sound deadner or whatever it was. I was right!
House carpet screwed to the floor! WTF!
Sound deadener or some kind of underlayment.
All equals very rusty floors! Even the trans tunnel has a couple of rust outs!
The floors are basically flat so I'm not worried about them. In looking at them I'm not even sure where #1 put floors in lol!
The body itself is super straight other than where the trim goes in the rocker panels. I couldn't find even a door ding or low/high spots anywhere! I'd venture to say if the body was wet sanded it could be painted right away! All the side trim is stainless- a plus. Minuses - tail light bezels, outside door handles and trunk and hood trim is all pot metal - pitted pretty bad. I'll have to think what I will do with them.
That's as far as I've got so far. Plans? The flathead and 3 on the tree with Fluid Drive is definitely going. I've had people on the P15-D24 forum say a Gen 1 392 swap requires a bunch of engine compartment work. Less work using a LA motor and supposedly a slant is the least amount of work. I've been reading about suspension and steering swaps to rack and pinion. Disc brakes can be added even to the original spindles. I've read that using an early Dakota frame clip works - gotta do a lot of research before turning the first wrench! I'd like to use the original instruments - they look just so bad! I found out that a 71-74 B body 8.75/8.25 bolts right in with no mods whatsoever! I've got a set of Ram buckets with the built-in shoulder belts - they'd be perfect I think. Rear seat? Who needs a rear seat lol? Yea, I'll have to find something that will fit so the grandkids can ride too! So much to think about; if anyone has done something similar or has some ideas, please do pass them on. One of our Swedish members - 360DartGT66 - already said those wheels have to go! Right on Anders! More to follow as I get more into the repair/mods.
Anyway, this saga started when a Facebook friend posted asked if anyone had a trailer to help move his 47 Dodge and a Brand X from his buddies house as the county was getting snotty about the number of cars on the property. Or better yet, would anyone be interested in either one. Being a Mopar diehard and have always wanted a pre-48, I replied I'd be interested in the 47 - send me some pics and we'll go from there. So, a couple of weeks later he sent me a couple of pics.
What's with those wheels - they'd have to go if I got it!
Hmmm, 4 door sedan! Not a coupe but a 4 door is OK too. And it didn't look too hateful from the pics. A couple of front end shots and one of the rear.
Hmmmm! A butterfly hood just like the 56 Dodge truck I had and so many times regretted getting rid of it.
Come to find out the pics were taken by the PO before the guy who currently owned it.
We were finally able to schedule a day where I could personally take a look as he works 2 jobs. So this past Saturday the wife and I head out and I can take a look at the car in person. Pics from last Saturday before the battery in my phone died.
I told Mike (who I will call Owner #2) I'd take it and he advises me that the title is not in his name but the in the previous owner's name (who I will call Owner #1) - Kind of important to tell the owners apart for later in the story. Anyway Mike - owner 2 - says it will be no problem transferring the title over but if I want, he would get it in his name so there would be no problem. We agreed on that and so I gave him a small deposit with the balance due upon me receiving a good title. #2 gives me a photo album that #1 had started back in 2002 as well as a set of the original keys.
Fast forward to Tuesday when I receive a text from #2 who says he has a good title ready to transfer to my/our name. We meet - I now have the title he has the money and everyone is happy. I still need to make arrangements to get it home - no trailer so I gotta use a commercial rollback. #2 says give so and so a call as they've done hauling for him. Wife and I stop by and - Yes we can go get it right now - they had 4 drivers sitting there waiting for a call. So, driver and I head out and pick this beast up.
Owner #2 had a bunch of personal stuff stored inside so I'll need to clean it out before I can do a better evaluation. There's some trim missing and extra stuff in the trunk so hopefully they're inside somewhere.
So it's home and I got the inside cleaned out yesterday. The photo album I got from #2 showed #1 had done some floor work back in 2002 and put new carpet in - well, I guess it was new to them - regular house carpet with some kind of underlay under it. #1 also had the seats reupholstered during his ownership but by the time #2 acquired ownership, the seats were long gone (less I have to do to put whatever seats I decide to use in)! #1 also had done the door panels and look pretty good! I'll make a decision on them later.
I didn't have high hopes for the condition of the floor with house carpet and underlay/sound deadner or whatever it was. I was right!
House carpet screwed to the floor! WTF!
Sound deadener or some kind of underlayment.
All equals very rusty floors! Even the trans tunnel has a couple of rust outs!
The floors are basically flat so I'm not worried about them. In looking at them I'm not even sure where #1 put floors in lol!
The body itself is super straight other than where the trim goes in the rocker panels. I couldn't find even a door ding or low/high spots anywhere! I'd venture to say if the body was wet sanded it could be painted right away! All the side trim is stainless- a plus. Minuses - tail light bezels, outside door handles and trunk and hood trim is all pot metal - pitted pretty bad. I'll have to think what I will do with them.
That's as far as I've got so far. Plans? The flathead and 3 on the tree with Fluid Drive is definitely going. I've had people on the P15-D24 forum say a Gen 1 392 swap requires a bunch of engine compartment work. Less work using a LA motor and supposedly a slant is the least amount of work. I've been reading about suspension and steering swaps to rack and pinion. Disc brakes can be added even to the original spindles. I've read that using an early Dakota frame clip works - gotta do a lot of research before turning the first wrench! I'd like to use the original instruments - they look just so bad! I found out that a 71-74 B body 8.75/8.25 bolts right in with no mods whatsoever! I've got a set of Ram buckets with the built-in shoulder belts - they'd be perfect I think. Rear seat? Who needs a rear seat lol? Yea, I'll have to find something that will fit so the grandkids can ride too! So much to think about; if anyone has done something similar or has some ideas, please do pass them on. One of our Swedish members - 360DartGT66 - already said those wheels have to go! Right on Anders! More to follow as I get more into the repair/mods.
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